America in 2003: Fake toy store dupes workers, Wal-Mart

[Newsjock]

Your typical small-town crime story (OK, perhaps not so typical) that seems to have a little bit of everything that's wrong with our economy today.

http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2003/12/20/news/top/news01.txt

Four women who showed up to work at the new "Toys For Us Warehouse" on Friday morning weren't entirely shocked that police believed the whole thing was a scam.

... So it was more than a little disconcerting to arrive to work on opening day to find a hand-written sign on the door, reading: "CLOSED. This store will not be opening!!"

... The city police were investigating, among other things, an $11,388 check Mondragon wrote Thursday. The check, payable to the Wal-Mart Supercenter, was used to buy most of the toys inside the storefront at the corner of Russell Street and West Broadway. And, according to the federal court documents, it was drawn on a bogus bank account.

Darcee Alexander, one of Mondragon's new employees, said she was just glad she hadn't quit one of her other four jobs to work at the new toy store.

... Customers who showed up Friday morning, only to be gently turned away by Police Officer Jim Klawitter, said they thought something seemed funny. Maybe it was the name, so close to Toys "R" Us?

more

[chookie]

1. "Toys For Us" an Enron subsidiary?

A day in the life of Bush's Murka.

"What are you LIEbrals whining about now, that there are no jobs? I read a story in the newspaper about a woman who had FOUR! So get over it!!"

[blondeatlast]

2. Thunk.

That is the sound of my jaw hitting the desk. This is just utterly, terribly, horribly sad.

Are you, by chance, in Missoula? I would love to send a little monetary and moral support to those women.

Good God, the levels greedy humans will go to. I'm nearly in tears.

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. No other industrialized nation

works so hard for so little. x(