Category Archives: News and Events

Describes new books, articles, and upcoming speeches.

That “Tone At the Top” Thing: Fuld, AIG and St. Regis

Posted on October 8, 2008 by mmjdiary

As a firm believer in shareholder activism’s ability to bring about governance reforms, I am loathe to admit that government intervention may be necessary in certain circumstances.  But, when I am right, I say so.  When I am wrong, I also … Continue reading →

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A Conflicts Is a Conflict Is a Conflict . . . Gwen Ifill

Posted on October 2, 2008 by mmjdiary

PBS journalist Gwen Ifill is scheduled to moderate tonight’s vice presidential debate.  Yesterday, news broke that Ms. Ifill has a book scheduled for release on Inauguration Day.  The title of the book is “The Breakthrough:  Politics and Race in the … Continue reading →

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The Dangers of Mixing Business, Government, and Good Intentions: Remembering Uncle Milton

Posted on September 20, 2008 by mmjdiary

Milton Friedman is mocked in the world of ethics for his unwavering conviction that the primary responsibility of business is to make money. Mix good intentions, i.e., social responsibility, with profit motives, Dr. Friedman warned, and you tinker with market … Continue reading →

Posted in Analysis, News and Events | 8 Comments

Palin, Politics, and Patagonia: Ethics, Social Responsibility, and Uncle Milton

Posted on September 12, 2008 by mmjdiary

The Wall Street Journal reports that businesses from WigSalon.com to Kazuo Kawasaki (the manufacturer of Mrs. Palin’s eyeglass frames) are benefiting from the Palin nomination.  The wigs are flying off the shelves and the glasses frames orders have quadrupled.  Kazuo Kawasaki … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethical Dilemmas, News and Events | 1 Comment

“A Culture of Substance Abuse and Promiscuity”

Posted on September 11, 2008 by mmjdiary

One would expect that kind of finding if one were doing an audit of the Mustang Ranch.  However, the Barometer is quoting from the Inspector General’s report on the Minerals Management Service, a division of the Department of Interior that is … Continue reading →

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The Tragedy of Downey Financial: A Classic Example of the Seven Signs of Ethical Collapse

Posted on September 8, 2008 by mmjdiary

Downey Financial was a beacon of hope during the first savings and loan crisis that we lived through during the early 1990s.  Downey avoided the temptations of that cycle by not engaging in the accounting skullduggery of loan rollovers, not … Continue reading →

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Rangel Update — Interest Waived by Resort Developer

Posted on September 8, 2008 by mmjdiary

Charles Rangel has now hit the Barometer three times:  (1) He has four rent-stabilized apartments in New York City (this spread in NYC really rankles those who are living in those cubicles that were once used to sell knock-off purses … Continue reading →

Posted in News and Events | 1 Comment

Just because you have depreciation does not mean you get a pass from the IRS

Posted on September 5, 2008 by mmjdiary

Representative Charles B. Rangel failed to report income from property he owns at the Punta Cana Yacht Club.  The chair of the House Ways and Means Committee (responsible for the Internal Revenue Code) indicated that he did not know of the problem.  … Continue reading →

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Jack Abramoff: Brazen Lobbyist Says “My name is the butt of a joke” At Sentencing Hearing

Posted on September 5, 2008 by mmjdiary

In a quintessential end to a Greek tragedy, Jack Abramoff, the millionaire lobbyist who was once at the center of Washington’s movers and hakers, was sentenced to four years in prison for conspiracy to corrupt public officials.  There is some irony that … Continue reading →

Posted in News and Events, The Legal Round-Up | Leave a comment

Kwame Kilpatrick, Detroit’s Soon-to-be-Former Mayor, Enters Into Plea Agreement, Jail Time Included

Posted on September 4, 2008 by mmjdiary

The saga has ended.  Detroit can move on to dealing with its citizens’ issues.  Mr. Kilpatrick can begin his introspection and reform.  Mr. Kilpatrick entered a guilty plea to two counts of obstruction of justice as well as a no … Continue reading →

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Iowa Central President Resigns Over Kegger Photo — Will Receive $400,000

Posted on August 29, 2008 by mmjdiary

Not bad work if you can get it.  Iowa Central Community College President Robert Paxton, whose photo-op moment with a beer keg and a bikini-clad young woman (original story featured at The Ethical Barometer on August 27, 2008) caused a firestorm … Continue reading →

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Hostages of Each Other

Posted on August 29, 2008 by mmjdiary

Sometimes even the good are punished.  The fallout from the subprime mortgage market has hit the regional banks, even those banks that avoided the subprime mess.  For example, Zions Bancorp, headquartered in Salt Lake City, didn’t touch the subprime market … Continue reading →

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The College President as Beer-from-a-Keg-to-a-Student’s Mouth Dispenser

Posted on August 27, 2008 by mmjdiary

Now that’s a clump of words I never thought I would be writing.  But, Robert Paxton, 52, president of Iowa Central Community College, had a rollicking time on a Fourth of July boating outing on West Okojobi Lake.  He was … Continue reading →

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Delivering the Homeless for Health Care and Cash

Posted on August 20, 2008 by mmjdiary

The FBI served search warrants on City of Angels Medical Center, Los Angeles Metropolitan Medical Center, and Tustin Hospital and Medical Center as part of a Medicare and Medi-Cal fraud investigation.  A lawsuit filed by the city of Los Angeles … Continue reading →

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