In the horse shit department, the US Chamber of Commerce, that august group with nothing but shareholders’ best interests in mind, says that quelling insider trading is a threat to a ‘free, robust, orderly and democratic society.’ Watch where you step.
During July 2000, HealthSouth financial executive William Owens met Richard Scrushy in the middle of a lake in southeastern Alabama to discuss the company’s worsening cash crisis. It seems the only thing that wasn’t sinking was the boat.
In another chapter of the HealthSouth saga, former president and chief operating officer James Bennett was charged in a 39-count indictment. His lawyers’ response (what else): Bennett “was not involved in any form or fashion…” Now we know the government doesn’t always get it right and maybe Bennett is innocent (pause here for skepticism), but just once I’d like to see one of these overpaid crooks stand up and say, “I’m sorry, I did it.” I guess that story that will start, ‘Once upon a time in America…’
In the oxymoron department, the International Luge Federation wants a ‘safe luge’ track and has called off test events for the 2006 Turin Olympics. What did I miss? Isn’t death the whole idea of luge?
Social Security isn’t difficult. It’s like your bank account. If it’s running out of money, either more has to go in or less has to come out, and it doesn’t matter how much bullshit the government of the rich, by the rich, for the rich throws in the air.
Kenny Lay, W’s one-time good friend and former chairman of Enron, said in March 2001 that market manipulation claims against Enron were conspiracy theories. Well guess what? Want to hear a January 2001 taped conversation between an Enron trader and a Las Vegas energy official agreeing to a power plant shutdown for an afternoon of peak energy demand in California? Of course you do.
“This is going to be a word-of-mouth kind of thing,” Enron employee says. “We want you guys to get a little creative and come up with a reason to go down.”
“OK, so we’re just coming down for some maintenance, like a forced outage type of thing?” the Las Vegas official asks. “And that’s cool?”
“Hopefully.”
Both men laugh.
And Californians sat in the dark and sweated and their electrical bills went through the roof. Thanks Kenny.