Tag Archives: idaho

Business/Economics

“it’s a teacher famine!” Mass exodus of teachers, blame ObamaCare! No more Hastings? : U.S. Job Losses & Closings 11 June 2016

Incomplete list of U.S. job loss announcements and shutdowns.

California: Save Mart issued a shutdown WARN for their Vacaville distribution center, 325 jobs gone by mid-August!  Alcoa issued a layoff WARN for their Fontana operations, 189 jobs gone by August! Also in Fontana, Ryder laying off 47 people by August. CVS Pharmacy consolidating its Coram financial ops, resulting in 152 people in Rancho Cordova becoming jobless in September!  Corizon Health eliminating 156 jobs in two locations by the end of the month!  In Corona, Switzerland based drugs maker Actavis issued a layoff WARN, 31 jobs gone by August.  In Modesto, American Medical Response-Centrex laying off eight people by Xmas.  StemCells shutting down its Newark and Sunnyvale locations, 53 jobs lost by August.  Prometheus Laboratories laying off 55 San Diegans by August. What automotive industry recovery? In Chowchilla, Brake Parts continues its shutdown, 65 people laid off by the end of July.  More proof you brick-n-mortar store owners can’t directly blame the internet/high-tech competition for your demise; United Technologies shuts down their San Diego office at the end of July.  Software company Veritas Technologies revealed they laid off 128 people in Mountain View, back in May!  Steiner eOptics (aka Laser Devices) shutting down their Monterey location, 69 jobs gone by August. Connecticut based Xerox shutting down their Cerritos location, 39 jobs lost by August.

Delaware: Two years ago Hastings entertainment stores were sold to Draw Another Circle, now it’s up for sale again.  Administrators with Draw Another Circle say if nobody buys it then all remaining 126 Hastings stores will be shutdown affecting at least 1-thousand jobs! It’s blamed on crashing sales.

Idaho: It’s been revealed that a major buyer of Idaho potatoes, Japan, has banned the ‘fresh’ version of the iconic food product since 2006.  That’s the year that the pale cyst nematode showed up in east Idaho farms.    Japan has imported fresh potatoes from other U.S. states since then.  Mining companies from Canada and China have signed a $700-million USD deal to open a molybdenum mine near Boise.  Administrators with American CuMo Mining and MCC8 Group say Idaho has the largest moly-b deposits in the world!  $100-million of the $700-million deal will be used to study the viability of the mining ops before any mining takes place.  In Boise, an Oregon woman pled guilty to stealing $850-thousand USD from corrupt ‘christian’ run Saint Luke’s Health System.  The woman ran the scam through her Boise employer Pinnacle Pension Services.  Saint Luke’s itself has been caught ‘stealing’ local tax dollars.  

The economy is so bad that there is an official teacher “famine” in eastern Idaho schools.  According to numbers presented by east Idaho school districts, between 2009 and 2014 at least 9-thousand 569 teachers fled eastern Idaho schools!  Statewide only 11 of Idaho’s 70 school districts were able to fill vacant positions, at the same time there is and exodus of education students as well. Between 2009 and 2013 there was a 35% drop in college students entering a teacher training program (what happened to Idaho’s free tuition if somebody became a teacher in Idaho?).  Idaho Education News revealed that the state Department of Education does not keep track of such data, it’s coming from local districts and the universities themselves, implying that exalted state ‘lawmakers’ are ignoring the situation.  Local school district administrators admit low pay for teachers is the main reason for the exodus, but say ObamaCare has jacked up the cost of employee benefits so high that they can’t afford to pay teachers mo-money: “I would not say it’s a teacher shortage we are experiencing, it’s a teacher famine!”-Randy Lords, Madison School District

Mississippi: The Walnut Grove state prison being shut down due to the “budget is lower than what we anticipated”.

Missouri: In Saint Louis, the Luna Lounge shutting down, the owner saying “a lot of factors” were responsible with the deciding factor being “I don’t want to be working until 1:30 a.m. any more.”

Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh base for-profit Brown Mackie College shutting down all U.S. 22 campuses by 2018!   Layoffs begin now, enrollments halted.  It’s directly connected to Brown Mackie owner Education Management’s problems with meeting tougher U.S. Department of Education rules.

Texas: University of Texas asking employees to voluntarily quit (buyouts) and eliminated 50 vacant positions.  40 academic programs threatened.

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification.

I found a 2010 AFL-CIO analysis (titled The Public Availability of WARN Notices: Lack of Accessibility and Disclosure…) which proves what I’ve been suspecting in my search of state WARN notices; most states are not complying with federal WARN regulations and are not publicizing or tracking mass layoffs.

Former employees who receive severance are not counted as unemployed!

Employees of religious non-profits might not qualify for unemployment assistance: “If the non-profit organization is a church, you may or may not be entitled to unemployment. It all depends upon state regulations for church employers. In many cases, churches are allowed to set their own rules regarding unemployment benefits, meaning the church can choose whether to offer benefits to former employees.”

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) no longer issues mass layoff reports: “On March 1, 2013, President Obama ordered into effect the across-the- board spending cuts (commonly referred to as sequestration) required by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended. Under the order, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) must cut its current budget by more than $30 million, 5 percent of the current 2013 appropriation, by September 30, 2013. In order to help achieve these savings and protect core programs, the BLS will eliminate two programs, including Mass Layoff Statistics, and all ‘measuring green jobs’ products. This news release is the final publication of monthly mass layoff survey data.”

Business/Economics

Migrants kill food store! Taxpayers forced to bring refugees to the U.S.! Delaware steals your money! : U.S. Job Losses & Closings 09 June 2016

Incomplete list of U.S. job loss announcements and shutdowns.

California: France owned security camera and equipment maker Pelco laid off at least 43 people in Clovis.  Administrators say the current economy is forcing them to “focus” their operations.  In Los Angeles, ad agency 72andSunny announced it laid off “2%” of its employees in an attempt to maintain the “long term health” of the company.

Delaware: It’s been revealed by a lawsuit launched by 21 states (Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, West Virginia) that Delaware state administrators are in cahoots with MoneyGram, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Bank of America, Western Union, Visa  and MasterCard by illegally holding onto $150-million worth of yet-to-be-cashed checks (call it an ‘unclaimed funds’ scam) from customers across the U.S.: “This practice not only violates federal law but it’s wrong and unfair. The bottom line is simple: Delaware is ignoring federal law for financial gain.”-Ken Paxton, Texas Attorney General

Florida: In Sarasota, Vertex issued a WARN, 1-hundred people jobless between August and Xmas!   News-Press/Gannett Publishing eliminating 79 jobs in Marco Island and Fort Myers, between July and August.

Valley Agronomics construction on FMC superfund site, Power County

Valley Agronomics construction on FMC superfund site, Power County

Idaho: Some good news?  15 years after shutting down their Power County phosphorus operations FMC declared their EPA superfund site is now ready to be the new home to Rupert based Valley Agronomics‘ new fertilizer plant (Valley Agronomics is owned by Minnesota based Land O’Lakes).  The arrogant ‘christian’ governor of Idaho, Butch Otter, proudly boasted that this was a sign the area’s economy has “risen from the ashes” and then flat lied by saying “…when somebody says we’re gonna return, we’re gonna come back! You can trust us that we will keep our promise in coming back. I want you to remember this day Valley Agronomics and FMC because they told us that! They told us that we can trust them…”   This is a lie because it’s not FMC “coming back”, and Valley Agronomics never operated out of the site before!   The so called Phoenix Site (as declared by Otter) will employ a measly 50 people once it’s up and running in 2017 (incompetent local TV stations have been reporting 70 jobs created, but those are the temporary construction jobs).  I don’t think that qualifies as a local economy that’s “risen from the ashes”.

Otter also quietly revealed to local news media that the once touted Solar Farm project at the Pocatello Airport is dead.

Iowa: British empire United Kingdom owned textbook and test publisher Pearson conducted a third round of layoffs, bring the total number of people laid off in Iowa City to 166!  Local news media say the Red Coat company blames the job cuts on fewer and fewer ‘Americans’ going to college.  Yes, most of your ‘American’ textbooks are actually made by the British empire! Is it part of the dumbing down of the United States conspiracy?

Kentucky: Pike County eliminating at least 19 jobs due to being $4-million USD short for the 2016-17 fiscal year.  As an example of what I call Ripple Effect Layoffs, it’s blamed on the crashing coal mining industry.

Maryland:  More proof you brick-n-mortar store owners can’t directly blame the internet/high-tech competition for your demise; Missouri based finance and healthcare software maker DST Systems shutdown its Baltimore office.

Michigan: Port Huron School Board eliminating  12 teaching positions.  It’s blamed on a loss of student body, but could it also be because their parking lot improvement project is costing them way more than they thought it would?  In Midland, Stanley’s Furniture shutting down after 65 years.  The 74 years old owner said he wanted to shutdown five years ago, he credits his success on being able to know what the trends are.

Minnesota: After 39 years Shady Acres Herb Farm shutting down, the owners blame their health problems. In Saint Paul, the Community School of Excellence eliminating 19 jobs and changing academic programs.  Local news media say the charter school is in danger of shutdown due to lack of “performance”.

Mississippi: The state Department of Health warning of more layoffs due to taxpayer funding cut of $4-million USD: “Over the next several months, we will be also sending people home. We just don’t know how many people yet.”-Mary Currier, state health officer

Missouri: More proof you brick-n-mortar store owners can’t directly blame the internet/high-tech competition for your demise; finance and healthcare software maker DST Systems eliminating 150 jobs in Kansas City!

New Jersey: The state is so broke that state retirement money will continue to be frozen at 2011 levels.  Thank fat-ass Trump supporter Chris Christie for that.  By the way retirement funds, as well as social services are not ‘benefits’ because you freaking’ taxpayers paid for them already!  In Hamilton, disabled people “self-determined life” enhancer Meridian Services issued a WARN, 97 jobs gone by the end of the month.

New York: Elitist Ralph Lauren issued a mass layoff WARN for its NYC ops, 316 jobs gone between now and October!   Montauk Student Transport issued a layoff WARN for their Bronx-NYC and Weschester ops, 268 jobs lost by September!  In NYC, after 28 years Rebel Rebel Records blaming jacked up rent for their shutdown at the end of the month.  In Brooklyn-NYC, after 75 years the Florence Food Center shutting down due to migrants! Local news media says the Florence Food Center caters to Italians, but the area is experiencing skyrocketing immigration from “Asians, Russians, Central Americans, and Middle Easterners” while Brooklyn Italians are getting the hell outta Dodge!    (ILLEGALS GET FREE U.S. COLLEGE! 43% U.S. CITIZENS CAN’T PAY STUDENT LOANS!)

North Carolina: Craven County Schools eliminating more than 20 jobs due to being short  $3.5-million USD for the 2016-17 school year.

South Carolina: In Florence, after 22 years Phil Nofal’s Fine Footwear shutting down, the owner (who’s worked in the shoe business since he was 12) says “I’m tired. I’m 61 and I’ve done this my whole life.”

(not sure if this pic is doctored or real, it came from a Jewish news website)

Washington DC: The U.S. Federal Reserve Bank says 76-million U.S. citizens barely get by financially.  46% of U.S. citizens would be devastated by a financial emergency.   45% say it’s because their jobs do not give them  steady income as their work hours constantly change.  It’s been revealed that taxpayers are being forced to spend $20-thousand USD to ‘settle’ each so called war refugee coming into the U.S.  The revelation was made by Negative Population Growth. 

Wyoming: Uranium miner Ur-Energy eliminating 12 jobs due to crashing demand (and prices) for the radioactive metal.

07-08 June 2016: “if you don’t use it, you lose it!”

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification.

I found a 2010 AFL-CIO analysis (titled The Public Availability of WARN Notices: Lack of Accessibility and Disclosure…) which proves what I’ve been suspecting in my search of state WARN notices; most states are not complying with federal WARN regulations and are not publicizing or tracking mass layoffs.

Former employees who receive severance are not counted as unemployed!

Employees of religious non-profits might not qualify for unemployment assistance: “If the non-profit organization is a church, you may or may not be entitled to unemployment. It all depends upon state regulations for church employers. In many cases, churches are allowed to set their own rules regarding unemployment benefits, meaning the church can choose whether to offer benefits to former employees.”

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) no longer issues mass layoff reports: “On March 1, 2013, President Obama ordered into effect the across-the- board spending cuts (commonly referred to as sequestration) required by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended. Under the order, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) must cut its current budget by more than $30 million, 5 percent of the current 2013 appropriation, by September 30, 2013. In order to help achieve these savings and protect core programs, the BLS will eliminate two programs, including Mass Layoff Statistics, and all ‘measuring green jobs’ products. This news release is the final publication of monthly mass layoff survey data.”

Business/Economics

“we’re not taking care of our own people, that’s bullshit!” Local Sheriff blasts big government! Idaho water standards nixed for Fracking? : U.S. Job Losses & Closings 05 – 06 June 2016

Incomplete list of U.S. job loss announcements and shutdowns.

Circle of Blue reports that since 2010 there’s been an average increase of 48% in municipal water rates across the U.S., despite a 22% drop in residential water use since 1999!   In other words, to make up for citizens actually conserving water (like they’ve been told to do, for decades) cities have lost money and are jacking up rates!

Financial website WalletHub says Mississippi has the worst economy in the United States, followed by Arkansas, Maine, New Mexico, Louisiana, Kentucky and Alabama.  WalletHub based their results on analysis by six economists (not main stream media ‘analysts’ posing as economist).

Alabama: In Northport, after 22 years educational supply store Learning Experience shutting down, the owners want “more time for ourselves…and our grandchildren.” 

Idaho: Due to a lawsuit, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is withdrawing its approval for the way Idaho measures toxic arsenic levels in water (the EPA’s decision to let Idaho ‘christian lawmakers’ ignore arsenic limit regulations seems to coincide with  state ‘officials’ quietly allowing natural gas fracking operations).  It sounds similar to what happened in Flint, Michigan: “EPA violated the Clean Water Act when it allowed arsenic levels in Idaho waters that are up to 1,000 times greater than the agency has determined are acceptable for this toxic chemical.  EPA placed political expediency over human health protection.“– Nina Bell, Northwest Environmental Advocates

Illinois: In Chicago, Georgia packaging maker WestRock issued a layoff WARN, 173 jobs gone due “to market conditions”.   Pony Tools revealed they laid off 61 people back in mid-May.  Aramark Educational Services laid off 297 people after the University of Chicago canceled the food service contract!  In Orland Park, Positive Connections lost a school bus contract, 77 jobs lost.  In Naperville, Centrad Healthcare lost a contract, 162 jobs gone between now and November!   In Bedford Park, Northstar Aerospace lost their contract, 226 jobs gone by the end of the month!  British empire United Kingdom based electronics company Laird Technologies shutting down their Schaumburg factory, eliminating 53 jobs  by July.  In Elgin, design company Southern Graphic Systems issued a shutdown WARN, 30 jobs gone by the mid-July.  In Edwardsville, wholesaler United Pet Group issued a layoff WARN, 48 in-house employees unemployed by mid-August due to their jobs being contracted-out.  God powerless to stop the shutdown of ‘his’ National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows, 65 jobs gone by the end of the month.

Maine: Twin Rivers Paper Company shutting down paper machine 3 at its Madawaska mill, 49 jobs gone by July.  It’s the result of $12-million USD in upgrades to make the paper mill more efficient.  In Bangor, House of Brides shutdown without warning last week, local police flooded with complaints from customers who paid for undelivered services: “It is not clear at this time what the outcome will be, but rest assured we are looking into the reported incidents.”-Bangor police

Michigan:  The residents of Flint already pay the highest water rates in the U.S., soon their rates will double due to the incompetence of past ‘elected lawmakers’.  Rowe Professional Service says the cost of replacing the water system in Flint will be at least $214-million USD, and take 50 years to do it!  The pissed-off Sheriff of Genesee County blames an incompetent authoritarian government for escalating violent crime through lead poisoning: “The crime rate in Flint, for the last 10 to 15 years has been high, number one per capita of violent crime… This crisis…wasn’t created by a natural disaster, people created it.  They put dictators into Flint, they called them emergency managers. One of the emergency managers signed over the Flint River without all of the safeguards built in. Now they’re all pointing their fingers at each other, but the lesson has got to be that you cannot take government away from the people.   ……this is America? We’re giving money to Iraq….Afghanistan and we’re not taking care of our own people, that’s bullshit!”-Robert J. Pickell, in the documentary Fighting for Flint  

New York: Experience Works issued a shutdown WARN for their Cortland Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), due to “lack of funding”.

North Carolina: What automotive industry recovery?  Germany owned truck maker Freightliner laying off 8-hundred people in Gaston County, due to crashing sales!  In Hickory, after 70 years eccentric Berndt’s store shutting down due to increased competition.

Oklahoma: Oil field company Seventy Seven Energy chapter 11 bankrupt busted and turning itself over to its bond holders, due to $1-billion USD in debts.

Oregon: What automotive industry recovery?  In Portland, Germany owned truck maker Western Star laying off 170 workers due to crashing sales!   More proof you brick-n-mortar store owners can’t directly blame the internet/high-tech competition for your demise; it was revealed that last month’s 784 layoffs by computer chip maker Intel were the largest ever mass layoff in Oregon’s history!  Local news media says several hundreds more are expected to lose their jobs by the end of the year.

Texas: In Pampa, Hastings books-video-music shutting down due to not being able to meet corporate’s profit expectations, 28 jobs gone by September.

Virginia: ObamaCare literally killed an ambulance company.  Mid-Atlantic Regional Ambulance suddenly shutdown over the weekend due to not being paid boo-koo Medicare reimbursements for services rendered.  50 jobs gone.   Under Virginia’s version of ObamaCare, Medicare must pre-approve such services!

Wisconsin:  Ameridrives Power Transmissions issued a shutdown WARN for their Green Bay factory, 37 jobs lost by November.  The maker of parts for heavy duty “off highway” vehicles is joining the rest of unAmerican corporate America in consolidating operations.

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification.

I found a 2010 AFL-CIO analysis (titled The Public Availability of WARN Notices: Lack of Accessibility and Disclosure…) which proves what I’ve been suspecting in my search of state WARN notices; most states are not complying with federal WARN regulations and are not publicizing or tracking mass layoffs.

Former employees who receive severance are not counted as unemployed!

Employees of religious non-profits might not qualify for unemployment assistance: “If the non-profit organization is a church, you may or may not be entitled to unemployment. It all depends upon state regulations for church employers. In many cases, churches are allowed to set their own rules regarding unemployment benefits, meaning the church can choose whether to offer benefits to former employees.”

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) no longer issues mass layoff reports: “On March 1, 2013, President Obama ordered into effect the across-the- board spending cuts (commonly referred to as sequestration) required by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended. Under the order, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) must cut its current budget by more than $30 million, 5 percent of the current 2013 appropriation, by September 30, 2013. In order to help achieve these savings and protect core programs, the BLS will eliminate two programs, including Mass Layoff Statistics, and all ‘measuring green jobs’ products. This news release is the final publication of monthly mass layoff survey data.”

Technology

“implementing headcount reductions” Sudden crash in web traffic! : 2nd Q 2015, brick-n-mortar store owners can’t blame internet/high-tech comp for their demise

Incomplete list of U.S. internet/high-tech job destruction announcements from April to June 2015

Misleading for profit technical school DeVry is shutting down at least 12 campuses in Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Washington, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas and Florida! Apparently DeVry has decided to move courses from brick -n-mortar classrooms to the internet.

Arkansas: Pulaski Technical College blaming what I call Disappearing Students Syndrome for forcing them to shutdown their west Little Rock (wLR) campus. In Fall 2014 they had a total of 510 students on the wLR, but for Spring 2015 only 362 students attended classes on the wLR campus!

California:  Irvine based Local.com is now chapter 11 bankrupt busted, blaming it on a sudden crash in web traffic.  Sunnyvale based rent-utility electronic payment service PayNearMe failed to raise the crowd funding they wanted and laid off an undisclosed number of employees. They also canceled their rent payment service located in Family Dollar stores.  Also in Sunnyvale, NetApp issued a layoff WARN, 125 jobs lost in July! In Milpitas, SanDisk issued layoff WARNs for June & July, 88 jobs lost.   In Mountain View, OnLive issued a layoff WARN saying 98 people will become jobless by June. Mountain View based software company Intuit eliminated 399 jobs! Is it connected to its recent takeover of Brazil based ZeroPaper?  Santa Clara based computer chip maker Intel officially confirmed massive layoffs across several states. An internal Intel memo read “Yes, we are implementing headcount reductions” in Arizona and Oregon, but did not give numbers. The mass layoffs are blamed on crashing computer sales.  Computer chip makers Broadcom and Avago reportedly laid off employees in Orange County, due to their $37-billion USD merger.  In Burbank, Disney-ABC canceled plans to replace 35 InfoTech workers with foreigners. This comes after hundreds of former Disney IT workers in Florida revealed they were forced to train their foreign replacements!   In Santa Ana, ITT Cannon revealed they laid off 10 more employees than they originally WARNed about. Palo Alto based Hewlett-Packard (HP) warned of more layoffs. HP is in the process of eliminating 55-thousand+ jobs by October, that’s 28-thousand more than the original publicly announced mass layoffs!   LAN company Extreme Networks eliminated 285 jobs! Company administrators are trying to cut $40-million USD in costs by relying “on our channel partners” to get the job done. In San Ramon, AT&T Global Customer Service issued a layoff WARN for July, 89 jobs lost.   Tech company Avago has taken over networking company Emulex, several WARNs issued saying at least 88 Californians will become jobless in August as a result.   Local news reports say San Francisco based BitTorrent laid off 40 people.  In San Francisco and Santa Clara, social media gaming company Zynga laid off 364 people! Company administrators say they need to cut $45-million USD per year, due to crashing sales. In San Jose, Cypress Semiconductor finally issued several WARNs revealing they killed off 146 jobs back in January!   Riverbed Technology issued two layoff WARNs for June, saying 160 people will become jobless! In Irvine, Western Digital Technologies issued a layoff WARN for June, 115 jobs lost! Advanced Micro Devices issued a layoff WARN saying 85 people will be laid off in June.  In Burbank, Deluxe 3D-Stereo D issued a mass layoff WARN saying 227 people will become jobless in June!

Colorado: Meridian based money transfer company Western Union shutting down all its operations in Greece, supposedly temporarily.  Fort Collins based Advanced Energy (AE) announced it is fleeing the solar power business. Hundreds of people will be laid off! Administrators blame crashing sales of their solar power inverters, they even revealed they tried to sell off their inverter operations but none of the potential buyers were willing to pay what AE administrators wanted for it! However, one administrator slipped up and revealed the shutdown is really about making profits for ‘investors’: “…over the last six months, we concluded that focusing solely on our Precision Power business, and exiting the Solar Inverter business aligns with our long-term goal of maximizing value for our shareholders.”-Yuval Wasserman, CEO

Florida:  After three years of operations, Jacksonville based non-profit crowdfunding venue One Spark laid off all but three employees. Administrators blame it on a lack of “focus”.    In Orlando, it’s been revealed by former U.S. employees of Disney that they were replaced with migrant workers. 250 U.S. citizens have been laid off at the Disney amusement park in Florida, since October 2014! An unnamed former employee said they were forced to train their foreign replacements: “I just couldn’t believe they could fly people in to sit at our desks and take over our jobs exactly. It was so humiliating to train somebody else to take over your job! I still can’t grasp it!”

Georgia: In Atlanta, after eight years video game store UGAME shutdown by the landlord, who made a deal with next door Papa Murphy’s to allow them to expand into the UGAME space.  Atlanta based global payment processing company First Data announced it will eliminate “a few thousand” jobs and shutdown their smaller offices this year! Some of the U.S. job cuts will be the result of ‘offshoring’ of those jobs to other countries. Administrators didn’t explain why, but said that despite increased revenues they need to cut $200-million USD in operating costs per year.

Idaho:  In Idaho Falls, after repeated denials Curtiss-Wright Scientech laid off an undisclosed number of employees. No WARN has been filed with state employment administrators, but the Idaho Department of Labor says they’ve heard rumors of layoffs since October 2014: “We don’t have any official numbers at all. Just simply word-of-mouth is about 30 people, or so.”-Christopher Saint Jeor, Idaho Department of Labor

Illinois: Chicago based maker of video game devices and electronic slot machines WMS Gaming issued a WARN saying 247 people will become jobless in June! It’s the result of the merger of Scientific Games and Bally Technologies. WMS Games was taken over by Scientific Games in 2013.

Minnesota: Minnetonka based food processor Cargill laid off 45 more IT (information technology) employees, blaming the not recovered economy.

New Jersey:  Woodbridge based tech company RCC Consultants now chapter 11 bankrupt busted. The company is so broke they admitted they haven’t paid their employees: “As of the petition date, employees are owed approximately $1.3 million (consisting of 4½ missed payrolls). Officers, performing as employees, are owed approximately $1 million (consisting of 10 missed payrolls), and have not been reimbursed for business expenses totaling approximately $250,000.”-Mike Hunter, CEO

New Mexico: California based computer chip maker Intel is planning on massive layoffs, causing concern for employees at its Rio Rancho operation. News reports out of The Land of Enchantment say Intel has already reduced its Rio Rancho workforce by 1-thousand since 2013!

New York:  NYC based Digital First Media forced its puppet operator New England Newspapers to layoff 10 employees of local newspapers in Vermont and Massachusetts.  NYC based Verizon (formerly Bell Atlantic) is now the owner of AOL, expect massive layoffs.  NYC based start up company Quirky gave up on its ‘smart’ home products company Wink, laying off 30 people and putting Wink up for sale. NYC based Time Incorporated blasted their managers for apologizing to employees who are being laid off! At least 11 of their U.S. jobs were off-shored to Philippines. Local news reports say a total of 80 IT (information tech) workers for Time laid off. A manual on how to fire employees was issued to Time Inc. managers, and somebody leaked it to the news media, it stated “Don’t say you’re sorry”.  Solid State Advanced Controls (SSAC) issued a WARN saying they will shutdown their Baldwinsville op by the end of the year, 47 jobs lost. In North Syracuse, Seneca Data Distributors (owned by Arrow Electronics) amended their 2014 WARN, yet again, this time pushing their shutdown to September. They are joining the mass exodus from The Empire State and moving to Arizona.  In Melville, Arrow Electronics announced their exodus from The Empire State by issuing a WARN saying they are moving to Colorado between June 2015 and March 2017, taking 135 jobs with them!

North Carolina: AB Tech announced it will shutdown the Haynes building and the Technology Commercialization Center on its Enka campus. News reports say AB Tech is prepping the Enka campus for sale. It’s blamed on the loss of $2-million in county taxpayer funding.  California based NetApp laid off 2-hundred Research Triangle Park employees! Local news reports said the announcement was a “surprise”.   Local news reports say Lenovo administrators refused to talk at first, but then admitted they were eliminating the jobs of 235 former IBM employees! It’s the result of Lenovo’s purchase of IBM’s System X ops. Software company ChannelAdvisor admitted it laid off employees, but refused to say how many.

Oregon: In Springfield, California based Symantec laid off 175 people! Symantec has been laying off employees on a regular bases as part of their plans to offshore their software security ops.  More revelations about California based computer chip maker Intel, and the massive job destruction about to hit The Beaver State; the county of Washington gave Intel a record setting $2-billion in tax breaks! But wait there’s more! None of those tax breaks were connected to creating jobs! All that was required was that Intel keep the vague promise of maintaining economic security. News reports say there are 18-thousand Intel workers in Washington County, and Intel plans on cutting $300-million in operating costs, which will include cutting jobs. Analysts are reporting that Intel is already pushing employees to voluntarily quit. The Oregonian says the layoffs are a combination of crashing sales and Intel’s $17-billion USD takeover of competitor Altera.  Netflix is going ahead with their May shutdown of their Hillsboro call center, saying the remaining 68 employees will become unemployed. Last year news reports said 188 people worked at the call center!

Texas: Arizona based Avnet shutting down its Coppell eCycling operations, at least 71 jobs lost. Administrators blame the bad economy for forcing them to consolidate operations.  In Wichita Falls, the WDS Global-Xerox call center shutting down “because it is no longer sustainable.” 257 jobs lost by August! News reports say back in 2012 the call center employed 423 people, apparently 171 jobs had already been eliminated before the shutdown announcement, and this after city administrators gave WDS Global $3-million in tax breaks and cold hard taxpayer cash!  Houston based FMC Technologies announced at least 59 layoffs planned for its Schilling Robotics locations in California, Texas, and Scotland.

Virginia: ObamaCare forced tax-sucker General Dynamics to layoff 137 InfoTech workers! Those information technology employees were supporting the Healthcare Quality Improvement Systems contract to “monitor and improve utilization and quality of care for Medicare and Medicaid”. General Dynamics lost the contract.

Washington: Redmond based Microsoft revealed it laid off “hundreds” of employees! Administrators say it’s just one more round of layoffs in their plan to eliminate 18-thousand jobs by the end of the year!

Google demands “economic assistance funds”: 3rd Q 2015

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

Former employees who receive severance are not counted as unemployed

Idaho, U.S.

Memorial Day vs Veterans Day, it’s not a “happy” day!

30 May 2016 (12:51 UTC-07 Tango 01) 10 Khordad 1395/22 Sha-ban 1437/24 Giu-Si 4714

Privately funded memorial in Pocatello to those killed (and still being killed) in Afghanistan & Iraq. 6,868 U.S. dead and counting!

While driving down Yellowstone Avenue in Pocatello, Idaho, I saw a business sign that said “Happy Memorial Day”.  Memorial Day is about people who died during wars, it is not a ‘happy’ day, it is a solemn day.

I also notice that a lot of people confuse Memorial Day with Veterans Day.  Memorial Day is about dead people, Veterans Day is about people who served in the military and are alive to talk about it.

By the way, the U.S. occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq never ended, despite several main stream news sources actually saying those ‘wars’ (Congress never legally declared war) were “technically over”!

Business/Economics

“This is a scary thing” No apples? Part time Politicians full time Retirement! God ramps up ‘his’ shutdowns! : U.S. Job Losses & Closings 28 – 29 May 2016

Incomplete list of U.S. job loss announcements and shutdowns.

Arizona: God powerless to stop his Illinois based Saint Xavier University from shutting down their Gilbert campus. Administrators say they are prepping for the possible halting of Illinois taxpayer funding for low income students.

California: In Modesto, after 15 years Fat Cat Music House & Lounge has been sold and will shutdown by the end of June.  The new owner is a local ‘businessman’ who admits he doesn’t have any plans for the property.    In Oroville, Gold Digger Apples now chapter 7 bankrupt busted.  US Bank says the apple growing co-op owes them $18.5-million USD!   Chapter 7 bankruptcy means the co-op’s assets will be sold to pay the debt, and quite possibly it means the death of Gold Digger Apples: “This is a devastating blow to the community, seasonably Gold Digger employs up to 800 employees. I hope there’s some real PR damage to the bank! It’s hideous, it’s everything you’ve heard about big banks…”-Peg Callaway, attorney for the local apple growers

Florida: In Silver Springs the Wild Waters amusement park shutting down after three and a half decades. It’s being shutdown at the end of Summer by the state Department of Environmental Protection using the excuse of ‘ongoing public safety concerns’, but claim a new environmentally friendly swimming area is being considered.  The mom & pop concession stand contracts were not renewed.

Idaho:  The federal government is considering halting sheep grazing on public land in west-central Idaho.  The U.S. Bureau of Land Management says domestic sheep spread disease.  Wow, after a hundred plus years of sheep grazing they now claim sheep spread disease to other animals? I believe that applies to all us animals, all animals spread disease to each other. How do you think disease is spread, with a butter knife?  The local sheep industry calls bullshit on the BLM reasoning: “There’s no firm science that says 100% that domestic sheep pass disease on the open range, or that they’re the only species that can pass the disease.”-Stan Boyd, Idaho Wool Growers Association

Illinois: God powerless to stop ‘his’ University of Saint Francis from revealing they laid off 21 employees last week.  Local news media pointed out that the ‘christian’ university is spending big bucks constructing new buildings.  God powerless to stop ‘his’ Seton Academy (Elizabeth Seton High School) from shutting down.  In 2003 the all-girls schools went co-ed in an attempt to keep itself alive.  Local news media said back in 2014 the Archdiocese of Chicago gave the school two years to increase student enrollment and decrease operational costs, it didn’t happen.

Indiana: Muncie Community Schools laying off 37 teachers due to what I call Disappearing Students Syndrome, which is contributing to the school district being $16-million USD in the hole.

Iowa: After 144 years (surviving The Great Depression and numerous recessions) the Walnut Community School shutting down due to massive population exodus.  Local news media revealed that the population of the town of Walnut is actually 121 less than what’s publicly posted, the school itself was down to just 72 students in 2015, more than a 50% drop since 2010!

Kansas: It’s been revealed that taxpayers will be paying ‘elected’ politicians full-time salaries in retirement, even though the state legislators work only part-time hours as ‘lawmakers’!  That’s part of the new budget for The Sunflower State.  Under the sweetheart deal a part time politician making $15-thousand while working will make $90-thousand in retirement!     You bet your bippy the Kansas Organization of State Employees is pissed off.

Kentucky:  Eastern Kentucky University announced they’re shutting down their Somerset campus at the end of June. It’s blamed on a 4.5% reduction in taxpayer funding and $8-million USD in additional ObamaCare retirement and healthcare costs.  After 122 years (surviving The Great Depression and numerous recessions) god powerless to stop ‘his’ Westminster Presbyterian Church from shutdown after cash strapped members voted to sell the property to Baptist competitors.

Maine: Tennessee based Sitel eliminating 120 jobs at its Caribou call center, by mid-July!  It’s blamed on lack of contracts.

Maryland: Baltimore City Schools warning of mass layoffs due to lack of taxpayer funding.

New York:  Liehs and Steigerwald shutdown their 13 years old butcher shop in Clay.  Last year Liehs and Steigerwald began new operations combining meat market, specialty grocer, deli and pub.

North Dakota: It’s been revealed that after the University of North Dakota laid off 20 people (under the guise of cutting $21.5-million USD in costs) 34 people were secretly hired!  Some department heads claimed those who were hired were hired before the layoffs began, while others said they were told to go ahead and fill ‘priority’ positions.  Anybody who can do basic math can figure out that hiring more people than you layoff negates any attempt to save money!

Ohio: A fine example of what I call Ripple Effect Layoffs (REF); in Ohio glass blowers are prepping for their own shutdowns after the federal EPA shutdown their Oregon supplier, Bullseye Glass.      Several Oregon and Washington based art glass suppliers are in the process of shutting down due to costs and increased government regulations: “This is a scary thing for any stained-glass craftsman or a working studio, or a studio like me that is a teaching resource center, all the way up to the distributors.”-Sharon Carothers, Prism GlassWorks in Maumee

Pennsylvania: Talen Energy laying off 125 people at three electricity factories!  It’s part of their plans to convert to natural gas.  After surviving The Great Depression and numerous recessions Yocco’s shutdown their iconic Allentown hot dog shop: “Unfortunately, in the end we had to make a business decision and obviously it’s an emotional decision because I grew up working there and it’s our longest-operating store. I’ve lamented about this decision for many years and done many things to keep it going out of tradition.”-Gary Iacocca, owner

South Dakota: In Howard, after 134 years (surviving The Great Depression and numerous recessions) Belleview Lutheran Church shutting down next week.  Due to The Rapture, I mean declining membership local Lutheran churches are merging in an attempt to stay alive.  Local news media says the Belleview church was averaging only 14 people every Sunday (Sun-day, as in Star-day, now you know who their real god is).  In Sioux Falls, Austad Golf shutting down their store on West 41st Street, by September.

Texas: For the second time since August 2015, Hercules Offshore is chapter 11 bankrupt busted.  It’s proof the bankruptcy system can be a money making scam for unAmerican corporate America.  Individuals are screwed over for ten years if they file bankruptcy.

Vermont: In Lyndonville, after 12 years The Packing House bar shutting down, the owners would only say that they’re “ready to move”.  In Quechee, after 63 years Scotland by the Yard clothing store shutting down in August. The owners tried to sell it, but most potential buyers did some research and then backed out saying it was too risky.

Washington: North Dakota based CRF Frozen Foods shutdown their Pasco factory due to listeria.  So far 3-hundred employees are out of work until the factory is declared safe!  Local news media say as many as 430 jobs could be affected.  

A fine example of what I call REL; Spectrum Glass said the EPA action against Bullseye Glass, in Oregon, was impetus for Spectrum to make a sudden decision to shutdown their 40 years old Snohomish County glass factory.  124 jobs gone by July!  Art glass wholesalers are concerned they’re next to go: “There’s tens of thousands of artists who depend on Spectrum through retail shops and distributors. Spectrum is close to 60% of our warehouse stock. We’ll adjust, we’ll survive but lots of people, I’m sure, won’t.”-David Scott, Northwest Art Glass in Redmond

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification.

I found a 2010 AFL-CIO analysis (titled The Public Availability of WARN Notices: Lack of Accessibility and Disclosure…) which proves what I’ve been suspecting in my search of state WARN notices; most states are not complying with federal WARN regulations and are not publicizing or tracking mass layoffs.

Former employees who receive severance are not counted as unemployed!

Employees of religious non-profits might not qualify for unemployment assistance: “If the non-profit organization is a church, you may or may not be entitled to unemployment. It all depends upon state regulations for church employers. In many cases, churches are allowed to set their own rules regarding unemployment benefits, meaning the church can choose whether to offer benefits to former employees.”

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) no longer issues mass layoff reports: “On March 1, 2013, President Obama ordered into effect the across-the- board spending cuts (commonly referred to as sequestration) required by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended. Under the order, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) must cut its current budget by more than $30 million, 5 percent of the current 2013 appropriation, by September 30, 2013. In order to help achieve these savings and protect core programs, the BLS will eliminate two programs, including Mass Layoff Statistics, and all ‘measuring green jobs’ products. This news release is the final publication of monthly mass layoff survey data.”

Business/Economics

“to improve business performance” Allstate begins jobs Mayhem! : U.S. Job Losses & Closings 27 May 2016

Incomplete list of U.S. job loss announcements and shutdowns.

Arizona: Arizona Geological Survey eliminating eight jobs as it consolidates ops with the University of Arizona, under orders from the ‘elected’ lawmakers.

Idaho: More charges of corruption in the predominantly ‘christian’ controlled Gem State.  A city employee of 14 years has resigned from her job with Idaho City after being accused of taking taxpayer funding.  Idaho State Police say she took about $47-thousand USD over a two years period, two other city employees were fired.

Indiana: The mayor of Logansport revealed that Cal-Camp quietly laid off 1-hundred people.  No explanation other than “one customer” suddenly halted orders.  Cal-Camp makes electronic stuff for the aerospace, automotive, communications, defense, industrial controls, medical, renewable energy, security and transportation industries.  In Lafayette, R&M Food Market shutting down.  The operator would only say he is facing a tax audit and the building has been sold.

Kentucky: University of Kentucky eliminating 75 jobs, however the layoffs account for only $1-million of the $6-million USD in taxpayer funding cuts.  Local news media speculates that tuition will be increased.

Minnesota: After 54 years Trailways Cafe in Montevideo shutting down on Sunday.  It’s blamed on increased competition.

Nebraska: In Omaha after surviving The Great Depression, and numerous recessions, Bohemian Cafe shutting down in September.  It’s blamed on lack of heirs willing to take over the family business.

New Jersey: Sweden based clothier Hennes and Mauritz (H&M) issued a shutdown WARN for their North Arlington operations, 156 jobs gone by the end of July! 

New York: Kerry-Island Oasis issued a shutdown WARN for its Buffalo drink mix factory, 51 jobs gone by mid-August.

North Carolina: After 45 years Campbell’s Diner in Fuquay-Varina shutting down due to the un-repairable condition of the building.  The owners took it as a sign to retire.

Oregon: Mail order/internet clothier Norm Thompson Outfitters issued a shutdown WARN for their Hillsboro headquarters, 82 jobs gone by mid-July.  Apparently the company is moving their HQ to a smaller office, and some work is being moved all the way across the country to Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.  Local news reports say since 2006 the California investment company which owns Norm Thompson has moved hundreds of jobs to Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania: Mansfield University revealed it is $5-million USD short and will conduct layoffs as a result.  Administrators warned that the situation is so bad that they could double their deficit by 2018, if they don’t make drastic cuts now.  GE (General Electric) Transportation (aka Rail) eliminating 190 jobs at its Erie factory, on top of the 1-thousand 5-hundred jobs already eliminated!  Local news media reports that the Erie GE Transportation factory is the last of the good paying factory employers in the area.

Tennessee: Shelby County Schools eliminating 5-hundred teaching jobs and shutting down schools!  It’s blamed on what I call Disappearing Students Syndrome.  Local news media reported that the same school district eliminated more than 5-hundred jobs last year, for the same reason. In Memphis, British empire Canada based Laser Quest shutting down their 20 years old Poplar Plaza location due to jacked up rent and an expanding Kroger store taking up space.  The greedy landlord actually told local news media “We didn’t intend…” for Laser Quest to leave.

Texas: Alcoa continues eliminating jobs, this time 137 Point Comfort workers will become jobless between now and mid-July!  Alcoa blames it on low prices for aluminum, and competition.  Oil pipe maker Turner Industries revealed they “recently” laid off 105 employees at their Paris operations!

Virginia: Insurance giant Allstate revealed that an undisclosed number of “positions have been eliminated” in the Roanoke Valley, blaming it on “opportunities to improve business performance”.  After 19 years oil industry tool maker Kennametal shutting down their Chilhowie factory, 89 jobs lost. 

Washington DC: In the predominantly ‘christian’ controlled U.S. Navy three more officers have been arrested and charged with bribery.  It’s part of investigations into USN bribery and contractor overcharging problems going back many years and involving more than $34-million USD!

West Virginia: 55 state prison teachers possibly losing their jobs due to lack of taxpayer funding.  Local news media says the state is short $270-million USD.

26 May 2016: “Stabbed in the back, betrayed, no warning what-so-ever!” 

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification.

I found a 2010 AFL-CIO analysis (titled The Public Availability of WARN Notices: Lack of Accessibility and Disclosure…) which proves what I’ve been suspecting in my search of state WARN notices; most states are not complying with federal WARN regulations and are not publicizing or tracking mass layoffs.

Former employees who receive severance are not counted as unemployed!

Employees of religious non-profits might not qualify for unemployment assistance: “If the non-profit organization is a church, you may or may not be entitled to unemployment. It all depends upon state regulations for church employers. In many cases, churches are allowed to set their own rules regarding unemployment benefits, meaning the church can choose whether to offer benefits to former employees.”

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) no longer issues mass layoff reports: “On March 1, 2013, President Obama ordered into effect the across-the- board spending cuts (commonly referred to as sequestration) required by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended. Under the order, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) must cut its current budget by more than $30 million, 5 percent of the current 2013 appropriation, by September 30, 2013. In order to help achieve these savings and protect core programs, the BLS will eliminate two programs, including Mass Layoff Statistics, and all ‘measuring green jobs’ products. This news release is the final publication of monthly mass layoff survey data.”

Business/Economics

Migrants steal Union jobs? Sears denies then confirms another store shutdown! : U.S. Job Losses & Closings 24 May 2016

Incomplete list of U.S. job loss announcements and shutdowns.

Connecticut: Southbury Training School laid off 17 people last week, and 25 people last month.  It’s all part of the state’s draconian funding cuts. The Constitution State is short at least $1-billion USD!

Florida: Aircraft customizer Florida Modification Specialists now chapter 11 bankrupt busted, mainly for failure to pay debts and taxes.

Idaho: In Boise, rail car maker Motive Power-Wabtech laying off 210 people by mid-July saying “There’s been a major downturn in the freight business, and that is impacting us. Our customers, the Class I railroads, have curtailed their capital spending for 2017.”  

The state Department of Labor (DoL) finally updated their WARN site, revealing that ATCO Structures & Logistics laid off 76 people in Pocatello, back in April (who knows why the DoL sat on the WARN for more than a month?).  Since 2012 British empire Canada based ATCO has been laying off employees across the U.S. and Canada due to “an economic slowdown” in the mining industry, they’re still “waiting for business to pick up.” 2012 was also the year ATCO opened their Pocatello location, in July, promising to hire 160 people to build mobile facilities for the mining-oil industry.   But immediately they froze hiring at 1-hundred, and then in November 2012 they laid off 15 people due to a sudden decline in demand from the mining-oil industry.  Then in October 2015, ATCO announced they would hire 75 Pocatellans after winning new contracts for modular buildings, with local economic ‘experts’ claiming it was a sign the economic downturn for Chubbuck and Pocatello was over.  Of course all the so called new jobs in the area came as a result of local taxpayers being forced to give these companies massive taxpayer incentives (sounds like socialism and not true free market economics).  Back in March of this year the Idaho State Journal reported that “…state law allows companies to receive up to a 30 percent refund of payroll, sales and state income taxes over 15 years if they produce at least 50 new jobs that pay higher than the county average.

Amy’s Kitchen [in Pocatello] received a 26 percent tax credit, which is valued at an estimated $6.7 million…”

 Maryland: University of Baltimore laid off 14 people and eliminated 12 vacant jobs, blaming it on at least three years of declining student enrollments.

Missouri: Schnuck Markets ramps up its job killing, 234 people losing their jobs at Schnuck’s brand new grocery distribution center in Kinloch!  The jobs are being contracted out to cheaper labor (probably migrants/refugees) with a Connecticut based contractor.

New Jersey: Graphic Packaging issued a shutdown WARN for their Pitcataway location, 117 jobs gone by mid-July!  Bankrupt and dying Sports Authority issued a shutdown WARN for their Burlington distribution center, 88 jobs lost by mid-June.

New York:  Switzerland based international logistics company Panalpina issued a shutdown WARN for the JFK Airport operations, 38 jobs lost by mid-August.  Too Big to Jail JP Morgan Chase laying off 1-hundred people at its ‘private banking’ operations! More proof you brick-n-mortar store owners can’t directly blame the internet/high-tech competition for your demise; NYC based internet auction site Paddle8 laid off at least 16 people as a direct result of their merger with Auctionata.  And British empire Canada founded but NYC based Vice News laid off at least 15 digital media employees in California and New York, and began eliminating jobs in Europe.

Oklahoma: Texas based oil company Halliburton ramped up the planned number of layoffs at its Duncan ops to 1-thousand! 

Pennsylvania: Military car insurance company USAA shutting down their Market Street Philly office by mid-July.  Also in Philadelphia, Southeast Service Corporation issued a shutdown WARN, 55 jobs lost by the end of June.  In Port Allegheny, Pittsburgh Corning issued a shutdown WARN, 80 jobs lost by mid-July.

Washington: Two weeks ago Sears Holdings officially denied that their Marysville Kmart was shutting down, calling it “a bad rumor” and swearing to local news media that “the store will remain open”. Guess what? Local news media reporting that the Marysville Kmart is now plastered with “store closing” signs, 47 jobs lost by by mid-July. Arrogantly Sears Holdings said the employees can apply at other Sears/Kmart stores, however, local news reports say it’s the last Kmart in all of Snohomish County.  More proof you brick-n-mortar store owners can’t directly blame the internet/high-tech competition for your demise; right after getting a threatening letter for trying to sell aircraft to Iran, Boeing notified “hundreds” of Info Tech employees of impending layoffs in the Puget Sound region!

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification.

I found a 2010 AFL-CIO analysis (titled The Public Availability of WARN Notices: Lack of Accessibility and Disclosure…) which proves what I’ve been suspecting in my search of state WARN notices; most states are not complying with federal WARN regulations and are not publicizing or tracking mass layoffs.

Former employees who receive severance are not counted as unemployed!

Employees of religious non-profits might not qualify for unemployment assistance: “If the non-profit organization is a church, you may or may not be entitled to unemployment. It all depends upon state regulations for church employers. In many cases, churches are allowed to set their own rules regarding unemployment benefits, meaning the church can choose whether to offer benefits to former employees.”

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) no longer issues mass layoff reports: “On March 1, 2013, President Obama ordered into effect the across-the- board spending cuts (commonly referred to as sequestration) required by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended. Under the order, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) must cut its current budget by more than $30 million, 5 percent of the current 2013 appropriation, by September 30, 2013. In order to help achieve these savings and protect core programs, the BLS will eliminate two programs, including Mass Layoff Statistics, and all ‘measuring green jobs’ products. This news release is the final publication of monthly mass layoff survey data.”

Business/Economics

“It was a nice ride, but it’s over.” Idaho exports crash-n-burn! Tech companies cash hoarding! Boeing chastised for trying to sell to Iran! : U.S. Job Losses & Closings 20 – 21 May 2016

Incomplete list of U.S. job loss announcements and shutdowns.

Once again, five tech companies are leading the way in corporate cash hoarding: Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Cisco Systems and Oracle.  For the past several years these very same tech companies have dominated corporate cash hoarding.  In 2015 they hoarded a combined total of $504-billion USD, or 30% of the cash available in the U.S. economy.  Basic economics courses will tell you that cash hoarding is a major drain on economies, pulling money out of the cash flow system which drives economies.  And these are the same tech companies that are killing tens of thousands of jobs!

Connecticut:  So far, the ongoing state jobs destruction has resulted in more than 980 people becoming unemployed! The state agencies affected are Children and Families, Developmental Services, Social Services, Mental Health and Addiction Services, University of Connecticut, Department of Correction (reports that prison guards now working 18 hour shifts as a result!), Department of Economic and Community Development, Military Department, Office of Governmental Accountability and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Somewhere in South East Idaho

Idaho cattle ranch within the Caribou National Forest

Idaho: Despite years of boasting how great their farm economy was, even boasting of the Ag industry’s relationship with Mexico, the Department of Agriculture admitted that in 2015 Idaho’s farm exports crashed by 22%!  Idaho dairy exports crashed and burned by 43%! It’s blamed on the ‘strong’ USD, which makes U.S. products more expensive overseas: “It was a nice ride, but it’s over.”-Laura Johnson, Idaho Department of Agriculture

Indiana: In Mishawaka, USA Skate Center shutting down in June, the owner wants to do something new.  What automotive industry recovery? Chassix shutting down their Diversified Machine Bristol factory, 5-hundred jobs lost starting Monday!  Administrators say their “largest customer” canceled a major contract.

Nebraska:  In Omaha, Hy-Vee shutting down its 33 years old Stockyards Plaza grocery store by June, 174 jobs supposedly being transfered to other stores!  Of note, the lease on the property will remain in effect until 2018 (meaning Hy-Vee will still pay the rent on an empty store, until a new tenant can be found).

New York:  More proof you brick-n-mortar store owners can’t directly blame the internet/high-tech competition for your demise; The Wall Street journal reporting that Armonk based IBM is conducting yet another round of massive job cuts in Colorado, New York and North Carolina.  Those jobs are being off-shored to Costa Rica and India.  Analysts think that when IBM is done killing U.S. jobs, this year, that as many as 14-thousand people could be unemployed!

North Dakota: Intervention Energy Holdings now chapter 11 bankrupt busted.

Oregon: ObamaCare insurance companies plan to jack up ObamaCare rates for Oregonians by as much as 30% in 2017!

Rhode Island: Westerly School Committee laid off 18 people due to not getting the anticipated increase in taxpayer funding, and due to jacked up ObamaCare costs: “Healthcare is going up $300-thousand, we have to pay that, we have no choice, but we only got about $130-thousand in our allocation from the town, so that is not even covering the healthcare cost, much less anything else!”-David Patten

Tennessee: Local news reports say Sears Holdings has posted “Going out of business!” signs on the North Knoxville Kmart, however they could not get any confirmation of shutdown from corporate administrators.

Iran wants to buy these new Boeing aircraft, thereby saving Boeing’s ass, but your ‘elected’ officials say “Never!”

Washington:  The Washington Free Beacon reports that Boeing administrators have been chastised for meeting with Iranian officials.  Boeing is losing its financial ass, shedding thousands of jobs, and Iran is willing to spend billions buying Boeing aircraft.  However, U.S. politicians, both in Congress and the Obama regime, have imposed new sanctions on doing business with Iran. Your ‘elected’ politicians now consider doing business with Iran immoral, saying “..consider the profound moral implications of engaging a nation that has proven time and time again that it cannot be trusted.”  (It’s the U.S. that has proven time and again that it cannot be trusted)  Broadspectrum shutting down their Anacortes location, 57 jobs gone by June.

Washington DC:  The Federal Reserve Bank says credit card debt is now at $1-trillion USD!  That’s the same amount of credit card debt at the start of the ‘recession’ in 2008.  Don’t expect any bailouts this time.  The DC Metro has fired 20 managers and warns more layoffs are in the works as part of efforts to “reform” the system.

Wisconsin: In Steven’s Point, after 42 years Ella’s bar shutting down on Wednesday.

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification.

I found a 2010 AFL-CIO analysis (titled The Public Availability of WARN Notices: Lack of Accessibility and Disclosure…) which proves what I’ve been suspecting in my search of state WARN notices; most states are not complying with federal WARN regulations and are not publicizing or tracking mass layoffs.

Former employees who receive severance are not counted as unemployed!

Employees of religious non-profits might not qualify for unemployment assistance: “If the non-profit organization is a church, you may or may not be entitled to unemployment. It all depends upon state regulations for church employers. In many cases, churches are allowed to set their own rules regarding unemployment benefits, meaning the church can choose whether to offer benefits to former employees.”

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) no longer issues mass layoff reports: “On March 1, 2013, President Obama ordered into effect the across-the- board spending cuts (commonly referred to as sequestration) required by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended. Under the order, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) must cut its current budget by more than $30 million, 5 percent of the current 2013 appropriation, by September 30, 2013. In order to help achieve these savings and protect core programs, the BLS will eliminate two programs, including Mass Layoff Statistics, and all ‘measuring green jobs’ products. This news release is the final publication of monthly mass layoff survey data.”

Business/Economics

“Idaho…lost about 14,200 residents” NFL is taxpayer funded tool of War! Tech layoffs accelerate! : U.S. Job Losses & Closings 19 May 2016

Incomplete list of U.S. job loss announcements and shutdowns.

California: In Los Alamitos, after 35 years Ovation Flower Gallery shutting down by the end of June.

Florida:  Alachua County Public Schools eliminating 1-hundred non-teacher jobs!  Administrators say it’s the only way they can afford to hire more behavioral teachers, as there seems to be skyrocketing instances of behavior problems with students!  ObamaCare insurance companies plan to jack up ObamaCare rates for Floridians by another 17.7% in 2017! 

Idaho:  In Pocatello, the Subway sandwich shop on Garrett Way is now dead and vacated.

According to the Idaho Business Review the state Department of Labor has inadvertently revealed the true reason The Gem State is welcoming ‘war’ refugees/migrants; there is an mass exodus of U.S. residents from Idaho!  In fact, the number of U.S. families leaving Idaho outpace the number of refugee/migrant families being brought in. Jerome County alone lost more than 830 U.S. residents in a five years period, and realize that Idaho has an official population of about 1.5-million: “The 16 counties in eastern and southeastern Idaho have lost about 14,200 residents since 2010. Every county experienced a net loss in migration, and the businesses in those communities are finding it hard to grow. Many are considering moving out of the state, Regional Economist Chris St. Jeor said.”

Kentucky: Kentucky Community and Technical College eliminated 506 jobs, blaming it on what I call Disappearing Students Syndrome and $26-million USD in taxpayer funding cuts!

Nebraska: In Imperial, after 23 years Steve’s Video shutting down due to the owner’s health problems.

New Mexico:  More proof you brick-n-mortar store owners can’t directly blame the internet/high-tech competition for your demise; California based Intel accelerating layoffs at its Rio Rancho ops, employees told local news media that the layoffs were supposed to take place two years from now, not by December of this year.  Not only are hundreds of people being laid off by Xmas, but the Rio Rancho plant is being shutdown as well!  Here’s what Intel said about accelerating layoffs across the world : “The majority of changes will be communicated worldwide over the next 60 days with some actions stretching into 2017, through site consolidations, a combination of voluntary and involuntary departures, reevaluation of projects, and an increased focus on efficiency in a variety of programs. We are not providing further site-specific information at this time.”

New York: NYC based National Football League (NFL) revealed that it’s being used by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to promote war.  It’s the result of research launched last year by Arizona’s senators John McCain and Jeff Flake.  Because of the investigation the NFL returned $724-thousand “paid patriotism” taxpayer dollars to the DoD, which McCain said “is the right thing to do.”  In Hornell, France based rail road car maker Alstom laying off 25 people on Friday, due to contract changes.  ObamaCare insurance companies plan to jack up ObamaCare rates for New Yorkers by another 17.3% in 2017! 

North Carolina: Delta Apparel shutting down their Maiden clothing factory, 159 people jobless starting in July!  The unAmerican company is moving production to Honduras.

Ohio: American Modern Insurance Group issued a WARN saying at least 68 employees would become unemployed by the end of June.  It’s the result of American Modern shutting down their Amelia Financial Institutions Division.

Oklahoma: American Energy Partners shutting down by June, already 1-hundred people have been laid off!  Local news reports blames this oil industry BS on the sudden death of the company’s founder.

Pennsylvania:  In Allentown, Black Rose Antiques and Collectibles shutting down next week, apparently they’re moving to a new location but refuse to say when.

Tennessee: In Limestone, ‘god’ powerless to stop nursing home John M. Reed Health & Rehabilitation shutting down due to the federal government ending Medicare/Medicaid payments.  The board members include members of the Church of the Brethren.   In 2015 the nursing home was accused of having so called “deficiencies” that could threaten the health of patients, mainly a lack of competent employees.

Texas:  Sears holdings revealed the Brownsville Kmart is shutting down by August.

Washington: Spectrum Glass shutting down their factory in Woodinville, 124 jobs lost starting in July!  ObamaCare insurance companies plan to jack up ObamaCare rates for Washingtonians by another 13.5% in 2017! 

Washington DC: More proof you brick-n-mortar store owners can’t directly blame the internet/high-tech competition for your demise; the software/internet security contractor hired by failed U.S. Office of Personnel Management (responsible for the data hacking theft of more than 20-million employees, including yours truly, it took OPM a year to discover that my data had been hacked and it prevented me from getting unemployment after my layoff from the USPS because they couldn’t confirm I was a government employee) is now out of business. Imperatis Corporation suddenly halted operations and laid off employees, claiming to be cash broke.  To add insult to injury Imperatis demanded another $37-million taxpayer dollars to fix the problem, after already spending $67-million!  News reports say Imperatis has a history of screwing-up government contracts.

 

18 May 2016: “Competition has increased unbelievably!”

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification.

I found a 2010 AFL-CIO analysis (titled The Public Availability of WARN Notices: Lack of Accessibility and Disclosure…) which proves what I’ve been suspecting in my search of state WARN notices; most states are not complying with federal WARN regulations and are not publicizing or tracking mass layoffs.

Former employees who receive severance are not counted as unemployed!

Employees of religious non-profits might not qualify for unemployment assistance: “If the non-profit organization is a church, you may or may not be entitled to unemployment. It all depends upon state regulations for church employers. In many cases, churches are allowed to set their own rules regarding unemployment benefits, meaning the church can choose whether to offer benefits to former employees.”

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) no longer issues mass layoff reports: “On March 1, 2013, President Obama ordered into effect the across-the- board spending cuts (commonly referred to as sequestration) required by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended. Under the order, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) must cut its current budget by more than $30 million, 5 percent of the current 2013 appropriation, by September 30, 2013. In order to help achieve these savings and protect core programs, the BLS will eliminate two programs, including Mass Layoff Statistics, and all ‘measuring green jobs’ products. This news release is the final publication of monthly mass layoff survey data.”