U.S. Job Losses & Store Closings 16 – 18 April 2014: “We have a perfect storm….” No more La-Z-Boy? Entire city council proves itself corrupt by secretly killing jobs! More damned ObamaCare job cuts resulting in denied healthcare access!

Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns.

Arkansas: In Hot Springs, the Lake Catherine Footwear factory laying off 56 employees over the next six months.  Company officials say the layoffs are permanent.  The suck ass company is joining other unAmerican companies in moving jobs outside of the country: “Economic forces in the international shoe industry have forced us to move some components of our operations to the Dominican Republic to remain competitive.”-Bruce Munro, CEO Munro & Company

California:  Taxsucker Boeing laid off 128 people!  San Francisco based Too Big to Jail Wells Fargo proves there is a coming housing market crash by killing even more mortgage industry jobs across the U.S.  This time 323 people will be let go “as the result of continuing market changes, including reduced demand for mortgage financing”.   More job killing by Japan based Sony Pictures, this time 216 people in Culver City to become unemployed!  In San Diego, taxsucker Continental Maritime laid off 152 people!  They blame the U.S. Navy.  New Jersey based fashion industry company Marc Eckō Enterprises laid off 113 people across the Golden State!

Delaware:  In New Castle, the 42 years old Miller Carpet One shutdown.  The family owners said “We really took a hit in 2008” and never recovered.

Iowa: Cedar Falls laid off 12 janitors, without warning!  The overpaid ass-hole city officials will now use cheaply paid ABM Janitorial.  According to WCFCourier.com the corrupt city council made the unanimous decision behind closed doors, no public discussion, no discussion with public works employees.

Kentucky:  T.J. Samson Community Hospital eliminated up to 49 jobs, and reduced the pay for all their other employees.  They blame Affordable Care Act (Obama Care).

Louisiana: In Baton Rouge, The Career Academy charter school forced to shutdown, despite their five year contract with East Baton Rouge Parish School System.  The East Baton Rouge Parish School System claims they need the property.

Massachusetts: UMass Memorial Medical Center killing 103 jobs by June!  This is on top of the 285 jobs killed between October and February!   The hospital has to consolidate jobs in order to survive the Obama Care fiasco! On top of that the hospital will also eliminate I-V therapy,  close three of its 17 operating rooms, close Memorial Campus West 1 unit,  consolidate infusion services,  reduce the number of beds at the Children’s Medical Center and sell off a building at 11 Shattuck Street!

Michigan:  Hayes Green Beach Memorial Hospital laid off 25 employees.  Hospital officials said job cuts are necessary “to position ourselves in healthcare reform”.

Minnesota:  RiverView Health laid off eight employees, another eight were demoted in pay scale.  This is on top of the 53 job eliminations back in October.   Officials also warned that if they cannot survive the insurance cuts caused by Obama Care then the area’s only hospital will shutdown, officials even begged people to ignore Obama Care’s push to keep people from going to the hospital for help (aka inpatient care): “We have a perfect storm of declining volume, patients seeking less care as deductibles and copayments continue to rise and at the same time our largest payers, including the federal government through Medicare, are balancing budgets through cuts in Medicare payments…….we continue to be limited by federal sequestration to recovering just 99 cents on every dollar we spend caring for a Medicare patient. That equates to a guaranteed loss of one percent for every patient who is Medicare eligible. For RiverView Health that is over one third of our business.”

Missouri: In Saint Louis, after at least 37 years Left Bank Books shutdown.   The book store co-owner blames the property owner: “We gave it a good run, but it didn’t work out. If we could have negotiated a better lease, it would have been a different situation.”-Jarek Steele

New Jersey: In Medford, Murphy’s Market shutdown a 17 years old grocery store.  Company officials blamed the greedy property owner: “After great expense and effort it comes with much heartache, we as a company, were unable to reach a reasonable agreement with the building’s landlord.”

New York:  Statewide, VNS CHOICE Community Care revealed its continued nursing layoffs will make 775 healthcare workers unemployed this year!  VNS laid off at least 600 healthcare workers last year!  Company officials blame new government rules which increase workers comp (paid for by companies) by more than 55%, and on top of that Obama Care drastically cuts payments from Medicare/Medicaid and insurance companies!   And what’s really surprising is how many healthcare workers, who’re getting laid off, who don’t understand the whole Obama Care fiasco and how it’s affecting their employer’s ability to pay them!  For the first time ever, Cazenovia School District had to kill jobs.  16 positions have been eliminated due to disappearing students (20% decline over the past 10 years).  In Getzville, bus service First Student shutdown, killing 80 jobs.   In Staten Island, Total Maintenance Solution lost a contract and will kill 164 jobs in May!  In North Syracuse, pharmaceutical researcher AMRI shutting down in July, 45 jobs lost.  In NYC, telecommunications company Aegis USA being sold off to France in July, 190 jobs lost!

North Carolina:  Engineering company Babcock & Wilcox warned of about 200 layoffs due to loss of funding for new nuclear reactors!  The Fayetteville Observer laid off another five newspaper employees.  They already laid off nine employees this year, prior to the new round of layoffs.  Since 2007 the newspaper has killed 115 jobs.  It’s blamed on crashing advertising revenues.  In North Wilkesboro, furniture maker La-Z-Boy shutting down two factories by 2015, killing at least 100 jobs!  Company officials are halting furniture making for children and hotels, and will simply re-box ‘wood’ products made outside the United States!

North Dakota: What oil boom?  West Fargo based Titan Machinery shutdown eight stores in Minnesota, Arizona, Wyoming, Iowa and Montana.  They killed 128 jobs!  It’s blamed on crashing sales.

Pennsylvania:  In Waynesboro, Kmart shutting down in June, at least 43 jobs lost.

Rhode Island: In Newport, 107 years old Potter and Company clothing store shutdown.  The owner of the store said she never thought greedy landlords would do her in by jacking up the rent: “It’s very disappointing….I thought this place would survive. It’s just such a part of the community.”-Chafee Emory

Tennessee: In Hixson, Nana’s Frozen Custard brick & mortar store shutdown, now for sale.  They’ve switched to a mobile truck frozen custard shop.  The award winning owners blamed the suck ass economy: “High fixed costs and lower revenue make the current business model unworkable. Our re-opening day sales were disappointing, down approximately 25% as compared to the same date last year.”

Texas: San Antonio based conservative Clear Channel radio killed more jobs.  This time at least 22 people let go.  The company is “aligning” itself to the realities of crashing advertising revenues.

Virginia: In Williamsburg, Hancock Fabrics shutdown.  Local news media said no reason was given.

Washington: In Georgetown, after only six years upscale Lost Boys men’s clothing store shutdown.  Kelly Muccio, the owner, would only say that she was made an offer she “couldn’t refuse”.

14 – 15 April 2014: “…pray for me, my family and my employees.” 

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) doesn’t count the hundreds of layoffs involving less than 50 people each, in its mass layoff reports. It also doesn’t count all the little ‘mom & pop’ businesses that shut down.

“Our ideals and principles, as well as our national security……..That’s what makes America different. That’s what makes us exceptional.”-Barack Obama, 10 September 2013