Tag Archives: u.s.

Fukushima

Corporate Incompetence: TEPCo admits lack of communication caused Reactor 1 to melt down and explode, evidence it was a man made disaster!

On 02 December 2011, Tokyo Electric Power Company officials admitted that lack of communication resulted in Fukushima Daiichi’s Reactor 1 melting down and exploding, on 12 March 2011.

Former plant manager, Yoshida Masao (who recently resigned due to health problems, which might be caused by exposure to radiation, which TEPCo denies) said he, and other officials, were not told that Reactor 1’s cooling system was manually shut down.  He realized the cooling system was not working a little more than six hours after it had been turned off. By then it was too late.

Just a few days ago TEPCo admitted, after an independent investigation, that 100% of the fuel rods in Reactor 1 melted.

The irony is that Reactor 1 had the only operable cooling system after the 11 March earthquake and tsunami hit the nuclear disaster reactor plant.  Reactors 2, 3 and 4 lost their connections to electrical power, but Reactor 1 was still connected.

This could add some fuel to the conspiracy theories out there (that it was intentional, after all, look how long they’ve dragged this out!).

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, 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!!!

Fukushima

Occupy Fukushima! Residents order all nuclear reactors shut down and scrapped!

The governor of Fukushima Prefecture, Yuhei Sato, ordered all nuclear reactors in the prefecture, to be shut and scrapped.  There are ten nuclear reactors in Fukushima Prefecture.

The residents of Fukushima know that it will have a huge negative impact on their local economy, but they say it’s better than trying to live with an ongoing nuclear disaster!

The Fukushima government is working on a reconstruction plan that will try to create new jobs for those working at the nuclear plants.

 

Fukushima

Government & Corporate Incompetence: TEPCo admits fuel rods melted through reactor cores! Serious melt down of 3 reactors at GE designed Fukushima Daiichi!

Tokyo Electric Power Company has been forced to admit that serous melt downs took place in reactors 1, 2 and 3, of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

Independent researchers confirmed that melt downs did occur, and were severe enough to melt through the reactor cores into the bottom of the containment vessels. Some melted fuel rods penetrated as much as 57 centimeters (22 inches) into the containment vessels.  The bottom of the containment vessel is made of thick concrete, with a steel plate on top.

TEPCo now says 100% of the fuel rods in Reactor 1 melted, all the way through the core into the containment vessel!  57% of Reactor 2’s fuel rods melted, and 63% of Reactor 3’s fuel rods melted.

Many months ago, I posted how nuclear experts, who were being ignored by the main stream media, explained that the amount and type of radiation coming from Fukushima Daiichi could only mean melt down was occurring.  Somehow the main stream news media found other nuclear ‘experts’ (including many who work for the U.S. government, and the U.S. nuclear power industry) who countered those claims.

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant reactors were designed by General Electric.

Business/Economics, U.S.

Government Incompetence, What Economic Recovery? IRS fails to refund millions in taxes, blames postal addresses. Part of scheme to shut down U.S. Postal Service?

There are reports that the tax collector of the U.S. government, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), is holding back on refunding $153 million in overpaid taxes!

IRS officials claim it’s because of postal addresses they just don’t trust.  So they’re not going to mail them out!  99,123 U.S. taxpayers are waiting for those refunds!

Here’s the sinister answer the IRS has for solving the ‘problem’: Everyone needs to stop using the postal system and use direct deposit!

To check the status of your tax refund click on the “Where’s My Refund” at the IRS website.

Business/Economics, U.S.

Occupy America! Don’t blame the Unions. American Airlines’ bankruptcy is Bogus! American Airlines has $4 Billion in Cash!

On November 29 the oldest operating U.S. airline, American Airlines, filed for bankruptcy.  But before anyone gets excited, look at the facts.

The new CEO of American Airlines, Thomas Horton, blames his company’s losses on the cost of union labor.  He specifically calls union labor “cost disadvantages”.

First off, the majority of American Airlines aircraft are older fuel guzzling planes. Isn’t that a cost disadvantage?

Secondly, while American Airlines officials claim they’re losing money, they just made the largest order of new aircraft in airline history.  460 new planes ordered in July!  Isn’t making the biggest purchase of aircraft in history a cost disadvantage?

Thirdly, while claiming to be hurting for cash, American Airlines is actually sitting on billions in cash.   According to CBS News, U.S.$4 billion to be exact!  Where does Thomas Horton get off saying they have cost disadvantages?

Wouldn’t it be nice if we individuals could file for bankruptcy while sitting on a pile of cash?  Don’t blame the unions!

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)!

Business/Economics, U.S.

Occupy America, What Economic Recovery? Forget percentages, unemployment numbers already worse than 1930s Great Depression. Federal Reserve quietly preps banks for worse to come!

At the peak of the Great Depression, in 1933, 12.8 million people were officially unemployed in the United States.  According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics we’re already past that; 13.9 million officially unemployed!

Now take into account that some sources are saying that the Bureau of Labor is intentionally under reporting the numbers; they should read 17 million unemployed!  Then there are those that say if older unemployment counting methods were used, we’re actually double the officially reported numbers!

Now enter the Federal Reserve (the privately run central bank of the United States).  On November 22, Ben Bernanke quietly asked 19 top banks/financial institutions to conduct a stress test, for the third time since 2009.

The second stress test was completed in March 2011, and several banks failed, including Bank of America!  It was not publicly reported!

Reports say this latest “comprehensive capital analysis and review” would include scenarios like a 6.9% to 8% drop in the U.S. economy, a 21% drop in housing prices, and the potential for 23.2 million people out of work!

Bernanke also asked the six top banks (JPMorgan, Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo & Co., Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Morgan Stanley) to predict how much money they would lose in such scenarios.

The results are due on January 9, 2012.