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Voice America Radio

crhickman@gmail.com (CRAIG HICKMAN) — Sat, 02 May 2009 14:09:00 GMT

Come join me on the radio
.
VOICEAMERICA RADIO - Monday, May 4, 12:00 noon, ET
Show co-host Sheryl Dawson shared, "In his thriller, The Insiders, Craig exposes how those on the inside of the world's power structures have become enemies to those on the outside...

Craig Hickman, best-selling author of more than a dozen books, has consulted for corporations and organizations internationally and served on boards of directors for several companies. His newest book, "The Insiders," will be featured on Total Career Success, an Internet show on VoiceAmerica Talk Radio Network, at 11 a.m. Central on Monday, May 4. The show is designed to inform and encourage listeners to achieve their career goals by featuring experts and business leaders to provide advice on job search and career advancement. Craig Hickman will address some of the underlying reasons abuse of power and bad policy erode our organizations and our government, weakening our democracy. Learn how personal and organizational accountability can reverse the downward spiral of our economy and our values.

Houston, TX (PRWE May 2, 2009 -- Craig Hickman, best-selling author of more than a dozen books, has consulted for corporations and organizations internationally and served on boards of directors for several companies. His newest book, "The Insiders," will be featured on Total Career Success, an Internet show on VoiceAmerica Talk Radio Network, at 11 a.m. Central on Monday, May 4. The show is designed to inform and encourage listeners to achieve their career goals by featuring experts and business leaders to provide advice on job search and career advancement. Craig Hickman will address some of the underlying reasons abuse of power and bad policy erode our organizations and our government, weakening our democracy. Learn how personal and organizational accountability can reverse the downward spiral of our economy and our values.

Show co-host Sheryl Dawson shared, "In his thriller, The Insiders, Craig exposes how those on the inside of the world's power structures have become enemies to those on the outside. The strong, powerful, well-financed insiders abuse their power, corrupt our hierarchies, cheat the system, live above the law, and manipulate everything for their own purposes and gain. The outsiders--those who are relatively weaker, less powerful, and under-financed--are left to fend for themselves as economic slaves to debt, jobs, corporations, institutions, and a corrupt system. The outsiders have been duped, exploited, and oppressed by the insiders. Craig declares that it's time to change things."

Co-host Ken Dawson added, "As a CEO, director on numerous boards, international consultant and best-selling author of many books on leadership best practices, Craig's insights carry weight. Don't miss this opportunity to hear what you and your organization can do to raise accountability to a new level, to reverse the slide of our democracy, and to turn our organizations inside out! The change begins in each person willing to make a difference - it begins with you."

To listen to the broadcast, please visit www.voiceamerica.com and enter Total Career Success. The show will air live at 11 a.m. - noon Central on May 4 and will then be available as an archive on the web site, or can be downloaded to MP3 players and cell phones.

Craig Hickman, Leadership Consultant and Author

CRAIG HICKMAN is the author of more than a dozen books, among them such national and international bestsellers as The Oz Principle, The Strategy Game, Mind of Manager, Soul of a Leader, and Creating Excellence. His first business novel, An Innovator's Tale led to a four year turnaround assignment as CEO of Headwaters Technology Innovation (HTI), an international nanotechnology company in Princeton, New Jersey (NYSE: HW). Prior to joining Headwaters, he founded Management Perspectives Group (MPG), whose clients included some of the largest domestic and international companies such as Procter & Gamble, American Express, PepsiCo, Unilever, AT&T, Amoco, Nokia, Honeywell, and the U.S. Government. He earned his MBA with honors from the Harvard Business School and has consulted for corporations and organizations around the world, lecturing abroad for the U.S. State Department, and serving as a member of the board of directors for several companies. He lives in Chicago.

For more information, visit http://www.craighickman.com.

About Total Career Success

Total Career Success is broadcast on VoiceAmerica, the world leader in Internet Talk Radio, and syndicated on World Net Radio; the show aims to engage listeners in new ways of thinking about their potential, their goals, and their future. The show hosts are Ken and Sheryl Dawson, principals of Total Career Success, Inc. and authors of Job Search: The Total System, 3rd edition. They have served corporations in outplacement and career development as well as talent management for 30 years in their consulting firm Dawson Consulting Group. The show presents guests who are experts in their fields to share the lessons they have learned in succeeding in their various areas of excellence and to discuss tips about a broad range of career issues, from specific career opportunities, to industries and workplace changes, to financial and advancement considerations.

For more information, visit http://www.betterjobbetterlife.com/mediahome.shtml and http://www.dawsonconsultinggroup.com.

Change of Plans

crhickman@gmail.com (CRAIG HICKMAN) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 22:52:00 GMT

There's been a change in plans regarding the posting of chapters from The Insiders on this blog. I am working on an iPhone App that will make individual chapters available. In the meantime, The Insiders is available in paperback and on Kindle at Amazon.com.

Go to: www.amazon.com/Insiders-Thriller-Craig-Hickman/dp/1439216045/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240700188&sr=8-1

The Insiders are the Fundamental Problem!

crhickman@gmail.com (CRAIG HICKMAN) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 23:46:00 GMT

That's right! Those on the inside of the world's power structures have become enemies to those on the outside. Why? Because the strong, powerful, well-financed insiders abuse their power, corrupt our hierarchies, cheat the system, live above the law, and manipulate everything for their own purposes and gain. The outsiders--those who are relatively weaker, less powerful, and under-financed--are left to fend for themselves as economic slaves to debt, jobs, corporations, institutions, and a corrupt system. The outsiders have been duped, exploited, and oppressed by the insiders. It's time to change things.

Over the next 52 weeks, I will post chapters of my new book, The Insiders, right here on this blog. One, sometimes two, chapter(s) will be posted each week. If you don't believe what I'm saying now, you will by the end of the year.

What is the Fundamental Problem?

crhickman@gmail.com (CRAIG HICKMAN) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 20:42:00 GMT

As we look for solutions to the layers of intricate, concealed corruption in our society, are we sure we've identified the fundamental causes of the problem? Out of frustration and cynicism, most people simply attribute it to greed, self-interest over collective-interest, abuse of power, lust, or one of the other seven deadly sins. What should we expect from flawed human beings? We're all flawed, right? Right, but as we obsess over our flawed natures, are we failing to identify the real underlying causes of today's pervasive and furtive corruption? Have we abdicated our responsibility to improve things?

Do You Think Recent Exposures of Corruption Will Bring Real, Lasting Change?

crhickman@gmail.com (CRAIG HICKMAN) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 04:30:00 GMT

After a decade of exposed corruptions in business and politics, will the people of these United States demand real, lasting change? Or, will politicians and bureaucrats and business leaders and lawyers just create new laws and regulations that will eventually be skirted and manipulated? How do we address the underlying problem of corruption? New incentives? What about the recent exposures of financier Bernie Madoff and Governor Rod Blagojevich? Will their exposures bring new solutions and incentives? What about the gross mismanagement of our financial institutions? Can we expect change? Will we demand change? Will we invent new incentives? Will we create a better future? Will we?

How Would You Rate the Level of Cynicism in America?

crhickman@gmail.com (CRAIG HICKMAN) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:25:00 GMT

On a scale of one to ten (ten being extremely high and one being extremely low), how would you rate the level of cynicism in America today. What about the level of negativism? And the feelings of hopelessness? Powerlessness? How much worst than 10 years ago? 20 years? 50 years? Can we become a "Yes We Can" nation again? What about you? Can you become a "Yes I Can" person again, or for the first time? I'd love to hear from you.

What About Institutionalized Corruption?

crhickman@gmail.com (CRAIG HICKMAN) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:07:00 GMT

What do we do when corruption has become institutionalized? When it is so pervasive that we don't even recognize or question it? When we don't even know that we've become slaves to it? What the hell do we do? Can we change it? According to our soon-to-be new President Barack Obama, "Yes We Can." Thank God for new beginnings.

We've Become Used to Corruption

crhickman@gmail.com (CRAIG HICKMAN) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 16:50:00 GMT

A few years ago, Charles P. Kindleberger, emeritus Ford professor of international economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, wrote the following in a New York Times article:

By the 19th century, business corruption was so much a fact of life that it became a prominent theme for European novelists. Among them were Honoré de Balzac in ''The Human Comedy''; Charles Dickens, ''Little Dorrit''; William Makepeace Thackeray, ''The Newcomes''; Anthony Trollope, ''The Way We Live Now''; Gustav Freytag, ''Soll und Haben''; Alexandre Dumas, ''Black Tulip''; and Emile Zola, ''L'Argent.''

So, we've learned to live with it, it's normal, what's new? What's new is that such corruption now pervades every institution on the face of the planet because we've gotten used to it and learned to put up with it. And it's so much worse than we imagine.

For more on Kindleberger's article, go to: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9407E6DB163DF935A25751C1A9649C8B63

All Hierarchies Are Corruptible

crhickman@gmail.com (CRAIG HICKMAN) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 21:52:00 GMT

The big lie is that hierarchies are incorruptible, a truth which most people know and understand from experience. Every organization, institution, bureaucracy, government, business, or enterprise employing managerial hierarchies is corrupt to some degree. Corrupt by definition is "to change from good to bad in morals, manners, or actions, or to change from a sound condition to an unsound one; spoiled; contaminated; rotten." The only question that matters is what the #!*? are we going to do about it?

Think It's Time for Change?

crhickman@gmail.com (CRAIG HICKMAN) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 01:37:00 GMT

Wall Street financier Bernard Madoff has just been accused of orchestrating a $50 billion fraud. The 70 year old Madoff is currently under house arrest, soon to be fitted with an electronic ankle bracelet. Today he and his wife Ruth agreed to forfeit their $7 million Manhattan apartment and properties in Montauk, NY and Palm Beach, FL if they fail to meet the conditions of their bail. US Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Christopher Cox apologized for the agency's lack of oversight of Madoff's investment advisory firm. Apology is fine, but we're more interested in prevention. Madoff is a former Chairman of the NASDAQ Stock Exchange.

How much corruption in high places, in business and government, in banking and financial advisory establishments, has been concealed from public scrutiny? How do you cover up a $50 billion fraud? I guess we're going to find out. The realm of high finance and complex business deals has avoided transparency and scrutiny for far too long. Now the vital question is what are we going to do about it? How are we going to rewrite government regulations? How are we going to keep business and government leaders, bankers and lawyers, from living above the law, cheating the system, abusing power, and exploiting the weak? Stay tuned.

For more on this story, go to:
http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking+News/Money/Story/STIStory_315774.html

The Insiders Video

crhickman@gmail.com (CRAIG HICKMAN) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 05:49:00 GMT

The Insiders Video---Parts I, II, and III---are now on the website and YouTube for viewing. Take a look, you may find something that strikes a nerve, raises some anger or, better, causes you to begin rethinking how we do things in this land of the free. Part I is The Insiders, A New Brand of Thriller, Part II is The Insiders, Caught and Exposed, and Part III is The Insiders, Social Injustice. Begin preparing yourself to look at the world in a whole new way. Click on "home page" on this blog which will take you to The Insiders website, then click on "videos."

International Anti-Corruption Day

crhickman@gmail.com (CRAIG HICKMAN) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 02:44:00 GMT

Last week I was in New York City for International Anti-Corruption Day and I didn't even know it. Global CEO Samuel DiPiazza of PricewaterhouseCoopers used the occasion to announce his firm's establishment of a global Anti-Corruption Centre of Excellence. "Furthering our commitment to the global fight against corruption, PricewaterhouseCoopers has established an Anti-Corruption Centre of Excellence to strategically align the specialized skills and resources of our firm to help our private and public sector clients," CEO DiPiazza said. "The Centre will provide clients unparalleled access to our deep expertise in addressing the corruption challenges of today and tomorrow." According to DiPiazza, "The estimated one trillion dollars lost each year to corruption could feed up to 400 million people for the next 27 years. We can and must stop this corrupt behavior."

As reported by Market Watch, CEO Samuel DiPiazza is a board member of the World Economic Forum Partnering Against Corruption Initiative (WEF PACI). PricewaterhouseCoopers was the first international accounting firm to join WEF PACI in 2006.

Congratulations to PwC for advancing the fight against global corruption in business and government. For more information, go to Market Watch:

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/International-Anti-Corruption-Day-9/story.aspx?guid={7DF03E47-DC79-4487-A2A2-601DA1AEE124}

Einstein's Wisdom

crhickman@gmail.com (CRAIG HICKMAN) — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 21:02:43 GMT

A few memorable quotes from Albert Einstein for a Sunday evening near year's end:

"Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand."

"Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions."

"Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere."

"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning."

"If at first, the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it."

"No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it."

"Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count, everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted."

"The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education."

Movies Reveal Our Society

crhickman@gmail.com (CRAIG HICKMAN) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 23:25:00 GMT

How many movies have you seen where corrupt capitalists use nefarious means to dominate or destroy competitors? Australia with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman is a good example, a great story and beautiful film. Of course the antagonist is a corrupt capitalist who's determined to stamp out his competitors. It's a common theme in American movies, even when they're about foreign countries. Last year Daniel Day Lewis won an Oscar for Best Actor in There Will Be Blood, the story of a 20th century oilman who fought off corrupt competitors only to apply the same corrupt practices himself. There are hundreds of movies carrying the same theme: corrupt capitalists attempting to dominate or destroy their competitors. Is such heinous competitive behavior what the founding fathers and their philosopher guides John Locke and Adam Smith really had in mind? Is this simply what the invisible hand of self interest and free market enterprise naturally produce? Is unbridled competitive aggression merely a necessary evil of capitalism and free enterprise?

Of course not. It's a big lie. Cut-throat competitive capitalism is a choice. Cooperative capitalism is also a choice that is often ignored and neglected by those who depend on exploiting the weak for their own gain, justifying it as natural law, i.e., Darwinistic capitalism. It's time we take a closer look at the capitalistic society we have created and continue to condone. And don't believe anyone who tells you that cooperative capitalism is the same as socialism. That's another big lie intended to scare the hell out of you. Democracy and capitalism continue to be our best hopes for a better future, but it's time for some reengineering and transformation. We can do better, but only if we learn from past mistakes. Think about the movies you've seen over the years that reveal the corruptibility of capitalists and capitalism. It's time for change. Corrupt, destructive competitive practices can be identified and exposed by an independent press. Government can establish "no tolerance" regulations against such corruption. We CAN do better.

The Unholy Alliance Between Corrupt Business and Corrupt Politics

crhickman@gmail.com (CRAIG HICKMAN) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 05:09:00 GMT

At the Progressive Party Convention held in Chicago in 1912, former President Theodore Roosevelt said the following: "Behind the ostensible government sits enthroned an invisible government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to the people. To destroy this invisible government, to dissolve the unholy alliance between corrupt business and corrupt politics, is the first task of the statesmanship of the day."

Almost a hundred years later, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is arrested in Chicago for counting on that same unholy alliance between corrupt politics and corrupt business to further his own private agenda. So much for progress. Who will provide the necessary statesmanship to dissolve this unholy alliance? U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald for one is doing a good job and thank you President-elect Obama for calling for Blagojevich to resign. We desperately need the sort of statesmanship Teddy Roosevelt envisioned a century ago. For more on this read the 78-page criminal by the U.S. Attorney Fitzgerald's office detailing the allegations against the Illinois governor:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/12/blajovich_indictment_the_best.html

Leverage: The New TV Series

crhickman@gmail.com (CRAIG HICKMAN) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 23:20:00 GMT

We're going to see more television series and movies such as the recently premiered LEVERAGE and last year's MICHAEL CLAYTON, because things have gotten out of hand. The amount of corruption in business, politics, and government has become too overt and too unbearable. We're finally uncovering and confronting the concealed corruption that has been plaguing us for decades.

TNT has just launched the "thrilling, action-packed drama series LEVERAGE, starring Oscar® winner Timothy Hutton (Ordinary People, Nero Wolfe) and executive-produced by Dean Devlin (Independence Day, TNT’s The Librarian) and John Rogers (Cosby). The series follows a team of thieves, hackers and grifters who act as modern-day Robin Hoods, taking revenge against those who use power and wealth to victimize others. TNT has ordered 13 episodes of LEVERAGE, which comes to the network from Devlin’s Electric Entertainment. Devlin makes his directorial debut on the pilot, which was written by Rogers (Transformers) and Chris Downey (The King of Queens)." LEVERAGE premiered on Sunday, December 7, 2008

"In LEVERAGE, Hutton plays former insurance investigator Nate Ford, a once-loyal corporate employee who had recovered millions of dollars in stolen goods for his employer. But when that employer denied his son’s insurance claims and allowed the boy to die, he realized he could no longer work for such an entity." Nate Ford becomes a modern day Robin Hood. But make no mistake, LEVERAGE is not about redistribution of wealth, it's about redressing ill-gotten gain and corrupt wealth. There's a big difference. Whether you condone Nate Ford's motivation or not, this sort of subject matter is only going to get hotter given our economy.

For more information, go to: www.tnt.tv/series/leverage/

Getting Involved in Social Change

crhickman@gmail.com (CRAIG HICKMAN) — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 04:10:00 GMT

Here are a couple of websites worth visiting because they represent visionary initiatives for social change. The first is NFTE, The National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship. NFTE's mission is to provide entrepreneurship education programs to young people from low-income communities. "Our vision is that every young person will find a pathway to prosperity." Now that's a vision for social change. NFTE has local offices in more than a dozen major metropolitan areas in the U.S. Since its founding in 1987, NFTE has reached over 186,000 young people from low-income communities and has more than 1,000 active Certified Entrepreneurship Teachers. Get involved today, you'll never regret it. For more information go to: http://www.nfte.com/

The second is Pioneers of Change. Pioneers of Change fosters understanding, capacities and relationships needed by younger practitioners committed to stepping forward and creating the change they want to see in the world. Pioneers of Change is a global learning network supporting practitioners in their mid-20s to mid-30. Founded in 1999, by a group of people from 16 countries and now includes participants from around the world. One of the eight communities of practice within Pioneers of Change is Arts for Social Change. "This community of practice engages pioneers who are exploring ways of applying artistic processes toward social change." Both artists who are seeking more meaningful ways of channeling their artistic talents, and community developers, professionals, activists, teachers, etc., who are interested in learning how to integrate more art into their social change work are invited. For more information go to: http://pioneersofchange.net

So, How Do We Change Things?

crhickman@gmail.com (CRAIG HICKMAN) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:56:00 GMT

Most people know about corruption in high places. In fact, most people have experienced it first hand on many occasions. In a recent survey of Management Malpractice, over 95 percent of those surveyed said they had been mismanaged, manipulated, and/or abused in the workplace by those in authority over them. Abuse of power is rampant in our institutions and organizations and governments. Social injustice, plain and simple. So how do we change things?

President-elect Barack Obama won election to the highest office in the land last month, in part, because he promised to change things, lots of things. And most people, including those who didn't vote from him, sincerely hope that his administration will be able to accelerate our emergence from the current recession while making the world a safer, better place. But make no mistake, four years from now, Barack Obama's reelection will depend on only one thing: did he provide the necessary leadership to change the short-term circumstances and long-term prospects of the people in this country. But will his leadership be enough? Probably not, even if he surpasses our expectations. So what more must we do?

For today's blog, let's focus on the artists and writers and musicians and filmmakers among us. According to four British journalists from The Observer, politicians and national governments will always play a crucial role in the forging of social change, but "heartfelt pleas for social justice are better received through novels, movies, and music. Artists can excite, anger, and mobilize as they articulate what it is to be poor, landless, and victimized." Phillip French, Kitty Empire, Jonathan Heawood, and Stephen Bayley show us how the arts have "energized campaigns and pioneered change," in the past. I consider their article a useful contribution to this dialogue, go to:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/sep/21/humanrights.popandrock

As this topic of Social Change and The Arts is revisited in future blogs, I hope you will send in your comments. Social change is inexorable, thank God.

The Insiders, A New Brand of Thriller

crhickman@gmail.com (CRAIG HICKMAN) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 19:10:00 GMT

An insiders club of powerful CEOs, wealthy financiers, cunning lawyers, and corrupt politicians continues to thrive and will do so until someone decides to change things.

That someone is Wilson Fielder—an unsuspecting hero and rising star at a prestigious management consulting firm. Wilson has challenged more than a few overbearing corporate titans, but it is not until there is an attempt on his father’s life that he is forced to take it to the street.

His father is none other than Charles Fielder, the brilliant businessman who founded the insiders club with its unparalleled perks—shrewd money laundering and untraceable bank accounts, not to mention lavish retreats, sexual favors, and access to the world’s deadliest contract killers.

Ultimately, Wilson uncovers his father’s real reason for creating the insiders club—to level the playing field—and vows to finish the job, but he’s met with the iron fist of Wayland Tate who is backed by international wealthy elite and will stop at nothing to destroy his opponents.

In the end, Wilson must win this battle not only to avenge his father, but for all of us.

Bestselling author Craig Hickman pushes the envelope and takes no prisoners. The Insiders is a high-octane ride: pure adrenaline, fury and light. Prepare to look at the world in a whole new way.

Available January 20, 2009 at Amazon.com. A must read for everyone who cares about exposing the corruption destroying the American dream.

Living Above the Law

crhickman@gmail.com (CRAIG HICKMAN) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 18:24:00 GMT

The financial rewards of living above the law, cheating the system, and exploiting the weak are enormous, until you get caught, exposed, and punished.

Kenneth Lay, founder and former CEO of Enron Corporation, allowed scandalous business and accounting practices to thrive, losing billions for employees and investors. Lay was convicted of fraud and conspiracy, but died before he was sentenced.
Bernard "Bernie" Ebbers, former CEO of WorldCom, was the mastermind behind the biggest accounting fraud in U.S. history. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
John Rigas, former CEO of Adelphia Communications, turned the small-town cable franchise into a multi-billion dollar company but he looted corporate coffers and concealed billions in debt. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Sam Waksal, founder and former CEO of ImClone, tipped off Martha Stewart’s broker and members of his family to the pending plunge of ImClone stock. He was sentenced to seven years in a federal penitentiary.
Richard Scrushy, former CEO of HealthSouth, bribed former Alabama governor Don Siegelman to get a seat on a state medical review board. He is currently serving a seven year prison term.
Dennis Kozlowski, former CEO of Tyco, was convicted of fraud and grand larceny in connection with more than $400 million in lost company funds. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
James McDermott Jr., former CEO of Wall Street investment bank Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Inc. (KBW), passed insider secrets to porn actress Kathryn Gannon. He was barred from working in investment management and served five months in prison.
Joe Nacchio, former CEO of Qwest Communications, was charged with lying to shareholders about the company's strengths while secretly cashing in his own stock before the fall. He is currently on trial.

But we still have a serious problem—those who’ve been caught, exposed, and punished are only the TIP OF THE ICEBERG.

AIG Pressured to do the Right Thing

crhickman@gmail.com (CRAIG HICKMAN) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 01:03:00 GMT

Our democratic government can do the right thing when enough exposure is brought to bear. "Under pressure from Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo of New York, the American International Group (AIG) said Tuesday that it would pay its chief executive, Edward M. Liddy, only $1 a year and that it was freezing the salaries and eliminating bonuses for its seven other top executives." But is it enough? Should AIG do more? What about the lavish retreats? Cancelled? And how much have these executives been making while they drove the company into bailout mode? Mr. Cuomo, maybe it's time to ask for more. For more on this story go to The New York Times online:

http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/25/after-criticism-from-cuomo-aig-cuts-executive-pay/index.html?ref=business

More Abuses by Insiders

crhickman@gmail.com (CRAIG HICKMAN) — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 20:11:00 GMT

The consequences of having corrupt insiders in control of our private and public hierarchies are staggering. Here are just a few of the resulting abuses:

After the Federal Government agreed to an $85 billion bailout of insurance giant AIG, the company continued to spend millions on lavish retreats at expensive resorts.
Lee Raymond, former CEO of ExxonMobil, earned $686 million in compensation during a time when gas prices to the consumer more than doubled.
Michael Eisner, former CEO of The Walt Disney Company, received $737 million in compensation during a period when company earnings fell from an already paltry $1.2 million to a loss of $158,000.
Salomon Smith Barney secretly gave Clark McLeod, former CEO of McLeodUSA, shares of 34 "hot" IPOs. The shares increased in value by more than $4.8 million on their first day of trading.
Henry McKinnell, former CEO of Pfizer, lost more than $137 billion in company market value during his tenure but still received a retirement package in excess of $200 million.
Goldman Sachs received $10 billion in a government bailout and then earmarked billions for bonuses to well-heeled employees. Public pressure finally caused the top seven executives to forego their bonuses (but they still made hundreds of millions in compensation).
Conrad Black, former CEO of Hollinger, overpaid family and friends for every service they could conceivably provide. The grand total came to more than $400 million over seven years.

Tell me your story of corrupt insiders.

Auto Executives Go To Washington

crhickman@gmail.com (CRAIG HICKMAN) — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 23:46:00 GMT

What's destroying the American dream? For one thing CEOs who believe they can live above the law, cheat the system, and exploit the weak. In Japan, Toyota's CEO Katsuaki Watanabe makes $1 million in compensation while the company will make $5 billion in profits this year. Here in the U.S., GM's CEO Rick Wagoner makes $16 million while the company will report $16 billion in losses and Ford's CEO Alan Mulally makes $22 million while the company will report losses of $7.5 billion. Make sense? To make matters worse, the GM and Ford CEOs flew to Washington this past week to ask Congress for a bailout of over $25 billion. They arrived on their corporate jets and had no business plans for solving their company problems. Insane. Actually, I don't have a problem with CEOs making lots of money as long as their companies, employees, and shareholderes are also making lots of money. But when CEOs receive enormous compensation while their companies experience huge loses and then plead for someone to bail them out, it's nothing but abuse of power. The CEOs of GM, Ford, and Chrysler should be fired. They just don't get it.

Insiders Club

crhickman@gmail.com (CRAIG HICKMAN) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 23:06:00 GMT

As you may have suspected, the world's most powerful CEOs have access to an exclusive insiders club, based on a concealed network of insider trading, lobbying, and corporate espionage. From killings in the stock market and private government deals to limitless legal protection and unimaginable personal wealth---whatever they want, they get.

Welcome to The Insiders Blog

crhickman@gmail.com (CRAIG HICKMAN) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:03:01 GMT

Welcome to my blog. I'll be posting blogs daily during the week and sometimes on weekends (especially if I'm feeling bored or agitated). Please comment. Together, we can expose the corruption destroying the American dream.