>Layoffs are mounting We just fired our cleaning crew this morning and cut hours for the entire shop floor. We are a mid-size, midwestern diesel repair shop s

>Layoffs are mounting We just fired our cleaning crew this morning and cut hours for the entire shop floor. We are a mid-size, midwestern diesel repair shop similar to Western Truck Exchange. I used to just do valve work and major overhauls, now I carry garbage to the dumpster and fix the copiers in the front office too. >alternative work is limited non-existant out here really, but the real thing no one seems to be covering is crime seems up. We had two break-ins this month, one stole all our nitrile gloves, another took our air conditioner and a tool box. >the unemployment systems in many states are either broken or running out of funding. LOL this is a massive understatement. I applied a month ago for limited unemployment and got a voice message telling me the system was overloaded after I had completed the 40 minute call. the next day the line didnt even answer and the website was still down two weeks later. I finally stood in line for an hour at the unemployment office to be told I had to call the number "when it comes back up." Oh, those Trump Bucks? the $1200? Not me or a single person ive talked to has gotten that money. >the federal governments indicated desire to let blue states go bankrupt Just the blue ones? I'm in a red one and so far its starting to feel like we're all up shits creek. The local Sheriff wanted us to do oil changes on their patrol cars because we're part of a city contract for fire truck maintenance and they dont have the budget for regular service anymore. the motor pool for the county just cancelled their snow plow rebuilds, the county schools cancelled their bus maintenance and wanted to know if we would buy about 15 of them. The local water company asked if we could do their pump house generator maintenance on a net 120 or a payment plan. >a depression. I remember living out of my truck during the 2008 financial "downturn" and freezing all through November. I think the government may be vastly over-estimating the social credit they have with the people of this great nation if they think another round of "austerity" is going to sit right with us while all the banks get bailouts and the rich get richer.