U.S. Job Losses & Store Closings 07 – 08 July 2014: “After 2008, everything went down.” “…a big slap in the face…!” Obamacare causes cops to go on strike! States give massive tax breaks to corporations, but get no real job creation in return! Energizer bunny continues to lose power! More proof of crashing real estate market!

Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

Newly created United Continental (aka United, formerly Illinois based United Airlines and Texas based Continental Airlines) announced it is killing 630+ union jobs at airports across the U.S.   The airline company says they will now use cheaply paid sub-contracted workers.   Some airports affected are Salt Lake City, Charlotte, Pensacola, Detroit, Honolulu, Denver, Dulles, Buffalo-Niagara and Des Moines

Alabama:  Law firm Johnston Barton Proctor & Rose has been involuntarily dissolved by a creditor.  Attorney’s for the law firm are challenging the involuntary chapter 7 bankruptcy.  It’s the second major law firm in Alabama to go down the toilet this year.

Arizona:   Obama Care forced University of Arizona Health Network to sell itself to Phoenix based Banner Health.  Now there are reports this is a portent for things to come in the U.S. medical school sector.  The Association of American Medical Colleges warns that Obama Care’s reduced insurance reimbursements is the final straw that will force medical schools to sell themselves to private medical corporations, or greatly reduce their services to the public, either way it means massive healthcare job cuts.  In Tucson, wrought iron maker La Buhardilla announced it will shutdown by the end of the year, after 28 years of business.  The owner is blaming health problems and crashing sales.  And after 15 years furniture store Casa Colonial shutdown.  The owner, Omar Merheb, says his business never recovered: “After 2008, everything went down.”  

California:  In Santa Monica, despite doing the soundwork for The Avengers, Iron Man 3, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Despicable Me 2 and Agro, Pacific Coast Post shutdown, 20 jobs lost.  Also, post production studio Soundelux chapter 11 bankrupt busted, 100 jobs lost!  In Fresno, Mexico based Bimbo Bakeries announced they are laying off 73 employees in September.  In Los Angeles, McDonald’s announced it is shutting down a restaurant in August, 55 jobs lost.  LA based clothing retailer American Apparel has been declared in default for a $10-million USD loan.   In Santa Ana, ITT Cannon laying off seven employees in September.  In Torrance, Obama Care forcing American Medical Response of Southern California to shutdown in November, 120 healthcare jobs lost!

Florida: Who said the internet is killing brick-n-mortar businesses?  Gainsville based internet music service Grooveshark laid off an undisclosed number of employees, and cut pay for their remaining employees by 18%.  Some reports say it’s the result of repeated legal actions by music companies.

Illinois: State employment officials say they’ve recently received notices from dozens of employers that 1700 people will become unemployed over the next six months!  In Springfield, AT&T announced they will kill 188 jobs in August!  No reason was given.  In McCook, Source Interlink killing 244 jobs!  It’s blamed on the demise of the country’s largest magazine distributor-publisher.

Kansas: In Wichita, Kroger owned Dillions shutdown two stores, at least 100 jobs lost!  The Red Beans Bayou Grill shutdown without notice.  The owner is now focusing on catering only.

Massachusetts:  The city of Fall River laying off 29 firefighters.

Michigan:  More bad news for the failed state system known as Detroit.  Taxsucker SMART (Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation) warned it could kill at least 123 jobs and shutdown 30 public transportation routes by 2015!  Transit officials blame crashing taxpayer funding from federal, state and local sources.  SMART funding is also directly connected to funding for Detroit Department of Transportation which is being reduced, however, they say the biggest tax funding loss is coming from local property tax revenues, which is being caused by the crashing housing market.  In Saginaw, after only eight months the Lettuce Lounge Eatery shutdown.  It’s just more proof humans aren’t rabbits, however the operators of the veg restaurant blame it on the greedy owners of the shopping plaza where they’re located.

Missouri: Town & Country based Energizer batteries announced they will shutdown a Canadian factory by 2017, killing 430 jobs in the British empire (Commonwealth of Nations) country!  Apparently they sold the factory to Johnson & Johnson.  In April 2014 Energizer announced it will split into two companies, resulting in hundreds more job losses in the United States.  Since 2012 Energizer has killed 1500 jobs!  In Earth City, Ireland based legal drugs pusher Actavis announced they will shutdown a drugs factory next year, 200 jobs lost! Reports say another 190 jobs in Saint Louis will be affected!  It’s connected to the Actavis takeover of Forest Laboratories.

New York: Crumbs Bake Shop shut down all 48 stores across several states, without notice!  The cupcake store is now chapter 7 bankrupt busted, apparently the cupcake thing was just a fad, in the past year the company’s stock value fell from $13 per share to just 27 cents!  In NYC, after 76 years Bowlmor Lanes in Union Square shutdown.  In Latham, amusement park Hoffman’s Playland shutdown.  It turns out the owners can make more money re-developing the property as something else!

North Carolina: British empire Australia owned insurance company, QBE North America, shutting down their Morrisville call center, 107 jobs lost by 2015!  Local news reports say the British empire company refused to say why.  Charlotte based snack maker Snyder’s-Lance warned it will start killing jobs, after it sold off its private brands ops and took over Wisconsin based Baptista’s Bakery.

Ohio: Charter One Financial has been reduced from dozens to just two bank offices, it’s blamed on parent company Citizens Financial.  The idiot ‘elected’ officials of the Buckeye State have given corporations $63-million in tax breaks from 2012 through 2013, and $65-million through July 2014!  Those businesses claim they’ve create 43-thousand jobs as a result of the tax breaks.  Big whoop-de-shit! Here’s a dose of reality; in November 2013 Ohio led the nation in job losses, 12-thousand!  In August 2013 Ohio lost 8-thousand jobs!  But wait, there’s more; in March 2013 Ohio lost 20-thousand 4-hundred jobs!   But wait, even more; according to state and federal government data Ohio lost 241-thousand 3-hundred jobs between 2007-09!  And don’t forget that Ohio has been losing jobs every year in between, in other words all those tax breaks to businesses have done nothing to reverse the massive job destruction in the Buckeye State.

South Carolina: After 35 years North Area Taxi now chapter 11 bankrupt busted.

Tennessee: In Chattanooga, after only two years wine bar Brix Nouveau shutdown.  The owner blamed “several factors”.  In Memphis, Obama Care pissed off 404 cops who went on strike!  City of Memphis officials say Obama Care has jacked up the cost of employee insurance so much that they’re forced to reduce how much the city pays, meaning employees will have to pay a greater share of their insurance costs.  Hey you cops, don’t get mad at your employer, get mad at insurance industry authored Obama Care!

Pennsylvania: What real estate market recovery?  Shopping center owner Pennsylvania REIT laid off about 10 employees.  The commercial property owner said they are responding to “changing consumer dynamics”.   In Peckville, after 50 years PJ’s Home Center shutdown, the owner demanded to know where the economic recovery was!

Vermont:  What real estate market recovery?  The city of Brandon is dealing with crashing tax revenues and as such is warning of slashed funding for public services and the possibility of layoffs.  The town treasurer says the crashing tax revenues are the result of unpaid property taxes.

Wisconsin:  After shutting down without notice in June, the Wisconsin International School is now officially bankrupt busted.  This means all those parents that paid their child’s tuition in full will not get a refund.  Officials with the private school blame their sudden shutdown on an unexpected 30% drop in enrollment (more disappearing students), as well as a 30% drop in cash revenues and skyrocketing expenses due to things like utilities and healthcare cost increases (so much for Obama Care)!  At one point the school boasted 800 students, but this year they could attract only 120!  Parents are pissed because they were also required to take part in raising money for the school, and they want to know what happened to it: “That’s a big slap in the face to all the efforts we’ve put in!  At no time were we ever told ‘Hey, we have a problem’ or that more money needed to be raised.  Volunteering at the school was mandatory and parents were invested in the school.  If they had said something, I am sure parents and families would have opened their pockets.”-Nicole Donart-Manty

04 – 06 July 2014: “It’s slowly dying…”

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