Miserable Monday

Someone at ABC News appropriately called yesterday Miserable Monday. Weather-wise that fits today better but they were talking about more announced job lay-offs yeasterday.

"President Obama said today in his speech on fuel-efficiency standards that layoffs at Caterpillar, Home Depot, Sprint Nextel and elsewhere "are not just numbers on a page."

"As with the millions of jobs lost in 2008, these are working men and women whose families have been disrupted and whose dreams have been put on hold," he said. "We owe it to each of them and to every single American to act with a sense of urgency and common purpose."

Obama said he looked forward to signing a stimulus plan "that will put millions of Americans to work."

Well-known companies headquartered in the Netherlands also announced major layoffs today: financial services company ING said it would cut 7,000 jobs while Phillips Electronics plans to cut 6,000. Both companies employ people in the United States."

LuAnn had just set up an agreement with CalMar of WestVaco Companies to run some of their plastic bottle lines at Turning Point Adult Learning Center in Hillsboro. She had come to the conclusion "they are group of really good people there." When she called the production manager yesterday she asked how he was doing. He responded "this is the worst day ever after working 27 years here. We have been told they are closing this plant by the end of December and moving all the lines to Mexico." She was devastated in his behalf. She became depressed and somewhat angry.

I think that about sums up the feelings of hundreds of thousands of citizens who have lost their job this past year. I know economies go up and down and we have been blessed in our family but it really hurts to see your friends and neighbors lose their job.

Neighbor Dave just stopped by. Asked if he could take the family sledding down the hill. Sure thing David, you go have fun! He has plenty of time to do that now that the DHL hub closed in Wilmington and he can't bale hay right now. I don't know how he and all the part time farmers around here will make it but I will give them all the support I can. It could be me but it isn't.

The little red flags in the yards of former AirBorne Express employees who got contracted to DHL is in the thousands. You can't drive down a country road without seeing one, some roads have over ten, some have three or four in one yard.

It's tough times in this part of the country, it's tough times in this country. Anyone not affected by it is pretty lucky! We have been impacted like most people but not nearly as badly as some.

When is Miserable Monday going to stop?

Makes you stop and wonder...

The Badlands of South Dakota would be a good place...

But not today!

Ed Winkle