Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

Arkansas: In Russelville, after 64 years Wilkins Brothers Outdoors brick-n-mortar sporting goods store shutdown. The owners said they are focusing on internet sales only.

Arizona: In Phoenix, after 59 years iconic Bill Johnson’s Big Apple restaurant shutdown, 32 jobs lost. It’s being turned into a parking lot for the worthless taxpayer supported GateWay Community College! In Mesa, after 34 years Landmark Restaurant shutdown, the building was sold to a company that specializes in weddings.

California: In Fresno, Texas based Greatwide Distribution Logistics issued a layoff WARN, 93 jobs lost in August.  News reports also said that Greatwide Distribution Logistics was eliminating 71 jobs in West Sacramento, by July.  What automotive industry recovery? In Long Beach, Japan based Toyota announced they will eliminate 95 jobs at their Auto Body California factory.  Toyota is moving some production of its Tacoma pickup truck to Texas.  The Ventura County Community Foundation laid off five employees.  LAN company Extreme Networks announced it is eliminating 285 jobs!  Company administrators are trying to cut $40-million USD in costs by relying “on our channel partners” to get the job done.

Indiana: Is Obama Care the reason why 67 Goodwill employees suddenly lost their jobs at the Richard K. Roudebush VA Medical Center?   Goodwill administrators said that “Specifically, the Medical Center unexpectedly ended its longstanding contractual relationship with Goodwill without any prior notice of performance problems.”  They also hinted at Obama Care, blaming “unforeseeable business circumstances”.

Iowa: In Sioux City, after 73 years farm equipment maker Soo Tractor Sweep-Rake is shutting down, 53 jobs lost. Company administrators blame crashing farm equipment sales.

Kansas: In Wichita, after 20 years Garcia’s Tacos shutdown.

Massachusetts: In Boston weak, Obama Care forcing Lahey Health to eliminate 130 jobs at three of its hospitals!  Administrators referred to Obama Care as “an exceedingly challenging health care environment”.   They also blamed the implementation of a new healthcare information sharing system called EPIC.

Michigan:  Obama Care forcing insurance provider HealthPlus to eliminate 5-hundred jobs!  The layoffs will begin in July.  HealthPlus is selling its Medicaid and MIChild contracts to a competitor.    In Flint, after 29 years Salvatore Scallopini restaurant shutdown without warning by the greedy landlord and city administrators, 28 jobs affected. Unbeknownst to the restaurant operator, the landlord and the city council agreed to replace the Italian restaurant with a shitty IHOP: “I was stunned! It just kind of happened and everyone found out.”-Bill Nivicki, restaurant operator

Minnesota: Hartford Financial Services eliminating 190 jobs as it shuts down its Woodbury office and consolidates to Pennsylvania!

Montana: In Helena, after 32 years The Donut Hole shutdown once and for all. Back in January the owner tried to find funding to help him move the store to a new location but nothing panned out, so the donut shop was sold to property speculators from Utah who claim they will turn it into a coffee shop.

New York: In Cortland, after 181 years (surviving the Great deflationary Depression and numerous recessions) Apex Tool issued a shutdown WARN, 89 jobs lost between August and December.  Company administrators are joining the great exodus from The Empire State and moving production to Pennsylvania and South Carolina.  In Rouses Point, legal drugs maker Pfizer issued a shutdown WARN for December, and added that layoffs will start in August.

Ohio: In Dayton, after 23 years China Royal restaurant shutdown. The property owner blamed a grease fire as being the final straw, implying that the old buildings in Dayton need to be updated to prevent such fires.  The state’s Office of Unemployment Operations laid off 42 employees.  State administrators say it’s because Ohio’s economy is improving.  Then, right as state ‘officials’ claimed the economy was good, the country’s largest private coal producer, Ohio based Murray Energy/American Energy, announced 1-thousand 8-hundred job cuts!  That’s on top of the 214 job cuts the company made in West Virginia back in April!  Murray Energy also operates mines in Illinois, Kentucky and Utah.

Tennessee: Sears Holdings announced a Sears store & Auto Center will shutdown in August. Its location, the Bellevue Center mall, is being torn down to make a massive apartment complex, hotel and smaller retail shops.  At least 44 jobs lost.

Texas: Houston based FMC Technologies announced at least 59 layoffs planned for its Schilling Robotics locations in California, Texas and Aberdeen, Scotland.

Virginia: Babcock & Wilcox laid off 10 employees at its nuclear division in Lynchburg.

Washington: Ace Hardware shutdown in Mill Plain. The evil property owner (Killian Pacific) kicked them out so they could demolish the Garrison Square shopping center.  Other businesses that will be affected by the “major rebranding of the property” are Planet Fitness, Manning Academy Beauty School and Spa, and Mexico Lindo Restaurant.

18 – 20 May 2015: “healthcare services for our communities will be reduced and disrupted” 

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

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.”

Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

California: What housing market recovery? In Alhambra, after 76 years Potts Plumbing Parts announced it will shutdown in June.  The owner blames crashing sales on the internet and ‘Big Box’ stores, as well as lazy people: “What we do is becoming obsolete. People don’t think to repair things anymore unless it’s something they can’t change without a remodel. If it’s something like a faucet or sink, they just take it out and replace it.”-Joe Potts

What was that about Obama Care increasing access to healthcare?  In San Pablo, Obama Care forced taxpayer funded Doctors Medical Center to shutdown at the end of April, and failing to find a new owner/operator it will be carved up and sold-off.  80% of the customers are on Medicare or Medicaid (Medical in California) and Obama Care drastically cut reimbursements, and even forces Medicare/Medicaid recipients to stop going to hospitals.  Local news reports said the loss of the hospital results in the residents of West Contra Costa County losing 79% of their access to healthcare: “The mortality rates will increase, we will have deaths related to the closure of Doctors Medical Center.”-Maria Sahagun, registered nurse

Obama Care forced Western Dental Services to stop taking low income patients at 13 California offices, a shutdown WARN indicated 237 jobs could be lost: “…the extremely low funding and reimbursement levels …..have finally proven impossible to bear.”-official Western Dental Services statement

In San Ramon, AT&T Global Customer Service issued a layoff WARN for July, 89 jobs lost.  In Oakland, Owens-Brockway Glass Container issued a layoff WARN saying 67 people will be laid off in July.  In Redwood City, EA owned video game maker Visceral Games “made a small staffing change in our Visceral studio today to support the needs of the studio’s two current development priorities”.  Monterey Peninsula Unified School District warned that at least 17 employees will be laid off, due to lack of money.  PTA leaders and parents are pissed off and called Bull-Shit on the money issue: “We already pay for half of these positions! In the PTA we pay for science lab, the PE teacher. When does this stop? What’s next, the office clerk? Recess, instruction? Is this all going to fall on the parents? Why don’t we go to a private school already?”-unnamed mom and PTA member

Florida: In Tampa, US Foods issued a shutdown WARN saying 206 people will become jobless by August! The company is consolidating ops and is trying to merge with rival Sysco. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is challenging the merger.   In Lake Mary, Obama Care medical device tax forced Access MediQuip to layoff 84 people and shutdown, without warning.

Indiana:  Packaging maker Essentra announced they’re consolidating to North Carolina in October, 150 employees will be abandoned in Evansville!  Basically the new owners of the factory said the economy is so bad in the “Americas” that they can’t justify their recently purchased Evansville ops.

Maryland: In Baltimore, after less than two years the Shoo-Fly Diner is about to shutdown, the owner is trying to work a deal to keep the place open during summer. Critics have written that the food isn’t that good.

Michigan: God refused to stop ‘his’ Calvin College from bribing seven employees to quit, and warning that outright layoffs are coming.  The Christian college has been relying on debt financing and is fighting to pay it down.  Christians have already donated $25-million USD to pay down the debt, and the school is trying to cut $4.5-million in costs by 2017.  News reports from 2013 said ‘Christian’ administrators overspent on new construction and made bad investments with donated money.  In one case, $5-million that was supposed to pay down the debt was used to buy real estate instead!  This is a clear case of Christians putting their faith into the money changers in the Temple (capitalist administrators) rather than in their God: “The former administration, the former president certainly had a reputation as someone who understood finances and business. He came from a banking background. And so I think there’s some bewilderment at the scope of the problem.”– David Diephouse, professor (who is obviously of ‘Blind Faith’)

Missouri: What housing market recovery?  After 25 years the Long Lighting Center shutting down.  The owners blame crashing sales, but they blame that on the internet and ‘Big Box’ home improvement stores.

New Jersey: Sears Holdings announced the Closter Kmart will shutdown in August, 102 jobs lost!

New York: Oneida Savings Bank issued a shutdown WARN for offices in Oneida and Rome, as least 63 jobs lost by July.  In Dewitt, after 29 years Daugherty’s Masquerade (aka The Masquerade Store) has ended full time operations and will be open seasonally.  The owners blame increasing competition.  In Amherst, after 40 years Boulevard Mall Bootery shutdown, the owner blames crashing sales on the internet and ‘Big Box’ shoe stores.

North Carolina: For profit student rip off artist Brookstone College of Business suddenly shutdown, administrators admit they can’t comply with new federal education rules that require higher education to prove its students can find jobs after they graduate!

Ohio: In Mansfield, after 59 years the owners of Weidle’s Meats and Delicatessen announced they will shutdown in June. It’s been up for sale since October 2014.  In Columbus, repair and logistics support company Decision One laid off 75 people due to losing their contract with Microsoft.

Oklahoma: Sears Holdings announced the Tulsa Kmart will shutdown in August, at least 51 jobs lost!

Pennsylvania: Russia owned pipe maker OAO TMK revealed it has laid off 115 U.S. citizens, and reduced working hours for the rest of their employees!  Company administrators originally planned to layoff 75 people, but they blame the U.S. oil industry for massively reducing orders for steel pipe.

Texas: In Houston, Obama Care medical device tax forced Access MediQuip to layoff at least 80 people and shutdown without warning.  Fort Worth based oil well operator FTS International said it is consolidating operations, resulting in layoffs in Louisiana and in Longview, Texas.  In Edinburg, Ignite Public Schools has been shutdown by the Texas Education Agency.  TEA administrators said the charter school failed at academics and managing their own budget.

Wisconsin: In East Tosa, after 29 years North Star Music store shutdown.  The property has been for sale for a while, yet nobody seems interested.

11 – 12 May 2015: “I didn’t see this coming….everything was really good…”

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

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.”