Tag Archives: idaho

Idaho

13 year drought finally finished? Pocatello, Idaho, hit with massive downpour!!!

24 August 2013 (19:27 UTC-07 Tango 23 August 2013)/17 Shawwal 1434/02 Shahrivar 1391/18 Geng-Shen (7th month) 4711

Officially, Idaho has been in a drought since 2000.  Has it finally ended for Bannock County?

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There were many other streets flooded, including residential streets that had water up to the axles of the pick up trucks parked on the side of the road, and all the front yards were flooded.  There were parts of Yellowstone Avenue that looked like someone took a sledge hammer to it, lots-o-new pot holes.  My camera battery died, and it didn’t help that some jerk in a big SUV almost drowned me as I was taking pics!

Idaho, International, U.S.

World War 3, Asian Front-Afghanistan, 10-11 August 2013: More corruption with taxpayer money! Prostitutes kill Chinese?

The Afghan Ministry of Education says at least 100 teachers/education officials have been killed since the beginning of the Afghan year!

In Paktiya Province, three U.S. personnel were killed as the outpost they were based at came under artillery attack.  Several U.S. soldiers were wounded.  The three killed were from Arkansas, Idaho and Texas.  They were members of the U.S. Army’s 4th Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment.  Also, a senior Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS) official, and his two bodyguards, were wounded by a roadside bomb.

In Kabul Province, another 22 people were killed by flash floods.  In Kabul city, cops say the recent deaths and disappearance of several Chinese could be connected to human trafficking.  One of the missing men was found dead.  There are reports that the Chinese were pimps!

In Farah Province, at least five family members were killed when their Toyota Corolla ran over a landmine.

In Faryab Province, Dawlat Abad District, four cops were killed when they drove over a landmine.

In Ghazni Province, the female representative of Kandahar Province, in the lower house of parliament, was kidnapped as she drove through Ghazni.  Her four children were also kidnapped.

In Uruzgan Province, Mujahideen liberated 22 prisoners from Tarinkot prison.

In Nangarhar Province, Brigadier Raz Muhammad, who claims to be a trainer for Afghan National Army special forces, joined the Mujahideen.

The Australian Department of Defence is crying about Afghanistan’s exit tax!  Afghanistan is charging the Diggers $3545 per container, that leaves Afghanistan by road.  Australia says it might be cheaper to fly the military equipment out.

The Afghan government has agreed to hold peace talks with Mujahideen in Turkey or Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) reports that an Afghan trucking contractor working for the U.S. military has stolen $77 million USD!  It took three years of investigating to find where the money went.

According to German news media reports, the Afghan Ministry of Defense says U.S. taxpayers are paying for 24 brand new C-130 transport aircraft for the Afghan National Air Force, on top of the 20 Super Tucano COIN birds!

 

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

World War 3, U.S. Economic Front: Job losses & store closings 19 June 2013. More school & health care cuts! Customer satisfaction results in job losses! Chemical warfare job cuts!

In North Carolina, Cone Health laying off 150 employees and eliminating another 150 vacant positions!  Hospital officials blamed their $30 million USD shortfall on Obama/Romney Affordable Health Care Act and the federal sequestration.

Lake Erie Regional Health System of New York (LERHSNY) laying off 30 people at Brooks Memorial Hospital.  11 people were also laid off at the Lake Shore Nursing Home. LERHSNY officials did not give a reason.

In Wisconsin, 40 people lost their jobs with the Urban Day School in Milwaukee.  School officials are consolidating charter schools, partly due to reduction in federal funding.

In Pennsylvania, 43 people lost their jobs with the Easton Area School District.  The additional job cuts came despite local taxes being increased by 1.7%.  According to local news reports, the district has a history of raising local taxes and laying people off: “The district has raised taxes year after year for decades, and for the past several years has cut positions as well. This year’s cuts come on top of 200 jobs eliminated in the last three budget cycles. Last year’s budget saw 49 teachers lose jobs, then the district lopped off an additional 17 teachers during the summer.”-The Morning Call

The city of Flint, Michigan, laid off 27 employees. City officials blame the layoffs on crashing tax revenues due to crashing property values.  One estimate said the city is experiencing a 7% decrease in tax revenues, an in your face sign that there is no economic recovery.  (I have recently arrived neighbors who are refugees from that part of Michigan)

French-U.S. maker of telecommunications equipment, Alcatel-Lucent, warned of massive layoffs.  The company has operations in Europe, United States and China.  Last year they lost billions in revenue due to crashing sales.

Telecommunications company, Sprint, announced 120 layoffs countrywide.  Interestingly, Sprint officials said the layoffs are the result of improved customer satisfaction.

In Florida, Red Coat British empire company, Cobham, laying off 141 people at Conax plant in Saint Petersburg!  Cobham is closing the plant.  (by the way, the evil British empire is the top foreign operator in the United States, not China).

Lil’ Bear of Hanover closed in Ohio.  The owners of the mom-n-pop grocery store blamed crashing sales.  About 15 people lost their jobs, while other employees transferred to another location.

In Springfield, Illinois, Samuel Music shut down.  The owners sold the store.  They blame competition and the bad economy.

Alabama Outdoors closed in Tuscaloosa.  Company officials said the lease was expiring and they did not want to renew.

In Nebraska, the Omaha Public Library says because of budget cuts they must consider cost cutting measures such as closing branches, reducing hours, opening on fewer days and reducing the amount of new books they carry.

In California, Symmetricom announced massive layoffs in the works.  The manufacturer of timekeeping technologies blames it on the bad economy.  They’ve been laying off employees since at least 2009.  General Mills is closing their baking mix factory in Commerce. At least 33 people unemployed due to consolidation.

In Oregon, the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility is laying off 200 employees!  This is the latest round of layoffs since layoffs began in 2011.  The reason is that the incinerator has destroyed the last of the chemical weapons in its stockpile.  More than one million pounds of chemical agent were destroyed between 2004-11.

In Idaho, Caldwell Pawn shut down.  The owner said he dealt in micro-loans years before they were called micro-loans (some as small as $20) to help people out, but after 22 years of business he wants to retire.  He also stated that businesses has dropped since 2009.

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.

Business/Economics, Idaho

Employee owned WinCo is the new business model of the 21st Century!

10 August 2013 (19:51 UTC-07 Tango 09 August 2013)/03 Shawwal 1434/19 Mordad 1391/04 Geng-Shen (7th month) 4711

“WinCo arguably may be the best retailer in the Western U.S……WinCo is really unstoppable….They’re Walmart’s worst nightmare!”-Burt Flickinger III, New York based retail analyst

The Idaho Statesman published an article showing that employee owned WinCo is being used as a prime example of what large U.S. businesses need to be like to survive and excel in the 21st century (Gregorian calendar system).

The article gives a good explanation why Idaho based employee owned WinCo is exploding in growth.

By the way, why does the main stream media always add a dash between Wal and mart? There’s no dash between Wal and mart, and mart is not capitalized. It’s Walmart.  I hates Walmart, but at least I spells it correctly.  Actually here’s the history: From 1962-64 there was no dash.  From 1964-92 there was a dash.  From 1992-2008 there was a star.  Since 2008 Walmart has gone back to no dash or star upon thars (but there’s like an astric following Walmart*).

WinCo expansion delays caused by Arizona aesthetics cops! 

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

Idaho Falls company needs your support to bring Pocatello’s Hoku polysilicon factory back from the dead!

07 August 2013/30 Ramadan 1434/16 Mordad 1391/01 Geng-Shen (7th month) 4711

The following was sent to me by the President of Arco Hills Silica Company:

I am a participant in a company that is considering strongly to purchase the Hoku Property and Plant for the purpose of continuing the operation of the plant (with some major improvements-the real problem with this plant is that because of poor management the plant was not competitive ($40.00 plus per kilo). This plant can be modified and placed into production where it would be making a profit at $20.00 per kilo. There are major changes that need to be done, but with the completion of our funding, those changes can and will be done, thereby saving 200 jobs in the Pocatello area and by additional features and similar industries that are willing to come to Idaho to gain access to the Silica and Silica-related products that would add several hundred other new jobs to the community. This will also bring back some major manufacturing that in the past was shipped to China an other third-world nations because of cheap labor. The real problem was that the United State Business Leaders forgot how important it is for this country to maintain a “manufacturing base” here in the United States by being creative and competitive by using technology to compete. Instead to earn the “quick buck” from the benefit of cheap labor, the majority of companies sold their souls (and all their technology secrets) to China and other countries that offered cheap labor. I am convinced we can be friends with China and can still be competitive. That is why our company, Arco Hills Silica Company (an Idaho Mining Company that owns deposits of over 20 billion tons of some of the purest silica in the world) is joining with Francis Kreais of JCF Funding from Henderson, Nevada (702) 994-1102 to attempt to prevent the Hoku factory from being sold to be dismantled and scrapped by it prior operating company. We know what has to be done to decrease the costs to make Hoku competitive and are presently seeking to make an offer to the Bankruptcy Court to pursue that opportunity. IF THERE ARE OTHERS OUT THERE WHO BELIEVE THAT THE UNITED STATES NEEDS TO RETURN TO BEING A MANUFACTURING COUNTRY WHO USES TECHNOLOGY TO COMBAT CHEAP THIRD WORLD COMPANY’S CHEAP LABOR, AND IS WILL[ing] TO SUPPORT AND ASSIST IN THIS CAUSE, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME OR FRANCIS KREAIS OF JCF FUNDING ([email protected]) AND LET’S GET OUR HEADS OUT OF OUR ” ***** ” AND START MAKING THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WHAT IS SHOULD AND COULD BE WITH A STRONG TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED COMPETITIVE MANUFACTURING BASE.[!]

‘THANKS FOR LETTING ME “SPEAK MY PIECE” AND AT LEAST MAKE A RALLYING CRY TO ATTEMPT TO SAVE A NATION THAT OUR CONGRESS AND PRESIDENT HAVE GIVEN UP ON.”

SINCERELY,
GORDON W. JENKINS, PRESIDENT
ARCO HILLS SILICA COMPANY
TELEPHONE; (208) 589-6503
Email: [email protected]

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

World War 3, U.S. Economic Front: Job losses & store closings 30-31 May 2013. Chris Christie gives British Empire corp $80 million tax break, to cut jobs in the United States!!! MetLife says the U.S. is toast!!!

The biggest insurance company in the U.S., MetLife, has laid off 2500 people since 2012!  The insurance and investment company said the United States is no longer the place to do business and will focus on other countries for growth opportunities!!!

In California, Westwood’s Jerry’s Famous Deli closed, 63 employees laid off.  The restaurant owner blamed it on the property owner jacking up the rent.  A Jerry’s Famous Deli also closed in West Hollywood.  In Santa Monica, Rubin Postaer Associates laid off 200 people!  Rubin Postaer Associates is Los Angeles County’s second largest advertising agency. Honda was their biggest client, and Honda just cut back big on their advertising budget.  In Simi Valley, Arizona based Nexicore laid off 108 employees!  The computer company blames it on crashing sales.

Arizona based Pro’s Ranch Markets bankrupt.  The grocery chain focused on Hispanic customers in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. The company blames a decline in sales on several factors, including Arizona’s anti-immigrant laws.

In White Plains, New York, British Empire based Pearsons Education laid off 55 employees. The education publisher has been laying off employees non-stop due to constant “restructuring”, even after New Jersey gov’na Chris Christie gave the Red Coat company an $80 million USD tax break!!!  And the Obama/Romney Affordable Health Care Act is killing another health care provider!  Sound Shore Health System now bankrupt: “As is true with many community hospitals serving a working-class constituency, the Medical Centers have been beset by the financial pressures caused by cuts in Medicare and Medicaid funding.”-Court filed bankruptcy statement

Speaking of New Jersey, the city of Linden wants to layoff 31 cops. City officials blame it on the police union rejecting the city’s concession offer. City officials say they need to save $1.2 million. Gee why don’t they ask gov’na Christie for the money?  He gave foreigner Pearson Education $80 million!

In Washington, the Pierce County Jail laid off 20 guards.  The county is short $4.2 million, and 160 inmates are about to go free due to their sentences being up.  There are no new inmates expected because two of the county’s customers, the cities of Lakewood and Tacoma, are sending their inmates to a cheaper facility.

In Colorado, the Upper Pine Fire Protection District cut four jobs: “If we didn’t do this, we wouldn’t have any reserves left after next year. Too many factors led to this. By this time last year, we’d had income coming into the district from fighting wildland fires on federal lands. This year, that didn’t happen.”-Bruce Evans, District Chief

The College of Central Florida got rid of 28 jobs.  College officials blame a $2.4 million shortfall on declining student enrollment.  In Gainesville a Stein Mart is closing, rumors say it’s being replaced with a Hobby Lobby.

In Illinois, the Chicago Sun Times laid off all its photogs, all 28 of them!  Reporters are now required to do their own pics and video (just like in the smaller news markets).  And the Adler Planetarium laid off 15 people. Officials say they are trying to stay ahead of the bad economy by becoming more efficient. Plass Appliance shutting down after 75 years of sales. It’s blamed on the bad economy. At one time there were ten Plass Appliance stores.

The Muncie Public Library announced that it has to cut $400000 from its budget, and that means layoffs in Indiana.

What automotive industry recovery?  Germany based Volkswagen confirmed they will layoff 500 people in their Tennessee Passat factory!!!  They blame it on crashing sales of Passats.

What oil industry boom?  In Texas, Cameron International laid off 88 employees.  The global provider of production and processing equipment for the oil and gas industry is shutting down their factory in Magnolia.

And despite North Dakota‘s oil boom, Finland based cell phone & GPS maker Nokia laid off 50-60 employees in their Fargo factory.  Company official say these latest layoffs are in addition to the 10000 planned layoffs announced at the end of last year!  Nokia officials say they want to streamline their North Dakota operations.

In Pennsylvania, The Common Plea and The Plea Bar closed down after 42 years of business. The owners are selling the restaurant operation and focusing on catering.  The Pocono Mountain School District closed two elementary schools.  School officials blame it on declining enrolment, and the need to save $2 million!  PBS Coals announced a third round of layoffs.  This time the mining company laid off 134 people! In the 2nd round of layoffs 138 people got axed!  Company officials said the economy is that bad, even in China: “…..the 134 layoffs are a result of economic decline. The domestic market is low, and we sell to international markets, the big players are China and India, but there isn’t a lot of economic growth there either!”-Lori J. Mason, PBS Coals

Georgia based payment processor First Data Corp. continues to lay people off as part of its never ending “restructuring”.  This time 40 people in Nebraska got canned.  It was part of the latest round of layoffs country wide, which saw a total of 70 jobs cut. In April they laid off 60 people in Nebraska, and between 2007 and 2010, 800 Cornhuskers got the axe!

In Wisconsin, 72 people lost their jobs because iconic Ball container company closed down operations in Milwaukee.  And 202 people out-o-work at the Kewaunee Power Station!  The operator of the nuclear power plant, Dominion Resources, said this is just the first round of more layoffs to come. The nuke plant is being shut down, in toto 632 employees will be affected!

In Michigan, the Pump House Grille was seized by the Berrien County Treasurer’s Office, for failure to pay property taxes.  And Jill’s General Store closed down.  The family owners said declining sales didn’t justify the amount of time they were putting into the business.

In Alabama, 200 employees at the Russell Athletic/Fruit of the Loom Mill Decorations Plant were told bye-bye!  The clothing company is closing the factory.  It’s blamed on the bad economy.  The Home Fashion Paint and Floor Covering Company closed after 44 years of business. The owner retired to do Baptist missionary work.

Another irony, the Mississippi Department of Employment Security shut down 13 WIN Job Centers!  It’s blamed on federal funding cuts.

In Wheaton, Maryland, the Showcase Aquarium tropical fish store closed after 45 years.  The store owner said his lease expired and a multitude of factors convinced him that it wasn’t a good idea to renew it, mainly that a major redevelopment plan by Montgomery County is going to destroy any parking for customers.

After 30 years of operations the Burr Cooperative Nursery School shut down in Massachusetts.

Idaho based paper company, Boise Inc., closed it Umatilla, Oregon, chipping operations.

In Virginia, Apple computer retailer, CityMac, closed after less than one year in business!  The owner says sales suck, and profit margins for computer retailers is too small to justify trying to stay open.  The store property has been turned over to the city of Bristol.

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.

Idaho, U.S.

Pocatello, Idaho, Charlotte Fire 2?

29 July 2013 (21:55 UTC-07 Tango 28 July 2013)/21 Ramadan 1434/07 Mordad 1391/22 Ji-Wie (6th month) 4711

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Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

World War 3, U.S. Economic Front: Job losses & store closings 15 May 2013. Another domestic spy company going down? Blue Cross outsources jobs from Idaho!

Rumors that California based domestic spying data collection and storage company, NettApp, is laying off 1400 employees!  Part of the rumors came from former EMC (also a domestic spying company, laid off 1800 employees) employees who said they’ve been hit with thousands of job inquiries from NettApp employees.  The NettApp layoffs are part of the company’s plans to get rid of poor performing departments.  Rumors also say NettApp is laying off employees in United Kingdom.  Also in California, Applebees closed their Arroyo Grande restaurant, Applebees is bankrupt.  The restaurant manager said Applebees plans on closing restaurants in Colorado and New Mexico.  Apparently the Dairy Queen in Livermore closed.  The city of Turlock plans to layoff 19 employees.  City officials say they’re short $1.7 million USD!

The Energizer bunny just keeps losing steam.  Reports that an undisclosed amount of employees at the Asheboro, North Carolina factory will be laid off. Energizer already laid off 100 people at the factory in March!  Advertising agency McKinney laid off 30 people in Durham. They blamed it on the loss of a major client, Qwest, who got bought out by Century Link. Two branch offices of BB&T bank closed in Columbus County.  Apparently the locations were too small townish for the bank, revenues being too low.  For many people they’ll have to drive 20 miles to the nearest bank!  (I say go cash only!)  And North Carolina based pharmaceutical services giant, Quintiles, announced 400 layoffs worldwide!  Interesting because at the same time company officials claim they have 900 positions available?

CPM Federal Credit Union closed three branch offices in South Carolina.  The credit union is “restructuring”.

In Pennsylvania, the PNC Bank closing ten offices in the Pittsburgh area!  They’ve already closed 65 offices, and plan to close a total of 200 offices across the eastern U.S. by the end of this year!  Bank officials claim that most of their customers have switched to online banking.

In Maryland, the First Mariner Bank to close three offices in three cities.  Bank officials said they had to cut costs, and that many customers switched to online banking.

United kingdom based Too Big to Jail HSBC bank laying off 14000 people around the World!!!  Chief Executive Stuart Gulliver is already responsible for killing 46000 jobs and 52 businesses around the World!!!  Gulliver told analysts “We’re not even halfway through unlocking the value in HSBC.”  HSBC has hundreds of offices in the U.S., and owns several buildings in New York.

United Kingdom based Too Big to Jail RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) revealed they will layoff more people around the World (at least 1400), and close more offices.  In 2008-09 RBS got the biggest bank bailout in the World!  They’ve already laid off 37000 people!  RBS operates in the U.S. through Rhode Island based Citizens Financial Group (Citizens Bank and Charter One).

In New York, Ulster County warned employees at the Golden Hill nursing home that layoffs were coming.  The nursing home is being sold!  And the Malone Veterans Affairs clinic being closed down in August.  Apparently it has something to do with the number of veterans seeking help dropping below the magic 700 mark.

In Ohio, Mercy Hospital eliminated 18 jobs, blamed on decreased customers and decreased funding caused by the Obama/Romney Affordable Health Care Act.

Regence Blue Cross/Blue Shield health insurance laid off 55 people across Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and Utah (some reports said 56).  Regence is outsourcing claims processing to a company in New Jersey.

In Hood River, Oregon, CenturyLink closed a call center and laid off 51 employees.  After 40 years of business, For What It’s Worth Records shut down in Clackamas.  The owner doesn’t blame internet competition, because he says he has stuff you can’t get on the internet.  Instead he blames the recent 60% increase in international shipping rates by the USPS.  Most his customers are in other countries. (I can relate to that, and the main streamer news media said the rate hikes wouldn’t affect online businesses!)

In Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, Building 19 discount store closed down.  The owners blame the bad economy: “We did everything we could to keep that store alive, but it just didn’t make sense for us. We have people who have worked at that store for 20 years, 30 years, back to the days of Spag’s.”-William Elovitz

IBM laid off 17 contract workers at its Essex Junction factory in Vermont.  IBM is moving jobs to Argentina and China.

In Michigan, New Yorker children’s clothing store closed after 76 years of business!  The owners said their decision to get out of the business is “Just in time.”, regarding the bad economy.  They also blamed unAmerican corporate America for destroying mom & pop operations: “It’s just mom and pop retail. It’s just old time retail. We talk to everybody and try to help them out. We’ve been here a long time.”-Jack Karr

Germany based steel company, ThyssenKrupp, to layoff at least 3000 people around the World, and sell off its Brazil and U.S. steel factories!

In Florida, the city of Vero Beach says it needs to cut $2.2 million from the upcoming fiscal year’s budget, which means layoffs are coming.   Flagler County Schools warned of possible layoffs for 28 employees.  It all depends on voters who are willing to screw themselves by voting for a new tax to support the schools.  In Sharpes, Corky Bell’s Seafood Restaurant closed.  It’s blamed on NASA downsizing at nearby Kennedy Space Center.

The publisher of Parenting and Baby Talk magazines sold out to the publisher of Parent and American Baby magazines.  The result is 65 people lost their jobs.

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.

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

Economic Recovery for Pocatello? Where’s everybody gone to?

22 July 2013 (23:07 UTC-07 Tango 21 July 2013)/14 Ramadan 1434/31 Tir 1391/15 Ji-Wie (6th month) 4711

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Back before gas prices went over three bucks per gallon, the main drag through Pocatello and Chubbuck, Idaho, Yellowstone Avenue (aka State Highway 91) was a busy place even on Sundays.  But in the past few years traffic has dramatically declined on both Saturday and Sunday.

The intersection of Yellowstone and Alameda, in Pocatello, is usually the busiest section during the week.  Last month one of my daughters (graduated Pocatello High School) paid a visit from Boise and was shocked at the reduction of even the work day traffic on Yellowstone.

This Sunday, 21 July 2013, was the most ghost townish I’d ever seen Pocatello and Chubbuck.

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

Economic recovery for Pocatello? Some things aren’t as they appear!

20 July 2013 (17:48 UTC-07 Tango)/12 Ramadan 1434/29 Tir 1391/13 Ji-Wie (6th month) 4711
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