SIEMENS LAYOFFS: Hundreds Forced Out

Just two years ago, President Obama visited the Siemens plant in Fort Madison, praising workers as the future of this country saying, “You’re showing America our future.   And some day our children and our children’s children will look back at this factory, this moment and they will be proud at  a generation that  chose in a time of crisis to place its bet on the future.”

Tuesday, two thirds of the plant’s workers, more than 400 people were laid off.

People like Maxx Lane who says, “I saw the news truck out there and was told I would lose my job.”

Lane has a five month old daughter, a mortgage, car payments.  And chances are she won’t be able to rely on family to help her out.

Lane says, “Well most of my family works there: My cousin, my aunt, my dad.  It’s supposed to be family oriented and it is, but this is a big hit.”

A company spokeswoman says 407 employees will be laid off, another 220 will remain.  Tax credits that congress failed to pass are to blame for the job cuts.

Byron Smith, Fort Madison City Manager says, “The main things that Seimans talked to us about is the production tax credits and low cost of energy as far as natural gas goes and the low demand for energy and the economy and until those factors turn around I don’t see big changes.”

The only big changes will be felt by people like Lane; People who don’t know what the future holds.

He says, “You know, having a new one and other people in my family have kids I mean it’s not cheap.”