Tag Archives: idaho

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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Idaho, U.S.

West Nile Virus: Larvae swarm after Idaho rain storm! Standing water claim a myth?

16 July 2013 (13:47 UTC-07 Tango)/08 Ramadan 1434/25 Tir 1391/09 Ji-Wie (6th month) 4711

On 15 July parts of eastern Idaho got hit with summer rain storms.   Not unusual, but what was unusual for me is that the next day I found one of my rain barrels swarming with Mosquito larvae.   This was the first time.   My research revealed that the publicly accepted idea that mosquitoes ‘breed’ in standing water is not necessarily true, especially for the West Nile Virus carrying Aedes genus.

Thousands of Aedes larvae in a 30+ gallon rain barrel, less than one day after an Idaho rain storm.

Thousands of mosquito larvae (pupa?) in a 30+ gallon rain barrel, less than one day after an Idaho rain storm.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare states “Remove standing water around your home – this is where mosquitoes like to breed”.  It turns out that it depends on the genus of the bloodsucker.  Most will lay eggs on the surface of water, like the Culex mosquito, which is present in Idaho and carries West Nile and encephalitis.

Some mosquitoes lay their eggs on the underside of leaves.

Most species of Aedes mosquitoes lay their eggs in damp dirt, or near a pond’s edge, not directly in the water.  Aedes also carry West Nile and versions of encephalitis.

I was interested to know why one of my rain barrels were swarming with larvae (possibly pupa?), less than one day after a rain storm, yet none of the drinking water buckets and pans for the dogs and cats were infected, even though they’ve been sitting for a few days.  The animal’s water buckets were filled with city water, which is treated with chlorine and contains fluoride.  That could be one reason, but I was concerned because this was the first time I’ve found any of my rain barrels swarming with mosquitoes.

It was also concerning to find the larvae swarm as I’ve seen only one adult mosquito (and been bitten twice) so far this year.

That particular rain barrel had a layer of damp dirt in the bottom, after a previous rain storm washed collected dust and dirt from the roof and rain gutter.  Where I live people will tell you that it rains dirt here (it’s one reason why the car wash business does well here, and the car dealers really hate it when it rains).  So, I suspect an Aedes mosquito laid eggs in the damp dirt at the bottom of the barrel, then the 15 July rainstorms flooded the barrel, hatching the eggs.

Not to worry, the water in my rain barrels are used ASAP after rain storms to water my pathetic vegetable garden, and my fruit trees (and now I rinse out the dirt).  I also learned that Aedes eggs can hatch independently; if there is not enough water to hatch all of them some will enter a state of suspended animation until more water comes along.

What this means is that the claim that removing standing water to fight West Nile Virus depends on which vampire mosquito your fighting.  The Aedes will lay eggs even if there is no standing water, they just need damp dirt.   The eggs will lay in wait until a sudden large amount of water, like from a rain storm or a pond/lake/river overflowing its banks, will hatch the eggs.  So, it would help to keep the area around your home clean and dry.

In western Idaho, West Nile Virus has been detected in Ada, Canyon and Payette  counties.  State health officials on that side of the Gem State report that they trapped Culex mosquitoes, and they tested positive for the virus.  Officials are blaming the hot summer temps.

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

World War 3, U.S. Economic Front: Job losses & store closings 02 May 2013. More Christian schools going down!

Texas based video game maker, TimeGate, now bankrupt.  Apparently they lost a legal battle that’s been raging since 2009.  Bell Helicopter announced it was cutting back on its Fort Worth operations.  140 people out-o-work!  Blamed on expected reductions in orders for the V-22 Osprey tilt rotor aircraft.

Video game make, Glu Mobile, laid off 68 people at its Washington operations.  It has something to do with their new games-as-a-service scheme.   The Sears in the Wenatchee Valley Mall will close in August.   59 people out-o-work.

300 people lost their jobs with Xerox!  Xerox shut down their Coos Bay, Oregon, call center operations.  Company officials blame it on an unnamed client they were serving.

Idaho based paper products company, Boise, will layoff 265 people at their International Falls, Minnesota, operations!  Apparently sales are so bad they have to shut down two production lines by 01 October.

The irony of the bad economy is that Pennsylvania’s Department of Labor and Industry laid off 100 employees!  State officials blame lack of federal funding.  In Sellersville, Teva Pharmaceutical announced it will shut down its research and manufacturing facility by 2017.  472 employees affected!

The California Department of Developmental Services has decided that 54 employees at their Porterville Developmental Center are “surplus” and will be laid off by the end of August.  However, a consultant pointed out that the facility is already short staffed, and the layoffs will make things worse: “It’s very ironic. We already have an issue with massive overtime and staff doing its best to keep the staffing ratio up and running.”-Brady Oppenheim

In Florida, as the shut down of the Crystal River nuke plant continues, Duke Energy forced to layoff hundreds more employees. 585 employees to be let go over the next 12 months!  The nuke plant is being shut down because it was revealed that Duke Energy employees damaged a containment building, then majorly screwed up the repair job.  It would cost $3.4 billion to fix the botched repair.

90 people lost their jobs with BuySeasons in New Berlin, Wisconsin.  It’s blamed on crashing sales.

In New York, the 72 years old Saints Peter and Paul Catholic School in Auburn closed down.  It’s blamed on a drastic drop in student enrollment.  Also, the Rome Catholic High School closed down.  It’s blamed on declining enrollment.  In Henrietta, Tyco Integrated Security is ending operations by October.  132 people out-o-work!

The Ri Ra Irish Pub in Bethesda, Maryland, will close in September.  The owners said it wasn’t worth it to renew the lease.

Stage Stores closing their Mecklenburg County office in Virginia.  112 people unemployed!  The company is consolidating operations to Texas.

In Georgia, the owner of new age book store Trilogy is switching to internet sales only.  The owner is moving to Texas, for family reasons.

The owners of The Little Red Gift Shop, in Ohio, sold out: “The developer building across the street approached us with a good enough offer and we accepted it.”-Betty Donnellan

In Phoenix, Arizona, the Cheuvront Restaurant & Wine Bar closed down.  The owner, a former state politician, hopes to open a new restaurant in the Sky Harbor airport.

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.

U.S. Postal Service: Domestic spies, ID thieves, layoffs, closings & privatization will continue until moral improves!

09 July 2013 (23:37 UTC-07 Tango 08 July 2013)/01 Ramadan 1434/18 Tir 1391/02 Ji-Wie (6th month) 4711

“Whether that is due to health benefits or retirement funding or something that only Congress can control, the bottom line is we are losing $25 million a day.”-Ron Schaer, USPS marketing manager in Portland, Oregon

“There’s a lot of deception going on, it’s being driven by the private sector, which wants to profit off the movement of mail. Part of that profit will come from not having to deal with postal unions.”-John Schwiebert, 18th Avenue Peace House, Oregon

Fact: U.S. Postal Service officials are dictated to by the U.S. Postal Regulatory Commission.  The commissioners are selected/appointed by the President of the U.S., and the U.S. Senate.  They are the ones who determine things such as the price of a postage stamp and layoffs.

Fact: The U.S. Postal Service is not funded with tax dollars (“The USPS has not directly received taxpayer-dollars since the early 1980s with the minor exception of subsidies for costs associated with the disabled and overseas voters.”).  The USPS is funded through postage stamps and other services they provide.  Many times the USPS has asked the PRC for increases in postal rates, because they were not covering operating expenses, but the PRC refused  (that’s right, even though there have been rate increases, they still don’t cover operating costs).  Also, in 2006 the U.S. Congress forced the USPS to pay $5.5 billion per year, for the next 75 years, into accounts controlled by Congress (this is the final straw that broke the financial back of the USPS).

For proof of main stream U.S. news media ignorance about the USPS, recently the Wall Street Journal stupidly stated that “If you’re an American taxpayer, you own it.”  How can that be if the USPS is an independent agency that is not funded with tax money?

In Alabama, a mail carrier was found guilty of stealing people’s identities, and other crimes.  But he was just a part of a larger ID theft ring: “…his criminal organization not only stole innocent people’s identities, filed fraudulent tax returns and received tax refunds not owed to them, but they used Harrison’s position as a mail carrier to steal these debit cards from the mail…”-George L. Beck, U.S. Attorney

According to the New York Times, the USPS has been acting as a domestic spy agency for the U.S. government.  It was revealed when a mail carrier ‘accidentally’ delivered the order to photocopy all letters to a postal customer: “Show all mail to supv for copying prior to going out on the street”

That order was specifically against the postal customer that accidentally received the order.  Independent investigations revealed the USPS is using a Mail Isolation Control and Tracking program to copy at least 160 billion pieces of mail every year.

Of interest is that the USPS has just placed an order for $450000 worth of computer systems from Kansas based company Commtech.  Commtech designs high speed data collections, I mean communications equipment.  The USPS says it could double the order.

In Oregon, a postal carrier was found guilty of stealing $135000 in cash and checks from customers’ mail.  He blamed it on a gambling addiction.

In Texas, a postal employee pled guilty to using postal computers to collect child porn.  And a resident of Coldspring has been charged with murdering a mail carrier.  The suspect complained of slow delivery of his mail.  The carrier was on her cell phone with her son when the suspect shot her.

In Florida, mail carriers report increases in assaults against them.

In Rhode Island, the USPS is investigating why mail for businesses in East Greenwhich has been dumped by the carriers.  A part time carrier has been arrested in connection with the dumping.  The investigation would not have happened if it weren’t for postal customers complaining.

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Here in southeastern Idaho, I’ve watched as the Chubbuck USPS postal station in the Pine Ridge Mall was closed down.   Then I watched as Chubbuck’s independently contracted post office was closed down.  Now I see the staffing at the Pocatello Clark Street post office being reduced, and full timers switched to part time.  This past Saturday I saw the local Postmaster stocking shipping supplies for postal customers.  One source told me that despite locals’ objections to the closing of the area’s only processing center, the Gateway Station in Pocatello will be closed within 18 months.  This means that if I send a letter to Idaho Falls, an hours drive from my location, it will be first sent to Salt Lake City, Utah, and then sent back into Idaho to it’s destination.  Not very efficient or cost saving is it?

Relatives in California have told me of local post offices now operating Saturday hours on Fridays (10:00 hours to 14:30 hours).  It was officially reported that the USPS cut operating hours at their Highland and Calimesa post offices.  Also, full time employees have been replaced with part timers.  In La Jolla the USPS is selling off the historic La Jolla Post Office (National Register of Historic Places), despite protests.  This is odd considering the USPS just held a job fair in San Jose, supposedly to fill 500 positions!

In Indiana, after 17 years of service the USPS will close the postal station in Evansville’s Eastland Mall.  Fordsville will lose its branch PO, meaning the nearest PO will be 10 miles away.

In Massachusetts, the West Lynn PO will probably be closed down, for real this time.

In Hawaii, the Kapolei Post Office will be closed in August.

In Illinois, USPS officials told the Collinsville City Council the 50 year lease on the Collinsville Post Office was up in September, and they were not going to renew.  They said the post office was too big.

In Ohio, the processing center in Toledo will be closed.   By the end of 2014 processing centers in Akron, Athens, Canton, Chillicothe, Dayton, Ironton, Steubenville and Youngstown will be closed.

In New York, the USPS opened a new mini post office (called a village post office), in a mini-mart in Limestone.   In Newburgh, plans to close the processing center in 2014 have been changed.  It’s being closed this year!  Hundreds of jobs affected.

In Kentucky, the USPS opened a village PO in the Harrodsburg Food Center.

In South Carolina, the Asheville processing center will cease outgoing mail handling on 13 July.  Nearly 200 jobs affected.

The USPS will pay millions of dollars to improve worker safety, after they were hit with accusations from the Postal Workers Union and the U.S. Department of Labor OSHA.  This after the USPS signed a contract with Adayana Government Group to provide training for newly appointed Safety Specialists, Managers, Supervisors, and Facility Safety Coordinators. (called operation Safety Boot Camp)

After 50 years of ignoring Cuba, the USPS says it will begin negotiating the possibility of delivering U.S. mail to the communist country.

Beware of the Change of Address scam.  Internet sites are charging people up to $24 to file fake change of address forms.  The USPS does it for free (if you fill out the forms at your local PO).

What about the plan to go to five day delivery week?  At the beginning of the year the USPS was approved to begin a six day package delivery, and five day mail delivery scheme.  In April that plan was put on hold, not “shelved” as so many main streamer news media sites reported.  President Obama’s fiscal 2014 budget proposal allows the USPS to go to a five day delivery schedule.  The U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors (part of the PRC) said “….Congress has left it with no choice but to delay this implementation at this time….The Board continues to support the transition to a new national delivery schedule….”  The Board also lied and stated that “…this new delivery schedule is widely supported by the American public.”

According to Federal News Radio, the USPS is being transformed into something that resembles privatized European postal services: “In regard to partnerships, other posts tend to be more aggressive in what they do with. I think it is something where the Postal Service can catch up by learning from the aggressive actions that some of the European posts are taking, and that might apply to other areas as well.”-Michael Kubayanda, USPS Office of the Inspector General

 

 

Idaho, U.S.

2 1/2 mile fire update, containment. More Idaho fires expected, warns officials.

03 July 2013 (23:12 UTC-07 Tango 02 July 2013)/24 Sha’ban 1434/12 Tir 1391/26 Ji-Wie (5th month) 4711

Blackened hill from 2 1/2 Mile Road fire. About 1048 acres (424 hectares) burned. During the night winds died down and firefighters got the upper hand.

Blackened hill from 2 1/2 Mile Road fire, northern Bannock County (as seen from Cotant Park, Chubbuck). About 1048 acres (424 hectares) burned. During the night winds died down and firefighters got the upper hand.

Eastern Idaho Interagency Fire Center reports the 2 1/2 Mile fire is contained.

EIIFC also reporting the lightning caused Beaver Pass fire in Butte County.   One of the fire crews that battled the 2 1/2 Mile fire are now working the Beaver Pass fire with other crews from federal agencies and the cities of Arco and Custer County’s Lost River.  50 acres burned so far.

In southern Idaho, several fires are burning federal Bureau of Land management property.   The Emery Fire has burned at least 600 acres (248.8 hectares), they hope to have it contained by Wednesday night.  Another fire 3 miles north of the city of Wendell has burned 1833 acres (741.7 hectares), and is considered contained.  The Point fire, near Rogerson, has burned at least 2500 acres (1011.7 hectares).  The Jim Brown fire has burned 13000 acres (5260.9 hectares), containment expected by Wednesday night.   The West Hollister fire is contained, and burned at least 3000 acres (1214 hectares).  All the mentioned fires are suspected of being caused by lightning.

In western Idaho, fire crews are fighting the Turner fire, near Lucky Peak.  It burned about 300 acres (121 hectares) and is suspected of being human caused.

“We saw what last year’s fire season did to Idaho. Right now, we are set up to have potentially a worse fire season than last year.”-Bob Shindelar, Boise National Forest

Back in June, analysts warned that the fire danger is extreme for Idaho mountain areas.

“They’re coming into their third year of really dry conditions. Even though we had a relatively good snowpack across most of Idaho this year, it hasn’t made up the deficit we’ve seen in the past.”-Ed Delgado, National Interagency Fire Center

02JUL2013 update: 2 1/2 MILE FIRE, APPROACHING NORTHERN POCATELLO

01JUL2013: NEW 2 AND A HALF MILE FIRE NORTHEAST OF CHUBBUCK, IDAHO

June 2012:

Smoke seen from downtown Old Town Pocatello. Photo by AAron B. Hutchins, 28JUN2012.

POCATELLO CHARLOTTE FIRE STILL BURNING! 66 HOMES NOW DESTROYED!

Idaho, U.S.

2 1/2 mile fire update, approaching northern Pocatello

02 July 2013 (20:37 UTC-07 Tango 01 July 2013)/23 Sha’ban 1434/11 Tir 1391/25 Ji-Wie (5th month) 4711

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Idaho, U.S.

New 2 and a half Mile fire northeast of Chubbuck, Idaho

01 July 2013 (22:07 UTC-07 Tango 30 June 2013)/22 Sha’ban 1434/10 Tir 1391/24 Ji-Wie (5th month) 4711

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Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

World War 3, U.S. Economic Front: Another $20 million lost by Coldwater Creek! Blames it on climate change and shuttered stores!

29 June 2013 (21:41 UTC-07 Tango 28 June 2013)/20 Sha’ban 1434/08 Tir 1391/22 Wu-Wu (5th month) 4711

The Idaho based women’s clothing retailer, Coldwater Creek, just keeps bleeding out cash!  For its most recent quarter, which ended in May, Coldwater Creek lost $19.4 million USD.

Executives headquartered in Sandpoint blamed it on climate change and the fact that they’ve closed so many stores: “Our first quarter results were impacted by unseasonable weather throughout the quarter….”-Jill Dean, CEO

Coldwater Creek closed two retail stores in the last quarter, along with one factory store.  Company officials don’t expect any good news when this current quarter ends, either.  Amazingly, Coldwater Creek (CWTR) stocks are selling for about $2.50 per share, despite being downgraded to neutral by investment bank B. Riley!

To try and become more efficient, Coldwater Creek just spent money on a Oracle Retail Merchandise Planning and Optimization program: “Ultimately, this should lead to further reductions in aged inventory and allow us to increase our full price selling, making us more productive and profitable.”-Jim Bell, CFO/COO

They say the program will let them better forecast what women want to buy (by spying on customers’ shopping habits).

International

World War 3, Asian Front-Afghanistan: Whirling Dervish Obama does another 1-80 in Afghanistan! Idaho POW now a barganing chip! More tax dollars wasted & linked to suicide bombings!

21 June 2013/12 Sha’ban 1434/31 Khordad 1391/14 Wu-Wu (5th month) 4711

In Kunar Province, Ghazi Abad District, local government officials say a U.S. airstrike (drone strike?) killed three people and wounded several others.

In Helmand Province, Greshk District, reports of a major battle between Mujahideen and NATO/ISAF and Afghan National Army (ANA) troops.  Four armored vehicles destroyed, 17 people killed, dozens wounded.  The battle might have started because of home invasions launched by NATO/ISAF/ANA in the same district.  Five people were kidnapped, including an 80 years old man.

The Washington Post reports that the U.S. Department of Defense is planning on destroying $7 billion USD worth of military equipment in Afghanistan!  That includes up to 11000 MRAP (mine-resistant ambush-protected) vehicles which cost taxpayers about $1 million each!  DoD officials say destroying in place is cheaper than shipping them back to the U.S.  (more reason not to go on a nation building spree disguised as a War on Terror)

The President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbaev, says Obama told him personally that the U.S. will remain “….deeply involved in developments in Afghanistan and Central Asia” after 2014.

20 June 2013/11 Sha’ban 1434/30 Khordad 1391/13 Wu-Wu (5th month) 4711

In Parwan Province, provincial government officials say Mujahideen “…..beheaded an Afghan intelligence officer along with a member of his family, and an Afghan police officer together with his brother.”  Most Mujahideen groups have stated they’ve sworn not to behead Afghans.

In Nangarhar Province, Jalalabad city, an explosion killed one cop and one civilian, one civilian wounded.

In Herat Province, Italian NATO officials announced they will keep up to 700 Italian troops incountry after the 2014 ‘pullout’!

In Balkh Province, German NATO officials announced they will keep German troops incountry after the 2014 ‘pullout’!   Working with German NATO command are troops from Montenegro.  Officials from Montenegro said they will keep troops incountry after the 2014 ‘pullout’!

Mujahideen have announced they are willing to trade the only U.S. POW (prisoner of war, isn’t that nice he’s considered a POW, but none of the detainees at Gitmo are) for five senior level Mujahideen held as “combatants” in Gitmo.  A Mujahideen source said of the POW from Idaho that “as far as I know” he’s in good condition.  They say he’s actually being held in Pakistan by Pakistani Mujahideen.

At the UN Security Council meeting, Afghan and Pakistani officials traded heated accusations over recent cross border incidents, and just who is behind “Islamist extremists”.  If the ‘Islamic World’ is confused about Islamic extremism, then maybe accusations that the United States/United Kingdom are the real instigators behind Islamic extremism are true?

“We do not recognize the name ‘Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’ and are pleased that Qatar has clarified that the name of the office is the Political Office of the Afghan Taliban, and has had the sign with the incorrect name in front of the door taken down.”-Rosemary DiCarlo, U.S. Deputy Ambassador to the UN

“The manner in which the office was established was in clear breach of the principles and terms of references agreed with us by the U.S. government.”-Afghan Foreign Ministry

“We have from time to time reminded all stakeholders about the red lines that was drawn by the world community and certainly by the participants should not be touched, should not be erased and should not be violated.  The talks are (being held) between the high peace council and the chosen representatives of Taliban. Of course, the U.S. had its role in encouraging this, perhaps even in precipitating this.”-Salman Khurshid, Foreign Minister of India

The U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has discovered that the reason why many contractor funded projects have not been completed is because those contractors haven’t paid their subcontractors!  In at least 52 cases, contractors sub-contracted the work, then never paid the subcontractor!  SIGAR investigations revealed that some suicide bombers are subcontractors devastated by non-payment from the primary contractor: “In one example reported to SIGAR, after the prime contractor offered mediation and arbitration to solve a contract dispute, the subcontractor threatened to use a suicide bomb to blow up himself and the prime contractor’s offices. In another case, a prime contractor told SIGAR that a subcontractor threatened to blow up a compound of U.S. contractors and government agencies and another subcontractor threatened to kill the attorney for the prime contractor over nonpayment issues.”  (so what are these primary contractors doing with all that taxpayer money?)

19 June 2013/10 Sha’ban 1434/29 Khordad 1391/12 Wu-Wu (5th month) 4711

In Logar Province, Pul-e-Alam District, local government officials say a U.S. airstrike killed at least nine people.  Afghan National Army says they captured six Mujahideen in the same district.  In Baraki Barak District, ANA claims to have killed eight Pakistani Mujahideen, and seven Afghan Mujahideen.  Mujahideen confirmed “massive U.S. airstrikes” but said they killed six U.S./NATO personnel and destroyed three armored vehicles.

In Farah Province, Balablook District, local government reports a U.S. drone strike killed five people.

In Helmand Province, Greshk District, Zambuli area police check post, a local cop killed five fellow cops, then joined the Mujahideen.  He took all weapons and ammo at the check point with him.

A war artist working with U.K. Royal Army Red Coats, was shot in his left arm and hand by a Mujahideen sniper.

U.S. Army General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the U.S. is not bringing troops back home from Afghanistan, but sending them to war in Syria: “I can tell you, right here and right now, that the U.S. is every bit as determined to engage in an ill-defined, ill-advised and seemingly interminable mission in Syria as we were in Afghanistan. All that’s changing is the Zip Code.”

After announcing peace talks with Mujahideen (Taliban) at their newly built office in Doha, Qatar, President Obama is spinning another one eighty!  Now he says he is not in negotiations with Mujahideen, even after the U.S. main streamer media reported he was!  This comes after the Afghan government called off post 2014 U.S. troop deployment talks (aka Bilateral Security Agreement) in protest of the talks between the U.S. and Mujahideen.

Business/Economics, U.S.

World War 3, U.S. Economic Front: Job losses & store closings 12-13 April 2013. Business owner says the U.S. economy is the “Titanic…iceberg in sight”!

In California, AMS Fulfillment will layoff 200 people!  Company officials blame it on the loss of a major client. The Hanford Adult School officials warned they might have to layoff staff.  They blame the possible transfer of adult education to community colleges. The Technology, Arts, and Design High School closed down due to lack of enrollment.  Riverside County Superior Court to layoff 25 stenographers.  San Bernardino County Superior Court looking to reduce court reporters.  Despite having high profile customers the Empire Tap Room, in Palo Alto, shut down.  The owners blamed across the board increases to operating costs.  In San Marino, Fancy That! holiday supply store closed down.  In San Francisco, Freed, Teller & Freed coffee shop closed down.  The cafe opened in 1899, long before Starbucks was even an idea!  Xyratex moving operations to Mexico, leaving 300 Californians out-o-work!

Orthopedics company, Medtronic, laid off 50 people in Warsaw, Indiana.  Company officials blame the Obama/Romney Care medical device tax.

In New Mexico, 57 UNM Hospital employees lost their jobs.  The hospital contracted out their jobs to try and save money.

In Massachusetts, Quincy Medical laid off 30 nurses.  Tuell Nursing Home shut down after four decades of operations.  The operators blamed skyrocketing health care costs, and reduced Medicare payments under the Obama/Romney Care.  Amherst Woodworking shut down their 38 years old operation. The owner blame the bad economy: “We actually had a pretty good year in 2008, and then the bubble burst. Since then we’ve lost money.”-David Short

In New York, Horseheads Central School District plans to cut 70 positions.   Too Big to Jail Bank of America closing its branch on state Route 28 in the town of Olive.  Oswego Hospital closing its pediatric unit.  Cookie’s laying off 124 people in Fordham!  Store management blamed the bad economy.

Government communications and IT contractor, Harris Corporation, laying off up to 180 people!

In Muskegon, Michigan, Bon-Ton furniture store closed down.  20 employees out-o-work.  Art Van Furniture in Onaway closed down.  Owners blame lack of business.

The 50 years old Independence, Missouri, YMCA shut down.  Protestors pointed out that the YMCA was closing fitness centers in areas with “modest economics”.

In Louisiana, Charlie’s Seafood closed down due to a lease dispute.

Lockheed Martin creation and Department of Energy contractor, Technology Ventures, closed offices in Idaho and California.

Too Big to Jail Raymond James Financial laying off 160 people around the United States.  Company officials say they’re trying to get rid of “employee overlap”.

In Virginia, Petland in Roanoke shut down.  The owner tried to find a buyer for his store, but he said all potential buyers were refused business loans for some unknown reason.

Maker of plastic and metal containers, BWAY, consolidating two Texas factories into one, laying off 69 people.

In North Carolina, Meatballs on Main closed without notice, employees’ paychecks ‘bounced’.  The restaurant was open for less than a year.

In Hawaii, Farmers Insurance laying off 74 people.

The largest pool, patio and gameroom superstore in the United States, Branch Brook, closing stores in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware.  The shut down operation is being conducted by Romney style vulture capitalist company Gordon Brothers Group.

Plass Appliance & Furniture closing in Illinois.  Company officials say they plan to close all their Illinois stores and move to Florida.  In La Grange, the Clipper Ship Gallery shut down.  The owner of the 40 years old art gallery blamed the bad economy: “Businesses like ours that depend on discretionary spending have found it very difficult.”-Bert Jacobs

In Arizona, all Phoenix area Baja Fresh restaurants shut down!  Apparently the franchise owner dropped the franchise without telling Baja Fresh corporate people.

In Centerville, Iowa, one of the last Ben Franklin stores in the U.S. shut down.  The store had been in operation since 1954.  Sources related to the store owners said “…sales have dropped tremendously…”

3Rivers Credit Union will be closing its Van Wert, Ohio, branch.  It’s blamed on declining customers.

In Pennsylvania, Merchant’s Village indoor market closed down.  At one point there were 170 vendors working the market, but sales weren’t good enough and most vendors quit.

In Florida, Breakers Restaurant closed after 42 years in business.  Harpoon Harry’s beach club closed down.   Here’s what the owner said about the economy: “I thought we would have the whole season, and I’d have preferred to go through September. But my helpers need to find jobs. They’re on the Titanic, with the iceberg in sight.”-Jack Bishop

On Mercer Island, Washington, Alpenland Delicatessen closed up.  It first opened for business in the 1970s.

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.