AT&T Layoffs And Too Many Others To Count

Lots of chatter on the Internet around AT&T laying off between 10,000 and 15,000 employees or about 4 percent of its workforce. Of course, this is not surprising as everybody is laying off people right now. Unlike previous times, this is a real layoff, not a voluntary buyout.

I’d imagine, though, that with 160,000 plus workers, AT&T is bloated just like many government and other private companies. It’s always sad to hear when someone / anyone loses their job. It’s especially discouraging when it happens during the Christmas holiday season.

Now, AT&T is not the only company announcing major layoffs this year. Swiss Bank announced 5,300 job cuts, Dupont says 2,500 to go, and Viacom will shed 7 percent of their workforce or 850 jobs. I’m sure many of you who are reading this post are in turmoil with your company, as well.

But, of course, it’s not all doom and gloom! The banking industry got a $700 BILLION DOLLAR bailout, AIG got $150 BILLION and the auto industry is lobbying Washington for $60 BILLION? How ridiculous is this? The big three automakers – you know who they are – are collectively only worth $5 Billion in market value. What’s wrong with this picture? We, the taxpayers, will loan $60 Billion to companies only worth $5B? By comparison, Toyota is worth $130 Billion … all by its lonesome self.

Remember the good old days when you went to work for “replace name with company?” They shook your hand, welcomed you to the family and really cared about your well-being. Unfortunately, those days went out with the Model T Ford … pun intended.

One good friend of mine remarked the other day. She said that “at least we can comfort ourselves in the thought that many of us are in the same boat together.” Misery loves company?

So, I have a plan to solve all of our collective financial and career issues. There are approximately 330 million people (man, woman, child) in the United States. Give each person (except the top 1% of rich people – they don’t need it) $1 Million Dollars. For my family, that would be $4 Million Dollars. This would still leave $1.8 Trillion Dollars left over to bail out these sad, poor companies. I guarantee that will solve all of our problems, with plenty of money left over to boot.

Of course, another good friend of mine remarked about my idea. “Yeah, but we’ll still do stupid things with this money and blow it”. I say, “Let me have that chance!”

True change will only happen if there is revolutionary thinking. Washington needs to stop wasting tax payers dollars on bailouts of these crony-esque industries. Bailout the more than 10 Million unemployed people who lost their jobs due to lousy management and mis-use of corporate funds.

Write your congress person today

Better yet, Link In to Barack Obama, http://www.linkedin.com/in/barackobama, and send him a note directly!

As always, I stay committed to help in any way I can during these troubling times. Leave me your comments or Link In with me and let’s see if we can make real change from the ground up!