GE Rexel Discrimination

California can make history by being among the first states to call for a constitutional amendment

2012-01-24T07:36:00.001-08:00

From California to Maine and from Alaska to Florida, activists all over the country marked the two-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that unleashed unlimited corporate money into our elections.
Reports are still coming in, but we’ve already heard about 300 demonstrations against the ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.
California kicked off its statewide campaign for a constitutional amendment, beginning with the introduction AJR 22, a bill that would put the California State Legislature on record as calling for an amendment to overturn Citizens United.
Tell the California State Legislature to pass AJR 22.
Now that corporations can directly spend as much money as they want to sway elections, their power over the legislators we elect to represent us has greatly increased. But We the People are fighting back.
California can make history by being among the first states to call for a constitutional amendment.
Sign the petition urging your California lawmakers to pass AJR 22.
Stay tuned for more ways to take action, including ways to build the grassroots momentum against Citizens United by passing local resolutions and ballot referendums, and keep an eye out for our recap of this past weekend’s nationwide day of action.

Thanks for all you do,
Rick Claypool
Public Citizen’s Online Action Team
action@citizen.org

P.S. Learn more about our growing movement to restore democracy to the people in this recent piece from the Washington Post.

Visit our Government Reform page to learn more about Public Citizen's work to rein in the influence of money in politics. To get regular e-alerts about opportunities for activism and other ways to help with Public Citizen's work, sign up for the Public Citizen Action Network.

Lawyers, Liars and the Law

2012-01-19T09:54:00.001-08:00

IceRocket Tags: Jeff Immelt,GE,General Electric,US District Court Northern District of California,Constance Norton,J Mark Ogden,Littler Mendelson,ADA,Rexel,GEXPRO

Hello Friends,

It has been quite awhile since I have written a “long blog”. So at the prompting of our readers, and some particularly despicable activities perpetrated by General Electric and their lawyers, I have decided to do so.

As most of our long time readers know, I filed an ADA lawsuit against General Electric Co. some time ago. And as many know, it has been a rocky and challenging journey at times. For those that contemplate such a journey, here are some of the perils that you will face if trying to protect your rights against GE in Court:

Finding a lawyer that will take your case on contingency will be almost impossible.
Even larger law firms won’t take your case because they say, “We don’t have the resources to fight GE because they will procedurally paperwork us to death”.
Big firms, forget it, they will say, “we can’t take your case because it is a conflict because GE is or has been our client”.
If you contemplate hiring a lawyer and paying for it out of your pocket to litigate against GE, I have been told by several law firms to be prepared to spend USD 100K+ before even going to trial. Ugh.
GE CEO Jeffery Immelt sits at the right hand of Obama as our countries “Job Czar”. Don’t you find that a little scary? I do.

So you see my friends, the deck is stacked against you every step of the way.

Enter the Adversary!

Littler Mendelson Attorneys Constance Norton & Mark Ogden, representing General Electric Company.

These days I am not particularly happy with the antics of Connie and Mark, and for good reason. Recently Connie and Mark have filed a motion to dismiss my case with the federal court in California, why you ask? Because my case is not moving along fast enough to suit their fancy. I discovered this tender tidbit when I was looking at the federal court docket regarding my case. And their timing couldn’t be more impeccable. Why you ask? Because my attorney died a few months ago, so at this point I am “officially” unrepresented, in a legal vacuum of sorts.

But of course that’s not all friends, because in the vacuum of me being unrepresented, Connie, Mark and their cohorts at Littler Mendelson have been busy issuing subpoenas and sending THREATENING correspondence to my physicians. What! Yep, threatening correspondence.

It seems that Connie, Mark and GE were once again demanding all of my Protected Health Information (PHI), possibly for my entire life, from six of my physicians. In response to this assault on my privacy, one of my physicians sent a letter to the court stating his protest of these tactics and that he would not comply with the subpoena unless specifically ordered to do so by the judge. This particular physician was a past target for forged medical releases that were sent to his office by the GE Disability Benefits Center. He also forwarded that important information to the court as well (you can check out that story by clicking on the picture below).

Anyway, getting back to the docket, Connie and company made all sorts of complaints, allegations and their motion to dismiss in secret, thus attempting to deny me due process. What? Now just how in the hell could they do that you might ask? Very simply friends, by sending notices of their filings to my dead layer and not notifying me during my “unrepresented” status. Neat trick!

I am sure that they will have a good answer for this behavior, these types always do. Maybe it will be something like, “But judge, we did notify his dead attorney, we held a Voodoo ceremony to contact him, we sacrificed chickens, painted our bodies in vivid colors and danced like wild savages around a raging fire. We burned copies of the court filings in the fire so that his dead attorney could read them in the smoke, then contact his client in a dream and notify him of our latest actions.

So the saga continues and I will be filing a response with the court soon. I am going to do a very meticulous job explaining all of the “inaccuracies” in Ms. Norton’s Declaration, as I believe that it is an intentional effort to twist the facts and deceive the court. I will post the filing once I get it done and filed for your reading pleasure.

See you soon,

IceRocket Tags: Jeff Immelt,GE,General Electric,US District Court Northern District of California,Constance Norton,J Mark Ogden,Littler Mendelson,ADA,Rexel,GEXPRO

Important News From PUBLICCITIZEN

2012-01-04T08:34:00.001-08:00

Join us in Sacramento on Saturday, January 21, for a rally on the second anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling.
We’ll be protesting the court’s disastrous decision, which allows corporations to spend unlimited amounts of money in elections. We’ll be at the West Capitol Steps in Sacramento from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Sign up to attend the rally.
The rally is part of the national Days of Action being organized by Public Citizen and over 40 other sponsoring organizations, including Common Cause, Free Speech for People, Greenpeace, 350.org, People For the American Way, Move to Amend and California Church IMPACT.
The Sacramento rally is crucial to building momentum for a proposed state resolution jointly authored by Assemblymembers Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) and Michael Allen (D-Santa Rosa), instructing Congress to send to the states for ratification a constitutional amendment overturning the Citizens United ruling and restoring constitutional rights and fair elections to the people.
The First Amendment should not be transformed into a tool for corporations seeking to evade and invalidate democratically enacted reforms. Local and state resolutions are key to increasing grassroots national support for a constitutional amendment.
Join us for this rally as we build on the momentum of recently passed city council resolutions in Los Angeles and Oakland calling for a constitutional amendment.
As you know, the Citizens United ruling has increased the influence of corporate money in our elections and expanded corporate political power by ending a century-old ban on the direct spending of money from corporate coffers for political campaigns. This has made an already flawed campaign funding system far, far worse. Skyrocketing spending by corporations and the wealthiest 1 percent — through secret channels and completely unaccountable independent groups — is having pervasive negative impacts on politics and policymaking. A rapidly growing movement is calling for a constitutional amendment to reverse this dangerous ruling and restore constitutional rights to the people.
Join us in Sacramento on January 21!
Thanks for all you do,
Jonah, Aquene and Mark
Public Citizen’s Democracy Is For People campaign team

Visit our Government Reform page to learn more about Public Citizen’s work to rein in the influence of money in politics. To get regular e-alerts about opportunities for activism and other ways to help with Public Citizen’s work, sign up for the Public Citizen Action Network.

Lame Ducks Obama and Holder look on as GE Pal Immelt agrees to Pay USD 70M in Municipal Bond Rigging Case, classified as CRIMINAL

2011-12-23T19:26:00.001-08:00

GE unit to pay $70.4 million to end muni bid-rigging claims; N.J. entities eligible for restitution

del.icio.us Tags: Jeff Immelt,GE,General Electric,Barack Obama,Eric Holder,Sedgwick,Sedgwick Claims Management Services,Gregory Casamento Locke Lord,Locke Lord,Paul Van Slyke,Locke Lord Losers,Harvey Siskind Losers,Ian Boyd,Seth Appel,Mark Siegel

Your Government at

Work!

“Partners in Crime”

Complicit in the Facts?

You Decide

IceRocket Tags: Jeff Immelt,GE,General Electric,Barack Obama,Eric Holder,Sedgwick,Sedgwick Claims Management Services,Gregory Casamento Locke Lord,Locke Lord,Paul Van Slyke,Locke Lord Losers,Harvey Siskind Losers,Ian Boyd,Seth Appel,Mark Siegel

Sedgwick – New Name, same old Horrors for America’s Sick, Injured and Disabled Workers. Bad News for Consumers Too!

2011-11-22T08:39:00.001-08:00

Sedgwick Announces New Brand Strategy to Reflect Company's Evolution

del.icio.us Tags: David North,Sedgwick,Sedgwick CMS,Gregory Casamento Locke Lord,Paul Van Slyke,Locke Lord Losers,Bellevue IA,Harvey Siskind Losers,Seth Appell,Ian Boyd,General Electric,GE Torture Center

Yes, Sedgwick will still Suck!

More Tales of Sedgwick Terror! Get the Facts here.

“Partners in Crime”

Complicit in the Facts

You Decide

Don’t Forget to Check out the Sedgwick Crime Log Here

IceRocket Tags: David North,Sedgwick,Sedgwick CMS,Gregory Casamento Locke Lord,Paul Van Slyke,Locke Lord Losers,Bellevue IA,Harvey Siskind Losers,Seth Appell,Ian Boyd,General Electric,GE Torture Center

Sedgwick – New Name, same old Horrors for America’s Sick, Injured and Disabled Workers. Bad News for Consumers Too!

2011-11-21T12:39:00.001-08:00

Sedgwick Announces New Brand Strategy to Reflect Company's Evolution

Yes, Sedgwick will still Suck!

“Partners in Crime”

Complicit in the Facts

You Decide

Don’t Forget to Check out the Sedgwick Crime Log Here

Sedgwick – New Name, same old Horrors for America’s Sick, Injured and Disabled Workers. Bad News for Consumers Too!

2011-11-21T12:34:00.001-08:00

Sedgwick Announces New Brand Strategy to Reflect Company's Evolution

Yes, Sedgwick will still Suck!

“Partners in Crime”

Complicit in the Facts

You Decide

Occupy Wall Street Protests on Jeffery Immelt’s Lawn. Got to love that one Friends!

2011-11-03T10:53:00.001-07:00

del.icio.us Tags: Jeffery Immelt Job Czar,GE,General Electric,Sedgwick CMS,GE Torture Center,Greg Casamento,Locke Lord,Harvey Siskind,Ian Boyd,Paul Van Slyke,Seth Appel,Barack Obama,Bellevue IA

ABC News Reports:

A crowd of 100 protesters, some from New York City’s Occupy Wall Street movement and others from Occupy New Haven, came together in a show of solidarity on Saturday afternoon on General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt’s front lawn in New Canaan, Conn.

I think that Bellevue, IA would be a great next stop and David North’s house an excellent destination. Maybe all of America’s sick, Injured and Disabled workers that have been terrorized by Sedgwick Claims Management Services could have someone there to represent them!

“Partners in Crime”

Complicit in the Facts?

You Decide

IceRocket Tags: Jeffery Immelt Job Czar,GE,General Electric,Sedgwick CMS,GE Torture Center,Greg Casamento,Locke Lord,Harvey Siskind,Ian Boyd,Paul Van Slyke,Seth Appel,Barack Obama,Bellevue IA

8 Billion to Pakistan, Complements of Locke Lord’s Man

2011-10-20T08:36:00.001-07:00

Clinton Issues Blunt Warning to Pakistan

IceRocket Tags: Mark Siegel,Packistan,Locke Lord,Locke Lord losers,Gregory Casamento,Paul Van Slyke,Terrorism,GE Torture Cente,Jeffery Immelt Job Czar,Sedgwick CMS,David North,Bellevue IA,Chuck Grassley,Hillery Clinton,Barack Obama

“No one should be in any way mistaken about allowing this to continue without paying a very big price,” Mrs. Clinton said, without specifying what that might be.

del.icio.us Tags: Mark Siegel,Packistan,Locke Lord,Locke Lord losers,Gregory Casamento,Paul Van Slyke,Terrorism,GE Torture Cente,Jeffery Immelt Job Czar,Sedgwick CMS,David North,Bellevue IA,Chuck Grassley,Hillery Clinton,Barack Obama

Why Obama Should Not Be Reelected

2011-10-18T11:51:00.001-07:00

del.icio.us Tags: Jeffery Immelt,Barack Obama,Sedgwick Claims,Locke Lord,Gregory Casamento Locke Lord,Paul Van Slyke,Bank of America,David North,Sedgwick CMS,Bellevue IA,Chuck Grassley

Reuters
U.S. not "trying that hard" on exports: GE's Immelt

With friends like Jeffery Immelt, who needs enemies? Certainly not the American Taxpayer & Consumer.

Obama had a chance to do something. He refused to do it. Like what you ask? Like this:

Direct the US Attorney General to investigate and prosecute unsavory or illegal behavior involving insurance companies and their Third Party Administrators.
Investigate why some employers force sick, injured or disabled workers onto Social Security then stop paying legitimate claims.
Obama is just another elitist that pretends to have compassion for the common man, but is nothing more than a corporate front man for his multinational friends. And oh yes, he will probably raise USD 2B in his quest for another four years.

America doesn’t need Obama or Immelt. America needs a functional infrastructure and jobs.

“Partners in Crime”
or
Complicit in the Facts

You Decide

IceRocket Tags: Jeffery Immelt,Barack Obama,Sedgwick Claims,Locke Lord,Gregory Casamento Locke Lord,Paul Van Slyke,Bank of America,David North,Sedgwick CMS,Bellevue IA,Chuck Grassley

Obama & Immelt’s Big Joke on America

2011-10-12T10:46:00.001-07:00

del.icio.us Tags: Barack Obama,Eric Holder,Jeff Immelt,GE,General Electric,Locke Lord,Gregory Casamento,Paul Van Slyke,Mark Siegal. Lobbyists,World Economic Failure,Harvey Siskind Losers,Ian Boyd,Seth Appel,GE Torture Center,David North,Sedgwick CMS,Bellevue IA,Chuck Grassley

READ THESE BLOGS, GET THE MESSAGE, SPREAD THE WORD

Do your part, send a message:

JUST SAY NO

IceRocket Tags: Barack Obama,Eric Holder,Jeff Immelt,GE,General Electric,Locke Lord,Gregory Casamento,Paul Van Slyke,Mark Siegal. Lobbyists,World Economic Failure,Harvey Siskind Losers,Ian Boyd,Seth Appel,GE Torture Center,David North,Sedgwick CMS,Bellevue IA,Chuck Grassley

The Government gave $16 trillion to the banks. And nobody else is talking about it.

2011-10-11T07:07:00.001-07:00

del.icio.us Tags: General Electric,Jeffery Immelt Job Czar,Barack Obama,Goldman Sachs,Bank of America,Federal Reserve Bank New York,Bailout

A note from Alan Grayson

Where's Your $50,000?

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) says that our Government has handed out $16 trillion to the banks.

Let me repeat that, in case you didn’t hear me the first time. The GAO says that our Government HAS HANDED OUT $16 TRILLION TO THE BANKS.

That little gem appears on Page 131 of GAO Report No. GAO-11-696 (Download a copy of the GAO report Here). A report issued two months ago. A report that somehow seems to have eluded the attention of virtually every network, every major newspaper, and every news show.

How much is $16 trillion? That is an amount equal to more than $50,000 for every man, woman and child in America. That’s more than every penny that every American earns in a year. That’s an amount equal to almost a third of our national net worth -- the value of every home, car, personal belonging, business, bank account, stock, bond, piece of land, book, tree, chandelier, and everything else anyone owns in America. That’s an amount greater than our entire national debt, accumulated over the course of two centuries.

A $16 trillion stack of dollar bills would reach all the way to the Moon. And back. Twice.

That’s enough to pay for Saturday mail delivery. For the next 5,000 years.

All of that money went from you and me to the banks. And we got nothing. Not even a toaster.

I have been patiently waiting to see whether this disclosure would provoke some kind of reaction. Answer: nope. Everyone seems much more interested in discussing whether or not they like the cut of Perry’s jib.

Whatever a jib may be.

In the next few weeks, I’m going to be writing more about this. But right now, I wanted to keep this really simple. Just give folks something to talk about when they’re standing next to the coffee maker.

The Government gave $16 trillion to the banks. And nobody else is talking about it.

Think about it. Think about what that means.

Courage,

Alan Grayson

del.icio.us Tags: General Electric,Jeffery Immelt Job Czar,Barack Obama,Goldman Sachs,Bank of America,Federal Reserve Bank New York,Bailout

OBAMA’S JEFFERY IMMELT LOOKS BAD AS FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY FILES FRAUD LAWSUIT AGAINST GENERAL ELECTRIC!

2011-10-04T12:28:00.001-07:00

del.icio.us Tags: General Electric,Barack Obama,Jeffery Immelt,Fraud,Junk Loans,Goldman Sachs

Thank You Obama! Nice choice on Your Job Czar.

FHFA Legal Filings

Click on the image above (or HERE) to view the lawsuit

“Partners in Crime”
Or
Complicit in the Facts
You Decide

IceRocket Tags: General Electric,Barack Obama,Jeffery Immelt,Fraud,Junk Loans,Goldman Sachs

Locke Lord, New Name, Same Bad News for American Tax Payers!

2011-09-29T09:33:00.001-07:00

del.icio.us Tags: Locke Lord,Gregory Casamento,Paul Van Slyke,Mark Siegal,Lobbyists,Pakistan,SLAPP lawsuits,Barack Wall Street Obama,Jeffery Immelt Job Czar,GE,General Electric,Osama,Bin Laden

My nice friends at Locke Lord Bissell & Brooke (the law firm that lost the now famous SLAPP lawsuit against me) has changed their name to simply, “Locke Lord. Interesting!

Regardless of the name change, it’s nice to note Pakistan’s latest move, and acknowledge the man that lobbies for nearly USD 8 Billion a year in payments to Pakistan for their “fight” against al-Qaeda. Locke Lord’s own: Mark Siegel

So what is all the flap about? Read the report from NPR Below.

NPR Reports, Pakistan has freed Bin Laden’s former bodyguard

"Pakistan has freed a senior al-Qaeda commander, who served as a bodyguard to Osama bin Laden," Britain's The Telegraph reports, citing a "senior security source."

It will take a lot more than a simple name change to fool hard working and displaced Americans.

“Partners in Crime”

Complicit in the facts?

You Decide

IceRocket Tags: Locke Lord,Gregory Casamento,Paul Van Slyke,Mark Siegal,Lobbyists,Pakistan,SLAPP lawsuits,Barack Wall Street Obama,Jeffery Immelt Job Czar,GE,General Electric,Osama,Bin Laden

Barack “Wall Street” Obama.. We are ashamed of you!

2011-09-26T11:02:00.001-07:00

del.icio.us Tags: Barack Obama,Wall Street,Protests,Violence against Women,Jeffery Immelt Job Czar,General Electric,Goldman Sachs,Locke Lord Losers,Gregory Casamento,Paul Van Slyke

“Partners in Crime”

Complicit in the Facts

You Decide

IceRocket Tags: Barack Obama,Wall Street,Protests,Violence against Women,Jeffery Immelt Job Czar,General Electric,Goldman Sachs,Locke Lord Losers,Gregory Casamento,Paul Van Slyke

$8 Billion on Elections? & The War on Error

2011-09-23T06:20:00.001-07:00

IceRocket Tags: General Electric,Jeffery Immelt,Corporate Welfare,Public Citizen,The War on Error,Wall Street

$8 billion.
That’s how much could be spent in the 2012 elections.*
To you and me and any reasonable person, that’s a practically inconceivable amount of money. But it’s the kind of money with which massive corporations are quite familiar.
For example, General Electric — which, you may recall, paid zero in federal taxes last year — could cover that entire tab from just its 2010 profits and still have $6.2 billion in profits left over.
While GE is unlikely to actually do that, it could, because the Supreme Court gave corporations the thumbs up to spend literally as much money as they want trying to take over our democracy.
Public Citizen is leading the charge to counteract and ultimately undo the court’s Citizens United v. FEC ruling.
We can’t win without you.
Please contribute today and join Public Citizen in defending democracy from corporate greed. Contribute $100 or more and choose a DVD from a selection of progressive films as our thanks.
In recent emails, I’ve told you about all the ways we’re ramping up our campaign for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United v. FEC:

We’ve hired three full-time organizers to mobilize grassroots support and pass resolutions for an amendment in five key states next year.

We’re broadening our coalition of organizations committed to an amendment, reaching beyond our traditional allies to build the movement across the ideological spectrum.

And we’re increasing our lobbying outreach to get more and more members of Congress to back our call for an amendment.

I’ve also asked for your help to meet our current funding goal of $75,000. I’m humbled to say that thanks to Public Citizen supporters across the country, we’re over halfway there.
But we’re running out of time.
Please contribute whatever you can right now to make sure Public Citizen has the resources to keep leading the fight against runaway corporate power.

With just over a year to go until the 2012 elections, we have to pull out all the stops to build support for our campaign to prevent unaccountable corporate money from drowning out the voices of voters and eroding the very foundation of our democracy.
Thank you for your continued generosity and commitment.

Sincerely,

Robert Weissman
President, Public Citizen

*http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/election-cost-price-tag/2011/04/14/id/392926

***********

We need to declare war: a War on Error.

Maybe you think that’s a typo, an error. You think that I meant to say a War on Terror. And wouldn’t that be something – like invading Guinea, when you actually meant to invade New Guinea. Or Equatorial Guinea. Or Guinea-Bissau. Wow, even George W. Bush might find that embarrassing, and isn’t that exactly the kind of mistake he would make?

But no, I really meant a War on Error. Because we already have a War on Terror, so if we declared a War on Terror, we would have two of them. Which makes no sense.

The War on Terror has had both good and bad results. On one hand, we have:

killed Osama Bin Laden (thank you, President Obama),
overthrown the Taliban Government in Afghanistan (with fewer than 1000 Special Forces troops, by the way),
forced Al Qaeda out of Afghanistan (and into Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia), and
for ten years, prevented Al Qaeda from destroying any more large buildings and killing civilians in the United States.

On the other hand, we have:

spent four trillion dollars on the War in Iraq alone, which is roughly eight percent of our entire national net worth, thereby wrecking our economy,
killed 8000 American soldiers and contractors, and left around 15% of all US troops serving in Iraq with permanent brain abnormalities, and
killed somewhere between 100,000 and 1,000,000 Iraqis, and made millions of Iraqis and Afghans homeless refugees.

I have always felt that if our goal is to foil Al Qaeda attacks in the United States, there probably are more efficient ways to accomplish that goal than military occupation of two foreign countries – two foreign countries that Al Qaeda isn’t even in (as General Petraeus pointed out a couple of years ago).

But we seem to be having a lot of difficulty ending wars, lately. So my modest proposal is that instead of ending the war, we replace it. We replace the War on Terror with the War on Error.

And – I must say – the War on Error is a very target-rich environment. Let’s start with the error that Saddam Hussein was targeting the United States with weapons of mass destruction. Smoking gun, mushroom cloud, etc., etc. Certainly, that was an error. Some say an honest mistake, others a lie. No matter. We declare a War on Error, and achieve a quick victory by bringing the troops home.

Then we have this bizarre notion that if we keep stuffing our money into the pockets of Big Business, we might get some of it back. That is a big, big error. It’s not going to happen. Believe me, if corporate welfare could reduce joblessness in America, our unemployment rate already would be minus-56 percent. Corporate income taxes in America have been cut from $354 billion in 2006 to $191 billion in 2010. Then there was the $700 billion in bailouts by the Treasury. Then there was the $15 trillion or so in other bailouts. And how many private sector jobs has all that private sector candy created?

Apparently, none. There are one million fewer private sector jobs in America today than there were ten years ago. Despite the fact that there are 27 million more people in America today.

Corporate welfare doesn’t work. For sure, it doesn’t put people to work. It’s an error to think that it does. Ending corporate welfare will be a huge conquest in the War on Error.

Then we have the error of letting the Chinese determine the value of the U.S. dollar. How “free” is the “free market” when the Chinese print $1 trillion of their rectangular red pieces of paper, and use them to buy $1 trillion of our rectangular green pieces of paper? The law of supply and demand guarantees that this will have a very substantial impact on the value of small portraits of dead presidents. And with the value of our own money dictated by a foreign government this way, we have lost (according to one estimate) five million manufacturing jobs. Plus all the other jobs that consumer demand from the holders of those five million jobs would have created. It would seem obvious that letting the Chinese (note to right wing: the Communist Chinese) control the value of our money is, well, an error. Since it’s still our money, we need to undo what the Chinese have been doing, and get those jobs back. Another quick victory for the War on Error.

Maybe you have other ideas for targets in the War on Error. I’d like to hear them.

As Walt Kelly in Pogo used to say, “we have met the enemy, and he is us.” If we win the War on Error, then America will be a paradise. Or, alternatively, we can let our myths destroy us.

My Country, Right or Right! V for Verity! America: Lift It or Leave It!

Courage,

Alan Grayson

IceRocket Tags: General Electric,Jeffery Immelt,Corporate Welfare,Public Citizen,The War on Error,Wall Street

Global Trade Watch News

2011-09-21T11:55:00.001-07:00

del.icio.us Tags: Global Trade Watch,Public Citizen,Barack Obama,Congress,NAFTA

September 21, 2011

You delivered. We received thousands of stories expressing everyday concerns, fears, outrage and hope — the hope that Congress will protect jobs and strike down the trio of unfair trade deals with Korea, Colombia and Panama.
We made sure that your Representatives received your messages. This week we delivered your pink slips.
It’s only the first step in the beginning of this fall’s fight to stop Bush’s three job-killing pacts that, heartbreakingly, President Obama is now pushing.
Keep making a difference this fall. Contact your Representative and take action with us.
Last week, President Obama made a speech to Congress on his emergency job creation plan. There were some useful proposals to create jobs by investing in our country’s infrastructure, schools and communities.
But then, perversely, President Obama in the same speech also included a call for Congress to pass the leftover Bush trade agreements with Korea, Colombia and Panama. These are deals that official government studies show will increase the U.S. trade deficit! Studies project that over 200,000 additional U.S. manufacturing jobs would be lost under these continuations of the disastrous NAFTA model.
It’s up to all of us to make sure our members of Congress understand that the trade deals are JOBS KILLERS — the antithesis of what Americans need as they struggle in this dreadful economy — and that we demand they vote down these three job-killing trade pacts.
Take a stand. Call your Representative and organize with us before these three job-killing NAFTA expansion deals come to Congress.
We’re preparing for the biggest fight this autumn. As the Obama administration prepares to submit the flawed trade agreements with Korea, Colombia and Panama, we need to up the pressure on Congress.
Stay connected through our Action Center as we continue to provide all the necessary tools to reach out to your Representatives. And volunteer with us to make a difference in America’s trade policy.
Stop the NAFTA expansion — do MORE with our team.

Thanks for all you do,
Beatriz Lopez and Brooke Harper
Senior Field Organizers
Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch

P.S. Join the Facebook Fightback! Tell your member of Congress to vote no on all 3 NAFTA-style trade deals!

About GTW | Contact Us | Write Your Rep | Support Us

Stay informed and speak out when it counts. Sign up for the Public Citizen Action Network or other online announcements.

Public Citizen employees are members of SEIU Local 500. We support the right of
workers in the United States and around the world to organize freely. Union Yes!

IceRocket Tags: Global Trade Watch,Public Citizen,Barack Obama,Congress,NAFTA

Obama, Immelt. At your Service

2011-09-21T07:27:00.001-07:00

del.icio.us Tags: Jeffery Immelt,General Electric,Iraq war,Barack Obama,veterans,veterans rights

Excerpt from:

General Electric and Iran: CEO Jeffrey Immelt is killing American troops in Iraq

And now, Jeffery Immelt is a part of our government. Courtesy of Barack Obama.

del.icio.us Tags: Jeffery Immelt,General Electric,Iraq war,Barack Obama,veterans,veterans rights

Sedgwick CMS Pumps the Pooch, Sends Sears into Default Judgment

2011-09-19T12:46:00.001-07:00

del.icio.us Tags: Sedgwick CMS,David North,Gregory Casamento,Locke Lord,Harvey Siskind,Ian Boyd,Seth Appell,Sears,Product Liability,General Electric,Jeffery Immelt

While Sedgwick Claims Management Services was busy suing me and complaining on behalf of their client Sears, Sedgwick was also busily dropping the ball on Sears behalf in an entirely different case. The result, Default Judgment against Sears, on behalf of the plaintiff.

Click Here or the image below to view the court document

Quoting the Court,

“Here, Hall is a claims adjuster, not an attorney. As such, Smith‟s holding does not apply to the cause before us and thus, under the Rules of Professional Conduct James‟ counsel was not required to notify Hall of his intent to pursue a default judgment. Even if we were to conclude that it would only be courteous for James‟ counsel to contact Hall prior to filing for a default judgment, a failure to do so would not, standing alone, justify the setting aside of the default judgment. It is clear that James‟ counsel‟s lack of notification to Hall of his intent to bring a default action alone is not responsible for the entry of the default judgment. Rather, the origin of the default action is Hall‟s inattention to monitor this cause after the first initial phone call with Cochrane and to let the case linger for seven months. Therefore, we find that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in refusing to set aside the default judgment.

CONCLUSION

Based on the foregoing, we conclude that the trial court properly denied Sears‟ request to set aside the default judgment entered in favor of James.

Affirmed.”

“Partners in Crime”

Next on the Sedgwick Screw List

Watch out for that Karmic Boomerang!

IceRocket Tags: Sedgwick CMS,David North,Gregory Casamento,Locke Lord,Harvey Siskind,Ian Boyd,Seth Appell,Sears,Product Liability

Immelt Goon Squads Terrorizes rural physician as Obama looks on!

2011-09-16T07:23:00.001-07:00

del.icio.us Tags: General Electric,Jeff Immelt,Barack Obama,Forgery,Fraud,GE Torture Center,Locke Lord,Gregory Casamento,Paul Van Slyke,Harvey Siskind,Human Rights,Immelt Job Czar,New Cannan CT,GE Medical Systems,Electronic Medical Records,Protected Health Information,Chuck Grassley

Obama’s Job Czar GE CEO Jeffery Immelt.

Following up on yesterday’s top story.

As most Americans know, and are very angry about, the Obama administration appointed GE CEO Jeffery Immelt as the Job Czar for the administration. The purpose of this “appointment” was to stimulate our economy and bring jobs back to America. In fact, the results have been the exact opposite.

So none of you should be surprised that “Profits before People” and “We are above the law”, has become the hallmark of this administration.

Here it is in a nutshell. GE is threatening one of my physicians with contempt and asking for sanctions against him, because GE claims that he is not cooperating with them. (Never mind that GE has received my Protected Health Information (PHI) from this physician already, on numerous occasions)

But, GE is also demanding that the discovery (that they are required to produce) be postponed indefinitely.

Take a look at the email extractions below and my answer to the interim attorney that is managing my former attorneys affairs.

GE’s Lawyers write:

“We represent General Electric Company in the above-captioned matter. We received your August 29, 2011 notice of your appointment by the Yuba County Superior Court as Practice Administrator of Mr. Goldman's firm. I called your office, but I was unable to leave a voice message because your voicemail box is full.

I write to address two matters. First, Defendant has discovery responses due on September 15, 2011. We request that you permit Defendant an indefinite extension on these responses until Mr. Delsman retains new counsel.

Here is the link to the Threatening Letter (Below)

Second, we seek your assistance in obtaining medical records from Mr. Delsman's physician, Dr. Jutila, who refuses to comply with his subpoena. Please see the attached letter addressing this matter.

If you personally knew Mr. Goldman, we offer you our condolences.

Thank you for you assistance and anticipated cooperation.

Regards,

Alexis Sohrakoff, Associate

415.276.2514 direct 415.743.6545 fax ASohrakoff@littler.com

650 California Street, 20th Floor | San Francisco, CA 94108-2693

| littler.com Employment & Labor Law Solutions Worldwide “

Rob Delsman Responds

“David,

I read the attached letter from GE’s Lawyers. Here are a few quick points that I would like to make and that you might pass along to GE.

Dr. Jutila is happy to go before Judge Armstrong (under threat of contempt) and explain to the court how GE sent forged medical releases to his office in an illegal attempt to unlawfully obtain my Protected Health Information. If necessary, this can be verified by the Eureka field office of the FBI. This is who Dr. Jutila sent the forgeries to.

Secondly, Dr. Jutila and I want to know to whom my PHI is going to be disseminated to. In the past, GE has taken the position that it is none of my business. This is clearly in violation of the ADA.

Thirdly, Abe requested specific discovery from GE, period. This discovery should not be postponed as it will give attorneys that examine my case a better opportunity to judge it on the merits.

Thanks,

Rob Delsman

“Partners in Crime”

Complicit in the Facts?

Check the stories on the Crime Log, Then Decide!

General Electric Threatens “Country Doctor” with Contempt!

2011-09-15T12:13:00.001-07:00

del.icio.us Tags: General Electric,Jeff Immelt,ADA,Gregory Casamento Locke Lord,Sedgwick Claims Management Services,David North,Bellevue IA,Chuck Grassley,Harvey Siskind,Ian Boyd,Seth Appel,Paul Van Slyke

Bad GE CEO Jeff Immelt

For our readers that don’t know, my attorney that was prosecuting my ADA case against GE passed away recently and finding a new attorney willing to do battle with GE is moving slowly.

I thought that you would like so midday entertainment at jus how it is that GE and their despicable law firms work.

But, GE is also demanding that the discovery (that they are required to produce) be postponed indefinitely.

Take a look at the email extractions below and my answer to the interim attorney that is managing my former attorneys affairs.

GE’s Lawyers write:

Here is the link to the Threatening Letter (Below)

Second, we seek your assistance in obtaining medical records from Mr. Delsman's physician, Dr. Jutila, who refuses to comply with his subpoena. Please see the attached letter addressing this matter.

If you personally knew Mr. Goldman, we offer you our condolences.

Thank you for you assistance and anticipated cooperation.

Regards,

Alexis Sohrakoff, Associate

415.276.2514 direct 415.743.6545 fax ASohrakoff@littler.com

650 California Street, 20th Floor | San Francisco, CA 94108-2693

| littler.com
Employment & Labor Law Solutions Worldwide “

Rob Delsman Responds

“David,

I read the attached letter from GE’s Lawyers. Here are a few quick points that I would like to make and that you might pass along to GE.

Secondly, Dr. Jutila and I want to know to whom my PHI is going to be disseminated to. In the past, GE has taken the position that it is none of my business. This is clearly in violation of the ADA.

Thirdly, Abe requested specific discovery from GE, period. This discovery should not be postponed as it will give attorneys that examine my case a better opportunity to judge it on the merits.

Thanks,

Rob Delsman

And there we have it!!

IceRocket Tags: General Electric,Jeff Immelt,ADA,Gregory Casamento Locke Lord,Sedgwick Claims Management Services,David North,Bellevue IA,Chuck Grassley,Harvey Siskind,Ian Boyd,Seth Appel,Paul Van Slyke

Washington politicians must think we’re stupid.

2011-09-14T10:33:00.001-07:00

IceRocket Tags: General Electric,Jeff Immelt,Barack Obama,Washington DC,Politics,Sedgwick Claims Management Services,Sedgwick CMS Terror,David North,Bellevue IA,Chuck Grassley,Locke Lord,Gregory Casamanto,Harvey Siskind Losers,Seth Appel,Ian Boyd,Paul Van Slyke

Washington politicians must think we’re stupid.
They take money from powerful corporate interests like Big Oil and Wall Street. They introduce, debate and pass legislation that boosts the bottom lines of these companies. And they expect us to believe that the campaign cash has nothing to do with how they vote.
Seriously.
Out in the real world, no one believes that Exxon and Bank of America give millions of dollars to members of Congress out of sheer corporate kindness. Giant corporations spend money on politics because they get something in return.
And we’re not talking about small amounts of money here, either.

ITEM: Earlier this year, the Senate voted on whether to extend billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies to Big Oil. The 48 senators who supported subsidies each got an average of over $370,000 in campaign contributions from the industry. The 52 senators who opposed subsides each got only about $72,000.*

Coincidence?
I don’t think so. It’s just business as usual in our nation’s capital—another corporate handout by politicians in exchange for campaign contributions.
This institutionalized corruption is degrading our democracy, and the American people are losing faith in our government. They understand that real change requires limiting corporate money, and they overwhelmingly support public funding of federal elections and overturning the Supreme Court’s disastrous Citizens United v. FEC ruling.
That’s why Public Citizen is ramping up our grassroots campaign to get corporate money out of politics.
But we need to move fast. The 2012 campaign season is already under way.
And the $300 million in Citizens United v. FEC-enabled money pumped into the 2010 campaign will look like pocket change compared to what corporate America is going to unleash on voters starting early next year.
With the election and our very democracy at stake, I need your immediate help to fight back against corporate power and to end business as usual in Washington.
Please contribute $25, $40, $100 or whatever you can right now to help Public Citizen counteract the corrupting influence of corporate cash over our democracy and our lives.

Unfortunately, 48 U.S. senators selling their votes to Big Oil is only one example of the massive corruption that characterizes politics in Washington today.
And the oil and gas industry is not even the biggest spender in Congress.
In the 2010 elections, financial services companies contributed $305 million to federal candidates and political parties and spent another $471 million on lobbying.
That’s right—three quarters of a billion dollars was spent by Wall Street, insurance and real estate companies to make sure members of Congress did what these special interests wanted. And they got what they paid for.

ITEM: Senators who supported Wall Street’s position on the two most important financial service bills of the last two sessions of Congress—the 2008 Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) and the 2010 financial reform bill—got an average of $879,803 from this special-interest group. Senators who opposed Wall Street got $63,569 each—a difference of nearly 14 to 1.

But corporate America’s influence-peddling didn’t stop with the passage of this legislation. The Big Banks are working day and night to block or undermine regulations that implement the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
That’s why Public Citizen has launched a project to analyze and expose lobbying activities of Wall Street and other business interests determined to slow down the implementation of Wall Street reform and other legislation.
Our first report—“Wall Street’s Two Cents”—examined the reform bill’s requirement for publicly traded companies to reveal how much their CEOs make compared to the salary of their average employee.
Corporations are fighting this simple disclosure requirement tooth and nail, for all the obvious reasons. In our report, we analyzed four business groups with extensive lobbying operations and found they spent more than $4.5 million lobbying on financial regulation and other issues. They deployed 46 individuals—37 of whom are former government employees—to lobby on financial regulation, and made $660,180 in political contributions.
Corporate money doesn’t just influence what gets passed in Congress, or how regulators implement the laws Congress passes. Maybe the most far-reaching impact of all the corporate money sloshing around the Capitol is how it shapes what even gets discussed in the first place.

ITEM: Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), chairman of the powerful House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, solicited input from 150 trade associations on which regulations that protect the health and safety of the American people they’d like to see eliminated. Over his House career, Issa has received $17.4 million in campaign contributions—nearly $1.5 million from communications, electronics, finance, insurance, real estate and health services businesses.

These are just a few examples of how corporate campaign contributions corrupt our political leaders. There are hundreds more.
Please contribute $25, $40, $100 or whatever you can to help Public Citizen fight the Big Business takeover of our elections and government.
We are exposing the institutionalized corruption at the core of our campaign finance system, advocating for smart new legislation to drive corporate money out of our elections, and mobilizing a grassroots movement of citizen activists determined to take back our democracy from corporate control.
With your continuing support I know we’ll get the job done.

EXPOSING OUR CORRUPT CAMPAIGN FINANCE SYSTEM
Public Citizen’s tough-minded approach to fighting corporate power is built upon a foundation of authoritative, data-driven reports. Our highly respected research and analysis helps frame the debate, grab media coverage and educate the public and policymakers. And we’re not shy about naming names. We identify the corporations that are trying to buy influence—and we call out those on the receiving end, too.
When our staff goes up to Capitol Hill to confront the corporate lobbyists, they’re armed with the facts about the corrupting influence of money on policymaking and with cutting-edge reports that present comprehensive solutions to corporate domination of our electoral system.
We’ve issued numerous reports exposing the link between corporate campaign cash and congressional voting, on the impact of Big Business’ lobbying activities and on the role of secretive outside groups in political campaigns. They include:
“Courting the New Dems”
Last year, 43 members of the politically conservative New Democrat Coalition sent a letter urging House-Senate negotiators to weaken the financial reform bill’s regulation of derivatives. On average, they received 44% more in campaign contributions from the financial services sector in the 2010 election cycle than the 25 coalition members who did not sign the letter.
“Banking on Connections”
During a recent 18-month period analyzed in this report, the financial services industry sent 1,447 former federal employees to lobby Congress and federal agencies on financial reform! Among the lobbyists were at least 73 former members of Congress. Wall Street hires former members of Congress and their staffers for a reason. These people are influential because they have personal relationships with current members and staff. It’s hard to say no to your friends.
“Outside Job”
Unaccountable, outside groups favored the winning candidates in 58 of the 74 races in which political power changed hands in the 2010 congressional elections. This is the most powerfully specific evidence of how Citizens United v. FEC enabled front groups to use massive, secret contributions from corporations and wealthy individuals to subvert our democracy.
Contribute now to support Public Citizen’s work to defend democracy.
ADVOCATING FOR CHANGE
Cleaning up our corrupt campaign finance system and breaking the hold Big Business has on Washington requires passing tougher laws and penalties.
We’re going to advocate hard to spark action and pass critical reforms. Our legislative strategy consists of three initiatives to limit the influence of corporate money in politics:
1. Fair Elections Now Act (FENA)
This legislation offers a new system for public financing of campaigns combined with small private donations. FENA would free public officials from the demands of raising money from big donors so they can focus their energies on the interests of voters. House members must raise more than $1,000 a day to amass large enough war chests to wage their next campaign. On average, a U.S. senator must raise more than $3,000 per day.
We have more than 20 co-sponsors in the Senate and 40 in the House. We are fighting for hearings on the bill and working to generate even broader support. The bill enjoys wide public approval with nearly 70% of voters in favor of public funding of candidates. Public Citizen will continue to play a leadership role in fighting for this legislation.
2. Shareholder Protection
Unaccountable corporate executives can spend unlimited amounts of money from their companies’ general treasuries to influence the outcome of political campaigns without the consent or even the notification of shareholders. But spending shareholder money on such matters should require shareholder approval.
Public Citizen is a leader in the growing coalition fighting for the Shareholder Protection Act, which would require shareholder approval before a corporation could spend money on a campaign. We’re pushing as well for action from federal regulators, for state laws and for companies to commit not to spend money on campaigns without receiving prior shareholder approval.
3. Disclosure of Corporate Spending
At a time when the Supreme Court has perversely permitted unlimited corporate money in our elections, we no longer have a meaningful disclosure law in place, thanks to rules permitting corporations to channel spending through front groups not required to disclose their sources of support.
As I write, we are still urging President Obama to sign an executive order requiring all corporations doing business with the federal government to disclose their campaign contributions and expenditures.
On May 26, all but one Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of an amendment to keep campaign spending by government contractors secret. Nonetheless, we remain hopeful the president will soon sign the draft executive order.
Assuming the President acts, the executive order will be an important step, but we will still need rules requiring disclosure of all corporate campaign spending, including by companies that are not government contractors.
A Constitutional Amendment to Overturn Citizens United v. FEC
This is, of course, the big-picture remedy to the corporate takeover of our democracy. And as you know from my recent messages, the movement is building momentum with the addition of three new full-time organizers.
We need your help right now to raise $75,000 to take our campaign for a constitutional amendment to the next level and continue fighting runaway corporate greed on all fronts.

MOBILIZING OUR GRASSROOTS ACTIVISTS
As important as hard-hitting reports and smart advocacy strategies are, they alone will not be enough to win fundamental change. For truly significant change to occur, we need a powerful grassroots movement. It’s our collective people power that gives us the ability to overcome corporations’ financial might. As the saying goes, when the people lead, the leaders will follow.
Our key to winning is to combine the energy and determination of hundreds of thousands of Public Citizen members and supporters with the technical expertise and experience of our Washington advocates to confront corporate power and build real people power.
Here’s what I mean. Public Citizen recently helped generate nearly 10,000 comments to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) urging the agency to ban executive bonuses at financial firms that cause excessive risk-taking or could lead to the company’s financial loss. This was the biggest response for any SEC rule since passage of the financial reform law.
When it comes to taking back our government, we know what we’re up against, and we won’t rest until we have taken back our government from corporate interests and returned it to the people.
Please contribute $25, $40, $100 or whatever you can right now to help Public Citizen rescuing our democracy from the undue influence of giant corporations.
We have to mobilize and organize the American people in opposition to corporate power and its growing influence in Washington, D.C.
With your help, that’s exactly what we’re going to do. Please stand with me today as we rise to meet the challenge in front of us.
Thank you.

Onward,

Robert Weissman
President, Public Citizen

*http://campaignmoney.org/press-room/2011/05/17/senators-opposing-end-oil-subsidies

“Partners in Crime”

Complicit in the Facts

You Decide!

Tell GE’s Jeff Immelt and his big money friends, “Enough is Enough!”

del.icio.us Tags: General Electric,Jeff Immelt,Barack Obama,Washington DC,Politics,Sedgwick Claims Management Services,Sedgwick CMS Terror,David North,Bellevue IA,Chuck Grassley,Locke Lord,Gregory Casamanto,Harvey Siskind Losers,Seth Appel,Ian Boyd,Paul Van Slyke

30,001 reasons to Despise Bank of America & GE

2011-09-13T07:19:00.001-07:00

Bank of America slashes 30,000 jobs, largest cut by a US company this year, to save costs

del.icio.us Tags: Jeff Immelt,Barack Obama,Bank of America,General Electric,GE,Hellman Friedman,Sedgwick Claims Management Services,Chuck Grassley,Bellevue IA,MetLife,Travelers,UnitedHealth Group,Bailout,David North,UPI,Washington Post

Former BoA CEO, Ken Lewdness Laughs all the way from the bank. 30,000 more US JOBS LOST as bailout recipient Fat Cats live the life of luxury. And even more shocking, yes our nice friends at BofA profit from the exploitation of America’s sick, injured and disabled workers. “The hell you say?” The hell I do.

GE is quiet bailout recipient

Obama and Job Czar, Bailout recipient Jeffguano Immelt prattle away regarding the fate of American Workers. What have both men done to date to improve the US economy and restore hope? Not a hell of a lot. But at least Immelt is now an active, unelected member of our government.

“Partners in Crime”

Complicit in the Facts?

You Decide

Send a message to the companies reflected above. America is going to BOYCOTT YOU until you stop the exploitation of America’s sick, injured and disabled workers.

IceRocket Tags: Jeff Immelt,Barack Obama,Bank of America,General Electric,GE,Hellman Friedman,Sedgwick Claims Management Services,Chuck Grassley,Bellevue IA,MetLife,Travelers,UnitedHealth Group,Bailout,David North,UPI,Washington Post

Corporations are NOT People. Restore America’s Democracy Now!

2011-09-12T07:09:00.001-07:00

del.icio.us Tags: Barack Obama,Rick Perry,US Supreme Court,Citizens United,Special-Interest,General Electric,Jeff Immelt,MetLife,Travelers,Locke Lord,Gregory Casamento Locke Lord,Harvey Siskind Losers,Locke Lord Losers,Paul Van Slyke,Ian Boyd,Seth Appel,Pakistan,US Tax Dollars,David North,Sedgwick CMS Terror,Chuck Grassley,Bellevue IA

an e-newsletter about the movement to curb corporate influence in politics and restore our democracy

Issue #77 • September 9, 2011
“Money and Democracy Update” is Public Citizen’s weekly e-newsletter about the intersection of money and politics. It is part of our ongoing campaign to track the results of — and ultimately overturn — the U.S. Supreme Court’s reckless decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which allows for-profit corporations to spend unlimited amounts of money to support or attack political candidates. We’ll update you regularly with select news stories and blog posts, legislative developments and ways to get involved.
Stunning Statistics of the Week:

One: The number of references in President Barack Obama’s speech to special-interest influence on our country’s budget crisis

Companies that disclose political spending are more valuable
Publicly held companies that disclose their electoral spending have a higher share price than politically active companies that fail to disclose their donors, according to a report released this week by Public Citizen and a Harvard Law School professor. The new finding provides added evidence that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) should require corporations to disclose their political activities, the report said.
Super PACs to change scope of elections
Make Us Great Again, a Super PAC that is throwing its weight in support of presidential candidate Rick Perry, plans to spend $55 million to help secure the Republican nomination for the Texas governor. This may be even more than the Perry campaign raises itself. “It’s a game changer,” said Paul S. Ryan, the Federal Election Commission director for the campaign finance watchdog Campaign Legal Center, of the Super PAC’s goal. “Super PACs will make the 2012 presidential election unlike any election we've seen before.”
Boosting fundraising game plans
With 14 months to go until the 2012 presidential elections, the political action committee and nonprofit created by Republican strategist Karl Rove are raising the stakes in their fundraising plans. American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS have more than doubled their original goal of raising $120 million to influence elections next year.
Transparency would mitigate industry influence on supercommittee
Nearly 100 former aides to lawmakers serving on the bipartisan “supercommittee” now lobby on K Street for industries(think energy, financial, defense, agricultural, etc.) that have a stake in the budget deal. Additionally, seven former lobbyists currently work for the lawmakers. Luckily, a bill was introduced this week that calls for transparency in the supercommittee’s dealings to ensure that its recommendations aren’t unduly influenced by lobbyists representing wealthy corporate interests.
It’s all about convenience, right?
Some of the top political fundraisers for President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign got together to watch the commander in chief’s speech on jobs this week. But immediately after the speech, many of the guests were invited to another event: a reception hosted by two former Obama aides who formed a Super PAC to raise money for the re-election efforts.
Meet the financial base of the Koch political agenda
Just who helps finance the political agenda of the Koch Brothers, the billionaire industrialists who love to throw their money into political causes? Thanks to materials obtained by Mother Jones, ThinkProgress and Alternet, we now can have a better sense. Check out this analysis of the guest lists of some of the Koch Brothers’ “seminars.”
Reaping benefits of legislation
When Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.) intervened and stopped federal regulators from shutting down a struggling kidney transplant program in her district, she was lauded for standing up for Nevada families. But her constituents weren’t the only ones reaping benefits. Berkley’s husband, a physician whose nephrology practice directs medical services at the hospital’s kidney care department, got a $738,000-a-year contract with the hospital after the regulators backed off. In fact, the kidney care industry stood to benefit from at least five House bills that his spouse co-sponsored.
Visit DemocracyIsForPeople.org to learn more!

To get regular e-alerts about opportunities for activism and other ways to help with Public Citizen’s work, sign up for the Public Citizen Action Network.

“Partners in Crime”

Complicit in the Facts?

You Decide!

Had enough of multinational corporations running America? Tell Obama, “stop pandering for power and represent the American People as you promised to do!” Get rid of Immelt, GE and the NBC connection. Tell the companies displayed above, “Stop terrorizing American Workers and their Families, Dump Sedgwick CMS, or we will boycott you!”

IceRocket Tags: Barack Obama,Rick Perry,US Supreme Court,Citizens United,Special-Interest,General Electric,Jeff Immelt,MetLife,Travelers,Locke Lord,Gregory Casamento Locke Lord,Harvey Siskind Losers,Locke Lord Losers,Paul Van Slyke,Ian Boyd,Seth Appel,Pakistan,US Tax Dollars,David North,Sedgwick CMS Terror,Chuck Grassley,Bellevue IA

Stop the Corporate Takeover of America’s Elections

2011-09-09T08:47:00.001-07:00

IceRocket Tags: GE,General Electric,Jeff Immelt,Barack Obama,Locke Lord,Gregory Casamento,Paul Van Slyke,Harvey Siskind Losers,Locke Lord Losers,Ian Boyd,Seth Appel,R James De Rose III,Sedgwick CMS,David North,Chuck Grassley,Bellevue IA

More Important News from Public Citizen!

We now know that Election 2012 is going to be ruled by Big Money in a way we haven’t seen in a long time. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission has opened the door for corporations to spend whatever they like on elections — and they are rushing through. Now, friends of all the major presidential candidates are setting up Super PACs that can raise unlimited money to elect their preferred candidate — meaning we’re just a short step away from direct corporate contributions to presidential candidates.
Election 2012 may be remembered as the election with no limits.
That’s why I'm so enthused about our stepped up efforts to take on this problem, head on. We’re going to intensify our efforts to win a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United v. FEC, we’re going to make visible progress, and then we’re going to succeed.
Please make a generous contribution of $25, $40, $100 or more right now to support our work to take our historic campaign to overturn Citizens United v. FEC — and all our work to hold corporate power in check — to the next level.
Last week, Mark Hays, one of our new constitutional amendment organizers, introduced himself to you in the note I’m forwarding with this message. This week, Jonah Minkoff-Zern has joined us, and a third organizer will be joining us shortly.
I can’t tell you how excited I am about their energy and savvy — and about all of us intensifying our efforts to undo the damage of Citizens United v. FEC.
Here’s how we’re going to mark progress in building the movement for a constitutional amendment:
1. We’re going to sign up many more organizations — big national groups and vibrant community organizations — to endorse the idea of an amendment and start talking to their members about the constitutional amendment movement.
2. We’re going to work for state and local resolutions calling for an amendment. These will provide concrete evidence of the growing demand for an amendment.
3. We’re going to secure commitments to support an amendment from more and more members of Congress.
4. We’re going to intensify our efforts to promote DemocracyIsForPeople.Org, and bring tens and hundreds of thousands of new people into our campaign.
When I say “we” are going to do all these things, I mean all of us. Public Citizen’s extraordinary staff — but also you.
Please make a generous contribution of $25, $40, $100 or more right now to support our work to take our historic campaign to overturn Citizens United v. FEC — and all our work to hold corporate power in check — to the next level.
We face a monumental challenge, but we’re up for it.
Let's go!
Robert Weissman
President, Public Citizen

Rob,
Excited. Honored. Ready to be part of something historic.
Those are just some of my feelings as the newest member of Public Citizen’s “Democracy Is For People” campaign team.
My name is Mark Hays. I’ll be coordinating the next phase of our work to win a constitutional amendment to reverse the effects of the Supreme Court’s absurd and disastrous Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling.
I’m writing to introduce myself and give you a preview of the work we’ll be doing to build the movement to reclaim democracy for We the People.
For the past few years, I’ve worked with activists across the country and around the world to challenge corporate power and political influence.
I’ve seen corporate lobbyists walk into town halls, state capitols and the corridors of Congress and then walk out with millions or billions of dollars in tax breaks and bailouts — and barely a slap on the wrist for egregious conduct that threatens our health and safety, our livelihoods, our economy, and our planet.
I’ve joined Public Citizen for the same reason you’ve contributed your activism and dollars: Our democracy is on the line, and we have to do something about it.
You and I know how urgently we need to challenge this inhuman state of affairs. But we need more people to join us.
We need to show people that while reversing Citizens United v. FEC and restoring our rights is a big challenge, it is a challenge we can and must meet.
We’re already off to a great start. Since the Supreme Court’s fateful ruling a year and half ago, Public Citizen, our coalitions and millions of people have sprung into action.
Hundreds of thousands of people have signed petitions for a constitutional amendment. Demonstrations and actions, led by Public Citizen members and supporters, have been held in over 50 cities and towns across the country. Hundreds of you have invited friends and neighbors into your homes, churches and community centers to educate and engage each other.
And, with your support, Public Citizen has exposed the devastating impact of Citizens United v. FEC through hard-hitting investigative research and reports, garnering substantial media attention.
There’s more in store.
Community activists and organizations across the country are gearing up to pass resolutions at the state and local level calling for a constitutional amendment.
We’ll be partnering with them, providing materials, resources and help with turnout to important events. We’ll be asking some of you to introduce resolutions as well. We’ll be working with activists to bring this campaign to street corners, farmers’ markets, parks and public squares in your town and across the country.
Local, regional and national organizations working to protect workers, our health and the environment are deeply concerned about the huge influx of corporate money into our political system and stand ready to join us.
We’ll be reaching out to local, state and national organizations to build a broad and deep base of support for a constitutional amendment to reverse Citizens United v. FEC.
Elected officials who truly understand this threat are willing to stand up and help us protect our democratic rights — if we embolden them to do the right thing.
We’ll be meeting directly with lawmakers, urging them to support a constitutional amendment and other reforms that can stem the tide. And, we’ll be partnering with you to directly engage officeholders and candidates as the 2012 election season heats up.
Of course, we need to do all we can to make sure our story is spread far and wide by the media so that others who share our hopes and concerns know there is something they can do about it.
All we need to do is get out there. Ready?

Onward,
Mark Hays
Campaign Coordinator

P.S. I’m one of three new organizers Public Citizen is adding to its constitutional amendment campaign team. With so much work to do here in Washington, D.C., and in communities throughout the country, your financial support is a critical component of our shared mission to prevent the wholesale corporate takeover of our democracy. Please contribute today.

del.icio.us Tags: GE,General Electric,Jeff Immelt,Barack Obama,Locke Lord,Gregory Casamento,Paul Van Slyke,Harvey Siskind Losers,Locke Lord Losers,Ian Boyd,Seth Appel,R James De Rose III,Sedgwick CMS,David North,Chuck Grassley,Bellevue IA

“Partners in Crime”

Complicit in the Facts?

You Decide!

$159,300,000,000 The Price of War!

2011-09-02T11:10:00.001-07:00

del.icio.us Tags: Public Citizen,PublicCitizen,Locke Lord,Mark Siegal. Lobbyists,Iraq war,Pakistan,Sedgwick CMS,Locke Lord Losers,Gregory Casamento,Paul Van Slyke,Harvey Siskind Losers,Seth Appell,Ian Boyd,General Electric,GE,Jeff Immelt,Lost Jobs,Alan Grayson

Yesterday, the Commission on Wartime Contracting released its final report.

The Commission reported that between $31 billion and $62 billion of the tax money spent on contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan has been wasted. It also said that between $10 billion and $19 billion of what contractors billed and received was fraudulent. In fact, $360 million of our tax dollars went straight to . . . the Taliban.

Wow. Who could have imagined that?

Well . . . me.

When I saw that the Bush Administration was doing nothing about fraud in Iraq, I revived a law going back to the Civil War that allowed whistleblowers to bring lawsuits in the name of the U.S. Government. I filed case after case, which were promptly greeted by the Bush Administration with gag orders – gag orders that they kept in place for years. They didn’t want any more bad news coming out of Iraq.

So I went on CNN, spoke to the New York Times and the Washington Post, and told America whatever I could say without violating those gag orders. And when the Bush Administration finally let one case out from under those gag orders – and declined to prosecute it – I took that case to trial, and won a $14 million judgment. It was the third-largest judgment for whistleblowers in the 143-year history of that law.

Those contractors built bases without hooking up the plumbing. A general testified that when he went there, he felt like throwing up.

The Wall Street Journal reported in a front-page article that I was “waging a one-man war against contractor fraud in Iraq.” The national organization Taxpayers Against Fraud named me “Lawyer of the Year.” And people started to think, “what is going on over there?”

In Congress, I spoke out against the wars, and I voted against the wars. I wrote and introduced The War is Making You Poor Act, HR 5353. My bill pointed out that you could:

Require the Pentagon to fund the wars from its own budget of over $500 billion, not supplemental appropriations;
Take all the money that would save and eliminate taxes on everyone’s first $35,000 of income, $70,000 for married couples; and
Still have over $10 billion a year left over, to cut the federal deficit.

Open Congress’s unscientific poll showed 91% in favor of HR 5353.

After I left Congress in January, I took up the work against contractor fraud in Iraq again. And I won an $8.7 million settlement from DynCorp and the Sandi Group. The defendants paid our attorney’s fees last Friday.

Here’s some simple arithmetic. We’ve budgeted $159.3 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan this year, through next month. (The true cost is much more, but let’s leave that aside.) That’s:

$159,300,000,000.00.

You could take all that money and create 5,310,000 jobs here in America paying $30,000 a year, rebuilding our bridges, our roads, our schools, instead of the ones in Iraq and Afghanistan. That would immediately lower the unemployment rate from 9 percent to 5.5 percent, and get money flowing in our communities again.

Now, that’s a job program. I’ll put that up against whatever President Obama proposes next week.

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have killed more than 8,000 Americans, and who-knows-how-many Iraqis and Afghans. War has destroyed our economy, just as the war in Afghanistan destroyed the Soviet economy. According to the calculations of Nobel Prize-winner Professor Joseph Stiglitz, the war in Iraq alone has cost us around 8% of our $50 trillion national net worth, all of the wealth that America built up over two centuries. Over $13,000 for every single American, young and old.

We’ve taken our inheritance, and dumped it into a wood chipper.

My father served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He told me once that one of the most common questions that men of his generation heard was, “what did you do in the war?” Maybe our children will ask us, “what did you do against the war?”

That’s a question I can answer.

Courage,

Alan Grayson

Locke Lord Losers Update

As many of our regular reader friends are aware Our Lobbyist, Lawyer friends at Locke Lord have been busy convincing our elected officials to “offshore” your tax dollars to the government of Pakistan.

Don’t believe me? Here ya go!

Pakistan pays U.S. lobbyists to deny it helped bin Laden (Reuters)

Pakistan Taps Locke Lord for Lobbying Work Following OBL Fallout (Am Law Daily)

an e-newsletter about the movement to curb corporate influence in politics and restore our democracy

Issue #76 • September 2, 2011
“Money and Democracy Update” is Public Citizen’s weekly e-newsletter about the intersection of money and politics. It is part of our ongoing campaign to track the results of — and ultimately overturn — the U.S. Supreme Court’s reckless decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which allows for-profit corporations to spend unlimited amounts of money to support or attack political candidates. We’ll update you regularly with select news stories and blog posts, legislative developments and ways to get involved.
Stunning Statistics of the Week:

25: The percent of his money that presidential candidate Mitt Romney has raised this year from the finance, insurance and real estate sector
$4.65 million: The amount in dollars that he has raised from that sector
10: The percent of his money that has come from the general business sector
$1 of every $20: The ratio of money that has been donated to Romney by lawyers and lobbyists

Super PACs are fundamentally changing presidential campaigns
Super PACs are starting to rival the fundraising operations of candidates in size and scope, The New York Times reports. This is setting off a fundraising arms race that is fundamentally shifting the way presidential campaigns are run.
$52 steaks, gin and cucumber puree
When AT&T was seeking U.S. approval for its merger with T-Mobile USA, it went into overdrive to fete congressional lawmakers and raise money for their campaign coffers, Bloomberg News reports. The lawmakers dined on $52 steaks and sipped $15 drinks made of gin and cucumber puree. AT&T’s political action committee has given hundreds of thousands of dollars to lawmakers, and the company has hired the top lobbyists in town, including firms headed by former U.S. Sens. John Breaux (D-La.) and Trent Lott (R-Miss.), and former U.S. Rep. J.C. Watts (R-Okla.).
Draft executive order on disclosure is MIA
Whatever happened to that draft executive order on disclosure that we heard so much about in the spring? This is the order that would require companies vying for federal contracts to disclose their political contributions. Good government groups are clamoring for it to be enacted. Says the White House, it is still undergoing review.
While we’re on the topic … SEC mulling disclosure proposal
Ten law professors are urging the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to require corporations to disclose political contributions in annual proxy statements. The SEC is mulling over a proposal that would require public companies to disclose their political contributions. Many say it’s good, but doesn’t go far enough.
How quickly they change
A number of members of the House of Representatives who promised voters they would change the way Washington works appear to have fallen onto the same reward-thy-funders rhythm as their colleagues, USA Today has found. These freshmen have been pushing legislation that could benefit their most generous campaign contributors.
Visit DemocracyIsForPeople.org to learn more!

To get regular e-alerts about opportunities for activism and other ways to help with Public Citizen’s work, sign up for the Public Citizen Action Network. To unsubscribe, go to http://action.citizen.org/unsubscribe.jsp.

“Partners in Crime”

Complicit in the Facts?

You Decide

IceRocket Tags: Public Citizen,PublicCitizen,Locke Lord,Mark Siegal. Lobbyists,Iraq war,Pakistan,Sedgwick CMS,Locke Lord Losers,Gregory Casamento,Paul Van Slyke,Harvey Siskind Losers,Seth Appell,Ian Boyd,General Electric,GE,Jeff Immelt,Lost Jobs

Justice Department Sues to Block AT&T, T-Mobile Deal

2011-09-01T10:44:00.001-07:00

del.icio.us Tags: AT&T,AT&T Services,Hewitt assoc.,Randal Stephenson,Jeffery Immelt,General Electric,David North,Sedgwick Claims Management Services,Bellevue IA,Chuck Grassley,Locke Lord,Gregory Casamanto,Paul Van Slyke,Harvey Siskind Losers,Ian Boyd,Seth Appell,T-Mobile,Discrimination,ADA

While AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson bellows about how the deal would create new jobs, (Bloomberg) “Stephenson has argued that the acquisition will benefit consumers by enabling more high-speed Internet services and producing more jobs to expand the company’s network.” Don’t forget how “Randy the Dandy” treats AT&T’s sick, injured and disabled workers that have been thrown off the payroll. Boycott AT&T.

“Partners in Crime”

Complicit in the Facts?

You Decide

IceRocket Tags: AT&T,AT&T Services,Hewitt assoc.,Randal Stephenson,Jeffery Immelt,General Electric,David North,Sedgwick Claims Management Services,Bellevue IA,Chuck Grassley,Locke Lord,Gregory Casamanto,Paul Van Slyke,Harvey Siskind Losers,Ian Boyd,Seth Appell,T-Mobile,Discrimination,ADA

Tell Congress NO MORE Pink Slips

2011-08-31T08:08:00.001-07:00

del.icio.us Tags: Public Citizen,NAFTA,Korea,Colombia,Panama,Barack Obama,Congress,GE,General Electric,Jeffery Immelt,Global Trade Watch,Chuck Grassley,David North,Sedgwick Claims Management Services,MetLife,Locke Lord,Harvey Siskind,Gregory Casamento Locke Lord

August 30, 2011

How will I pay my rent or mortgage? How am I going to feed my family? Will my daughter be able to return to college in the fall? Questions like these are asked daily by 6.2 million unemployed Americans.
Horrifyingly, in the midst of America’s unemployment crisis, the Obama administration is pushing three NAFTA-style trade deals with Korea, Colombia and Panama that place more American jobs at risk.
Your member of Congress needs to know that his or her constituents expect a “no” vote on all three of these job-killing deals. Only Congress can stop this lunacy and only you can ensure there is a majority in Congress to say no.
Tell Congress how your life would be impacted if you got the pink slip.
Your member of the House of Representatives needs to hear from you—your concerns, your hopes, your story. Why you insist he or she vote against these NAFTA-style deals. Hard-working families across the country need Congress to stand up for American jobs and create opportunities here, not support more of the same failed trade policies that have offshored jobs and increased our trade deficit.
Fill out a pink slip today and tell your Representative we can’t afford more job losses.
We’ve already lost over 5 million manufacturing jobs since NAFTA. Many families are struggling to remain afloat. In Minnesota, Wanda—who was laid off from the automotive parts manufacturer Thompson Ramo Wooldridge last year—shared her story:

“At first I was happy because I had some time off with my husband and my kids. But now it’s been since October 24 and money is really short. Unemployment [benefits do] not pay the bills I have coming in. I no longer have health or dental insurance. The kids need money for school, for their activities. I have the doctors, the dentist. It’s hard...”

Speak out against more NAFTA clones! Write to Congress and let them know how another pink-slip-creating trade pact would affect your life and community.
When your Representatives return from congressional recess in September, we’ll pay them a visit and deliver your stories to their offices in the Capitol.

Thanks for all you do,
Beatriz Lopez and Brooke Harper
Senior Field Organizers
Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch

P.S. Join the Facebook Fightback! Tell your Member of Congress to vote no on all 3 NAFTA-style trade deals! Post this link: http://www.citizen.org/pink-slip-action on your Representative’s Facebook Page.

About GTW | Contact Us | Write Your Rep | Support Us

Stay informed and speak out when it counts. Sign up for the Public Citizen Action Network or other online announcements.

Public Citizen employees are members of SEIU Local 500. We support the right of
workers in the United States and around the world to organize freely. Union Yes!

IceRocket Tags: Public Citizen,NAFTA,Korea,Colombia,Panama,Barack Obama,Congress,GE,General Electric,Jeffery Immelt,Global Trade Watch,Chuck Grassley,David North,Sedgwick Claims Management Services,MetLife,Locke Lord,Harvey Siskind,Gregory Casamento Locke Lord

Get Involved in Taking Back America!!

2011-08-30T10:14:00.001-07:00

del.icio.us Tags: Public Citizen,Citizens United,Corporate Greed,General Electric,Jeff Immelt,GE,Barack Obama,Locke Lord,Locke Lord Losers,Harvey Siskind,Gregory Casamento Locke Lord,Greg Casamento,David North,Sedgwick CMS Terror,Sedgwick Claims Management Services,Bellevue IA

Excited. Honored. Ready to be part of something historic.
Those are just some of my feelings as the newest member of Public Citizen’s “Democracy Is For People” campaign team.
My name is Mark Hays. I’ll be coordinating the next phase of our work to win a constitutional amendment to reverse the effects of the Supreme Court’s absurd and disastrous Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling.
I’m writing to introduce myself and give you a preview of the work we’ll be doing to build the movement to reclaim democracy for We the People.
For the past few years, I’ve worked with activists across the country and around the world to challenge corporate power and political influence.
I’ve seen corporate lobbyists walk into town halls, state capitols and the corridors of Congress and then walk out with millions or billions of dollars in tax breaks and bailouts — and barely a slap on the wrist for egregious conduct that threatens our health and safety, our livelihoods, our economy, and our planet.
I’ve joined Public Citizen for the same reason you’ve contributed your activism and dollars: Our democracy is on the line, and we have to do something about it.
You and I know how urgently we need to challenge this inhuman state of affairs. But we need more people to join us.
We need to show people that while reversing Citizens United v. FEC and restoring our rights is a big challenge, it is a challenge we can and must meet.
We’re already off to a great start. Since the Supreme Court’s fateful ruling a year and half ago, Public Citizen, our coalitions and millions of people have sprung into action.
Hundreds of thousands of people have signed petitions for a constitutional amendment. Demonstrations and actions, led by Public Citizen members and supporters, have been held in over 50 cities and towns across the country. Hundreds of you have invited friends and neighbors into your homes, churches and community centers to educate and engage each other.
And, with your support, Public Citizen has exposed the devastating impact of Citizens United v. FEC through hard-hitting investigative research and reports, garnering substantial media attention.
There’s more in store.
Community activists and organizations across the country are gearing up to pass resolutions at the state and local level calling for a constitutional amendment.
We’ll be partnering with them, providing materials, resources and help with turnout to important events. We’ll be asking some of you to introduce resolutions as well. We’ll be working with activists to bring this campaign to street corners, farmers’ markets, parks and public squares in your town and across the country.
Local, regional and national organizations working to protect workers, our health and the environment are deeply concerned about the huge influx of corporate money into our political system and stand ready to join us.
We’ll be reaching out to local, state and national organizations to build a broad and deep base of support for a constitutional amendment to reverse Citizens United v. FEC.
Elected officials who truly understand this threat are willing to stand up and help us protect our democratic rights — if we embolden them to do the right thing.
We’ll be meeting directly with lawmakers, urging them to support a constitutional amendment and other reforms that can stem the tide. And, we’ll be partnering with you to directly engage officeholders and candidates as the 2012 election season heats up.
Of course, we need to do all we can to make sure our story is spread far and wide by the media so that others who share our hopes and concerns know there is something they can do about it.
All we need to do is get out there. Ready?

Onward,
Mark Hays
Campaign Coordinator

IceRocket Tags: Public Citizen,Citizens United,Corporate Greed,General Electric,Jeff Immelt,GE,Barack Obama,Locke Lord,Locke Lord Losers,Harvey Siskind,Gregory Casamento Locke Lord,Greg Casamento,David North,Sedgwick CMS Terror,Sedgwick Claims Management Services,Bellevue IA

Get Involved in Taking Back America!!

2011-08-30T10:12:00.001-07:00

Onward,
Mark Hays
Campaign Coordinator

Obama, Immelt. Selling out America

2011-08-26T08:17:00.001-07:00

del.icio.us Tags: Jeffery Immelt. Barack Obama,China,General Electric,GE,Gregory Casamanto,Locke lord,Harvey Siskind,Sedgwick Claims Management Services,David North,Paul Posey,Bellevue IA,Chuck Grassley

Obama Job Czar to move GE Imaging to China, Invest USD 2 Billion

Any Questions?

IceRocket Tags: Jeffery Immelt. Barack Obama,China,General Electric,GE,Gregory Casamanto,Locke lord,Harvey Siskind,Sedgwick Claims Management Services,David North,Paul Posey,Bellevue IA,Chuck Grassley

Obama, Perry & Bachmann, Corporate Lap Dogs, One and All

2011-08-24T10:48:00.001-07:00

del.icio.us Tags: Michele Bachmann,Barack Obama,Rick Perry,Jeff Immelt,General Electric,GE,UnitedHealth Group,Travelers,Sedgwick Claims Management services,David North,Bellevue IA,Chuck Grassley,Locke Lord Losers,Harvey Siskind Losers,Seth Appell,Ian Boyd,Greg Casamanto,Gregory Casamento,Paul Van Slyke,Locke Lord Strategies

Hello Friends,

As the political BS heats up and the American People have to put up with a couple of years of this crap, I thought it might be nice to provide a few nuggets of “voter education”.

BS’er BARACK OBAMA

Current President of the United States of America
Accomplishments:

Failed to Close Gitmo (the first presidential order he signed)
Appointed Jeff Immelt (GE CEO) as his job czar and economy turner arounder) to a government position after GE and Immelt bellied up to the public trough for bail out bucks.
Failed to bring any reform to out of control insurance and banking sectors that have decimated our (and the worlds) economy
ad infinitum

SCARY RICK PERRY

Current Governor of the Great State of Texas:

Accomplishments:

Failed miserably at protecting injured workers rights in TX.
Sits by and watches Texas families being destroyed by insurance companies and TPA’s that refuse to pay legitimate claims.
Has no policy on insurance reform, banking reform or any reform
Has pals in big oil

MICHELE ( I SHOULD TAKE VALIUM) BACHMANN

Current Congresswoman 6th District of the Great State of Minnesota.

Accomplishments:

Insurance company “turn a blind eye” Queen.
While UnitedHealth Group (MN) based, screwed doctors and patients out of $ 1Billion in California, Michelle just smiled.
When a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group did it again a few years later to California doctors and patients, Michelle smiled even wider.
All for her insurance company friends. If elected, there will be mandatory insurance for everything, and non-payment of claims on anything.

“Partners in Crime”

Complicit in the Facts

You Decide

Be smart consumers friends. Just say no to those that put obscene corporate profits before worker and consumer safety and satisfaction.

IceRocket Tags: Michele Bachmann,Barack Obama,Rick Perry,Jeff Immelt,General Electric,GE,UnitedHealth Group,Travelers,Sedgwick Claims Management services,David North,Bellevue IA,Chuck Grassley,Locke Lord Losers,Harvey Siskind Losers,Seth Appell,Ian Boyd,Greg Casamanto,Gregory Casamento,Paul Van Slyke,Locke Lord Strategies

Entitlements or Corporate Welfare? You Decide.

2011-08-15T13:09:00.001-07:00

del.icio.us Tags: Jeff Immelt,GE,General Electric,Locke Lord,Greg Casamento,Paul Van Slyke,Harvey Siskind Losers,Locke Lord Losers,Sedgwick CMS,David North,Barack Obama,Eric Holder

As our economy continues to tank and the politicians are up in arms over “entitlements”, ask yourself a very important question.

“When insurance companies refuse to pay legitimate claims and force America’s sick, injured ad disabled workers onto the Social Security rolls, who is really collecting the entitlement ? And at who’s expense ?”

Tell the politicians you are sick of their pandering to to big insurance and Wall Street.

Check out the case below, click on the image to open the filing

“Partners in Crime”

Complicit in the Facts ?

You Decide

IceRocket Tags: Jeff Immelt,GE,General Electric,Locke Lord,Greg Casamento,Paul Van Slyke,Harvey Siskind Losers,Locke Lord Losers,Sedgwick CMS,David North,Barack Obama,Eric Holder

Entitlements or Corporate Welfare? You Decide.

2011-08-15T06:52:00.001-07:00

del.icio.us Tags: Jeff Immelt,GE,General Electric,Locke Lord,Greg Casamento,Paul Van Slyke,Harvey Siskind Losers,Locke Lord Losers,Sedgwick CMS,David North,Barack Obama,Eric Holder

As our economy continues to tank and the politicians are up in arms over “entitlements”, ask yourself a very important question.

Tell the politicians you are sick of their pandering to to big insurance and Wall Street.

“Partners in Crime”

Complicit in the Facts ?

You Decide

IceRocket Tags: Jeff Immelt,GE,General Electric,Locke Lord,Greg Casamento,Paul Van Slyke,Harvey Siskind Losers,Locke Lord Losers,Sedgwick CMS,David North,Barack Obama,Eric Holder

Click, Your Message has been Sent!~

2011-08-08T12:54:00.001-07:00

Reprinted from November 18, 2008

del.icio.us Tags: Jeff Immelt,GE,General Electric,Sedgwick CMS,David North,Bellevue IA,Wall Street,S&P,Stonepoint,Hellman Friedman,MetLife,SSDI Scams,GE Torture Center

Mid month stats posted for our friends at the Edelman PR firm and others at sm2.techrigy.com/edelman (please click image below to view full size)

Hello Friends,

Nice waves for the surfers, cool nights and warms days here on the North Coast as the crab fest continues. Thanks for stopping by, the team and I have news to share with you.

WEBSITES AND WEBLOG NEWS

Another fantastic week for the websites and weblog with many friends checking in to catch the latest news.
The stats are pounding away (if you don't believe it call Heakox, Hartman, Mattiani, Koshmrl, Cosgriff & Johnson - P.A Attorneys at law, the scumbags that hacked our Stats) and we are quite happy with the results.

Nice to see the return of some old friends from the Edelman PR firm, I missed our cyber "chats" Richard, welcome back.
Lots of new insurance company friends checking in to get the latest news related to the thugs at Sedgwick CMS and they seem a little concerned.
After all, insurance companies are not exactly at the top of the American consumers hit parade these days and many consumers are really pissed at their flagrant behavior.
The nice people from MetLies stopped by for a cordial howdy do, the U.S. Department of Labor, all kinds of feds, state and local agencies and last but certainly not least my USMC pal Gus.

Hello to some of the old Westinghouse boys, nice to see you stopping by "J" in CV, and others. I would like to get together at some point but not to be the "guest of honor" like our last get together.

The team tells me that the mid-month strings have been posted on the website for your review and our readers are certainly enjoying the David North Page on the website as the stats indicate lots of reader activity.

-----------------

CLICK !

THE BUTTON HAS BEEN PRESSED

The information and hard drives were actually picked up prior to today (sorry, beyond my control) but we still pressed the button as promised. I was also asked that "no list for now" on the blog as it will compromise aspects of the investigations being conducted by multiple agencies. Ok.

Here is a partial list of hot topics

Forgery
Fraud
Mail Fraud. Wow, first time I have ever "handed over" old mail to a mailman that carries a badge and gun.
Wire Fraud
Cyber Crime related stuff - 18 U.S.C. § 2701 and more

-----------------------------------

SEDGWICK CMS NEWS

Well friends, I think that the crime wave at Sedgwick CMS, ProSource Billing Inc. and the GE Disability benefits center is coming to an end.

I have made some new lawyer friends this last week and one of them is from a very large law firm in New York. My new friends are helping me "sort out" all of the Sedgthug and GE issues and I am happy to have their assistance.

The nice people from Sedgwick CMS and the GE Disability benefits Center sent me about 500-600 pages of information this past week and as time (and my bad eyesight) allows, I will begin the tedious process of examination.

I have given the "files" a quick once over and have found some very interesting information. The Sedgthugs were kind enough to include some of the emails and other correspondence from Bradford Greene, Scott LaFleur and other people from GE Consumer and Industrial.
Here are a few excerpts from the file::

That I had moved 4 hours away from the office,
This event occurred years prior to "me going out" and failed to mention the "other house" 35 min from the office. The other house is where I also planned to recover with my family after surgery so that I could be close to UC Davis.
That GE Supply was sold and that I was going to lose my job anyway, that's why I went out on disability.
The Sedgwick CMS timeline is way off on this one. I was "out" prior to the sale of GE Supply to Rexel.
I found documents submitted by Scott LaFleur where he openly lied about certain information pertaining to aspects of my job.
Too bad, I wonder how Rexel / Gexpro will feel once my lawyers begin contacting their customers to get the "true story"? Scott LaFleur, you are busted, get a lawyer soon.
Comments by Bradford Greene that seem to indicate that Bradford was going to force be back to work under any circumstances while I was sick.
Like turning off my pay for 3 months and my receipt of a letter that my health insurance would be cancelled in June prior to my surgery?
Remember Bradford, that is the meeting that Grace Han attended in your absence. Ask Grace. she will remember.
The Sedgthugs talking about me being a "discipline problem"?
(Hmm, nothing in my performance evaluations that would indicate that) and it's none of their $#%&^@ business anyway.

I am very troubled and confused by all of the above and will be happy to let my new friends sort it all out for me.

Another aspect that I find troubling in the files, is the FACT that Sedgwick CMS and GE were continually "chattering" about my ADA case, my legal complaint against GE ( EEOC Stuff ) and other information that had no real bearing in regards to me being out on disability and awaiting surgery.

In the event that my personal health information (PHI) was disclosed to GE unlawfully to use for intelligence purposes regarding my ADA complaint with the EEOC, there is going to be serious legal ramifications.

I am probably worrying over nothing, as we all recall from Bradford Greene's letter of long ago, Bradford is an expert in ADA matters and needs no coaching from me. Or, maybe Bradford needs a good lawyer too.

Ideally in the end, if I can get "Those Little Devils" out from under the protection of Mother GE then maybe I can get them to apologize to me, in federal court, in person. We shall see.

Other than that I am still sick and very tired. I had hoped to conclude our long adventure here together soon, but have received many messages from our readers that want me to "keep up the good work".

GE NEWS

(enerpub, by James Quinn)

While all eyes on are the potential collapse of General Motors, another US industrial giant is tottering. GE stock has crashed.
------------------

(Minyanville Staff Nov 17, 2008 )

Could GE Collapse?

After Jeff Immelt has pocketed a cool $72.2 million of compensation between 2002 and 2007, Now what? THE NEXT STOP THE PUBLIC TROUGH and more of your money!

------------------

And for our doubting Thomas friends out there, go back and read the old blog's. Sorry but we said this was all coming!
Breaking up GE, or is it already broken? (May 2007, weblog)

Next stop the public trough! How much of your money will go down the GE and MetLife sinkhole? (Sept. 2008, Weblog)
And they were singin, Bye Bye miss American Pie, Bernanke and Paulson will laugh all the way to the bank. (Sept. 2008 Weblog)

Uncle Henry and Auntie Ben, You opened the Treasury and let em all in! (Sept. 2008 Weblog)

A word from Hoofy and BOO

-----------------------------

That's about it for this week friends and as always my family and I are very grateful for your support during these troublesome times. If not for the support of friends like You I would have simply given up a long time ago. Spend Your Money Wisely and if you want to stop "shorting" that's ok too.

See you next week,

IceRocket Tags: Jeff Immelt,GE,General Electric,Sedgwick CMS,David North,Bellevue IA,Wall Street,S&P,Stonepoint,Hellman Friedman,MetLife,SSDI Scams,GE Torture Center

Wine, Women and Frog legs for Investors, NO Benefits for YOU?

2011-07-26T06:05:00.001-07:00

del.icio.us Tags: GE,Rexel,GE Torture Center,Fraud,SSDI Scams,MetLife,Gregory Casamento,Locke Lord Losers,Paul Van Slyke,Jeff Immelt,Sedgwick CMS,David North,Gexpro

Reprint from November 27, 2007

Hello Friends,

Crab season is off to a great start here on the North Coast and has provided a panoply of meal choices here at home.

Thanks for stopping by, between bites of excellent crab sandwiches the team and I have news to share with you.

WEBSITES & WEBLOG NEWS

Wow friends, another month has flown by and it is time for the website / weblog round up for the month.

As always (thanks to friends like YOU) the website and weblog stats continue to grow in leaps and bounds. The stats remain very strong and lots of friends stopping by for a higher education. The ratio for international / domestic friend visitors is 3.5/1 with an abundance of international readership.

One recurring phenomenon that the team found particularly interesting is the number of search strings referring to the plane crash photo on the website. The picture is a toy airplane set against a sky backdrop that infers an eminent crash. We are not sure why all the interest in the picture but hey whatever makes YOU happy.

In other string news, many thanks goes out to friends at Rexel in Dallas, TX that continually type "Rexel sucks"as their search string, keep up the good work! (See Below)

The team tells me that Bradford's old boss, Joe Ruocco has popped up in the world of the strings and seems to be up and coming. I believe that my wife included Joe on the email that she sent to Campbell and Rice describing the EEOC situation, but as usual even old Joe couldn't muster an answer. Regardless of all that, welcome aboard Joe!

The November strings (wow there were lots) have been posted to the website for your reading pleasure and finally a nice howdy to Ms. Paladin, thanks for stopping by.

GE NEWS

US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' Investigation of General Electric.

Once again friends we have received news from our readers that is truly disconcerting. Al;though this particular information surfaced in July, (yes things do slip by for awhile without being spotted) we believe that is is extremely important that it is shared with our readers.

In reference to the link above, we found the following points truly worthy of scrutiny and serious consideration.

GE's failure to comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
General Electric's pattern of extortion and obstruction to influence outcomes in state and federal courts .
GE Capital's efforts to influence the United Airlines (UAL) bankruptcy proceedings so that union workers would be deprived of pension health benefits. what?

Take a look at the article above friends, pay particular attention to the sections that mention health care fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, theft or bribery involving programs receiving federal funds, obstruction of investigations and other possible violations.

The article written above was not authored by some "crackpot" and contains a link to examine federal court documents. Definitely worth a look!

We have serious questions about why GE would attempt to influence the UAL bankruptcy proceedings in order to screw employees out of pension health benefits. Obviously if it is true, it serves GE's bottom line in some fashion.

Pension benefits, we don't need no stinking pension benefits, I wish I made $16M yr, like Immelt.

We also found it interesting that the Department of Justice News reported that press releases that contained information regarding these issues were "scrubbed" from the internet.

As we have pointed out in many past weblog posts, GE will be at your bedside when you die and collect anything of value to settle YOUR healthcare bill.

if you truly care about your family and self, JUST SAY NO!

BRAIN TEASER, A conspiracy Theory?

DOJ news reports, press releases scrubbed from web while autopsies and death certificates raise questions related to national Medicare fraud probe.

This article is connected with the one above and will round out the entire picture.

REXHELL NEWS

REXEL WINS THE 2007 “INVESTOR RELATIONS DURING AN IPO” AWARD

Wow friends, our sources tell us that it was one hell of a party for French and Anglo-Saxon analysts and fund managers as our new, French best friends receive the coveted "investor relations during an ipo" award.

I can only imagine the treatment that those poor "investor types" received during the process. Cases of good french wine, frog legs aplenty and lots of R&R in a nice clean Paris Bordello. Where do I plunk down my dough! très gentil.

This whole thing seems like some type of Hollywood promo thing, entertainers giving themselves awards in an effort to look important for YOU.

No breaking news regarding the Hagemeyer deal as of yet, but we understand that things continue to move along and we wish our friends at Hagemeyer the best.

GE-XPROBLEM NEWS

Once again friends another exciting time at GEXPRO as sales continue to slump at year end with no good news in sight.

One of our sales friends at GE-XPROBLEMS tells us that once again "things" are being reorganized with new strategies, changes to compensation plans and a "push" to pull ahead future business for a reasonable year end finish.

Pulling business from future orders is no real new concept and has been done before at GE-XPROBLEMS. As I recall one of the last things that I experienced prior to my surgery and leaving was my boss relentlessly dogging people to pull business ahead so that he could achieve good numbers and get a bigger bonus check.

If I were a customer and it was year end, I would definitely watch for the old "ship all you can on the last business day of the year" trick. You Mr. Customer, might end up with a whole lot of things that you didn't need till the end of January and an invoice that hits your December books. Ouch!

The team and I continue to wait with baited breath for more information regarding the rumored sale of GE-XPROBLEMS. At this point mum seems to be the word of the day and nobody's talking.

Another possibility could be a private equity deal that would allow GE-XPROBLEMS to sever ties with Rexel and go it alone in the market, now that would be a true leap of faith.

We queried friends in the market but everybody seems to have the same information and it is being played close to the vest.

The team tells me that "Those Little Devils" have once again moved to a position of authority in the string department yielded by more "head hunter" searches. As always I would be happy to provide a thorough reference for "Those Little Devils" at YOUR request.

GE-XPROFESSIONAL

Another fine week here on the North Coast and the Crab season is off and running. One of my friends a "sport crabber" stopped by the other day and dropped off a dozen dungeness delights and the family went to cracking crab.

I made the decision to stop reporting each week on the medical information as I thought people may be tiring of it since there seems to be no significant movement. This has become a slow process and it has been a year (this month) since my surgery. Actually, there is progress, maybe not as fast as I would like but progress none the less.

I continue to "document" my condition weekly in hopes that the information will be useful to another that might be in a similar situation and is looking for some type of "baseline" for comparison.

I often wonder what the early days of my surgery and recovery would have been like if I worked for a decent company that gave a shit about people rather than trying to make me die in the process. The effect on my family has been terrible.

Some friends sent in the two articles featured in the GE section and I found the information quite interesting. "All of it" definitely deserves scrutiny as the allegations seem pretty severe to me. I especially disliked the part about GE trying to screw United Airlines employees out of their retirement health benefits. Figure that one out?

As friends continue to send in information weekly, we are convinced that all of this is truly making a difference. I doubt that GE will "change" tomorrow, probably never actually, as the inflow of information demonstrates that GE is rotten to the core.

On the EEOC front, the nice people at the EEOC continue to move ahead and collect more pertinent information regarding the current charges against GE. Although I can't discuss the specificity of the information being collected, I have been told that it is extremely compelling.

Wow, maybe one of "Those Little Devils" is looking to "make a deal" in order to save their own ass. My guess would be "The Flower" as he is on the bottom of the food chain and certainly not a blue blood like "The Most Educated" one. One man standing alone.

I guess if nothing else, I take solace in the fact that the pyramids and Great Wall of China were built one stone at a time by men just like me. With that in mind, one must remember that companies that behave like GE can also be removed in the same manner, one stone at a time.

Now that we are approaching year end our friends at GE and Rexhell are going to be looking for that big "end of year" business to fatten up the numbers and their bonus checks.

NOW is the time to drive that hard bargain as YOU have the power. Lowball them till they bleed, or just hold off placing that big order till the first week of January, that will definitely get their attention.

In closing, my family, the team and I thank YOU for your help and compassion in saying no to this type of unacceptable behavior. We can deconstruct companies like GE one stone at a time and truly make a difference for our fellow man.

See YOU next week,

IceRocket Tags: GE,Rexel,GE Torture Center,Fraud,SSDI Scams,MetLife,Gregory Casamento,Locke Lord Losers,Paul Van Slyke,Jeff Immelt,Sedgwick CMS,David North,Gexpro

November 7

2011-07-24T07:48:00.001-07:00

Reprinted from November 7, 2007

del.icio.us Tags: GE,General Electric,Jeff Immelt,David North,Sedgwick CMS Terror,Locke Lord Losers,Gregory Casamento Locke Lord,Paul Van Slyke,Harvey Siskind Losers,Seth Appel,Ian Boyd,GE Torture Center

Hello Friends,

Very nice sunshine, no fog and warm temperatures here on the North Coast. Thanks for stopping by, the team and I have news to share with you.

WEBSITES & WEBLOG NEWS

Another great week for the websites and blog as many friends stopped by for a higher education.

We had a few bugs publishing the blog and apologize to our friends that receive it via email. For some unknown reason, the image source tags didn't survive the trip around the group and when the "publish button" was pressed it initially published a partial weblog.

After some fancy foot work by the team things were corrected and all was well.

Some very interesting searches were being conducted and quite a few friends seemed to be interested in the Rexel / Hagemeyer information.

I believe that the good people at Hagemeyer will do what is best for their stakeholders and not be too offended by offers from possible take over attempts. Prudence pays, and there is always tomorrow.

GE Green, Bullshit Award

I imagine that at this point most have seen some piece of green programming that is scheduled this week compliments of our GE friends. Wow.

Fist off, I find it incomprehensible that GE would think that all of YOU are dense, stupid or so very shallow that any of this would be seen for anything less than supreme Ecnomagination.

Take a step back and a hard look. If you review the film on the Edelman Website it is quite clear GE states that Ecnomagination is not about social responsibility, its about the money. Remember many of our GE friends including Immelt spouting around town "green is green".

Now it's "green is universal", new spin, same old crap, don't fall for it!

Let's not forget that Universal is all about special effect, and with that, making things that are impossible look real to the viewer.

GE Develops 'Ecno-Dashboard' for Homeowners

Apparently our friends at GE claim to be developing tools that will help homeowners make some type of calculations in regards to their energy consumption. No doubt this will be counted in the $1.5B that GE claims to be spending on R&D for the Ecnomagination initiative. Sounds like a fancy tax write off, for something that others have already done.

Why not give me the $1.5B and I will produce something that will be useful for consumers, minimally impact the environment (like breathing) and involve renewable energy. So how about it!

GE jobs in New York

This is a nice story, I believe that GE will follow through on this. It would also be handy if someone checked the stats at the end of 2011 to see how much more GE actually did.

REXHELL NEWS

Hagemeyer holds firm, second Rexel offer refused.

We are happy here that Hagemeyer is holding firm and commanding an appropriate price in the market.

This would be an excellent time for "The Group" to invest in North America with the low Dollar and higher Euro one might possibly pick up a few silk purses that could pay handsome future returns.

As mentioned in previous weblog posts, "The Group" should be announcing the 3rd quarter numbers soon and we will have the analysis here for your review. We are quite excited to have one of our financial friends provide an un sanitized view for your pleasure.

GE-XPROBLEM NEWS

Word on the "street" has it that YOU are making a real difference in sending a message to GE-XPROBLEMS and it shows.

Our sources say that very minimal (one or two sentences) will be released by "The Group" next week, regarding Gexpro and that there maybe "reorganization in the air". This is unconfirmed but comes from a reliable source on the inside.

Certainly some solid information from "The Group" regarding GE-XPROBLEMS would be nice and would allow others to accurately asses the situation.

Now more than ever it seems that those on the consuming side of the fence want solid partnerships with suppliers. Minimal information is no longer acceptable as transparency seems to be the word of the day. Viva La fancy accounting.

GE-XPROFESSIONAL

Wow friends what a hub bub going on in the markets over the past few weeks. Actually its been going on for quite awhile. We received some interesting correspondence suggesting that people simply follow the money, search out the source as it were. . Where and what does our friend mean?

Actually, it is quite interesting to look a companies and see where the money actually resides. Private Equity, now that s the place for me. That's a world where the people that you think own or run the company report to those that really do.

In private equity for example, a company could have 20 different owners in a week and those dashing CEO's that man the helms of these man of wars, 20 new and different bosses as well.

Just who are people like Stan O'Neal, Charles Prince and others that are falling like dominos as a result of the economic debacle that is costing us all so much money?

I just can't seem to understand why these "great leaders" (look at what they get paid) can't say no. What the hell does that mean?

Simply, it means that when their bosses (equity managers / investors) tell them more, more, more they should have the testes to say no. Instead they continue to wiggle right into and Enron. Be honest boys, didn't your parents ever tell you this.

One of our financial friends is putting together a list of sorts that follows the money into the financial world for your review, and it should be done next week. Very cool.

Watch for big profit taking in the markets over the next days and week. Watch the talking heads do everything that they can to get oil over $100 bbl so that the carpetbags can be filled to capacity, with your money.

Well friends that's about it for now. From our perspective YOU are definitely making a difference in saying no to discrimination and that really helps.

As I continue to recover, I reflect each day on the care, compassion and devotion of our readers and the real difference that YOU have made for my family and me.

Thank you!!

IceRocket Tags: GE,General Electric,Jeff Immelt,David North,Sedgwick CMS Terror,Locke Lord Losers,Gregory Casamento Locke Lord,Paul Van Slyke,Harvey Siskind Losers,Seth Appel,Ian Boyd,GE Torture Center

General Electric – Supreme Court News, the Justices say, We are Tired of You!

2011-07-22T08:07:00.001-07:00

Reprinted from June 07, 2011

del.icio.us Tags: Jeff Immelt,General Electric,Gregory Casamento,Locke Lord Losers,Harvey Siskind Losers,GE Healthcare,Locke Lord Solutions,GE,EEOC,SSDI Scams,Discrimination,GE Torture Center,GE India

Hello Friends,

Some truly strange weather on the North Coast with rain, sun and a spinning jet stream mixing it all up. Thanks for stopping by, the team and I have news to share with you.

WEBSITES & WEBLOGS NEWS

An excellent week here is cyberspace with friends from near and far checking in for the latest news and views. A big, “Hello!” to friends checking in from Romania, Pakistan, Serbia, Switzerland, Japan, Germany, Greece, Mexico, Indonesia, Kuwait, Belgium, Russian Federation, UK, Canada, Australia, India, China and all the rest.

The team reports visits from the usual suspects at General Electric, Skank of America, the thugs at Sedgwick CMS, insurance company defense lawyers, GE lawyers, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sucks, the usual insurance industry mongrels, and the despised cast of despicable characters that are working around the clock to create the “lost generation” known as the American Middleclass. Welcome all!

Skank of America News

Moneyland reports – Florida Couple foreclose on Skank of America!

“In a modern-day evocation of David’s slingshot triumph over Goliath, a couple of foreclosed homeowners in Naples, Fla., reportedly foreclosed on a Bank of America branch last week, their attorney actually having moving trucks pull up in front of a Naples branch to execute a foreclosure judgment against the bank.”

This is an excellent story friends and I suggest all of our readers enjoy it.

You can also check out the video here

From PCB’s in the Hudson River, to Healthcare Horror,

Evilmagination ,

What’s on the surface belies the Danger that awaits Below

Reuters Reports

U.S. Supreme Court Rejects GE’s Challenge to EPA’s Clean Up Orders

“The U.S. Supreme Court Monday rejected General Electric Co.’s legal challenge to part of a federal law that gives the Environmental Protection Agency the power to order companies to clean up hazardous waste.”

One other “fun fact” in this story, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce business group supported GE. You remember them right? they are the guys that support off shoring jobs, unbalanced trade agreements and the erosion of the American Middleclass. We published an opinion piece here awhile back, happy reading!

Remember friends if we are not constantly vigilant, our rights, the environment and human rights will continue to be at risk from companies like GE.

Partners in Crime

Complicit in the facts?

You Decide!

See you next week,

IceRocket Tags: Jeff Immelt,General Electric,Gregory Casamento,Locke Lord Losers,Harvey Siskind Losers,GE Healthcare,Locke Lord Solutions,GE,EEOC,SSDI Scams,Discrimination,GE Torture Center,GE India

Harvey Siskind Losers at Work

2011-07-20T05:19:00.001-07:00

Big Victory For America’s Sick, Injured and Disabled Workers? And What’s The Cost?

The purpose of this blog is to express the ideas and opinions of its author relating to a lawsuit filed on behalf of Sedgwick Claims Management Services. It is my sincere desire that you and your colleagues will send a message to these characters and express your sincere disapproval of their actions and methods. If you are a thoughtful consumer of legal services, find another firm.

In wonderfully eclectic cities such as San Francisco and New York, the free speech and expression of ideas across all spectrums of the populations must be protected! How could these lads have got it so wrong? Please take the time to read on.

del.icio.us Tags: Jeff Immelt,General Electric,Gregory Casamento,Locke Lord Losers,Harvey Siskind Losers,Sedgwick CMS,Disability Discrimination,EEOC,SSDI Scams

Harvey Siskind LLP in San Francisco, California

Two of the key players in this obnoxious litigation are my two friends pictured below:

Seth Appel Ian Boyd

I must say that Seth and Ian pursued their work with much vigor, after all, A SLAPP lawsuit can be tricky business. Brutally stomping on the Civil Rights and Human Rights of disabled individuals calls for careful preparation, intimidation and the tenacity to burst forward in the face of losing odds. And the boys did just that. They Lost!

The first blow came when the United States District Court for the Northern District of California told the lads to “take a hike” in Re:

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
Case No. C 09-1468 HRL
FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT FOR
TRESPASS TO CHATTELS; COPYRIGHT
INFRINGEMENT; INTERFERENCE
WITH PROSPECTIVE ECONOMIC
ADVANTAGE; TRADE LIBEL;
DEFAMATION AND LIBEL; AND
UNFAIR COMPETITION

(Click on the image below linking to Citizens Media Law Project)

US District Court Judge Sandra Brown Armstrong, correctly, threw out most of the lawsuit as being a SLAPP and tossed out the ridiculous "copyright infringement" claim on the use of the photos, noting that it was certainly a case of fair use. Most impressive? The guy fighting Sedgwick and its big law firm won the case defending himself (pro se). (Tecdirt excerpt.)

And of course my friends, that should have ended the entire escapade, but not to be. I can only speculate on the motivation that propelled the lads incessantly forward; greed, the desire to kick some cripple’s ass, being pissed at losing, or maybe simple overzealousness in the application of the “Law”. Regardless of the reason, the lads decided to file an appeal on behalf of their despicable client, Sedgwick Claims Management Services to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

BuzzNet Tags: Ian Boyd,Seth Appel,Harvey Siskind,SLAPP,Rob Delsman familiesDelsman,9th Circuit Court of Appeals,San Francisco Lawyers,Bogus Lawsuit

Case No. 09-16809
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT
Appeal from the
U.S. District Court for the Northern
District of California
(No. 4:09-cv-01468-SBA)
(Click on the image below linking to Citizens Media Law Project)

Round two came as no surprise, simply because of the despicable nature of their client. For the past three years, I had been recovering from major thoracic surgery and at this point had returned to work only a few months earlier. I was still a very sick boy.

Almost immediately after the lads filed their appeal, legal scholars began buzzing on the internet with comments akin to:

“Remember that discussion a few months ago about how most lawyers apparently understood the Streisand Effect, and knew better than to file bogus lawsuits against individuals putting up "gripes" sites about their business? We've already seen that's not quite true, but it takes a special level of thoughtlessness to lose such a bogus lawsuit (badly) and then file an appeal. (Techdirt)

“Put this one in the "Are you kidding me?" file. Last month I blogged about Sedgwick Claims Management v. Delsman involving a small-time griper who had the temerity to cut-and-paste some company executive headshots to create his griping material. Sedgwick went after Delsman in a big way, hiring a big national firm (Lord Locke) to take Delsman down, apparently unaware of or unconcerned about the Streisand effect. Delsman defended pro se. Despite the long odds, Delsman nevertheless got a rousing dismissal of the claims. The court held the use of the headshots was a fair use (a clearly correct ruling, IMO), and the court casually tossed all of the other claims using California's anti-SLAPP law. (Eric Goldman Associate Professor of Law at Santa Clara University School.)

Shortly after the lads filed the appeal I was very fortunate to be contacted by Paul Alan Levy from the Public Citizen Litigation Group in Washington DC. Public Citizen and Mr. Levy agreed to represent me pro bono on the appeal in the 9th Circuit. Things were looking up! Mr. Levy and Mr. Nelson did a terrific job at preparing my reply brief and then the waiting game started. It took some time (over a year as I recall) and on March 21, 2011 the word came down from the 9th. Lower Court Decision AFFIRMED. The lads had lost again!

Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Northern District of California
Saundra Brown Armstrong, District Judge, Presiding
Submitted March 8, 2011**
Before: FARRIS, O’SCANNLAIN, and BYBEE, Circuit Judges
(Click on the image below to linking to Scribd)

“The Ninth Circuit gave Sedgwick a cool reception. In an unpublished 2 page memorandum opinion issued without oral argument, the court breezily told Sedgwick to buzz off. The entire substance of the ruling:

The district court properly dismissed Sedgwick’s defamation and trade libel claims under California’s anti-SLAPP statute because defendant Delsman’s conduct was in furtherance of his free speech rights in connection with an issue of public interest, and Sedgwick did not meet its burden of establishing a probability of prevailing on its claims. See Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 425.16; Ruiz v. Harbor View Cmty. Ass’n, 37 Cal. Rptr. 3d 133, 140-46 (Ct. App. 2005) (setting forth § 425.16 analysis, and concluding that defendant’s letter containing rhetorical hyperbole was free speech in connection with an issue of public interest and that plaintiff did not establish a probability of prevailing on his libel claim).

The court's final words are: "Sedgwick’s remaining contentions are unpersuasive." It would be hard for the Ninth Circuit to make their lack of interest in Sedgwick's appeal any clearer.” (Eric Goldman Associate Professor of Law at Santa Clara University School.)

Or, was all of this related to something entirely different? You Decide.

In closing, I hope that Seth and Ian are very proud of their work. During our brief interaction I nearly died due to the stress of all this BS, I lost nearly 70 pounds, tried to comfort my wife when she cried, told my children not to worry when we lost our house and felt a complete failure as a father when friends and neighbors had to bring us food to eat. Maybe next time you boys are sitting around yucking it up with your lawyer buds, you can tell the story of how you almost destroyed the Delsman family. Watch out for that karmic Boomerang..

del.icio.us Tags: Jeff Immelt,General Electric,Gregory Casamento,Locke Lord Losers,Harvey Siskind Losers,Sedgwick CMS,Disability Discrimination,EEOC,SSDI Scams

LLB&Losers - Losing Bogus Lawsuits, One SLAPP at a Time!

2011-07-19T07:29:00.001-07:00

del.icio.us Tags: Greg Casamento,Paul Van Slyke,Locke Lord Bissell,SLAPP,9th circuit court of appeals,Sedgwick Claims Management Services,Sedgwick CMS,David North,Bellevue IA,Gregory Casamento

IceRocket Tags: General Electric,Jeff Imm,GE

Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP New York, Houston, Texas

Three of the key players in this obnoxious litigation are my three friends pictured below

Locke Lord’s Deputy Internet “Lawman”

Greg Casamento

Locke Lord’s Top Internet “Lawman”

Paul Van Slyke

Locke Lord’s Junior Internet “Lawman”

R. James De Rose, III

IceRocket Tags: Locke Lord Bissell Liddell,Greg Casamento,Paul Van Slyke,Jimmy De Rose III,Torture,Terror,Intimidation,SLAPP,9th circuit court of appeals,destruction of american,Rob Delsman families,Gregory Casamento

I must say that Greg, Paul and Jimmy pursued their work with much vigor, after all, A SLAPP lawsuit can be tricky business. Brutally stomping on the Civil Rights and Human Rights of disabled individuals calls for careful preparation, intimidation and the tenacity to burst forward in the face of losing odds. And the boys did just that. They Lost!

The first blow came when the United States District Court for the Northern District of California told the lads to “take a hike” in Re:

(Click on the image below linking to Citizens Media Law Project)

Case No. 09-16809
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT
Appeal from the
U.S. District Court for the Northern
District of California
(No. 4:09-cv-01468-SBA)

(Click on the image below linking to Citizens Media Law Project)

Almost immediately after the lads filed their appeal, legal scholars began buzzing on the internet with comments akin to:

The district court properly dismissed Sedgwick’s defamation and trade libel claims under California’s anti-SLAPP statute because defendant Delsman’s conduct was in furtherance of his free speech rights in connection with an issue of public interest, and Sedgwick did not meet its burden of establishing a probability of prevailing on its claims. See Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 425.16; Ruiz v. Harbor View Cmty. Ass’n, 37 Cal. Rptr. 3d 133, 140-46 (Ct. App. 2005) (setting forth § 425.16 analysis, and concluding that defendant’s letter containing rhetorical hyperbole was free speech in connection with an issue of public interest and that plaintiff did not establish a probability of prevailing on his libel claim).

Or, was all of this related to something entirely different? You Decide.

In closing, I hope that Greg, Paul and Jimmy are very proud of their work. During our brief interaction I nearly died due to the stress of all this BS, I lost nearly 70 pounds, tried to comfort my wife when she cried, told my children not to worry when we lost our house and felt a complete failure as a father when friends and neighbors had to bring us food to eat. Maybe next time you boys are sitting around yucking it up with your lawyer buds, you can tell the story of how you almost destroyed the Delsman family. Watch out for that karmic Boomerang..

BuzzNet Tags: Gregory Casamneto,Locke Lord Bissell,Paul Van Slyke,SLAPP,9th Circuit Court of appeals,Rob Delsman,Harvey Siskind,Locke Lord Losers

del.icio.us Tags: General Electric,Jeff Imm,GE

GE, Terrorizing America’s Sick, Injured and Disabled Workers

2011-07-15T06:53:00.001-07:00

IceRocket Tags: GE,General Electric,Jeff Immelt,GE Torture Center,David North,Sedgwick CMS,Greg Casamento,Locke Lord Losers,Harvey Siskind Losers,Seth Appel,Ian Boyd,Paul Van Slyke,MetLife

Republished from August 29, 2009

Hello Friends,

An awesome week here on the North Coast as we say "See Ya" to several Fires that have been burning No. California forests. Clean Air and a Clear Sky Prevail.

WEBSITES & WEBLOG NEWS

Another fine week here for the websites and weblog, it's the usual mix for back to school week. All in all it looks like we will log about 3000 page loads for the month and this is truly excellent.
We received more interesting stories from readers this week and are working diligently to verify and publish.

The team tells me that we enjoyed visits from the usual suspects at GE, Sedgwick CMS and the people at MetLife. We were also happy to see some "lawmen" stopping by for a higher education and definitely receiving one.

GE, SEDGWICK CMS NEWS

More threats, more disinformation coming from our friends at the GE Disability Benefits Center in Eden Prairie MN and the nice people at MetLife. I received a threatening letter and (as predicted) the threat of immediate benefits suspension was the message.

In the body of the letter, GE claims that they have not received any medical information since November 2007, this is patently false. On February 11, 2008 my physician sent a complete report detailing my current status 14 months post surgery.

This letter contained all pertinent medical information to date and instructions for the GE Disability Benefits Center and MetLife to gather protected health information in the future.

Unfortunately, the GE Disability Center and other agents for MetLife sent forged documents to my physicians, then deny that they have received any medical information, and now once again resort to threats and coercion.

Due to the forgeries / fraud concerning the medical releases, I have advised ALL of my medical providers to contact me immediately on receipt of a medical release from anyone.

Furthermore, my family and I are not going to acquiesce to the unlawful demands perpetrated by GE and MetLife. Although we will probably lose all that we have (and right now that's not much) while we wait for justice we have contacted an excellent law firm that will "take our case" and immediately file suit against GE and MetLife upon termination of my benefits.

This lawsuit will also seek civil damages for the use of the forged / fraudulent documents regardless of any pending criminal investigation concerning GE or MetLife and the use of the documents.

The most important thing to remember in all of this friends is this; YOU will be treated exactly the same way if you do business with GE or MetLife, the horror stories are out there, do your homework.

In these "tense" economic times do you really want to spend your money with people that would lie, cheat and steal to get your money then leave you and your family penniless in the street. Thanks for just saying NO!

See you next week,

“Partners in Crime”

Complicit in the Facts?

You Decide

IceRocket Tags: GE,General Electric,Jeff Immelt,GE Torture Center,David North,Sedgwick CMS,Greg Casamento,Locke Lord Losers,Harvey Siskind Losers,Seth Appel,Ian Boyd,Paul Van Slyke,MetLife

GE, Terrorizing America’s Sick, Injured and Disabled Workers

2011-07-15T06:02:00.001-07:00

IceRocket Tags: GE,General Electric,Jeff Immelt,GE Torture Center,David North,Sedgwick CMS,Greg Casamento,Locke Lord Losers,Harvey Siskind Losers,Seth Appel,Ian Boyd,Paul Van Slyke,MetLife

Republished from August 29, 2009

Hello Friends,

An awesome week here on the North Coast as we say "See Ya" to several Fires that have been burning No. California forests. Clean Air and a Clear Sky Prevail.

WEBSITES & WEBLOG NEWS

GE, SEDGWICK CMS NEWS

This letter contained all pertinent medical information to date and instructions for the GE Disability Benefits Center and MetLife to gather protected health information in the future.

Due to the forgeries / fraud concerning the medical releases, I have advised ALL of my medical providers to contact me immediately on receipt of a medical release from anyone.

This lawsuit will also seek civil damages for the use of the forged / fraudulent documents regardless of any pending criminal investigation concerning GE or MetLife and the use of the documents.

See you next week,

IceRocket Tags: GE,General Electric,Jeff Immelt,GE Torture Center,David North,Sedgwick CMS,Greg Casamento,Locke Lord Losers,Harvey Siskind Losers,Seth Appel,Ian Boyd,Paul Van Slyke,MetLife

Immelt Quits Amid Turmoil

2011-07-14T06:23:00.001-07:00

del.icio.us Tags: Greg Casamento,Locke Lord Losers,Harvey Siskind Losers,Ian,Seth Appel,Jeff Immelt,General Electric,UC Davis,Sedgwick CMS,David North,Fraud,SSDI Scams,Jerry Zivic,GE Torture Center,Terrorism

Republished from October 26, 2008

Breaking News:
BENEFITS TERMINATED BY GE DISABILITY CENTER.

Appeal filed Read Appeal here.

(2) FRAUD PROBE:
Intensifies as St. Paul, MN. legal firm Heakox, Hartman, Mattiani, Koshmrl, Cosgriff & Johnson - P.A Attorneys at law connected to Investigation on Illegally Obtained (PHI) HIPAA Information! Attorney "work product" subject to disclosure, MN high court may rule.

(3) Flash Update, Bullshitter Jim Brault (MetLife Employee) comments on request for files!

(4) Flash Update , Bullshitter Jim Brault (MetLife Employee) Stumbles over Forged / Fraudulent medical releases.

Hello Friends,

Another fine week here on the North Coast with cooler temps, no wind and friends stopping by to drop off food. Thanks for stopping by, the team and I have news to share with you.

WEBSITES & WEBLOG NEWS

Well friends this has been one hell of a week here behind the Redwood Curtain and the "Super Spook Award" goes to none other than our own cyber expert "Mr. X".

As you may recall from a previous post "Mr.X" (too tired to find the back link in the blog) our cyber-man has concluded the BUST OF THE CENTURY on none other than a SCUM BAG law firm by the name of Heakox, Hartman, Mattiani, Koshmrl, Cosgriff & Johnson - P.A Attorneys at law. (Oh gosh I hope that they sue me for libel).

These losers represent none other than Sedgwick CMS, (see client list) and entered our stats program on StatCounter.com using my user name and password! (StatCounter is excellent, no slight intended)

Evidence: Here is where they came in,

mail.hhmkcj.com (216.70.3.170) [Label IP Address]
www.gesupplydiscrimination.com/files/htm1/sedgwick%20cms.shtml
my9.statcounter.com/project/standard/pageload.php?project_id=1896729

Here is probably how they obtained my user name and password:

The "dropper" planted the seed, then downloaded the trojan. Silly Me, I should scan everything all the time. I forgot the email address to local FBI office to send the "real info" to. Maybe they will read it here and call me.

Desperation Move by The GE Disability Benefits Center/ Sedgwick CMS/ Metlife?

Who in the hell Knows. By the way here is a letter that I received from the "disability lawyer that GE Hired for me " that I am going to fire on the 31st of October.

So Hey Zivic Dude, why do you want me to leave the date blank. Did Linda Warner or Jim Brault from the "GE Disability Center "tell you this was coming?

BENEFITS DENIED!!!

“Partners In Crime”

Complicit in the Facts?

You decide

IceRocket Tags: Greg Casamento,Locke Lord Losers,Harvey Siskind Losers,Ian,Seth Appel,Jeff Immelt,General Electric,UC Davis,Sedgwick CMS,David North,Fraud,SSDI Scams,Jerry Zivic,GE Torture Center,Terrorism

Social Security Scam Continues

2011-07-13T05:24:00.001-07:00

del.icio.us Tags: Greg Casamento,SSDI Scams,Sedgwick CMS,David North,GE,General Electric,Jerry Zivic,Zivic Solutions,Locke Lord,Harvey Siskind,Seth Appel,Ian Boyd,Jeff Immelt,GE Torture Center,discrimination,Locke Lord Losers,Harvey Siskind Losers,The Department of Homeland Scrutiny

Reprinted from November 15, 2009

Hello Friends,

A very nice week here on the North Coast with beautiful weekend weather and clear skies. Thanks for stopping by, the team and I have news to share with you.

WEBSITES & WEBLOGS NEWS

An excellent week for the websites and blogs with friends from near and far checking in for the latest news and views. The team reports visits from the usual suspects at GE, Gexpro, the thugs at Sedgwick CMS, the Travelers, United Heath Group and the usual dirty rotten scoundrels from the insurance industry. Welcome all!

The team was quite happy to see some federal friends checking in from the US Department of Labor, Social Security Administration, some internet spooks in DC and many state and local government agencies. It is very encouraging that those who spend our hard earned tax dollars are taking a hard look at the Sedgbeast and choosing to just say no.

We received a fair amount of correspondence over the past couple of weeks and the team has been busily working on replies to all of our friends seeking information. I believe that we are making serious progress.

TOP STORY:

Sedgwick CMS / MetLife Shyster
"Scary Jerry" Zivic Seriously Drops the SSDI Ball

As most of our regular readers will recall, the thugs at Sedgwick CMS and MetLife have continually tried to force me out of any productive life style, for over three long years now, to waste away on Social Security (after they collect their cut of the money).

This past week I attended a video conference at the SSA office here in Eureka. The conference was with the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) at the Social Security Administration in San Francisco. And the purpose was (as we well know) to appeal once again, now three times to get Sedgwick CMS and MetLife the money.

"Scary Jerry" Zivic was the SSDI attorney that I was forced to use under threat and coercion from MetLife and Sedgwick CMS to handle my claim. As you may recall, I fired "Scary Jerry" for lying to me regarding his relationship with Sedgwick and MetLife and his involvement in the forged medical release caper as well.

So there I was talking to the judge, shortly after being sworn in and began to tell my story. At first the ALJ seemed annoyed and stopped me asking if I shouldn't be represented by a lawyer. I told the judge that I had a lawyer but I fired him. The judge asked why I fired "Scary Jerry" so I continued to recount the Sedgwick / MetLife / "Scary Jerry" story and how I was being forced against my will to participate in this entire process.

Once again the ALJ stopped me and said. ' Mr. Delsman we have a pressing problem here, YOUR LAWYER NEVER PROVIDED ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION, THERE IS NOTHING IN YOUR FILE EXCEPT A FEW PAGES FROM YOUR PHYSICIAN.'

The ALJ went on to say that he understood why I had fired "Scary Jerry" as Zivic never submitted any medical information with my initial claim, the appeal, the second claim, and the final appeal to the ALJ at the SSA.

At this point, the ALJ was very interested in the "rest of the story" regarding the actions of the GE Disability Benefits Center, Sedgwick CMS and MetLife. I was instructed to provide all of the information that I had in my possession so that it could be reviewed by the ALJ and sent on to the SSA Office of the Inspector General. Nice!

One very interesting comment that the ALJ said to me in closing was, 'in my fifteen years on the bench, I have never listened to a story like this and we are certainly going to follow up with you.

So friends I have been busily scanning all of the documents that I have as well as the entire claims file that the GE Disability Benefits Center and the GE lawyers were kind enough to provide some time ago. Oh by the way I still don't want the money and if the GE Disability Benefits Center, Sedgwick CMS or MetLife wishes to continue they can sue me.

Otherwise maybe they can find another way to rob the US Tax Payers and the Social Security Administration. And yes "Scary Jerry" I am filing another complaint with the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission.

“Partners In Crime”

Complicit in the Facts?

You decide

See you next week,

IceRocket Tags: Greg Casamento,SSDI Scams,Sedgwick CMS,David North,GE,General Electric,Jerry Zivic,Zivic Solutions,Locke Lord,Harvey Siskind,Seth Appel,Ian Boyd,Jeff Immelt,GE Torture Center,discrimination,Locke Lord Losers,Harvey Siskind Losers,The Department of Homeland Scrutiny

Comments from the Crime Log

2011-07-12T06:01:00.001-07:00

del.icio.us Tags: Jeff Immelt,GE,General Electric,Fraud,Greg Casamento,Locke Lord,Harvey Siskind,Ian Boyd,Seth Appel,Paul Van Slyke,Canada,India,Pakistan,Russian Federation,France,Hong Kong,Germany,China,VietNam,Oman,Thailand

Reprinted from November 27, 2010

Update:

Former Assistant Vice President of GE Capital Files $10 Million Lawsuit After Being Punished for Revealing Fraud

Marauder Immelt, band of desperados named as defendants in "Book Cooking Scheme" by former GE Capital VP

Download Complaint Here

Hello Friends,

Cool and clear on the North Coast this week with the morning temperatures dropping into the Forty's. Time to throw another log on the fire and pull up a chair. Thanks for stopping by, the team and I have news to share with you.

Comments from the Sedgwick Claims Crime Log

The team and I decided that a few choice comments from the Sedgwick CMS Crime Log were the order of the day and have been provided for your review.

" Rob,
This is a great website and I am both glad and sad to see that I am not alone in this fight. I have been with AT&T for 10 years and have been a good employee. I am 33 and in the last year was diagnosed with Terminal Breast Cancer. I have four children dependent upon me for their support and care. I also have suffered domestic violence issues. In June of this year I became severely depressed and went out of work for depression. I was denied originally and on appeal stating that although these were issues that could cause depression they are not issues that would affect work. I have not received a check since june and am unable to pay my bills.
I am devastated to say the least, and really would be thankful for any information or resources you feel would be helpful."

and

" Anonymous said...

I am absolutely standing up for not just myself as a dedicated senior adjuster, but for every adjuster who has had to "make the Insured/employers" happy and perform adjusting tatics that are not legal at the request of many employers who Sedgwick administers benefits for. I feel for the injured and their families. It makes me sick. Don't give up the fight. Together we will prevail somehow."

*

For whatever reason friends our government has seemingly abandon America's sick, injured and disabled workers to the wolves of insurance bad faith, crooked TPA's and self-insured employers that would leave a devoted worker permanently maimed for profit. I have no words for it.

We must all continue to keep these stories circulating by whatever means possible to help not only our injured friends, but those that choose to just say no to illegal practices and in doing so put themselves at risk as well.

"Partners in Crime"

or

Complicit in the Facts?

let your conscience be your guide

What kind of world have we made for our children?

Just say No to those that have contributed to the destruction of the American Dream!

See you next week,

IceRocket Tags: Jeff Immelt,GE,General Electric,Fraud,Greg Casamento,Locke Lord,Harvey Siskind,Ian Boyd,Seth Appel,Paul Van Slyke,Canada,India,Pakistan,Russian Federation,France,Hong Kong,Germany,China,VietNam,Oman,Thailand

GE and Sedgwick CMS Taking Aim at America's Veterans

2011-07-11T06:06:00.001-07:00

IceRocket Tags: Malaysia,Japan,Russian Federation,Spain,France,EU,Pakistan,India,Singapore,New Zealand,Monaco,Thailand,Hong Kong,China,Kuwait,Mexico,Netherlands,Jeff Immelt,General Electric,GE,Sedgwick CMS,David North,Greg Casamento,Locke Lord,Harvey Siskind,USMC,Marine Corps,Veteran's rights,US Veterans

This Article was originally published October 15, 2008

Special Report:

Fortunately for one of my friends "Gus", training as a Marine Corps officer and pilot has prepared him for one of the most difficult battles of his life. Not a battle in Iraq or Afghanistan, no this enemy combatant is right here at home and none other than the thugs at Sedgwick CMS.

Gus now 57, graduated from Cal. State Northridge with a degree in Biology in1973. Upon graduation Gus was commissioned an Officer in the Marine Corps and served for 3.5 years on active duty being released in late 1976.

Upon being released from the Marine Corps, Gus spent 5 years at Procter and Gamble then 20 years at what is now AT&T as an engineer.

Beginning in 1989 Gus began complaining to the doctors that his ears hurt. After about 200 doctors and 11 failed surgical procedures (including “minor’ brain surgery) it became clear (to Gus and a few elite doctors) that Gus had problems with multiple cranial nerves. The generic term for this is Neuralgia.

There are 12 cranial nerves on each side of the brain numbered 1 to 12 (how original). Generally speaking it is widely accepted that neuralgias of the cranial nerves can and do cause some of the worst pain known to the practice of medicine. Gus has problems (based upon the trigger points for his pain with the 5th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 11th nerves, bilaterally (both sides of the brain).

Gus' brother is a surgeon and because of his inside knowledge of the “medical system” Gus has seen the best of the best, that the medical profession could offer, all to no avail.

Gus went on to explain, "there are multiple “trigger points” and stimuli (heat, cold, touch, noise, speaking, riding in a car, etc) that make the pain worse (it is always present to one degree or another). 95% of the pain I experience is referred to (felt) in my ears. Sometimes I can feel it originate in my shoulders, and it feels as though my shoulders are connected to my ears with “strings” but most of the pain is still in my ears. This is typical for cranial neuralgias. It’s much like you are diving down in water (or going up or down in an aircraft) and can’t clear (equalize the pressure) in your ears, but, much, much worse."

Gus has always been very active and pushed himself to the limits both in the Marine Corps and as a civilian. "I have soloed a twin engine jet and sailed a 38 foot sailboat, alone, in gale force winds. I’ve had to stop all of these activities due to the pain I experience on a daily basis."

Gus explains, "At one point I was taking 270 mg/day of Methadone. When I realized it was not a long term solution, I tapered off and quit using pain killers period,(an issue that Sedgwick managers constantly question as if you aren’t taking pain killers or any meds you can’t be in serious pain. Wrong. The “cure” is simply worse than the disease!"

After hearing this part of Gus' story I said, " I hear you there brother, I took Methadone for almost a year pre and post surgery and went off cold turkey as well only at a smaller dose. I threw up, cried, couldn't sleep, had the shakes and wanted to die for about a month. And throughout this wonderful experience, I had Sedgwick relentlessly fu@#&ng with me as well. I am grateful that I just didn't give up and die from all the bullshit, I came really close."

I went on to say, "ya know Gus, God made the Opium Poppy but the devil made Methadone!"

Gus continued, "after taking my last Methadone (we flushed over 400 pills down the toilet), I ended up in an “insane asylum” for anxiety and depression. The “professionals” there told me “no one can stop taking 270/mg/day of methadone without professional intervention."

" I told ‘em: I may be anxious and severely depressed (side effects of detoxification) but I can still count and multiply. 27 times 10 is 270 mg. Any questions?" Gus continued," I also went through 17 electro convulsive shock therapy treatments (shock therapy) in an effort to mitigate the affect of my condition."

"So, eventually about 5 years ago it got to the point that I could no longer work (I had been working from home for about 3 years at that point as driving is one of the big triggers for the pain I experience) and was unable to make the long commute to the office. That’s when my experience with Sedgwick began."

"Sedgwick, in spite of all of the documentation I have sent (OVER 2000 pages of physician notes and reports) Sedgwick, has continuously questioned the legitimacy of my illness. These are people that have no medical training, can’t begin to understand the problem, can’t treat me or even recommend a treatment and have now terminated my pay and benefits.

After five years of fighting with Sedgwick CMS, Gus has lost the battle but the war continues. Sedgwick CMS does the usual DENIAL! And Sedgwick CMS is even considerate enough to tell Gus he can't sue them until they say he can.

Did you also know that GUS is a prisoner in his own home. That's right, Gus has to get permission from Sedgwick CMS to travel more that 60 miles from home or it's BENEFITS TERMINATED TIME!

Gus files his appeal (story next week)

After all friends, it's much easier to support the troops "Sedgwick Style" when they come home, "Kill em with Sedgwick Kindness"!

------------------------------------

** Don't forget to stop by and say, "Hi" to David North (Sedgwick CMS CEO) at the Workers' Compensation in the Federal Workplace Conference in Las Vegas, NV (Nov 18-21) at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Tuesday, Nov 18, 1 – 5 p.m.

Opening Keynote
The Great Workers' Comp Debate ’08
David A. North, President and CEO, Sedgwick CMS, Memphis, Tenn.

General Electric and Iran: CEO Jeffrey Immelt is killing American troops in Iraq

Excerpt from Boots in Baghdad, a grunts life Blog

General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt admits General Electric is doing business with Iran.
Iran has been sending platter charge improvisational explosive devices, also known as Explosively Formed Penetrators, into Iraq that have been maiming and killing American soldiers and marines since I was there in 2005. They have also made continuing and substantial fiscal contributions in support of anti-American and anti-Iraqi forces.

It is the policy of the Iranian government, approved to the highest levels of that government, to facilitate the killing of American's in Iraq." - CIA Director General Michael Hayden.
Despite such realities, one of America's largest and most respected corporations continues to do business with Iran. Some business even relates to defense technologies.

Well friends shocking to say the least. This is what American Military Personnel have reported. Does anyone care? Are our American young people nothing more than fodder for the GE Machine? Apparently Immelt and the GE investors must think so.

I took some time this week to speak to an Iraq veteran that returned without physical injury, but carries the pain from the death of his comrades. When we finished, I was left with a sense of sickness that I feel in my soul.

I deeply appreciate our team's efforts in bringing these stories to you and without your help these horrific activities will continue unabated.

You can make a difference, how? Start "shorting" the following stocks really hard (FNF), (EVR), (UNH) (GE), (MET). This might just get the attention of David North and Jeff Immelt and you just might make a load of dough in the process. Our guess is that GE will be <$10 by the end of the year.

See you next week,

del.icio.us Tags: Malaysia,Japan,Russian Federation,Spain,France,EU,Pakistan,India,Singapore,New Zealand,Monaco,Thailand,Hong Kong,China,Kuwait,Mexico,Netherlands,Jeff Immelt,General Electric,GE,Sedgwick CMS,David North,Greg Casamento,Locke Lord,Harvey Siskind,USMC,Marine Corps,Veteran's rights,US Veterans

Does Jeff Immelt Belong in Jail?

2011-07-05T05:54:00.001-07:00

del.icio.us Tags: Jeff Immelt,GE,General Electric,Greg Casamento,Locke Lord,Harvey Siskind,David North,Sedgwick CMS,Discrimination,Barack Obama,Fraud,SSDI

Reprint from March 12, 2010

Hello Friends,

The surfs up, cool days and strong winds here on the North Coast, but all in all not too bad. Thanks for stopping by, the team and I have news to share with you.

WEBSITES & WEBLOGS NEWS

An interesting week here in real space with friends from everywhere checking in for a higher education and definitely not disappointed.

The team reports extremely strong stats with friends from the banking industry, federal and state agencies, law firms aplenty from near and far and most importantly YOU!

We enjoyed visits from the usual suspects at GE, GEXPRO, the thugs at Sedgwick CMS, the Sedglawyers, some money grubbing insurance company scum and the typical cast of despicable characters that would likely be found to stop and stare at an auto accident. Welcome all!

Rob's Quote for the week

"Jeff Immelt, You Suck and Belong in Jail"

Now you might think that those are some mighty strong words friends and indeed they are. After reading the article below, if you find my comments to be out of order please email me and I promptly won't give a damn.

Portions of the article below were reproduced from the Labor Network for Sustainability Blog and I would encourage all to take a look.

The article is entitled:

GE’s Dirty Green Jobs

Link to article here

As I was holding and photographing the "tools of the trade" pictured above, the immutable sense of horror and shame was complete . A piece of our history that should bring extreme consternation and fear to all human beings.

So shocking to me. In the past few years that General Electric Company, under the leadership of Jeff Immelt could perpetrate such brutal acts of terror and human rights violations as described below.

The following dialogue is not for the faint of heart as it contains allegations of extreme racism, profanity and the most unconscionable behavior to be imagined in 21st Century America.

United States District Court
Southern District of Alabama

First Amended Complaint
. Jury Trial Demanded
09 CV 00226 (MRO)

Charlie Floyd Abney, Jerral Armstrong, Timmothy Jerrell
Ball, Karlos T. Beasley, Robert James Beasley, Calvin First Amended
Belton, Curtis Blount, Clarence Bright, Harvey F. Brown
Wymus Clausell, Johnny Dale, Antonio Denson, Jamie L.
Echols, Tyrell Finklea, Carl Green, Carlos Hicks, Charles
Hurst, Donald Johnson, Sylvester D. Johnson, Floyd Jones
Charles S. Kidd, Taquann Knight, James Lee, Willie Green
Lee, Frederic Left, Mark O. Lewis, Eddie James Locke,
James Marshall, Michael McMillian, Jonas Murphy, Leslie
Packer, Admiyan Parker, Adrian Parker, Chris Parker,
Darren Parker, Joe Parker, Joseph Parker, Nicholas Parker,
Reginald Richardson, Wilbert Richardson, Kevin Riley,
Antwan Rivers, Lee Rivers, Christopher Scott, Quincy
Tyrone Scott, Chill Sigler, Lee Sigler, Lloyd Sigler,
Timothy Eugene Sigler, Willie Lee Sigler, Jasper Smith,
Mattie Smith, Tereyus Fortae' Smith, Carling Snell,
Kendrick Spencer, George Lee Stots, Joe Stots, Anthony
Stovall, Delano Marcel Taite, Robert Walker, Eddie
Williams, Jr., and Augusta Winters,

Plaintiffs,

-against-
General Electric Company and
BHA Group, Inc.,
Defendants.
(download complaint here)

Parties and Facts:

The 62 Plaintiffs live in or around Monroeville, AL, with the exception of
Calvin Belton, who lives in Milton, FL.
Plaintiffs are African-American.
Most lack secondary education, are poor and underemployed.
Plaintiffs desperately needed the employment provided by defendants and were therefore vulnerable to abuse.

Allegations:

While under the control and supervision of a GE employee named in the complaint, the plaintiff's suffered as follows:

He called them “niggers” and other racial slurs. He used racial slurs
constantly when working with plaintiffs. He spoke openly and loudly about his contempt for African-Americans as workers. He openly stated his belief that African-Americans were inferior workers.
Commenting that “’black folks’ don’t work for no body, won’t do nothing;”
Getting right in plaintiffs faces, cussing, and calling them “stupid workers;”
Stating, “you damn black ass niggers;”
Commenting, “Ya’ll ‘niggers’ ain’t doing shit right;”
Refusing to allow them to go to the bathroom, and threatening to fire them if they did, because of his belief that all African-Americans are lazy.
Threatening (and following through) that “niggers’ [are] getting fired,”
and “don’t need niggers for this;”
Stating, “this is your last job; I won’t have to work with those niggers no
more;”
Initially refusing to call an ambulance when Plaintiff Kevin Riley had a
seizure;
Commenting, when Plaintiff OJ McMillan got sick and needed diabetic
medicine, that he “didn’t want no more Niggers with him because he had to be taken to a doctor;”

And much more. The full details are contained above in the link to the first amended complaint.

Not surprisingly, Jeffguano Immelt has a pack of GE lawyers doing all things possible to deny these plaintiffs "their day" in court, so very GE.

According to the plaintiff’s lawyer Daniela Nanau, a senior attorney at the Law Offices of Joshua Friedman in New York:

"The racial abuse went way beyond slurs. One of the victims suffered a nervous breakdown, was hospitalized as a result, and has not been able to work since. None of our clients, who worked their whole lives in Monroeville, AL, had ever experienced anything like this before. The most powerful industrial organization on the planet took advantage of their poverty, lack of education and opportunity. When they complained, they were sent home by their GE supervisor. Written complaints to his manager were literally forgotten"

Jeff Immelt's America is not my America and Jeff Immelt's GE was never my GE. Ask Barack Obama, “what the hell are you doing man? Immelt doesn’t belong running our government!

If YOU don't "Just Say No" who will?

“Partners in Crime”

Complicit in the Facts?

You Decide

IceRocket Tags: Jeff Immelt,GE,General Electric,Greg Casamento,Locke Lord,Harvey Siskind,David North,Sedgwick CMS,Discrimination,Barack Obama,Fraud,SSDI

Time to Review our Independence?

2011-06-30T07:39:00.001-07:00

del.icio.us Tags: General Electric,GE,Jeff Immelt,Greg Casamento,Locke Lord,Sedgwick CMS,David North,Bank of America,Goldman Sachs,Barack Obama

Happy Independence day Friends.

I hope that all of our US readers will take the time to reflect on the foundation of our country and the values that we as citizens espouse daily.

See you next week,

IceRocket Tags: General Electric,GE,Jeff Immelt,Greg Casamento,Locke Lord,Sedgwick CMS,David North,Bank of America,Goldman Sachs,Barack Obama

Why Does GE Suck?

2011-06-22T03:36:00.001-07:00

del.icio.us Tags: Jeff Immelt,General Electric,GE,Sedgwick CMS,University of Cincinnati,Bresler,Masterson,Andrea Smith,David North,GE Torture Center,Psycho Rape,France,India,Canada,Philippines,Indonesia,Republic of Korea,Singapore,Japan,Kuwait,Serbia,Pakistan,Belgium,Mexico,Nigeria,Australia,Saudi Arabia,Romania,Russian Federation,Monaco,GE Sucks,Switzerland

Hello Friends,

A very strong week here in cyberspace with friends checking in for the latest news and views.

A hearty, “hello” to friends from US, France, India, Canada, Philippines, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Japan, Kuwait, Serbia, Pakistan, Belgium, Mexico, Nigeria, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Romania, Russian Federation, Monaco, Switzerland and all the rest.

The team reports visits from the usual suspects at General Electric, MetLife, The thugs at Sedgwick CMS, Goldman Sachs, Target Corp., Ameriprise Financial, AIG, insurance company defense lawyer scum and the usual cast of TPA trash that would prefer to cheat a legitimate claimant, than pay them. Welcome all!

Another round of legal wrangling in the Andrea Smith Forced Interrogation Smith Case.

So just why does GE suck? That’s an interesting question my friends. Is it because GE has produced or marketed dangerous medical products, defective consumer products, substandard aviation products? Probably, but that’s not what this particular story is about. This story is about the human wreckage, that are good and decent GE employees, left behind as GE’s human garbage.

Evilmagination at work

The “good doctors”

Dr.Moreau ( we know who you really are), Brian Masterson MD and Scott Bresler Ph.D.

As you know friends, we have been following the case of GE employee Andrea Smith and her fight for civil rights against Doctor Moreau Immelt’s GE and it’s medical minions. For those friends that are not up to speed on this case check out the links below:

A brilliant response was filed by Ms. Smith’s legal team tearing into the heart of the loose “collection of characters theory” (excerpt below).

“University of Cincinnati Institute for Psychiatry and Law is not a legal entity capable of being sued. Rather, it is an association of professionals with connection to the University of Cincinnati.”

And yes, the now infamous video of the forced interrogation session conducted at the University of Cincinnati is in the possession of the plaintiff’s lawyers. Although I have not viewed the video friends, reading the Plaintiff’s response to the “loose collection of characters” motion to dismiss, leaves no doubt in our minds. GUILTY AS CHARGED!!

Excerpts:

“At the conclusion of the unnecessarily invasive forensic evaluation, Drs.Bresler and Masterson informed Ms. Smith that she was not a danger to herself or anyone else. (Id. at 62). At the end of the evaluation, when plaintiff was exhausted mentally and emotionally,the doctors took advantage of the condition their interrogation of her had caused and outrageously offered to negotiate a “severance” for plaintiff from GE which plaintiff neither requested nor desired and which she rejected, evidencing their lack of objectivity and collusion with GE in the process. (Id. at ¶63).
This evaluation amounted to nothing more than a unnecessary and outrageous psychological “rape” of plaintiff at GE’s direction and with the doctors’ participation and collusion intended to cause her serious mental distress and emotional damage and provide a pretext for keeping plaintiff out of work on a psychological disability. (Id. at ¶64).
Defendants Institute, Bresler and Masterson conspired with and enabled GE to violate plaintiff’s rights and discriminate against her in a manner that would not have been possible by GE alone by providing a report regarding plaintiff’s psychological status that they manipulated to reflect GE’s desired result to allow GE to retaliate against plaintiff, and to discriminate against her based upon her disability or perceived disability by precluding her from returning to work for an extended period of time. (Id. at ¶116)
.
Further, Defendants University of Cincinnati Institute of Psychiatry and Law, Bresler and Masterson outrageously and knowingly used and perverted the proper and professional processes of psychiatric evaluation to intimidate and inflict emotional injury on plaintiff by interrogating plaintiff for hours in a combined or “tag team” method to exhaust her and increase her psychological symptoms; by inquiring into plaintiff’s sexual relationships which were .unrelated to her fitness and ability to perform the essential functions of her job.
In The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law (Vol. 36, #4, Nov. 2008 Supplement), “AAPL Practice Guideline for the Forensic Evaluation of PsychiatricDisability”, Section II, General Aspects of Disability Evaluations, Subsection (B)(4) Forced Employee Evaluations, the authors note at pp. S10 - S11:2 An employer may attempt to force and employee to undergo a psychiatric examination for non-psychiatric reasons. In the event of workplace conflict, an employer may attempt to discredit or even terminate an employee by claiming that the employee is mentally unstable. In the course of such a conflict, the employee who poses a problem for reasons other than mental health may be forced to undergo a fitness-for-duty evaluation. A retaliatory referral for psychiatric evaluation is occasionally made after the employee lodges a complaint of harassment or discrimination. The stigma attached to a psychiatric evaluation may itself be used to discredit the employee.
Such practices are potentially damaging to the employee and represent a misuse of psychiatry. [Psychiatrists] should be sensitive to the possibility that their expertise may be misused this way. The nature of such an evaluation is often intrusive and distressing. Moreover, such referrals raise questions of ethics that are not easily answered, given that assessments under these circumstances may be inherently unethical, analogous in many respects to the performance of unnecessary surgery.

Link to above article @ www.jaapl.org/archive

I hope that our readers will take the time to fully read this response and feel the depth of depravity claimed against these defendants.

In closing friends I would ask you to simply examine your conscience and ask this question. Based on the information above do you think that Jeff Immelt is the best man to protect American workers and their jobs? Is he the best man to “jump start” our economic engine?

If your answer is no, tell Obama enough is enough or there will be changes come election time, regardless of the amount of campaign money he spends!

“Partners in Crime”

Complicit in the Facts?

You Decide!

See you next week,

IceRocket Tags: Jeff Immelt,General Electric,GE,Sedgwick CMS,University of Cincinnati,Bresler,Masterson,Andrea Smith,David North,GE Torture Center,Psycho Rape,France,India,Canada,Philippines,Indonesia,Republic of Korea,Singapore,Japan,Kuwait,Serbia,Pakistan,Belgium,Mexico,Nigeria,Australia,Saudi Arabia,Romania,Russian Federation,Monaco,GE Sucks,Switzerland