[Vision2020] Bailout Bank Blows Millions Partying in L.A.

[FCS]

I've heard it from others and I tend to agree - many of these corporate 
people "Just don't get it."  Maybe they're feeling CULTURE SHOCK!

mark r. seman, architect
integratives
mark at 3dintelligence.com
www.3dintelligence.com
928.925.7617

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tom Hansen" <thansen at moscow.com>
To: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 7:55 AM
Subject: [Vision2020] Bailout Bank Blows Millions Partying in L.A.


> Northern Trust bank, recipient of much bailout money, has lavish Beverly
> Hills private party, complete with rock band Chicago, Earth, Wind & Fire
> and Sheryl Crow.
>
> Courtesy of TMZ at:
>
> http://www.tmz.com/2009/02/24/northern-trust-bank-bailout/
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------
>
> Bailout Bank Blows Millions Partying in L.A.
> Posted Feb 24th 2009 1:30PM by TMZ Staff
>
> A bank that received $1.6 billion in bailout money just spent a fortune
> last week in L.A. hosting a series of lavish parties and concerts with
> famous singers ... and TMZ cameras caught it all.
>
> Northern Trust, a Chicago-based bank, sponsored the Northern Trust Open at
> the Riviera Country Club in L.A. We're told Northern Trust paid millions
> to sponsor the PGA event which ended Sunday, but what happened off the
> golf course is even more shocking.
>
> Northern Trust flew hundreds of clients and employees to L.A. and put many
> of them up at some of the fanciest and priciest hotels in the city. We're
> told more than a hundred people were put up at the Beverly Wilshire in Bev
> Hills, and another hundred stayed at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel.
> Still more stayed at the Ritz Carlton in Marina Del Rey and others at Casa
> Del Mar in Santa Monica.
>
> The Beverly Wilsire in Bev Hills
> http://tinyurl.com/BeverlyWilshire
>
> Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel
> http://www.santamonicaloewshotel.com/?src=ppc_google_LoewsBrand
>
> Ritz Carlton, Marina Del Rey
> http://tinyurl.com/RitzCarltonMarinaDelRey
>
> Casa Del Mar
> http://www.hotelcasadelmar.com/
>
> - Wednesday, Northern Trust hosted a fancy dinner at the Ritz followed by
> a performance by the group Chicago.
>
> - Thursday, Northern Trust rented a private hangar at the Santa Monica
> Airport for dinner, followed by a performance by Earth, Wind & Fire.
>
> - Saturday, Northern Trust had the entire House of Blues in West Hollywood
> shut down for its private party. We got the menu -- guests dined on seared
> salmon and petite Angus filet. Dinner was followed by a performance by
> none other than Sheryl Crow.
>
> The Menu
> http://www.aolcdn.com/tmz_documents/0223_menu_wm.swf
>
> There was also a fabulous cocktail party at the Loews. And how's this for
> a nice touch: Female guests at the Chicago concert all got trinkets
> from ... TIFFANY AND CO.
>
> As for what all that costs: Well, the company isn't talking. We spoke with
> a rep from the band Chicago who said Northern Trust paid them around
> $100,000. A House of Blues source told us it cost more than $50,000 to
> close the joint down last Saturday night. As for Sheryl Crow's fee, her
> rep didn't get back to us. Earth, Wind & Fire acknowledges payment but
> won't say how much.
>
> As for the golf tournament, a rep from the PGA told us Northern Trust
> wrote one big fat check in order to sponsor the event. That check covers
> part of the $6.3 million purse, the advertising costs for the spots on CBS
> (which broadcast the final two rounds of the tournament) and operating
> costs. The rep says the fee was negotiated and is confidential.
>
> Lots of people from Northern Trust went to the golf tourney ... in special
> Mercedes that shuttled them to and from the hotels. But for those who
> weren't into golfing, they could spend a few hours at the Northern Trust
> seminar on the credit crunch.
>
> http://tmz.vo.llnwd.net/o28/assets/images/0223_northern_trust_opt-crop.jpg
>
> Now how's this for outrage? Northern Trust laid off 450 workers in
> December, 5% of its workforce.
>
> And here's what's absolutely amazing: The United States Government flat
> out gave Northern Trust the $1.6 billion in bailout money, and the bank
> didn't even request it!
>
> Northern Trust gave us a statement yesterday before going total radio
> silence. A rep for the bank acknowledges they paid for the events, but
> that the bailout money did not pay for the events. He claims it was paid
> out of the bank's operating expenses. Here's Northern Trust's full
> statement to us.
>
> http://tmz.vo.llnwd.net/o28/assets/swf/0223_NorthernTrust-PDF-2_opt.swf
>
> Perhaps we're missing something, but money is money. How can they spend
> like this when they're using taxpayer's money, whether they asked for it
> or not? And where the hell is Congress in all of this? Is there any
> oversight or accountability?
>
> Your tax dollars, hard at work. Thomas Jefferson was right -- "A little
> rebellion, now and then, is a good thing."
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------
>
> Seeya round town, Moscow.
>
> Tom Hansen
> Moscow, Idaho
>
> "For a lapsed Lutheran born-again Buddhist pan-Humanist Universalist
> Unitarian Wiccan Agnostic like myself there's really no reason ever to go
> to work."
>
> - Roy Zimmerman
>
>
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