Tag Archives: idaho

Business/Economics, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? U.S. Postal Service cuts officially (almost) done deal, will “move forward” with austerity measures, Merry Xmas!

As promised, the U.S. Postal Service made its dreaded announcement on December 5.  The USPS filed a request with the Postal Regulatory Commission to “move forward” with austerity measures that will not only cut back service, but eliminate hundreds of thousands of jobs.

“We’re in a deep financial crisis today because we have a business model that’s tied to the past [ie Congress]. We are expected to operate like a business, but don’t have the flexibility to do so [because of rules created by Congress]. Our business model is fundamentally inflexible [no thanks to Congress]. It prevents the postal service from solving its problems.”-Patrick Donahoe, U.S. Postmaster General, November 2011

The plan, supported by the Obama Administration, calls for cutting U.S.$20 billion from operating costs by 2015.  That means closing 252 processing facilities, closing 3,700 post offices, and eliminating 100,000 jobs!!!

The processing centers will be closed by spring 2012.  Job losses just from the closing of processing centers could hit 28,000! Expect delays in getting your mail.

This after the U.S. Congress decided to ‘delay’ any action on their part until after next year’s Presidential elections.  The move guarantees the demise of the USPS, because President Barack Obama set the default date for the Postal Service as December 16, 2010.

In a PBS interview, both the Postmaster General, and the President of the Letter Carrier’s Union said it wasn’t really about lack of business, in fact the Postmaster General said package volume was still good.  It was all about the U.S. Congress ripping off the non-taxpayer funded Postal Service: “The Postal Service actually has somewhere between $50 billion and $125 billion in their other funds that is not taxpayer money. They haven’t used a dime of taxpayer money in over 30 years! And the Congress just needs to act responsibly and quickly to give them access to that — those funds.”- Fredric Rolando, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers

Rolando pointed out that the job losses will go beyond the USPS. It will affect all the companies the USPS contracts with, like FedEx, Siemens, Northrop-Grumman, Pat Salmon & Sons and Campbell-Ewald, to name a few.

Rolando, in the PBS interview, predicted that millions of jobs will eventually be lost because of what’s happening to the USPS!

Merry Xmas Mr. Scrooge, and God bless us, everyone!

 

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

Government Incompetence: Fluoridated water blamed for Dumbing Down Americans and causing chronic unexplained pain, blame the nuclear and pharmaceutical industry

“We have been suffering from various diseases for consuming water with fluoride content. We are desperately in need of pure drinking water.”-residents of Jagalur, India

Yet another study proves that fluoridated water makes you stupid, and can cause a life time of pain!

The latest study was conducted in India, and just published in the Journal of Medical and Allied Sciences.

Rats were used, and the results were neurodegenerative and morphological alterations in the neocortex, hippocampus and cerebellum areas of the brain, and in the spinal cord and sciatic nerve.

Neurodegenerative is the progressive loss of neurons, and “morphological alterations” basically means physical mutations.

Researchers say the negative affects with intelligence and pain take place before physical mutations appear: “High levels of fluoride in drinking water (1-12 parts per million) affect central nervous system directly without first causing the physical deformities of skeletal fluorosis.”-K. Pratap Reddy, Osmania University, Hyderabad, India

This is not the first study to say fluoride is bad for you.  Over the decades dozens and dozens of studies across the world have resulted in the same conclusion.  According to the Fluoride Action Network (FAN), there are now 25 studies showing that fluoride makes you stupid.

Studies have also shown a link between arthritis pain, back pain, joint and muscle pains. The research in India was motivated after people in a village named Jagalur, were found to be suffering from all kinds of diseases and chronic conditions. Investigations blamed the fluoridated water.

It’s not just Jagalur.  Joint pains, teeth problems, muscular pains, stomach pain and headaches are common among people in Gollaratti, Rajnatti, Gidnatti, Bullolli, Machikere, Marajanmatti, Kechhanahalli, Devikere, Chadaragolla, Gowripura, Kyasanahalli and many other villages who’s water has fluoride in it.

However, the problem in India comes from naturally occurring fluoride in their well water.  Here in the United States local and state governments purposely add fluoride to the water.

It turns out that currently, only the English speaking countries add fluoride to public drinking water.  In the book The Fluoride Deception, author Christopher Bryson revealed how the push for fluoride use in the U.S. is directly related to the U.S. nuclear program and the pharmaceutical industry.

It turns out there have been many anti-fluoride lawsuits against local municipalities in the United States, however most have not been successful.

Now lets see, English speaking countries are the only ones that intentionally add fluoride to the drinking water, and there’s been a huge increase in chronic pain, and the use of pain killers, among the people of those English speaking countries. Also, there’s been a huge decrease in the overall level of intelligence, no matter how much taxpayer money has been thrown at education programs. And, have you also noticed that the political, business, social and religious leaders of those English speaking countries seem to be making decisions that are more and more irrational? Mmmm, could it be something in the water?

 

Business/Economics, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? U.S. Postal Service forced to close hundreds of processing centers and thousands of post offices, Merry Xmas!

On December 5, the U.S. Postmaster General will announce detailed austerity cuts for the USPS.  This after the U.S. Congress decided to ‘delay’ any action on their part until after next year’s Presidential elections.  The move guarantees the demise of the USPS, because President Barack Obama set the default date for the Postal Service as December 16, 2010.

It’s expected that part of Monday’s announcement will include the closing of 250 processing centers across the U.S., as well as 3,700 post offices!  It could also mean the end of Saturday delivery. The austerity cuts would begin in the spring of 2012.  It’s a sure thing that mail service will be much slower as a result.

By the way, don’t think this is going to save taxpayers money, it wont. The Postal Service operates on money that comes from you and me buying postal products, not taxes!

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? East Idaho airline service shuts down, just in time for Xmas! No more taxpayer subsidy?

Beginning December 31, no more SeaPort Airline flights from Idaho Falls to Boise.

SeaPort Airlines only started the route back in July, and of course local east Idaho officials touted it as a sign of local economic recovery.  Airline officials say they will try to issue refunds for people with tickets for after the December 31 shut down.

SeaPort Airlines is based in Portland, Oregon.  The ending of their Idaho Falls route is a surprise, especially since on November 14 it was reported that they were in the running for a Federally funded route from Jackson, Tennessee, to Nashville, Tennessee.

So far there is no official explanation for the cancellation of the Idaho Falls to Boise route.  Could it have something to do with Federal lawmakers voting to eliminate airline subsidies for regional airport routes that are within a 90 miles (144 kilometers) radius of a major metropolitan airport?

 

 

 

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

Occupy Corporate Prisons, United Police States of Corporate America! Protestors shut down Wells Fargo, because of direct links to corporate prisons, Idaho politicians in the pockets of corporate prisons

On December 2, protestors in Washington DC temporarily shut down the Wells Fargo office.  The reason is that Wells Fargo is a major player in financing corporate prisons.

The OWS protesters say banks like Wells Fargo are profiting from the contracted management of state ‘correctional’ institutes, such as GEO Group managing the Rivers Correctional Institution in North Carolina.

Wells Fargo also supports Corrections Corporation of America, which runs a prison in Idaho known as Gladiator School.

Wells Fargo is also the biggest bank in Idaho.  Reports say Wells Fargo owns 4 million shares in Geo Group, the second largest U.S. private prison corporation, and 50,000 shares in the number one private prison operator, Corrections Corporation of America (CCA).

Also of interest, Idaho politicians, most of them republicans, receive donations from CCA (supported by Wells Fargo).

Here’s a long list:

Eric Anderson (R): $250.00 in 2008

Steven R. Bair (R): $750.00 combined 2006 & 2008

Clifford R. “Cliff” Bayer (R):  $1,550 combined 2006 & 2008

Scott Bedke (R):  $500.00 combined 2006 & 2008

Maxine T. Bell (R):  $1,050 combined 2006 & 2008

Carlos Bilbao (R): $250.00 in 2008

Dianne Bilyeu (D): $250.00 in 2008

Max C. Black (R): $250.00 in 2008

Darrel Bolz (R):  $1,300 combined 2006 & 2008

Bert Brackett (R): $250.00 in 2008

Joyce M. Broadsword (R): $1,050 in 2008

Mike Burkett (D):  $500.00 in 2006

Dean L. Cameron (R): $750.00 in 2008

Marge Chadderdon (R): $250.00 in 2008

James W. Clark (R): $500.00 in 2008

Denton Darrington (R):  $800.00 combined 2006 & 2008

Bart M. Davis (R): $550.00 in 2006

W.W. “Bill” Deal (R):  $750.00 in 2006

Lawerence E. Denney (R): $750.00 combined 2006 & 2008

Julie Ellsworth (R): $250.00 in 2008

George E. Eskridge (R): $500.00 in 2008

Debbie Field (R): $250.00 in 2006

Russell M. Fulcher (R): $1,300 combined 2006 & 2008

Robert L. Geddes (R): $250.00 in 2006

John W. Goedde (R): $500.00 in 2008

Jim Guthrie (R): $500.00 in 2006

Jim Hammond (R): $500.00 in 2008

Phil Hart (R): $250.00 in 2008

R.J. “Dick” Harwood (R): $1,300 combined 2006 & 2008

Margaret Henbest (D): $300.00 in 2006

Frank N. Henderson (R): $750.00 combined 2006 & 2008

Brent Hill (R):  $300.00 in 2006

Mike Jorenson (R): $750.00 combined 2006 & 2008

Kate Kelly (D): $250.00 in 2008

Dirk Kempthorne (R):   $2,500 in 2006

Shawn A. Keough (R):  $1,500 combined 2006 & 2008

Richard D. Kirkham (R): $500.00 in 2006

Steven A. Kren (R): $500.00 in 2008

Raul R. Labrador (R): $250.00 in 2006

Dennis M. Lake (R): $250.00 in 2008

Brad Little (R): $750.00 combined 2006 & 2008

Patti Anne Lodge (R): $1,500 combined 2006 & 2008

Janice McGeachin (R): $500.00 in 2008

John McGee (R): $1,300 combined 2006 & 2008

Shirley McKague (R): $250.00 in 2008

Mike Moyle (R): $1,000 combined 2006 & 2008

Pete Nielsen (R): $300.00 in 2006

C.L. “Butch” Otter (R): $10,000 in 2006

Monty J. Pearce (R): $550.00 in 2006

Ken A. Roberts (R): $250.00 in 2008

John Rusche (R): $250.00 in 2008

Mack G. Shirley (R): $250.00 in 2008

Kathy Skippen (R): $800.00 in 2006

Elaine Smith (D): $250.00 in 2008

Dean E. Sorensen (R): $250.00 in 2008

Joe Stegner (R): $500.00 combined 2006 & 2008

Gerry Sweet (R):  $1,000 in 2006

Richard Wills (R): $250.00 in 2008

Chuck Winder (R): $250.00 in 2008

Fred Wood (R): $500.00 in 2008

Joan E. Wood (R): $250.00 in 2008

Becky Young (R): $250.00 in 2008

Not one Idaho third party candidate took money from CCA!

 

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Idaho’s unemployed, and underemployed at record levels. More proof that college is a waste of money! And stop moving here, there are not enough jobs for you!

“It would scare the citizens to death and it would make the government look bad. The government wants to look as good as it can.”-Monte Munn, economics professor at Idaho’s Treasure Valley Community College

Munn is talking about the underemployment numbers, revealed in quarterly U-6 reports: “U-6 is a lot more accurate. U-3 greatly underestimates, or understates the real unemployment.”

Monthly unemployment numbers are called U-3, but underemployment is reported every quarter (along with the unemployment numbers) and is called U-6.

As far as the U-6 numbers go, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a seasonally adjusted October 2011 result of 16.2% for the whole country.  Idaho ranks in at 15.9% (according to overall 3rd quarter results)!

(The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics calls the ‘U’ measurments “Alternative Measures of Labor Underutilization”. Get it? ‘U’ for underutilization.)

Local Idaho media has been reporting fractional drops in a few monthly unemployment reports for 2011, but, when you look at the IDL’s U-6 yearly percentages, from 2008 to 2010, it’s clear both unemployment and underemployment have gone way up, and the few fractional monthly drops this year don’t mean a thing.

Underemployment numbers not only reveal how many people are working in jobs that don’t have benefits, or jobs that don’t match their level of education or training, but it also reveals the overall quality of jobs available.

The Idaho Department of Labor (IDL) admitted in a 2007 report, they can not count all college educated workers who’re underemployed, which means the actual numbers could be bigger: “…the number of employed job seekers with education who are looking for work is underestimated. Only those who have come through a Labor Department local office are counted, and clearly other employed workers with degrees are looking for better jobs but not through the Labor Department system.”-IDL, Measuring Underemployment in Idaho

 

Pocatello, Southeastern region of Idaho

The IDL just released U-6 data from 2008 to 2010.  By region South Central Idaho has a U-6 ranking of 20.8% making it the number one place for sucky jobs! Eastern Idaho comes in second at 18.3%!  Southeastern Idaho (where I live) joins North Idaho and North Central Idaho in the 14 percentile range.  Southwestern Idaho has the lowest U-6 at 11.7% (still bad).

The IDL even breaks it down by county, so if you want to see how bad your county is (and some counties have U-6 in the 20 percentile range!), then check it out for yourself.

An eastern Idaho TV station interviewed an IDL official, to get his take on why such high U-6 numbers. He blamed the high number of college edjumacated Idahoans, that right, too many highly qualified people living in Idaho: “…I think you would see more of our workers are underemployed, especially if they are zip code attached, where they want to stay here than to get paid more for their education elsewhere.”-Will Jenson, IDL economist

By “zip code attached” Jenson means Idahoans who go to college, find out they prefer the quality of life in Idaho and do not want to leave (I’m in that boat). However, there are very few jobs in Idaho that can pay enough to help you pay back the cost of your college degree.  The fact that there are so many highly educated people in Idaho should attract companies that need higher skilled workers, but, obviously from the U-6 numbers, it isn’t.

There’s another problem, that will eventually bring down the quality of life here in Idaho, people are flooding into the state.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the 2010 census count revealed that Idaho is the 4th fastest growing state in the country, at 21.1%.  Come on people, move somewhere else, there aren’t enough jobs here, let alone good paying jobs, for all you all.

As far as unemployed people getting unemployment help (insultingly called “benefits”!), according to the IDL, 11,800 Idahoans stopped receiving unemployment help this year.  Merry Xmas!

 

Business/Economics, Idaho, International, Technology, U.S.

Corporate Incompetence: Could demise of Hewlett Packard’s WebOS end hundreds of jobs in Idaho? HP in bed with Microsoft? We’ll find out in two weeks

“We should announce our decision in the next two weeks. This is not an easy decision, because we have a team of 600 people which is in limbo.”-Meg Whitman, CEO Hewlett Packard

French media interviewed Hewlett Packard’s latest CEO, Meg Whitman.  She says what they decide to do with their WebOS system will affect at least 600 HP employees.

Other media reports confirmed that 525 layoffs, made back in September, were the result of ending WebOS hardware production.  Since August the system has been up for sale, no takers so far.

It’s strange because as recently as July, Stephen DeWitt, head of the WebOS business unit, claimed that WebOS was so versatile that it could be used in a “universe of devices”.

What happened? Executives at HP have decided to use Microsoft’s Windows 8 operating system. In explaining the embracing of Windows 8 Whitman also explained why they canceled their number two selling tablet, the TouchPad: “Internet tablets are mainly used to consume media and e-mails. If you want to use productivity software such as Microsoft, you can not…This is an important area in which we want to go.”  “We stopped using the products that use the operating system WebOS. We will return in 2012. We will have an internet tablet that will use Microsoft Windows 8.”

The new HP tablet that runs on Window 8 is called Slate 2.

Whitman also talked about the high turnover of HP CEOs, and her plans with the company: “HP has had three CEOs in less than two years.  I’m here to stay. Even if my friend Mitt Romney becomes the next president of the United States, I will not join him in Washington.”  “We must invest more in storage, networks and servers to align ourselves with our competitors like EMC and Cisco. Our last server, which uses an ARM processor is more efficient in terms of energy consumption. We need these major innovations to differentiate ourselves.”

In November unnamed sources at HP’s, Boise, Idaho operations leaked word of more layoffs.  Between 3,000 and 4,000 people work at HP’s Boise facilities.  Could the demise of WebOS have anything to do with it?  According to the French newspaper, Le Figaro, Whitman said the world will find out in two weeks.

Business/Economics, Idaho, Technology, U.S.

Corporate Incompetence: Hewlett Packard gets downgraded, Idaho still waiting for official job layoffs announcement

“Major strategic reversals” is one reason why Standard & Poor’s just downgraded Hewlett Packard’s credit rating.

S&P’s also blamed HP’s inconsistent behavior: “We have concerns that HP’s inconsistent growth strategies and high levels of board of director and senior management turnover have elevated the level of operational and execution risk in the near term.”-Martha Toll-Reed, Standard & Poor’s

I’ve written about some of HP’s hypocritical behavior, like laying off hundreds of U.S. employees, buying back millions of dollars worth of their own stocks, then investing billions into their Taiwan operations, and hiring hundreds of employees in Taiwan.

Another dumb move was cancelling production of their TouchPad tablet. Turns out it was the number two selling tablet in the U.S.!

It’s been revealed that HP just spent U.S.$11.7 billion to buy a British software company called Autonomy.  $6 billion of that was in cash!!! Couldn’t HP have used that money to keep U.S. workers employed, or improve their products (they really need to)?

Back at the beginning of November someone at their Boise, Idaho, operation leaked that more layoffs were coming.  Officially HP is working on a press release to explain it. It’s the start of December now, and still no press release.

S&P’s has downgraded HP’s credit rating to BBB+.

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

Voter Incompetence: Obama supporter blind to Obama’s stance on shutting down the U.S. Postal Service

At a recent Obama rally in Scranton, Pennsylvania, a blind faith Obama supporter asked the President about stopping postal processing center closings, because the closings would have drastic affects on local economies.

The response: “Let me look into it.”-Barack Obama, President of the United States

This is not a case of Obama not knowing the issue, rather it’s a case of Obama blowing off a blind faith supporter who doesn’t realize that Obama is all for the closings!

Back in September Obama issued his official suggestions for how to deal with the U.S. Postal Service (a self supporting service, does not rely on taxpayer funding).  Amazingly Obama’s suggestions are in line with what the Postmaster General, Patrick Donahoe, wants; things like ending Saturday delivery and closing down post offices and processing centers across the country.

Here’s how the blind faith supporter of Obama reacted to the President’s response: “…just his willingness to look into it spoke volumes to me. I could definitely tell he cared.”-Corey O’Brian, Lackawanna County Commissioner and blind faith supporter of Barack Obama

Here in southeastern Idaho the only processing center on this side of the state, in Pocatello, is targeted for closing.  Local postal workers explained to me that if I wanted to send a letter to Idaho Falls (just an hour’s drive from where I live) it would end up going to Salt Lake City, Utah, to be sent back into Idaho before getting to Idaho Falls!

The problem, for us ‘customers’ of the USPS, and for our local economies, is that whether Obama and the Postmaster General get their way, or the U.S. Congress actually comes up with their own plan, or, the U.S. Congress allows the USPS to default, the results are going to be severe: Thousands of postal workers laid off, post offices closed down, processing centers closed down, etc.  As I’ve said before, what economic recovery?  And stop being so blind to what ‘our’ elected officials are doing!!!

Business/Economics, U.S.

Government Incompetence, What Economic Recovery? Reports say Congress will let Postal Service default on December 16

“It feels like Helena and Cosby are caught in the cross hairs. There is a big battle going on and we are the ones that are going to suffer.”-Marianne Price, Montana resident who relies on the U.S. Postal Service

Recently, the President of the National Association of Letter Carriers, Fred Rolando, said certain actions by Congress, or lack of action, could put the USPS into a “…death spiral…”.

A CNN Money report says political analysts have reason to believe the U.S. Congress will not consider any more bills to save the U.S. Postal Service, until after the 2012 elections.  That guarantees the USPS will default.

The U.S. Postal Service, which does not use taxpayer money to operate, employes 557,000 people directly.  Several companies, like FedEx, also provide service under contract.  South eastern Idaho postal workers told me that if the USPS defaults, at least 200,000 postal workers will immediately lose their jobs!  It will also mean cut backs for those contractors working for the Postal Service.

The USPS is actually a contractor itself.  Under President Richard Nixon today’s Postal Service was created (it was the Postal Department before then).  The Postal Service operates on money that comes from you and me buying postal products (not taxes).  Under President Ronald Reagan stamps were added to the list of products the Postal Service could make money from (before that the government got the money from stamp sales).  The only tax money used for postal services are for mail for the blind, for mail in election ballots sent from U.S. citizens living overseas, and, for providing address information to state and local child support enforcement agencies.

For reasons not publicly known, some elected officials, and the main stream media, are misleading the public into thinking that cuts to the USPS would save taxpayer money. It won’t!

A Cornell University professor says the U.S. Congress is fully to blame (as I’ve stated in past postings): “A lot of these decisions are fundamental business decisions about quality and frequency of service, and they should be in the hands of the executives running the Postal Service. But Congress won’t let them do that!”-Richard Geddes, Cornell University associate professor

While many officials blame the Postal Service management and the unions, the fact is that USPS management and unions have been working together to make drastic cuts. Their latest agreement could cut $20 billion in postal worker health care benefits, but Congress has to sign off on it.

Just a couple of weeks ago, President Barack Obama extended the deadline for default by the U.S. Postal Service.  The new deadline is December 16.  If the CNN Money sources are right, then bye bye USPS (unless Obama just keeps extending the deadline)!