Guard U.S. pensions. Enron, Halliburton, Card big connections for....

[banana republican]

State Street.


Heads up. Democrats and other loyal Americans in Massachusetts should particularly take note. SEC filings regarding State Street Corporationhighlight some alarming connections.



1. fiduciary responsibilities given to State Street include some remaining Enron assets, but without close monitoring by representatives for the public.
2. State Street has a mega role in the U.S. pensions sector.
3. Andrew Card, formerly Chief of Staff for the GWBush White House, has ties with the current Chairman and CEO of State Street.
4. Shareholders raising questions have been ejected from shareholder meetings.
5. State Street is involved in litigation re United Airlines, Polaroid pensions.
6. State Street has long been involved with Halliburton.



The shareholder filing the press release quoted below apparently supports eventual privatization of Social Security, a position opposed by this writer. Setting aside those arguments, the material touched on below raises some alarming possibilities about the U.S. pension industry.


<snip>

"If you look up the Form 5500's filed by pension plans with the Department of Labor, you will find that in every state, every Congressional District, State Street is listed as a service provider to pension plans both large and small," says Jorstad. "Those filings are available from the Department of Labor, and are also available at the FreeERISA website. If you look up State Street, State Street Bank, State Street Bank and Trust, CitiStreet, State Street Global Advisors, SSgA, and other variations of the parent, subsidiaries, and joint ventures, you'll find filing after filing, with State Street's fees shown on one or more of the Schedules."

Jorstad continues: "Most Americans have probably never even heard of State Street. But if they check the fine print of their pension plan documents or mutual fund mailings, they'll often-times discover that their plan or fund is paying fees to the Corporation. In the case of many mutual funds, they'll also find that Ropes & Gray is legal counsel to those funds."

http://www.margieburns.com/blog/_archives/2006/9/9/2310322.html


This has the potential eclipse iraq as the big story....

10's of TRILLIONS of dollars are administred by State Street.

TOTAL ASSETS UNDER THE CONTROL OF STATE STREET $10,121 BILLION


http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=78261&p=irol-IRHome


Finally, Jorstad notes that he has requested the non-management Directors to authorize the filing of one or more Form 8-Ks, disclosing: (1) "the insurance and self-insurance pools that may be called upon to satisfy the potential liability involved in Alan Brown v. State Street et al., the Polaroid ERISA class action, and any other" litigation "currently pending against the company" and (2) "the existence and full contents of any Comment Letters the Corporation has received from the SEC, from January 1, 2000 to the present". Mr. Jorstad says these requests were made by letter to the non-management Directors dated September 27, 2006.

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=78261&p=irol-secText&TEXT=aHR0cDovL2NjYm4uMTBrd2l6YXJkLmNvbS94bWwvZmlsaW5nLnhtbD9yZXBvPXRlbmsmaXBhZ2U9NDQwNjQ4MCZkb2M9MQ==


THANKS OCTOBER THIS WILL BE VERY VERY BIG.......

[peacetalksforall]

1. And your Social Security money could go to State Street. And

you could receive it from State Street - or not.

[KittyWampus]

2. are you saying that American cities have had their pension funds

raided by the Bush Cabal via State Street Bank?

[Gabi Hayes]

3. big ass thread on this already

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2347614&mesg_id=2347614

[Nikki Stone 1]

5. But this thread's OP is clearer and more to the point

I don't want to read through a hundred or so replies to get the story.

[Nikki Stone 1]

4. How is this going to eclipse dead bodies (Iraq) and illicit sex (Foley)?

This is a huge story and it scares the bejesus out of me, but I don't think a lot of people will get the implications.

K & R

[salin]

6. Took reading (and discussing) through the other thread

to begin to see the story. Short story: think ENRON special financing entities created to hide debt - and backed not by real financing but by enron shares - so if enron tanks - there is NOTHING in these empty entities (that is Enron got the $$ to finance the entities, but backed them with their own - soon to be worthless - stock).

Now think some trial runs of shorting the market - and seeing how much money could be made on smaller businesses. Doing enough damage that at a few state levels attention has been caught to the activity. Not nec that there is an organized effort/organization/insitution - but that there is a problem in shorting that is extracting money out of small businesses and killing them (the businesses) and perhaps something ought to be at least looked into if not done.

Now think of a) how much money institutional investors (pension plans) have to playwith and how much money could be extracted - in small enough quantities not to raise notice; and b) how much MORE money stands to be played with (and extracted) if social security "private accounts" were established. ESP if said accounts were not run individually - but by specified institutions.

Then add the Ohio saga of pay-to-play slush funds (or Tom DeLay's machine is also a good clear demonstration of how it works) where some kickbacks ala political contributions keep the wheels on the schemes greased and keep those in power in power to protect the racket.

Figured all that out on the first thread - 100 posts - some back and forth - but very, very much worth the read.

[KittyWampus]

7. Can I boil that down to mean they're raiding pensions funds for cities

across America?

[salin]

8. I don't know enough yet to assert that... but add the words "trying to"

in front of rading pension funds for cities (and states) across america - and would guess that it would hit the mark - at least as far as I can (so far) discern.

[KittyWampus]

11. Markey & Miller asked for investigation. Also, San Diego had a scandal

involving pension funds.

Careful Investigation of Pension Funds Needed

Reps. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and George Miller, D-Calif., are requesting that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigate whether the federal government is doing enough to monitor fraud, conflicts of interest and illegal activities in pension funds. An August 2005 Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) report first raised the issue. Based on that report, the congressmen want GAO to review the steps taken by the SEC, Department of Labor and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC). The PBGC—which takes over pension plans that are terminated by companies—has assumed responsibility for 4,000 company plans in the past three years, leaving it with a $23 billion deficit. “If money managers are giving American workers another reason to worry, then the federal government must intercede on workers’ behalf,” Miller said.

[IdesOfOctober]

13. The PBGC and State Street

When the PBGC under Bush has awarded sweetheart deals to State Street...

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22state+street%22+pbgc

... how much "oversight" is taking place?

[banana republican]

16. When you loose you pension it will be a VERY big story to you......

[DemReadingDU]

18. No kidding!

Companies for years have been eliminating their pension plans in favor of employee funded 401K. Those of us who do receive a pension now, probably won't have it after this scandal breaks open. Either way, the employee is screwed.

[1932]

9. Tangentially related: remember when Enron shares were plummeting?

Ohio, Fl, and CT state pensions (these are the three states with deepest Bush family connections) BOUGHT Enron as it was going down. Ie, state employees pensions were used as insurance policy of last resort for Enron insiders trying to unload their shares before they reached zero (and also remember, Enron employees were closed out from selling during that time).

Jeb Bush's only response was: don't worry, these pensions (in FL) are insured by the taxpayer, so nobody will lose money. EXCEPT FOR THE TAXPAYERS YOU DOPE!!!

So, in FL, middle class taxpayers were the insurers of last resort for Enron insiders looking to get a few dollars to invest in CO homes (where there is no limit on the homestead exemption, in case you need to declare bankruptcy to avoid paying civil and criminal fines, IIUC).

Bottom line, anyway: pension funds are great sources of wealth protection if you're a Republican. Which is one of the big reasons the Republicans needed to take back California...CA's pension funds are major market players and they were getting a little to 'activist', demanding corporate responsibility. Arnold fixed that.

[IdesOfOctober]

10. I'll go you one better, but it has Enron connection

Two of State Street's Directors when Polaroid's stock imploded were:

1. Mac Booth, the Polaroid CEO who forced Polaroid employees into ESOP shares; and
2. Alfred Poe, Polaroid Director

http://www.erisafraud.com/Default.aspx?tabid=1085

State Street tried to have the Polaroid Plaintiffs' counsel thrown off the case. Why?

Because State Street had "spilled the beans" on "industry practices" to the same law firm in another case.

The other case?

Enron.

Sounds too strange to be true? Read the Federal Judge's order, denying State Street's motion: http://www.erisafraud.com/Portals/7/documents/Polaroid_OrderDenyingMtnDisqualify020405.pdf

See also: http://www.shareholdersonline.org/litigation.htm

See also: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22state+street%22+polaroid+esop

[Gabi Hayes]

12. I hope you're spreading this around to other sites

sounds like it has the potential to make the SandL scandal look like a smash and grab operatation

[IdesOfOctober]

14. Great analogy

Yeah, the biggest heists are alway - always - "inside jobs," right?

; )

[banana republican]

17. Why do I rob banks???????

Because that is where the money is.

Can't recall the origin but I think it was Al Capone.....

[IdesOfOctober]

25. Willie Sutton

; )

[133724]

32. Thanks.

[133724]

34. Colary #1

Why do I own a bank.........



























































n/t

[DemReadingDU]

15. I'm watching 60 Minutes, and I'm wondering

about the 2 women fired from HP

former Chairwoman Carly Fiorina
and recently fired chairwoman Patricia Dunn

so I'm wondering if the women wouldn't play the men's games with the pensions?

[cyberpj]

19. You can add DUPONT PENSIONS to that list. They took over DuPont

payouts about a year and a half ago I think. My monthly statement says:

"State Street
For Everything You Invest In
Retiree Services
PO Box .....
Jacksonville, FL


If you had asked me without my knowing...
somehow I would have known it had something to do with FLORIDA.

[banana republican]

20. Robbing a Pension Fund Class 101

1) Set up a "new company" through a third party such as Halliburton.

2) Give the new company enough money to get off the ground and start functioning.

3) Brand the company as being a very successful entity and a leader in it's nitch.

4) Spin the company off from the parent & sell it's stock to the general public(this will take about 3 or 4 years to complete)

5) Investment Companies such as state street invest millions into the "new successful company" following "due diligence" recommendations from various law firms tied to the parent company.

6) multi million dollar contracts from "new successful company" are given to cronies who don't preform and basicly take the money & run.

7) "New Successful Business" ultimately declares bankruptcy...

8) Investors are SOL; pension holders are SOL...

9) PBGC doesn't have enough money to reimburse people who are SOL because it was all spent in Iraq...

It is not that this "is" the current scenario but it is one that is possible & very simple....

let alone the SPE's potentially exist....

[OzarkDem]

21. Similar to the model for the S&L scandals of the 1980's

a little more complex, but not a challenge for any corporate huckster. As always, stockholders and taxpayers are left holding the bag.

Of course the GOP will whine about raising taxes to replace stolen funds.

[Gabi Hayes]

24. seen this before?

''The S&L scandal was almost the perfect crime. The layers of protection and insulation between what the public discovered was going on at the savings and loans and what actually happened with the money were so many and so thick that the crimes and theft would never be completely figured out. And even if the truth were ultimately unearthed, there were additional layers between that revelation and the bringing of those responsible to the bar of justice and recovering the money."

from the discussion of the S&L scandal at freeperville, of all places that I just linked

check it out

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2348479&mesg_id=2349390

[133724]

22. For What Its Worth....

0001312431 State Street & Hill Road-Gerard, Ohio, LLC PA
0001281875 STATE STREET ASSOCIATES INC
0001281525 STATE STREET ASSOCIATES LP
0000093748 STATE STREET BANK & TRUST CO MA
0000839287 STATE STREET BANK & TRUST CO /TA
0001006319 STATE STREET BANK & TRUST CO /MA MA
0001303327 State Street Bank & Trust Co as Trustee for the Northrop Grumman Corp Master Trust IL
0001097105 STATE STREET BANK & TRUST CO CT AS OWN TR FOR BASIN ELECTRIC CT
0001145958 STATE STREET BANK & TRUST CO NA NY NY
0001145960 STATE STREET BANK & TRUST CO OF CALIFORNIA NA CA
0001179132 STATE STREET BANK & TRUST CO OF CONNECTICUT NA CT
0001327241 State Street Bank & Trust Co/MA MA
0001324604 State Street Banque, SA I0
0000093751 STATE STREET CORP MA
SIC: 6022 - State Commercial Banks
formerly: STATE STREET BOSTON CORP (filings through 1997-03-03)
0000727101 STATE STREET RESEARCH CAPITAL TRUST MA
formerly: STATE STREET CAPITAL TRUST (filings through 1994-05-27)
0001058978 STATE STREET CAPITAL TRUST I NY
0001058979 STATE STREET CAPITAL TRUST II DE
SIC: 6022 - State Commercial Banks
0001058657 STATE STREET CAPITAL TRUST III DE
0001111546 STATE STREET CAPITAL TRUST IV DE
0000766768 STATE STREET RESEARCH EXCHANGE TRUST MA
formerly: STATE STREET EXCHANGE TRUST (filings through 1996-02-28)
0000774202 STATE STREET FUND FOR FOUNDATIONS & ENDOWMENTS MA
0001324600 State Street Global Advisors (Japan) Co., Ltd. M0
0001324598 State Street Global Advisors Asia LTD F4
0001324597 State Street Global Advisors GmbH 2M
0001324602 State Street Global Advisors LTD X0
0001324601 State Street Global Advisors Ltd. A8
0001324595 State Street Global Advisors, Australia C3
0001324594 State Street Global Investment GmbH 2M
0001257443 STATE STREET GLOBAL MARKETS LLC
0000885750 STATE STREET GLOBAL MARKETS, LLC MA
0000034918 STATE STREET RESEARCH GROWTH TRUST MA
formerly: STATE STREET GROWTH TRUST (filings through 1996-02-26)
0001373803 STATE STREET HOTEL LP CA
0001107414 STATE STREET INSTITUTIONAL INVESTMENT TRUST MA
0001094885 STATE STREET MASTER FUNDS MA
formerly: STATE STREET MASTER TRUST (filings through 2002-02-28)
0000093755 STATE STREET RESEARCH MASTER INVESTMENT TRUST MA
formerly: STATE STREET MASTER INVESTMENT TRUST /MA/ (filings through 1996-02-28)
STATE STREET MASTER INVESTMENT TRUST/MA (filings through 1995-08-28)
0001011008 STATE STREET NAVIGATOR SECURITIES LENDING TRUST MA
formerly: NAVIGATOR SECURITIES LENDING TRUST (filings through 1998-08-28)
0001036722 STATE STREET RESEARCH & MANAGEMENT CO MA
0000924355 STATE STREET RESEARCH & MANAGEMENT CO //MA/ MA
0000917648 STATE STREET RESEARCH & MANAGEMENT CO /MA/ MA
0000790941 STATE STREET RESEARCH EQUITY TRUST MA
formerly: METLIFE STATE STREET EQUITY TRUST (filings through 1996-02-29)
0000093758 STATE STREET RESEARCH ET AL MA
0000806390 STATE STREET RESEARCH FINANCIAL TRUST MA
formerly: METLIFE STATE STREET FINANCIAL TRUST (filings through 1996-03-04)
0000787980 STATE STREET RESEARCH INCOME TRUST MA
formerly: METLIFE STATE STREET INCOME TRUST (filings through 1996-05-29)
0001080727 STATE STREET RESEARCH INSTITUTIONAL FUNDS MA
formerly: STATE STREET RESEARCH INSTITUTIONAL FUND (filings through 1999-03-05)
0000788099 STATE STREET RESEARCH INVESTMENT SERVICES, INC. MA
formerly: STATE STREET RESEARCH INVESTMENT SERVICES INC //MA /BD (filings through 2002-03-01)
0000768530 STATE STREET RESEARCH MONEY MARKET TRUST MA
formerly: METLIFE STATE STREET MONEY MARKET TRUST (filings through 1996-07-29)
0000878059 STATE STREET RESEARCH PORTFOLIOS INC NY
formerly: METLIFE PORTFOLIOS INC (filings through 1994-06-28)
0000918572 STATE STREET RESEARCH SECURITIES TRUST MA
0000787978 STATE STREET RESEARCH TAX EXEMPT TRUST MA
formerly: METLIFE STATE STREET TAX EXEMPT TRUST (filings through 1996-09-09)
0001324603 State Street Trust & Banking Co., Ltd. M0

Looks like lots & lots of SPE's

[Gabi Hayes]

26. what's an SPE? also....

wouldn't want to mess with that cat!

welcome to DU

[IdesOfOctober]

30. Special Purpose Entity...

... some of which are perfectly legit (and brilliant inventions), others of which are of the Enron variety - shell games.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=spe+special+purpose+entity

[133724]

31. That is Tom Cat or Tom Tom or Mr. Boo.

He is a stray we let into our garage. He has been one of my best friends for about 10 years. He enjoys tuna treats & walking across my keyboard while I am trying to work.

I think he is much more "presidential" than the other guy.

Unforunitly our other stray cat "Hillery Kitten"; also a stray found on Jan 20th 1993 has gone to a better place....

To answer your questions...

An SPE is a "Special Pourpose Entity". They were used by Enron to transfer gains & losses to off balance sheet entities in order to keep loses hidden from investors and auditors.

It was the primary reason that they (Enron) went down.

Since you mentioned it.

One of the questions that I have is what is the aggregate loss with respect to State Street (e.g. SS)???

The sec filing for the organizations are from separate financial statements of with respect to SS as a whole.

So then; Waht is the "TOTAL" FINANCIAL POSITION OF THE SS??????????????

Fortunately, about 3 weeks ago I "rolled over" almost all of my 401(k) that was administered by SS into a fund that is not administered by the SS.

10 Trillion dollars is a lot of money for the BFEE to control.............

[Gabi Hayes]

23. remember the S&L scandal? this book was the best "concise" deconstruct

I've come across,

The Mafia, CIA and George Bush
Pete Brewton
(New York: S.P.I. Books, 1992)

and this thread is the best 'recent,' concise discussion I've seen WRT the S&L scandal,
http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a389b6a173e33.htm
including an appearance the the ACTUAL Jean Lewis!!!! for those who don't remember, she was an investigator for the Resolution Trust Corp, and who was one of the instigators of the Whitewater inquisition. She clearly perjured herself in congressional testimony, and was a real Bushlover/Clinton hater

http://www.americanreview.us/lewis.htm

anyway, Lewis is/was apparently a poster at freeperville, where I found this interesting discussion:


The Mafia, CIA and George Bush
Pete Brewton
(New York: S.P.I. Books, 1992)

Something very significant happened during our country's savings-and-loan crisis, the greatest financial disaster since the Great Depression. It happened quietly, secretly, without any fanfare and attention. It happened before our very eyes, yet we knew it not.

What we all missed was the massive transfer of wealth from the American taxpayers to a select group of extremely rich, powerful people. What these people had in common -- unknown to the American public -- were their symbiotic relationships to the Mafia and the CIA, and to the two most prominent, powerful politicians from Texas, President George Bush and Senator Lloyd Bentsen.

This small cabal of businessmen realized that the S&Ls were going the way of the dinosaurs. They recognized that S&Ls couldn't survive under rapid inflation and high interest rates. So they decided to exploit the situation for their own purposes, with help from, and rewards for, the Mafia, the CIA and their favorite politicians. They probably figured that the insulation and protection these powerful institutions and individuals conferred upon them, in addition to all the endemic protections with the financial, judicial, political and journalistic systems, made them invulnerable. They were probably right.

For unlike Watergate and Iran-Contra, this was a bipartisan scandal. There was no opposition party to push for an independent investigation. In fact, the same group of wealthy, powerful businessmen, centered in Houston, that encircle Republicans like George Bush and James A. Baker III, also encircle Democrats like Jim Wright and Lloyd Bentsen.

Lewis and other freeps discuss the SandL scandal at some length, and Lewis provides some personal testimony on a case upon which she worked. very interesting contribution on her part, before she goes off the deep end, in trying to defend the BFEE (one of her lunatic obsessions....covered amply in The Hunting of the President).

Point is, the freeps are uncharacteristically realistic throughout almost the entire discussion, able to apprehend reality for the most part, though there are some references to the 'Committee of 300' and how it controlled Thatcher, who controlled Bush, etc.

Well worth a read, though, since it shows that even the lunatics were able to understand, a long time ago, that, despite their disinclination, that regulatory bodies DO have a very important function in a kleptocratic economic system, in which powerful forces are always at work to 'smash and grab' as much as they can, and NEVER stop trying to smash the system as hard as they can, and, in the process grab as much as they can

check it out....very interesting, and surprising display of rationality, for the most part

[IdesOfOctober]

27. A Card or Note to Mr. Jorstad and Mr. Smith...

... might really buck them up right now.

[Gabi Hayes]

28. great idea.....how to get it to them, though.....they might think a real

letter would be filled w/anthrax, or explode, or somesuch

got an email address?

[IdesOfOctober]

29. Sure Do

http://www.shareholdersonline.org/contact.htm

[OneBlueSky]

33. aaah! . . . it all comes together . . . and what's behind it all? . . .

Money, get away.
Get a good job with good pay and youre okay.
Money, its a gas.
Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash.
New car, caviar, four star daydream,
Think Ill buy me a football team.

Money, get back.
Im all right jack keep your hands off of my stack.
Money, its a hit.
Dont give me that do goody good bullshit.
Im in the high-fidelity first class traveling set
And I think I need a lear jet.

Money, its a crime.
Share it fairly but dont take a slice of my pie.
Money, so they say
Is the root of all evil today.
But if you ask for a raise its no surprise that theyre
Giving none away.