[Vision2020] How's this for hypocrisy . . .

Wed Jul 2 11:45:34 PDT 2014

Actually, it's an excellent example of hypocrisy when one applies common
accepted definitions.

Let's look at this definition:

"a pretense of having a virtuous character, moral or religious beliefs or
principles, etc., that one does not really possess."

It's a pretty shallow "sincerely held" religious belief that is trumped by
financial greed.

Although, I do agree that the article is apparently wrong about the "any
contraception" part.  However, I've also read from several different sources
that HL's health insurance did, in fact - and with no objection from HL -
cover emergency contraception (and perhaps IUDs, according to some sources)
prior to the ACA.  If true, that makes the hypocrisy even more rank and ups
the ante by introducing pathetic stunting for pure political (rather than
religious) purposes, it seems to me.

From: Scott Dredge [mailto:scooterd408 at hotmail.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, July 01, 2014 6:15 PM
To: Saundra Lund; 'Tom Hansen'; viz
Subject: RE: [Vision2020] How's this for hypocrisy . . .

It's not a very good example for hypocrisy.  Hypocrisy in essence is
engaging in behavior that you tell others not to behave in.  Hypocrisy for
the Greens would be using plan B and IUDs themselves while fighting to
disallow its use by others.

Aside from that, the below article states 'The company refuses to cover any
contraception methods for its employees' which is untrue.  Hobby Lobby's
insurance plan covers 16 out of 20 types of birth control. 

  _____  

From:  <mailto:v2020 at ssl1.fastmail.fm> v2020 at ssl1.fastmail.fm
To:  <mailto:thansen at moscow.com> thansen at moscow.com;
<mailto:vision2020 at moscow.com> vision2020 at moscow.com
Date: Tue, 1 Jul 2014 16:14:36 -0700
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] How's this for hypocrisy . . .

Tom, I find nothing surprising about this religious hypocrisy because sadly,
so-called "sincerely held" religious beliefs that have a long history of
being used to oppress and punish those who don't share those beliefs have an
equally long history of being oh, so conveniently & blatantly disregarded
when it comes to lining their own financial pockets.

In my book, that elevates ordinary hypocrisy to rank hypocrisy status, and
while they may have been successful at pulling the wool over SCOTUS's eyes,
it doesn't fool God or any of the rest of us with connected brain cells.

Saundra

From:  <mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com> vision2020-bounces at moscow.com
[ <mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com>
mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com] On Behalf Of Tom Hansen
Sent: Tuesday, July 01, 2014 3:35 PM
To: Moscow Vision 2020
Subject: [Vision2020] How's this for hypocrisy . . .

Courtesy of KDVR-31 (Denver, Colorado) at:

 <http://tinyurl.com/n9qngc5> http://tinyurl.com/n9qngc5

------------------------------------

Hobby Lobby 401K plan invests in firms that make contraceptives

NEW YORK - Hobby Lobby is a craft store chain that says it operates "in a
manner consistent with Biblical principles." Those values extend throughout
its business, except when it comes to the company's retirement plan.

The company refuses to cover any contraception methods for its employees.
Hobby Lobby fought the Affordable Care Act's mandate that businesses pay for
birth control all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and
<http://kdvr.com/2014/06/30/supreme-court-rules-businesses-can-refuse-to-pro
vide-contraceptives-to-employees/> won this week.

"It's been a long journey, but an important one for our family and for those
who wish to be guided in all areas of life, including their businesses by
faith and conscience," Hobby Lobby co-founder Barbara Green said in a
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNYJHCxwx9E> statement on YouTube after the
ruling.

Hobby Lobby's founders have made it clear that any form of contraception is
unacceptable in their eyes, yet the company's 401(k) plan has millions of
dollars invested in funds that own companies which make birth control pills
and Plan B, the so-called "morning after" drug that some equate to abortion.

Like many companies, Hobby Lobby offers its employees a 401(k) plan. Over
13,000 past and present employees have taken advantage of that plan,
according to the
<https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/1099360-savings-incentive-and-profi
t-sharing-plan-for.html> latest documents filed with the Department of
Labor.

Employees have the option to put their retirement dollars - and the money
that Hobby Lobby contributes on their behalf - into over a dozen different
mutual funds.

At least six of those funds have been invested in companies that produce
birth control such as Teva Pharmaceutical, Bayer, and Pfizer, according to
an analysis. Teva makes Plan B. One of the funds also held Forest
Laboratories, which makes a drug that is used to induce abortions.

These are huge drug companies that make many different medications.
Contraceptives are only part of the mix.

Hobby Lobby has not responded to requests for comment about its retirement
plan.

Mother Jones broke the story about the company's 401K plan in April.

How Hobby Lobby can avoid investing in birth control: There are ways Hobby
Lobby could strip out investments dealing with contraceptives.

For example, an investment management firm called Ave Maria Funds offers a
"Catholic Values" fund that "screens out two major categories of companies:
those involved with abortion and those judged to be anti-family, such as
companies which distribute pornographic materials or whose policies
undermine the Sacrament of Marriage."

The most recent information available on Hobby Lobby's retirement funds
comes from a 2012 filing with the Department of Labor. At that time, Hobby
Lobby used American Funds, T. Rowe Price and Vanguard to manage its money.

Another option for the company would be to ask its providers such as
Vanguard to create a custom portfolio, sometimes dubbed a "separately
managed account." This would essentially put Hobby Lobby's funds into their
own bucket and give the company more control to forbid investments in firms
like Teva.

That said, any time you ask for something special, it often costs more.

"While it would be possible to create some kind of custom portfolio, I don't
know that that would be feasible in 401(k)-type account given the costs
involved. It's probably doable, but expensive," says David Blanchett, the
head of retirement research for Morningstar Investment Management.

Figuring out what companies are acceptable and which ones are not is also
tricky. Most of the funds Hobby Lobby offers employees are "actively
managed," meaning someone is picking stocks and likely moving them in and
out of the portfolio regularly.

While Teva and Pfizer might be off-limits, what about a company like Aetna
that is a health care insurer, but puts Plan B on its preferred drug list?
Or a hospital owner like Tenet or HCA that might prescribe birth control in
their urgent care or emergency rooms?

------------------------------------Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .

"Moscow Cares"

 <http://www.moscowcares.com/> http://www.MoscowCares.com

Tom Hansen

Moscow, Idaho

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