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Highlights—October 31, 2009

• CNN/Money: IBM Unveils New Technology to Help Governments Improve Services for Citizens. New Framework Combines Software, Services and IBM Experience in Supporting Government. Excerpts: The new IBM Government Industry Framework will help agencies of all sizes use new technologies to transform their existing support and delivery processes, allowing them to more efficiently deploy limited resources and respond more quickly to everything from public emergencies to the delivery of social services. The Framework is a base software platform that is enriched by the contributions of independent software developers who use it as a foundation to build unique applications that address particular issues across government.

  Globally, challenges such as changing demographics, security concerns and lower tax revenues are placing unprecedented demands on the government infrastructures that deliver vital services such as social services, healthcare, education and public safety. Demographics show that cities and municipalities in particular are experiencing a population explosion of new residents, placing additional strain on governments to meet the needs of its constituencies. At the heart of IBM's business transformation strategy is the recognition that the increasingly instrumented world and the boundless possibilities offered by technology can help all organizations, including government, reach new levels of efficiency. In all of this, the traditional definition of "workstation" has been expanded to include hand-held devices that enable workers to connect remotely with their colleagues and interact with sensors, video and other information gathering technology embedded in everything from buildings and machines to vehicles, traffic signals and utilities. ...

  "For the first time we can see into our client activities to help them meet our (federal, state and county) rules for receiving benefits, or redirect funds to families that need our help much more rapidly," said Don Edwards, Deputy Agency Director of Alameda Social Services Agency. "This milestone demonstrates that states and counties can securely verify that their records reflecting client cases are correct and can be shared. The ability to connect and exchange appropriate common client information will enhance the stability and well-being of our children, adults or elderly, and their families

• eWeek: IBM Fired from $1.34 Billion Contract with State of Indiana. By Don E. Sears. Excerpts: An IBM-implemented welfare system came under a lot of scrutiny by state lawmakers and the governor as demand for services in Indiana skyrocketed while costs on the contract rose. The task-based approach to individual case work did not deliver the expected efficiencies, though it helped cut down on fraud, admitted the state. The new system will be a hybrid of former ways, including individual case work but with the flexibility of the digital age.

  On Oct. 15, IBM was officially terminated from a 10-year welfare services contract with the state of Indiana—a project intended to improve the efficiency and quality of working with welfare recipients. A press release about the termination came from Gov. Mitch Daniels, who stated that Indiana plans to move ahead with a "hybrid" strategy that will include more face-to-face contact and "localized team based case management," said a news release.

  The IBM system eliminated face-to-face meetings and took a task-oriented approach rather than a case-based approach and was not working well for Indiana residents, said the state. While there were improvements to the system in terms of eliminating fraud, increasing state case loads for employees and adding some new jobs to Indiana, fundamental problems still exist, claimed the state in the news release. ...

  IBM representative John Buscemi told the AP following the news of contract termination, "'IBM rejects the state's claims and believes the state's actions are unjustified." Asked whether the company was considering suing the state, he said, "IBM will take action as appropriate to protect its rights under its contract with FSSA."

  Selected reader comments follow:

  • IBM Asked For It: I think this is hilarious. IBM destroys American lives with ridiculous offshoring and H1b use to the detriment of America and to hear that Indiana canned IBM makes my heart pitter patter with love for Indiana. Now a quick call to Iowa where they just opened a new facility with tax credits to show them how North Carolina is struggling after the dumping of a huge tech force under their tax credit plan. Can Iowa stand to have more unemployed people, kick IBM out now before the people get to adjusted to being IBM and the state gives tax dollars away to IBM-The Horrible.
  • Funny: All these companies help save money yet ruin the lives of many American's by outsourcing quietly to India.
  • The first of many for IBM: IBM has outsourced over 90,000 jobs in the last few years to the BRIC countries, believing that folks in Brazil, India, etc. with a minimal amount of training and enough documentation, can replace what it took the Americans, who built IBM, 20+ years to learn and achieve. This is the first of many losses for IBM over the coming years. You can't charge Ferrari prices for Hyundai performance, even if you are IBM.

• The Register (United Kingdom): IBM board gives Big Sam another $5bn. Continues throwing money at market to inflate EPS growth. By Timothy Prickett Morgan. Excerpt: IBM's stock repurchasing addiction to show earnings per share growth continues unabated, and today the company's board of directors gave the company's management another $5bn bag of junk to take to Wall Street to buy back its own shares in the coming year. The news came as IBM was paying out its quarterly dividend of 55 cents per share, payable on December 10, and it was a reason for Big Blue to remind everyone that it has been paying out quarterly dividends since 1916. Other dividends might be bigger, but IBM's is longer and keeps a predictable rhythm, even in stressful times.
• Local TechWire (RTP, NC): At IBM, Robert Moffat's identity has been erased - Lawyer speaks out. By Rick Smith, Excerpts: Robert Moffat has been erased at IBM, “Biography you tried to access does not exist,” reads IBM's Web site when someone tries to access a link to Moffat's biography and photo. The confidant to IBM Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Sam Palmisano was placed on leave Monday following his arrest on Friday for allegedly participating in an insider trading ring.

  His lawyer, meanwhile, spoke out in defense of Moffat. Kerry Lawrence said the government hasn't accused Moffat of profiting from the alleged scheme, The Associated Press reported. “Not only have they not alleged that, but that definitely did not happen,” Lawrence said. ...

  Moffat rose through IBM's ranks with a reputation for cost cutting and job slashing. In fact, a wire service story described him as a “cost cutting maven.” He also spearheaded the sale of IBM's PC division to Lenovo in 2005. The AP picked up on the cost-cutting in Moffat's career as well, noting: "IBM has trumpeted Moffat's ability to slash costs and make the company faster and more efficient, particularly in manufacturing." ...

  However, Moffat's career may have come to a stunning close with the allegations that he provided inside information about Sun, IBM and AMD to the insider ring.

  The case caused Conrad to question Palmisano's judgment in promoting Moffat. “It is equally disturbing that this person was hand picked by Sam Palmisano to be the next CEO,” Conrad said. “What does this say about Palmisano's judgment in picking this guy as the next leader of IBM? “But remember this is a guy who slashed thousands of jobs,” Conrad added. “That is how you get promoted in the new IBM.”

• I, Cringely: Silence isn't Golden. By Bob Cringely Excerpts: Judging from the 70+ reader comments, many from present or former IBM employees, my last column about the arrest of IBM Sr. VP Bob Moffat on insider trading charges hit a nerve. In a few hours I'll be posting another column on a completely different topic, but I can't let this one go without making one more observation. It has been almost a week since Moffat was arrested and in that time, as far as I can tell, IBM has made no comment on the case to the press or even to its own employees. ...

  Lack of comment suggests Big Blue doesn't know what to say. Perhaps the company is paralyzed. Maybe there is disagreement in the executive ranks about how to handle the problem. Maybe Moffat, himself, was the guy who would have helped craft any response but now he's unavailable. Beats me. But it doesn't smell good.

  Selected reader comments follow:

  • Blue Blood Busted says: I'm glad to see that dirtbag Moffat got caught. Not surprised, expecting more to fall. IBM has turned into a dying cash cow for its execs; bleeding it to death with their greed. They'll rape and pillage the company, sacrifice service to its customers, and bail out with a golden parachute. IBM's only successful “product/service” is eliminating U.S. jobs…. how else would they post a profit with ever-decreasing revenue (due to it's crap service and products).
  • Cringely sez: “…Doesn't IBM management owe that to its 398,000 employees?…” Bob! IBM is now an off-shore company with a vestigial headquarters in Armonk, NY! There are no more than an estimated 100K employees stateside and that is likely to shrink to 60-70K in the next two years…or sooner.
  • I left IBM a couple of years ago, and have always felt so good that I left. The management is incompetent, and yet, they are judging us on our PBC's. All the wasted time on development plans, but wait, training was cut years ago! The list goes on, no raises, no training, low morale, yet stock holders don't seem interested, but, eventually, won't the bottom drop? These jobs offshored, do they pay taxes? I'm sure not! The real injustice, is the treatment many of those from India would do to us, most are incompetent, but for some odd reason, management thinks they're smart, I didn't understand that, and yet, many of those people from India have rosen in the ranks, but like the guy busted on wall street, he wasn't that smart, he was a crook, I wish people would wake up to this. Give us our country back, and our jobs. Things are just so messed up in IBM, I honestly believe they will soon be out of America all together. And our President will help finance this project will stimulus money. Very sorry about all of this.

• Yahoo! IBM Employee Issues message board: "Why no Perp Walk for Moffie?" by "nyjints5". Full excerpt: Moffat surrendered to the FBI at their office in White Plains on Friday morning Oct 16th. All of the other defendants were arrested and perp walked by the FBI on Friday morning the 16th. So exactly how did those arrangements get made? The complaint naming Moffat was signed by Judge Eaton on Thursday the 15th. That means two Special Agents had to have been dispatched to arrest Moffat on the 15th. They probably went to his home in Ridgefield where they didn't find him. So the next place they'd look for him would be at work in Armonk. Oh Boy!!

  Can you imagine the look on his secretary's face after the guard at the front desk who escorted the agents to his office said; "These men are from the FBI and they need to speak with Mr Moffat." She must have told them he was out of the office. The agents then probably asked; Can you reach him by phone?"

  Imagine how Moffat must have felt when he heard the man's voice on the other end of the phone say; "This is FBI Special Agent So and So. I have a warrant for your arrest for Conspiracy to commit securities fraud." It's no wonder he was shocked! Wonder what the secretary did when she heard THAT! She probably ran straight into Sam's office..... Talk about stuff hittin the fan!! WOW!

• Financial Times (United Kingdom): Pressure on IBM over Galleon case. By Richard Waters. Excerpts: For a company that has always prided itself on the highest standards of corporate ethics, IBM is facing one of its hardest decisions: how to deal with the accusation that one of its most senior executives illegally passed on inside information. Robert Moffat, a 31-year veteran and one of the most trusted lieutenants of Sam Palmisano, IBM's chief executive officer, was among six people charged earlier this month in the insider trading case centred on the Galleon hedge fund. His lawyer has said he did not pass on any illegal information and pointed out that he is not accused of having tried to profit from the trades at the centre of the complaint.

  One person who has worked with him describes him as “locked-down, very polished, process-driven”, a classic product of IBM. IBM moved fast after the complaint was filed, putting Mr Moffat on leave and stripping him of his position as a corporate officer. His biography was quietly removed from the company's website. ...

  “I don't think it'll make a ripple,” said Bob Djurdjevic, a former IBM executive who now runs a technology consulting firm. Yet the accusations will leave a mark, given the personal trust Mr Palmisano has displayed in Mr Moffat during his own rise through the ranks. Mr Palmisano first came to rely on Mr Moffat in the mid-1990s, when he was put in charge of IBM's struggling PC division and Mr Moffat was handed the job of sorting out manufacturing and distribution. The operational genius he displayed later led Mr Palmisano to name Mr Moffat head of the PC division himself, pushing aside another executive in the process.

• Wall Street Journal: Figure in Insider Case, Moffat, Is Out at IBM. By William L. Bulkely. Excerpts: International Business Machines Corp. said Robert Moffat, a high-ranking executive facing insider-trading charges, has left the company. Mr. Moffat, 53 years old, was IBM's senior vice president for technology and regarded as a possible future chief executive until prosecutors accused him this month of passing along confidential information on IBM and other companies as part of an alleged insider-trading conspiracy that benefited hedge funds Galleon Group and New Castle Partners.

  Mr. Moffat has retired and "was not terminated" from IBM effective Oct. 31, said his lawyer, Kerry Lawrence. He said that Mr. Moffat, who is free on $2 million bail, retired "to devote his time to defending the charges that have been filed against him." Mr. Moffat had been placed on leave after he was charged with conspiracy in the insider case. Authorities said he discussed coming IBM and Sun Microsystems Corp. earnings announcements with Danielle Chiesi, who worked at New Castle and has been accused of trading on the information. IBM was in talks to buy Sun at the time.

• Financial Times (United Kingdom): Moffat leaves IBM after Galleon affair. By Richard Waters. Excerpts: IBM refused to comment on the circumstances surrounding his departure, confining itself to a brief statement: "Bob Moffat, who had been placed on a leave of absence as a result of a US federal investigation into his personal activities, is no longer an employee of IBM." A spokesman added that the company did not discuss "personal matters regarding employees or former employees".

  Kerry Lawrence, Mr Moffat's lawyer, said that the executive had "retired from IBM, he was not terminated or fired". He had left the company "so he could devote his time and energy to defending himself against the charges," Mr Lawrence added. He reiterated that the former IBM executive was "still asserting his innocence". Mr Moffat's quick departure, and IBM's decision to characterise the matter as a purely personal one, contrasts sharply with the approach taken by other companies whose executives have been drawn into the insider trading case.

  An executive at Intel and a partner at McKinsey, who have also denied insider trading charges, are both on administrative leave, according to the companies. These companies have also been public about launching internal investigations into the affair, as has Akamai, where an executive is alleged to have passed on inside information though not charged. Some of the companies caught up in the affair have also moved to reassure their staff and customers by promising reviews of their ethical codes of conduct for executives.

• BizCovering: Greed, Scandal, and Lies are All Part of Massive Us Layoffs and Restructuring at IBM. Full excerpt: Some may think IBM is known for its sterling business ethics and character. Many older people might remember the Watson family whose motto was, “respect for the individual”. Well much as Virginia Slims ads used to say, “You've come a long way baby.” IBM's tag line should be you have fallen a long way baby.

  It was not bad enough that Moffat is outsourcing US jobs at record levels out of the country and treating the employee like chattel but things are far worse than that. People are forced out due to their age; EEOC is protecting the employer, with little recourse for the employee. Sam Palmisano can not make his top line revenue (sales) targets so he is squeezing every dime out of the expense side of the business by giving employment to those who will work cheapest. IBM is becoming a worldwide sweat shop so Sam Palmisano and other top executives can get their performance pay. The most recent financial numbers from a week ago prove that.

  Well that leads into what this article is about Bob Moffatt the poster boy for greed and scandal. The FBI describes Moffat as an IBM senior VP executive who secured insider trading information on IBM business partners and other computer companies , such as Sun Microsystems, Advanced Micro Devices and Akamai, and gave that information to a Danielle Chiesi, an executive of New Castle Ventures. ...

  The FBI had been watching Moffat's activities for quite some time. Moffat interesting enough, was one of the grand architects of the send the jobs out of the county strategy. What a swell guy, Moffatt appears to be totally without any morals that guide him except the motive of greed.

  Yet President Obama has invited Sammy P to Washington to help him figure out how to get more jobs for the US and fix the economy. Does Obama have even the basics of an economic background? Does his staff not read about IBM's layoffs to employ people in under-developed nations where they work for $.20 on the dollar? Obama is ignoring unemployment because his focus in on health-care. Guess he says let ‘em eat cake.

• JobVent, Employee Review of IBM. From Atlanta, GA. Excerpts: I HATE IBM. They took the young, enthusiastic, idealistic 27 year old I was when I was hired by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), took over the portion of the company I worked for and made us all "IBM blue" complete with serial numbers, and over a span of 10 years they ground all the life and the joy out of not only working with a consulting firm but for working ANYWHERE AT ALL

  Everything that is written here about their PBC review process is true. Performance based bonuses in my department over the years were nearly non existent; raises even more rare, and ranged from only 1-3% at proposal manager level which didn't even keep up with annual cost of living increases or inflation - despite the fact they had us all working in proposal management support through countless all-nighters, weekends, holidays, piling up UNPAID overtime hand over fist.

  My department's "powers that be" stopped paying OT wages in April 2005, promised us we would have more work-life balance in return by not being expected to work but a fraction of the OT hours we had been putting in up to that point, and within a month I was putting in more OT hours than EVER.

  At a time when our management kept drumming high utilization numbers into our heads in order to keep our jobs, I stayed and kept taking it. I maintained a weekly spreadsheet of the OT hours I was putting in for the rest of the year (ending with a utilization rate for the year of 101%), had numerous stellar reviews from proposal teams I'd supported, 3 "IBM Thanks Awards" awarded to me by clients, zero negative feedback, and clearly met and exceeded the PBC and IDP goals I'd set for that year - and yet when review time came, my manager DROPPED me from the 2+ rating I'd received (from my previous manager the year before) and gave me a 2. No reason was given for the lower rating, just that my contributions were "satisfactory" and "on par with my peers". Well, I had access to the same utilization spreadsheet my peers were entering their numbers into and I had the second highest utilization average in the department next to the pucker-up king who most everyone knew was padding his numbers to make himself look good because he was a sloppy drunk who worked from home and did a half-a** job (I should know, I had to bail him out on a few occasions and saw some of the documents he had worked on).

  To sum it all up, if you aren't the best a**-kisser in the department, they stifle your career and keep you boxed up in a profile of lower pay range (while lying to you about your rate of pay being competitive and on average with your geographic area) and devaluing your contributions with their forked tongued PBC grading methods, in a way I can honestly compare closely to brainwashing into making you believe you are what they say you are, and nothing more

  The guy who said there is no recognition or incentive given to the INDIVIDUAL and that everyone at IBM is just a "resource" hit the nail on the head. I slaved away for them until I had high blood pressure, nervous jitters and twitches, patches of hair falling out of my head, and literally gave them my blood sweat and tears for 10 years. I will never get back any of those hours I had to spend away from my family late into the night.

• JobVent, From FL — 10/24/2009. Full excerpt: I worked for IBM for 15 yrs and left voluntarily in July. IBM has become a company devoid of integrity and ethics. They blatantly lie to the employees and ask the employees to lie to the customer. There was no longer any respect for the employee or the customer. Customer SAT is no longer a consideration when making decisions. It had become all about enriching those at the top (at the expense of the worker bees) and cutting costs. I would not recommend IBM as a place of employment for anyone!
• JobVent, other Working at IBM — Reviews by Employees.
• Austin Business Journal: Court: Ex-IBM M&A chief can work at Dell. Excerpt: IBM Corp. has lost a bid to block its former mergers and acquisitions chief from working at Dell Inc. The U.S. Court of Appeals in New York denied IBM's request to reverse a June ruling to allow David Johnson to continue in his role as Dell's senior vice president of corporate strategy, Bloomberg reported. IBM officials sought to enforce a one-year noncompetition agreement provision with Johnson, previously a 27-year IBM veteran.
• Hudson Valley Times Record-Herald: Assemblyman calls for probe into IBM pact. By George Spohr. Excerpts: The chairman of the Assembly's Committee on Corporations is investigating IBM's financial dealings with the state. "We are actively investigating it, and we will hold hearings if we feel it's necessary," said Chris Valens, a spokesman for Richard Brodsky, D-Elmsford. Assemblyman Greg Ball, R-Patterson, who is challenging Democratic Rep. John Hall for the 19th Congressional District, says that doesn't go far enough. He's made IBM layoffs a campaign issue. "And now, many months and layoffs later, my efforts to shed light on the state's dealings with IBM through the proper channels, by holding an open public hearing with this committee, are still being ignored," Ball said. "If this isn't a cover-up through stonewalling, I don't know what else to call it." ...

  Ball's criticism of IBM layoffs centers around a 2008 Empire State Development Corp. agreement between the company and Gov. David Paterson's office. Under the pact, IBM continues to receive millions of dollars from New York so long as it maintains a minimum number of semiconductor workers at IBM East Fishkill — which it has. In exchange, IBM has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the Albany NanoTech project, where the company and its partners have created clusters of high-paying nanotechnology research, development and manufacturing facilities. Since January, IBM has laid off hundreds of workers in Orange and Dutchess counties. It still employs more than 9,000 workers in the mid-Hudson and remains the region's largest private employer.

• Yahoo! IBM Pension message board: "Re: Employees face "shockingly higher" health costs" by "ibm_vet". Full excerpt: Well, received my IBM 2010 retiree benefit package today. Shocking increase is an understatement. Here are the numbers for the plans in Georgia for Non-Medicare Self+1.

  Plan	% Increase	Annual Amount
  BCBS of Georgia	54.4	$8,004
  Kaiser Permanente	55.6	$12,456
  IBM EPO	11.3	$11,856
  IBM High Ded w/HSA	20.7	$9,732
  IBM High Ded	27.4	$4,572
  IBM Medium Ded	10.5	$10,368
  IBM Low Ded	10.9	$13,860

  And to think three short years ago I was paying, as a retiree, only $275 a month for BCBS and Dental. This sucks.

• Yahoo! IBM Retiree Information Exchange message board: "Re: IBM Medical for Cost for 2010". By "jsb2b2". Full excerpt: Here is a brief history of my case in NY: Here is a brief history of my case in NY: Employee: 2004 IBM EPO - MVP = $48(Self) / $101(Self plus 1) per month. Took early retirement at age 55.

  Retiree: Self/Spouse (Self plus 1)	Cost per Month	Percent Increase
  2005 IBM EPO - MVP	$ 93/$326
  2006 IBM EPO - MVP	$100/$400	7.5 / 22.6
  2007 IBM EPO - MVP	$117/$503	17.0 / 25.7
  2008 IBM EPO - MVP	$150/$690	28.2 / 37.1
  2009 IBM EPO - MVP	$193/$888	28.6 / 28.6
  2010 IBM EPO - MVP	$246/$988	27.4 / 11.0

  So the Retiree is paying $8904, the full cost of the non-medicare spouse, and $2952 the cost for the non-medicare Self. Add IBM's $7000 and the Self is $9952 and the Self plus 1 equals $18,856 per year. But, as IBM states, they can terminate their generosity at any time.

• Yahoo! IBM Pension and Retiree Issues message board: "Re: IBM Medical" by "fstephens". Full excerpt: Feel HAPPY ! When on the FHA, we pay about what you show for Self+1, for just one. There is no other supplement used in what we are charged. I am waiting to see my package and/or to see what shows up on Netbenefits Health when the enrollment info finally shows up. I think I will start crying now, as this will use up almost all of what I have left in my FHA. If the RUMORS are true, 2010 will be the end of the FHA fund existing, then it won't matter anyway for me.
• Yahoo! IBM Pension and Retiree Issues message board: "Re: IBM Medical" by "ranheimchas". Full excerpt: IBM purposely put the retirees in a "High Risk Pool" so they could justify raising our cost in order to lower what the active employees have to pay for similar plans. What haunts me is thinking about all the times I was told at each pay raise, how part of our increase is being differed so that we would have paid up medical for the rest of our lives after retirement (with 30 or more years of service). This was "Differed Compensation", meaning we already worked for this future medical benefit that was taken away. For 40 years I worked my heart out, and gave up many prime vacation times, because I had so much respect for the company and their promises. I sure got fooled on that one. Now, the largest expense my wife and I have is our medical, and it just keeps going up. Thank goodness we have been saving extra for retirement enjoyment. So much for that idea. Now, we are spending most of it just to keep our heads above water.
• Yahoo! IBM Pension and Retiree Issues message board: "Re: IBM Medical" by "ibmretiree2006". Full excerpt: ranheimcas, the IBM apologists will tell you that what you were "TOLD" means nothing. That you should have read the FINE print that said "subject to change". The bean counters saw a way to dramatically reduce IBM's commitment to retirees and they took it. And I too worked my heart out. To the point where it took a tremendous toll on my family. But we all agreed it was worth it. Bull$hit!!! We were scammed big time and are being scammed even today. Old timers have, I think, a difficult reconciling the current IBM with the one we worked for. But as I am often told "business is business" and "every other corporation is doing it". My loyalty and respect for IBM is equal to the loyalty and respect they demonstrate for me!!!
• Yahoo! IBM Retiree Issues message board: "Re: Did you say goodbye to IBM?" by "scall0way". Full excerpt: Our whole department got moved into ITD earlier this year. We knew as soon as it happened it was not good news. Their propaganda pieces they sent us to review showed them to be a world-wide organization providing outsourcing support to customers, and they said their stated goal was "to provide the highest possible service at the lowest possible cost." And since we are here in the US, and most of us older (the "baby" of my department turned 50 earlier this year) we knew that there was no way that we could be "the lowest possible cost". So we were pretty sure it was all a matter of "when" not "if".

  This despite the fact that our new second line manager came up from Raleigh to meet with us in June, and remarked with surprise, "Wow, I understand some of you were worried your jobs might go away when you got moved into our organization. I had no idea you would think that. I'm sorry you were so upset. We have absolutely no plans to make any changes here in with your jobs"

  That was in June. Funnily enough when he called the meeting in October to tell us our jobs are going to IBM India he didn't fly up to meet with us face-to-face but did it via a telephone conference call.

• New York Times: For Delphi Pensioners, the Union Label Helps. By Mary Williams Walsh. Excerpts: Bruce Gump and his neighbors feared for their retirement checks when the federal government took over the pension plans at Delphi, the big auto parts maker where they once worked. But four months later, Mr. Gump finds himself in a far more perilous condition than his neighbors. On his street, he is the only Delphi worker whose pension benefits may be cut. His neighbors all belong to unions and have received a lifeline in an unprecedented deal related to the government-supervised bankruptcy of General Motors, the onetime parent of Delphi. (G.M. spun off the parts division as a separate company 10 years ago.

  Mr. Gump and some 21,000 other salaried workers and retirees are furious that their roughly 46,000 union co-workers at Delphi have had their benefits restored, apparently with government largesse, and they have not. “They've been relatively well taken care of,” he said. “But I'm being thrown out with yesterday's trash.”

• Mercer: Creating the impression of lifetime retiree health benefits is breach of ERISA's fiduciary duties. Excerpt: An employer breached ERISA's fiduciary duties by giving employees the impression that retiree health benefits would continue for life when, in fact, the company had the power to eliminate them at any time, ruled the Third Circuit Court of Appeals (In re: Unisys Corp. Retiree Med. Benefits ERISA Litig.). The court said the message to employees during retirement counseling was “at best a half truth” without mention of the company's right to amend the plan. The latest decision in this protracted litigation reminds employers not to overpromise in retiree health or any benefit communications.
• The Register (United Kingdom): HP faces first ever UK strike action. Big name customers could suffer if staff walk out. By Kelly Fiveash. Excerpt: HP faces possible strike action from some of its employees in the UK, after trade union Unite announced a vote among its 150 customer engineers, whose jobs are being shifted to a subsidiary firm. If the strike gets the go-ahead, it will be the first of its kind at HP, which in the past two years has undergone dramatic job culls in a move to cut costs at the computer vendor. Unite said in a statement that it had begun a ballot that covers home-based customer engineers and support specialists who operate across the UK for HP. Staff are angry about being shunted over to HP's subsidiary company HP CDS at the start of next month. Unite claimed the computer giant is removing pay and pension benefits, including a performance bonus scheme worth up to £2,000 and a final salary pension scheme.
• CNN/Money: IBM To Provide Employees With 100% Primary Health Care Coverage, New Wellness Rebate PR Newswire Underscores IBM's Commitment to Wellness and Primary Care to Improve Employee Health and Lower Costs. Excerpts: IBM today announced that it will provide U.S. employees with 100 percent coverage for primary health care, beginning in 2010. Employees enrolled in IBM plans will receive full coverage throughout the year -- no coinsurance or deductible -- for in-network primary care with their internist, family practitioner, pediatrician, general practitioner or primary osteopath. IBM will be among the first U.S. companies to cover primary care at 100 percent. ...

  IBM's expanded support for primary care will lower costs for employees by eliminating co-payment or co-insurance any time that they, or covered family members, receive care from an in-network primary care doctor. It enhances IBM's coverage for preventive or "wellness" visits, such as yearly check-ups, which began in 2006. The new benefit will apply to all IBM-self insured medical plan options, which currently cover about 80 percent of IBM employees in the U.S. Other employees participate in HMOs, which typically provide most, but not all, preventive and primary services at low or no cost after payment of premiums.

• Yahoo! IBM Employee Issues message board: "Re: What Health Plan to select based on IBM announcement" by Elaine Petrone. Full excerpt: The devil is clearly in the details on this stuff and IBM is using the smoke and mirrors to get us all excited, but read carefully.

  From what I've read, the only copay that has been removed by this new announcement is the copay to your PCP for the doctor's part of the visit. You'll still have to pay copays on any actual procedures and on labs and tests. AND you'll need to pay copays if you see any specialists. It's only your primary physician services that are "free". In my family's case, the increase in my monthly premium exceeds the amount I spend on my primary physician co-pays.

  In addition, the annual deductible on PPO is up, $130/person (almost 17%)! And the copays for the Rx drugs is way up for those on long term Rx. While the percentages are the same, the caps are up as much as $80 per fill if you are taking an expensive drug.

  This is not a gift from IBM, this is a PR ploy. Look good to employees, look good in press, look good to White House....Just don't look too close.

  As for which plan you should sign up for, there is no simple answer. You really need to look at what your family's situation is. I always spend some time examining what we've spent on various medical expenses the last few years and try to project what is likely in the next year....then calculate the costs plus premiums to see how things compare out.

• Yahoo! IBM Pension and Retiree Issues message board: "Re: Changes to Employee Benefits" by "ibmaccountant". Full excerpt: IMHO, the TBJ is on the IBM Communications payroll. They have never, ever led with a critical article on IBM to my knowledge. They are desperately trying to use TBJ and N&O to promote the idea that IBM is still a company that makes a difference and a wonderful, innovative place to work. Word on the street has it that despite the tough economy they are having a tough time finding people interested in working at IBM. The reputation for deplorable working conditions, poor benefits and long hours is finally starting to hurt the brand image.

  As was stated very aptly in "Entrepreneur magazine" last month, "any company that keeps talking about innovation isn't really innovative, it's just trying to look innovative for marketing purposes". That describes IBM to a tee.

• Yahoo! IBM Retiree Issues message board: "Re: Not many options" by "lrafalow". Full excerpt: Like everyone else, I'm now focused on my health insurance choices. I'm in the FHA (with no blue dollars left after just 3 1/2 years) so I pay all of the premium costs: a little less than $18,000 a year for two people under the EPO, not the most expensive option BTW. This is a 5.5% increase over last year when the CPI-U medical costs component increased 3.3% for the 12 months ended Sept 30. This is unsustainable.

  In response to your question, no, I'm not saying that their numbers are wrong, just their analysis. Actually, their numbers may well be wrong--economic forecasting was invented to make astrology look good, to paraphrase John Kenneth Galbraith--but I'm not in a position to argue.) I've read articles with relatively simple fixes to previous generations' fiscal failures (both public and private pensions and retirement health plans: most companies are in as deep as social security and medicare, they just don't cover as many people).

  The flaw in their analysis is that they start with the Reagan bias that government isn't part of the solution and use steady-state numbers to scare people.

  1. The simple fixes that have been published are things like means-testing some benefits, raising premiums and finding efficiencies in the system, see below.
  2. Health care costs are currently paid in a number of ways, from direct subsidies for the insured (insufficient premiums over a lifetime of work) and insurers (e.g. Medicare Advantage) to subsidies provided in medical research from which private companies extract profits, public grants for hospital expansions and very long and easily refreshed copyright protections for drugs, all the way to tax increment financing for large businesses including health care businesses. We also pay for the insurance for the elderly, the poor, vets and of course active duty not to mention public employees. I'm sure there are lots of other ways the taxpayers at federal, state and local levels pitch-in to health industry operating and capital expenses as well as profits. We also pay roughly $1000 per year to cover those without health insurance so they can go to the emergency room to get inappropriately expensive and frequently late in the illness and therefore less effective care with higher mortality rates. Here's one idea (not being considered because it's socialism...whatever that means), let's bring this all under one umbrella so we have a little transparency and can make rational decisions about the portion of our collective wealth we think is appropriate for health care...it's called single payer, or Medicare for All. I'm guessing that the 16% of GDP estimates don't include all of these expenses. But the next closest developed country's GDP figure I believe is Switzerland at 12% with other countries much lower and all with better health outcomes.
  3. One of things the Obama administration has proposed is that we change the way health care payments are administered. Instead of paying for procedures and the built in incentive to have lots of them--we pay for results. There are a number of successful examples of this providing better results at lower costs. And why not include a little tort reform while we're at it; credible estimates are that it would save less than 1% of the health care dollar--certainly less than the 20+% low-hanging fruit of administrative overhead--but worth pursuing.

  Lastly, shouting about Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid make good politics for the right. It plays to their theme of leaving everything to profit-making enterprises and it scares people about budget deficits and the world their children will inherit. But it's disingenuous. We know that government can be more efficient than the private sector and can administer programs that don't try to eliminate people from their rolls so they can goose profits. And we spend trillions of dollars on war and war equipment without a peep from Republicans (with one exception that I know of: Ron Paul, who isn't a real Republican). Military spending is a classic example of an inflation driver: like any consumption, you spend money to build something that you're going to use up (or blow up in this case) and so we have the same number of dollars now chancing fewer goods. We also spend trillions of dollars on bank bailouts with few strings attached (none during Bush, few during Obama) and little commitment to prevent it from happening again; and this is a bipartisan failure.) And Republicans argue that not only do we not have the money for heath insurance for every American but we also don't have the money to prevent catastrophic results--that our children will inherit--of climate change.

  It's all a game to keep us distracted sniping at each other while the incumbent masters of the universe continue to cash in. We're all ready for pitchforks, we just don't agree upon whom to skewer. So, my next project is to work on getting money out of our political system...the first prerequisite for good government and rational debate. I'm going back to trying to figure out if there's a cheaper IBM option that'll work for my wife and me. Cheers, Lee

• Yahoo! IBM Retiree Information Exchange: "Re: Not many options" by "Paly". Full excerpt: It is a long way from the "free for life" promise made to me when I was hired in 1968. I too have been reminded of the same thing MANY times in my time with iBm. Why would managers mention that same thing different times and different places recalled by different people.
• When Friday were Fridays: Ten Things to Do When You Leave Corporate America. Excerpt: What's the best part about not having to get dressed up and go to work every day? Time. When you leave Corporate America, what are you going to do with all that time? Or – if you've already left, what are you doing with all that time? Here's my top ten list for things to do when you leave Corporate America (in no particular order)....
• BusinessWeek: Study: No Shortage of U.S. Engineers. America is turning out plenty of science and engineering grads, a university study concludes, but many of the best are taking jobs in finance and consulting. Excerpts: U.S. colleges and universities are graduating as many scientists and engineers as ever, according to a study released on Oct. 28 by a group of academics. But that finding comes with a big caveat: Many of the highest-performing students are choosing careers in other fields. The study by professors at Rutgers and Georgetown suggests that since the late 1990s, many of the top students have been lured to careers in finance and consulting.

  "Despite decades of complaints that the United States does not have enough scientists and engineers, the data show our high schools and colleges are providing an ample supply of graduates," said study co-author Hal Salzman, a public policy professor at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. "It is now up to science and technology firms to attract the best and the brightest graduates to come work for them." ...

  The researchers' conclusions suggest that making careers in STEM fields more attractive—through higher salaries, for example—could help employers solve recruiting problems for top talent. "Highly qualified students may be choosing a non-STEM job because it pays better, offers a more stable professional career, and/or is perceived as less exposed to competition from low-wage economies," reads the report. Employers such as Microsoft (MSFT), however, argue that the problem of attracting talent would not be solved by raising pay but rather by adding more of the best candidates to the talent pipeline. Last March, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates testified before the House Committee on Science and Technology and said salaries are not the problem when his company tries to recruit top scientists and engineers. "It's not an issue of raising wages. These jobs are very, very, very high-paying jobs," he said.

• Yahoo! IBM Retiree Information Exchange message board: "Canada Drugs" by "Torbill". Full excerpt: These Part D drug plans are moving from good values to ripoffs, as far as I am concerned. The premiums are going up, and the co-pays are going up, and you hit the donut hole faster because the drug companies are jacking the hell out of their branded drug prices.

  Also, the formularies are so restrictive, in many cases, that if you take more than one branded drug you have a hard time finding a plan that gets you covered. Or, if you are like me, where I have to switch every half year or so from Aciphex to Nexium to Prevacid to Protonix in order to avoid building up a tolerance, it is next to impossible to find an acceptable formulary.

  Frustration and anger here.

  My wife and I are trying the Canada drugs path. We have each ordered a prescription fill from a Canada pharmacy. Hers is Lipitor. Mine is Aciphex. In the U.S., neither of these medicines is available as a generic. In Canada, both are. We are going to try them as generics, and if there are problems, we will order the branded versions.

  Here will be our strategy for 2010: Sign-up for the most inexpensive Part D drug plan that we can find. By having a Part D plan, we stay in the system, so that no future penalties are assessed. And, we get the catastrophic coverage.

  Buy our U.S.-available generics through the Part D drug plans, Costco, or Walmart, whichever is least expensive. Often we find that Costco cash is as cheap as anything.

  Buy our branded medicines through a Canadian pharmacy. If a non-U.S. generic version is available and works, we will buy it. Example: Lipitor generic. If the generic does not work, we will buy the branded version.

  Here is an example of pricing: Aciphex U.S. price is about $5/pill, with a typical co-pay of $100 and an annual Part D drug plan deductible of $300. So, an annual supply of this drug, branded, U.S. sourced, is $400 cash out of pocket, plus monthly Part D premiums. An annual supply of generic Aciphex, Canada sourced, is $200. An annual supply of branded Aciphex, Canada sourced, is $400.

  So cash out of pocket is break-even, worst case. And this example does not reflect the savings we will have because we will be able to find a cheap Part D monthly premium, compared to the monthly premium of a plan that has our formulary.

  The advantages of this plan:

  • Cost neutral, worst case.
  • No donut hole problem.
  • Order a full year supply from Canada in one fill. No need to screw around with 4 orders.
  • No formulary problems. Just pay cash to Canada and get what you want.
  • No hassles with step therapy, quantity limits, prior approval, generic versus branded you-pay-it-all, etcetera bullshit.

  I cannot tell you at this point that we have found good drugs and a good Canada supplier, but here is a website that supposedly lists prices from nothing but reputable sellers: http://www.pharmacychecker.com/ Do your own research on reputable pharmacies.

  As I said earlier, my wife and I are in the middle of doing a trial with Blue Sky Drugs. Generic Lipitor and Aciphex are on order.

  The order process is simple, simpler than ordering through a U.S. mail order pharmacy. I ordered the pills using the on-line form. At the end of the process, I received a printable fax cover sheet. I printed the cover sheet and took it to a fax facility, along with the prescription, and faxed them to Blue Sky. About an hour later, a representative called me and verified all my personal information and told me that the generic Lipitor will be shipped from Switzerland and the generic manufacturer is Cipla Pharmaceuticals (I already knew this, and had checked to make sure that Cipla is a quality supplier (in India) and they are).

  Negatives:

  • I think this is illegal. I consider myself to be an ethical person. I feel so ripped off by the pharma companies and insurance companies that I feel no ethical dilemma over what I am doing.
  • Customs may stop the shipment. If they do, Blue Sky will re-ship. They guarantee delivery.
  • It takes time. It won't work if you have 10 pills left.

  What I expect: I think the generic Lipitor will be fine. This is an easy pill to duplicate, just like Zocor/simvastatin. My wife will go in and get a blood panel done after 90 days to verify. If there is any problem, we will go to Plan B, which will be to re-order, but specifying Brand.

  I think the generic Aciphex is dicier. The Aciphex chemical is not the problem. Aciphex has to pass through the stomach and be absorbed in the gut, so there is a special acid-resisting, time release mechanism in branded version. I am not optimistic that the generic will work well. If not, Plan B.

  Repeat after me: I'm mad as hell, and I'm not taking it anymore!! :-) Torbill

• Yahoo! IBM Retiree Information Exchange message board: "Re: Canada Drugs" by "lederer2000". Full excerpt: I am thinking about Canada too. I take Lipitor. I see that I can get it from Blue Sky Drugs for less than the IBM plans will charge me next year. I don't even have to think about generics. How on earth can this be illegal?? What with IBM having done to us. Bill