When your state goes bankrupt . . .

Posted on July 3, 2009 | Leave a comment
Gov. Schwarzenegger ponders the state budget meltdown in Hawaii.

Gov. Schwarzenegger ponders the state budget meltdown in Hawaii.

The Washington Post claims Schwarzenegger is changing “gold to dross,” which is changing gold into something that’s crappy. And that our beloved state is in for a beat down that will also involve most of the country. (Did you know we have 25 percent of the nation’s foreclosures?)

Cities and the state are lobbying for federal aid or threatening chaos and riots in the streets as they lay off police and firefighters. Unfortunately, they claimed that so much in the past I’m not sure anyone really believes it anymore. Certainly not people who were laid off from their job and have little sympathy for someone making $75K a year with full benefits and the ability to shoot people they don’t like.

So maybe San Quentin will be sold to pay off a fraction of our debt, but think of the strip mall possibilities!

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More Jobs Lost

Posted on June 22, 2009 | Leave a comment

In case you were wondering what’s going on around the country, a list from CoStar.

Company Address Closure or Layoff # Affected Impact Date
Rigid Building Systems 1305 Airport Industrial Drive, Gadsden, AL closure 73 6/26/2009
United States Steel Corp. 5700 Valley Road, Fairfield, AL closure 1711 5/19/2009
Accellent 3415 Stanwood Blvd NE, Huntsville, AL closure 78 11/6/2009
Vanity Fair Brands-Dye/Finish Facility 624 S. Alabama Ave., Monroeville, AL closure 141 7/14/2009
Vanity Fair Brands-Knitting Facility HIighway 43 N, Jackson, AL closure 69 7/14/2009
Abitibi Bowater 17589 Plant Road, Childersburg, AL closure 75 11/30/2009
Pace Industries 765 W. Veterans Blvd., Auburn, AL closure 147 7/20/2009
Hager Companies 310 Hamric Drive West, Oxford, AL closure 93 9/1/2009
Allied Tube & Conduit Corporation 2525 N. 27th Ave., Phoenix, AZ unknown 93 6/22/2009
Freescale Semiconductor Inc. 2100 E. Elliot Road, Tempe, AZ unknown 37 6/26/2009
Fleetwood.Homes 6112 N. 56th Ave., Glendale, AZ unknown 60 6/27/2009
Qwest Small Business Complex Customer Care Center Phoenix 20 E. Thomas Road, Phoenix, AZ unknown 58 7/15/2009
West Paces Hotel Group LLC – (Carefree Resort & Villas) 37220 Mule Train Road, Carefree, AZ unknown 160 6/6/2009
Huhtamaki Plastics Inc. 402 N. 44th Ave., Phoenix, AZ unknown 40 7/24/2009
Sovereign Bank 865 Brook St., Rocky Hill, CT layoff 81 7/10/2009
Watson Laboratories Inc. 131 West St., Danbury, CT closure 52 7/22/2009
Pequot Capital Management Inc. 187 Danbury Road, Wilton, CT closure 128 12/31/2009
Albertsons LLC 517 S. Semoran Blvd., Winter Park,, FL unknown 78 8/5/2009
Quantum Engineering Inc. 352 Stowe Ave., Orange Park,, FL unknown 88 7/24/2009
Prologix Distribution Services – East 6333 Pelican Creek Circle, Riverview,, FL unknown 69 8/4/2009
ACCENT Marketing Services LLC 308 W. Ardice Ave., Eustis,, FL unknown 160 7/31/2009
MACY’s 22 East Flagler St., Miami,, FL unknown 13 7/31/20099
Arizona Chemical Company 345 Kenny Mill Road, Port St. Joe,, FL unknown 77 7/1/2009
UTI Integrated Logistics Inc 19975 Independence Blvd., Groveland,, FL unknown 82 7/20/2009
Hunter Douglas Fabrication Company 3001 Gateway Center Pkwy, Pinellas,, FL unknown 191 5/26/2009
Stock Building Supply 1001 West Mowry Drive, Homstead,, FL unknown 141 7/12/2009
Kmart 3813 S, Nova Road, Port Orange,, FL unknown 61 7/30/2009
Cardinal Unijax 109 Stevens St., Jacklsonville,, FL unknown 105 5/17/2009
Hood Packaging Corp. 910 River St., Valdosta, GA unknown 103 unknown
Lincoln Financial unknown, Atlanta, GA unknown 19 unknown
Rogers-Premier Enterprises LLC unknown, Savannah, GA unknown 100 unknown
First National Credit Card Center 157 Technology Pkwy, Suite 900, Norcross, GA unknown 142 unknown
Trandotcom Solutions 955 Cobb Place Blvd. NW, Suite A, Kennesaw, GA unknown 53 unknown
Advanced Steel Technology 300 W Hermitage Road NE, Rome, GA unknown 121 unknown
First National Credit Card Center 3490 Piedmont Road, Atlanta, GA unknown 63 unknown
Allstate unknown, Atlanta, GA unknown 78 unknown
Propak 5885 Fulton Industrial Blvd. SW, Dacula, GA unknown 7 unknown
Komatsu 14481 Lochridge Blvd., Covington, GA unknown 156 unknown
Philips Products Inc. 1620 Wilco Road, Stayton, OR layoff 125 8/5/2009
Lehigh Phoenix 8111 N. 87th St., Milwaukee, WI layoff 45 8/7/2009
Marvel Manufacturing 3501 Marvel Drive, Oshkosh, WI layoff 60 8/7/2009
JELD-WEN 228 W. 6th Ave., Oshkosh, WI closure 79 8/7/2009
Gardner Phoenix 3524 Washington Ave., Sheboygan, WI closure 22 8/8/2009
MeadWestvaco 5612 95th St., Kenosha, WI layoff 65 8/3/2009
Twin Disc Inc. 4600 21st St., Racine, WI closure 36 7/31/2009
Nortech Systems Inc. 325 N. State St., Garner, IA closure 57 7/31/2009
Capital Guardian Trust Company 3500 Wiseman Blvd., San Antonio, TX unknown 94 07/10/2009
Philips Products Inc. 1501 Patman Drive, Clarksville, TX unknown 74 08/05/2009
Whataburger Restaurants LP unknown, Corpus Christi, TX unknown 52 07/10/2009
Polymer Group Inc. 1301 E. 8th St,, North Little Rock, AR closure unknown 3/31/2010
Unilever 1100 Frederick St., Hagerstown, MD closure 460 12/31/2011

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Misery Loves Company (June 16, 2009)

Posted on June 20, 2009 | Leave a comment

heade
UCLA Anderson Forecast Says We’re Screwed

Economists say Silicon Valley experiences “nerd bird” flights to other similarly economically screwed places like Seattle, Boston, Austin and North Carolina. It’s no different, so deal with it, you babies!

MySpace to Lay Off 30 Percent of Workforce

Teenagers may post fewer scantily-clad images for hook-ups and escorts and strippers could lose some friends.

Even Amish Get Laid Off

Amish must buy used buggies and make clothes from paperbags — the fit, however, is impeccable. Continue reading →

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Misery Loves Company (April 10)

Posted on April 10, 2009 | Leave a comment

CB037965OptiSolar Folds, PessiSolar Would Have Been Better Name

OK, solar was a pipe dream. We get it now.

Silicon Valley Jobless at 1990 Level, Prompts Resurgence of the Legging

Yes, 1990 is making a comeback, and the cotton-spandex legging under tunics mean only one thing — shoulderpads are coming back!

Continue reading →

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Why you may not be getting your unemployment check

Posted on January 17, 2009 | Leave a comment

rich_poor
OK, I don’t know this for sure, but it’s a holiday weekend and I can’t check with State Controller John Chiang. And unemployment checks are definitely aid given to “the needy.” From the Mercury News:

Controller John Chiang, who is responsible for managing the state’s cash flow, plans to delay $3.7 billion in payments starting next month in response to lawmakers’ failure to fix a projected $40 billion deficit through mid-2010.

Among those who won’t get paid on time: taxpayers who file their returns early and are awaiting refunds; families who depend on welfare and aid for the aged, blind and disabled; and programs that serve developmentally disabled and mentally ill patients.

Well, those of us relying on unemployment are dependent on it, so does that include us?  Such a quandary!

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Misery Loves Company (Jan. 2)

Posted on January 2, 2009 | Leave a comment
flair

If only employees had shown this much heart and flair.

TGIFriday’s Closes, 60 Laid off for Lack of Flair

Lack of flair caused disharmony in a San Mateo T.G.I.Friday’s, causing its owners to close it down.  Owners said the negative economy and no one wanting to pay$12 for deep-fried lard were not causes of its demise.

Contra Costa County Lays Off 65 Child Welfare Workers, Drug Prostitute Moms Rejoice

Contra Costa County laid off child welfare workers because the county needs to promote its meth production. “While CoCo County is known only for its meth and cocaine use, it’s also a central distributor and producer of meth,” said County Supervisor Parker McGinty. “We feel our drug prostitutes are the best ambassadors. Child welfare workers cause them to clean up their act to get their kids back. Silly, really.”

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Yahoo’s New Algorithm Lays Off 1,500

Posted on December 9, 2008 | 1 Comment

yangfilo1994Call it the end of the dot-com era, but I watched Jerry Yang leave as CEO and felt a little sad. Now there’s the announcement of 1,500 layoffs at his baby, Yahoo!

I remember being in the Bay Area during the dot-com boom and I still wax nostalgic about those days of free name-brand breakfast cereal in the kitchen, cigars and booze. Now, we’re all unemployed, eating generic breakfast cereal for dinner and dreaming that one day we might have benefits.  … Here’s a drink to the visionaries!

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