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CalPERS: Don't Invest in War Profiteers - THURS Press Conference
Linked to groups: Sacramento For Democracy
Please join members of Sacramento for Democracy, the Sacramento Coalition to End the War and True Majority, tomorrow
Thursday, June 19th - 9:30 AM
The Robert Carlson Auditorium (400 Q Street)
Downtown Sacramento
As we deliver 20,000 signatures to ask CalPERS to divest in war profiteer, KBR (former Halliburton subsidiary). Yesterday, the New York Times reported that a U.S. Army official who managed the Pentagon’s largest contract in Iraq said he was ousted from his job when he refused to approve paying more than $1 billion in questionable charges to KBR. Read the full story here.
More details on why CalPERS should divest are below.
Sign the True Majority petition here.
Can you spend 30 minutes tomorrow morning to send the message that CalPERS should not invest in war profiteers?
In solidarity!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - June 18, 2008
Contact: David Elliot - 202-263-4567
20,000 petitioners ask CalPERS Thursday to get tough
on KBR, Iraq War’s biggest war profiteer, now
linked to massive fraud, rape and massacre
SACRAMENTO, CA – The California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) will be asked by more than 20,000 petitioners to hold KBR – the largest contractor in Iraq – accountable for a growing list of misdeeds as a war profiteer when CalPERS meets Thursday at its Full Board meeting.
A PRESS CONFERENCE is set for THURSDAY at 9:30 a.m. at the Robert Carlson Auditorium (400 Q Street) at the start of the CalPERS meeting. Petitions will be presented by anti-war activists from Sacramento for Democracy and Sacramento Coalition to End the War.
The action comes just two days after the New York Times reported that a U.S. Army official who managed the Pentagon’s largest contract in Iraq said he was ousted from his job when he refused to approve paying more than $1 billion in questionable charges to KBR.
KBR, the former Halliburton subsidiary, has faced scrutiny recently because of allegations its employees took part in a massacre of Iraqi civilians, engaged in no bid contracts, hid money in offshore tax havens and took part in unethical war profiteering. Other large KBR shareholders include Colorado Public Employees, New York State Teachers Retirement System, Ohio Public Employees Retirement System and Texas Teacher Retirement System.
The petitions were gathered by TrueMajority.org, a project of USAction. “Investing public pension funds in a company accused of massive fraud and war profiteering isn’t good economics and it’s not good for America,” said Matt Holland, TrueMajority.org online director.
“As the largest contractor in Iraq, KBR has failed to pay hundreds of millions in taxes through offshore tax havens, and past employees have testified of massive fraud which is costing the American people billions of dollars. Public pension funds should not be used to shore up unethical, irresponsible and immoral behavior,” he added.
“How does CalPERS know it is shielded from liability if a new administration actually holds KBR accountable for waste and fraud?” Asked Karen Bernal, USAction/TrueMajority.org member/Sacramento for Democracy spokesperson, adding “If KBR is held accountable and subject to fines or other penalties, will retired state employees end up with the tab?”
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if you wanna do lunch, Kiddo ;-)
is/was very much a military town. Mather (Strategic Air Command) AFB was on the south edge and McClellan (Logistics Command) AFB was on the north edge. Some of my best days were when m ol' man was stationed at McClellan.
I am glad Sac City is an activist town.
thanks for the facts on pension management, which you left on last nights thread. Very interesting.
- Pension funds and economic power
By Stephen Crockett on Jun 18, 2008 1:57 PMBefore The Taft-Hartley Act was passed in the 1940's. pension funds were controlled by unions instead of corporations. Because that law was passed, the pension funds were no longer considered the property of workers but instead were considered the property of the corporations.
Since Reagan, the Supreme Court ruled that corporations could take money out of these funds if they considered them over-funded. Many have and later it turns out they were never over-funded but the money was gone when the corporations folded.
If Taft-Hartley was never passed, worker organizations would own 1/3rd of all stocks on Wall Street. We would have a much different type of corporate management and behavior. The political impact would have been HUGE!
annilow for the good thoughts for my dad
and Monica for the invite to stay over if I can make the Unity Day Event, I'll let you know by end of tomorrow.
Hope there's good coverage of the petition being delivered, the war profiteering by KBR and others needs to be addressed.
6', handsome, and the best dad ever!
thanks Paine. He was supposed to have a defibrilator put in today but they called it off last week due to too much congestion, the COPD thing. He had a doc appt. Monday and got tossed into the hospital for breathing treaments and whatnot. He didn't want me to worry and told my mom not to call. My concern is that we're stepping into a downward spiral phase, he really needs that surgery cuz the ticker isn't operating properly ~ it wasn't done earlier because of a 90 day waiting period after diagnosis (Medicare rules) and now it's postponedor won't be able to be done.
I talked with him a little while ago, he sounds good, and encouraged me to move back becasue he worries about me being out here alone and the travelling back and forth. He's never been so direct about it before.
PM
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2008-06-18-obama-evangelicals_N.htm?csp=34
| Analysis: Obama steps up outreach to evangelicals |
| Posted 3h 7m ago |
It's a move that's caught off guard some conservative evangelicals, who say they are surprised and dismayed to see a progressive-minded politician attempting to conscript their troops. At the same time, they say Sen. John McCain has done little to court their affections.
"I've never seen anything quite like it before," said evangelical author Stephen Mansfield, who wrote The Faith of George W. Bush and has a forthcoming similar book about Obama.
"To be running against a dyed-in-the-wool Republican, and to be reaching into the Christian community as wisely and knowledgeably as (Obama) is — understanding their terms and their values — is just remarkable."
...
lol, I was just reading this at the bottom of last thread and was going to post about it for people to go back and look.
I love that Obama is reaching out to all ocnstituencies, and with such openess, style, and grace.
...Obama asked participants to share "anything that's on your mind that is of concern to you."
looks after the lost sheep and those that have been led astray.
Speaking of good articles, the NYT article about KBR link at the top of the thread is worth reading.
Hope the pension funds investments get out before KBR gets called to task.
talks about campaigns. Says he knows Obama personally and likes him, but feels PBA and other "extreme" positions on that issue will hurt him with evangelicals.
good interview. Rose is asking the right questions and Reid making some thoughtful points.
correction it's Reed not Reid
http://www.democracyforamerica.com/blog_posts/25630-texas-dps-uses-redesign-budget-for-national-id-features
going after the evangelical vote.....obama is doing what howard did about a year or so ago as dnc chairman. as i recall, howard went to a religious college to solicit votes for dem candidates, using the same process of conversion that evangelicals use.
go, obama! i think he can attract them with issues like being good stewards of the earth and improving the lives of the poor.
many evangelicals are also surfers in calif, and off-shore drilling is the devil's work. john mccain is toast!
*************
well, the lakers lost. if offense showcases individual talent, defense relies on strategic thinking.
************
maj gen anthony taguba, who wrote the report on abu ghraib and was forced out, has accused the bush admin of war crimes, according to a report published by Physicians for Human Rights. btw, gen taguba was also born in hawaii.
speaking of my birth state, a rainbow following a soft rain is considered to be a blessing. a double rainbow is doubly auspicious. bless you, tim russert.
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