Sound Familiar?; Who do you think Greensboro's News and Record is going to endorse?

"Over the past 15 years, the North Carolina state pension’s funding ratio has deteriorated – falling from 112.8% to 94.8%.  The major reasons for the decline—excessive undisclosed fees and wildly speculative hedge and private equity investing..."

Greensboro's News and Record is directly responsible 

for North Carolina and the City of Greensboro's employees 

paying more for pension and retirement investments than necessary,

as they have known for years and did nothing

Thankfully, for whatever reasons, current North Carolina Treasurer Janet Cowell—having exponentially increased the fees paid to her pals on Wall Street—has decided not to seek reelection.

Can’t imagine where she’ll surface next.

...Mr. Elmer, a CPA, has committed not only to publishing financial statements for the North Carolina state pension fund for the first time in 15 years, but also an independent audit of the pension for the first time – ever.

Jeff Gauger has direct personal knowledge

of Elmer's strategy, as I told him on multiples of occasions

and he didn't let Warren Buffett's newspaper report the story

Elmer has pledged not to take campaign contributions from Wall Street but his goals are bigger than winning the Treasurer’s race without Wall Street’s money.  He plans to end pay-to-play permanently in the Treasurer’s office by firing as many of the external managers as possible, bringing North Carolina’s money home, and managing assets in-house using an indexing strategy.  Finally, Elmer plans to replace the widely-criticized “sole-trustee” power of the State Treasurer with a Board of Trustee structure filled with relevant stakeholders – not Wall Streeters.

Joe Killian and Susan Ladd know exactly what could have been reported

and wasn't,

and then Joe's wife became a financial industry lobbyist

Thus, the next Treasurer won’t be able to dole out million dollar investment contracts to campaign contributors without the full consent of the Board of Trustees who would have to vote to move investments from in-house management back to the outhouse.

Jon Hardister barely lifted a finger,

and then failed to act in the best interests of North Carolina employees

by not following through

Elmer has managed state pension investments for Georgia and California, but more importantly, Elmer has previously managed a $2 billion stock index fund for the North Carolina pension fund.  He has quite literally “done this before” and just wants to “do it across town in the Treasurer’s office and save North Carolina hundreds of millions of dollars annually.”

http://www.forbes.com/sites/edwardsiedle/2016/03/01/finally-north-carolina-has-a-good-choice-for-state-treasurer/#70d0935a79cb
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From; NC District 59 Representative Jon Hardister To; NC Treasurer's Office "pertaining to 401(k) and 457 plans"

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2014/10/from-nc-district-59-representative-jon.html

Tony Wilkins, Nancy Vaughan, Nancy Hoffmann, Sharon Hightower, 

Yvonne Johnson, Mike Barber, MariKay Abuzuaiter and Jamal Fox

with Jim Westmoreland, Donnie Turlington and Mary Vigue's help 

betrayed those they are supposed to represent

On North Carolina State's 401(k) and 457 "GoalMaker" Target Date Funds

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2014/10/on-north-carolina-states-401k-and-457.html

North Carolina State 401(k) replaced index funds with higher cost actively managed accounts in 2013

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2014/10/north-carolina-state-401k-replaced.html

A Few Observations on Share Classes and Wells Fargo Stable Return Fund

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2014/06/a-couple-of-observations-on-share.html

A Few Observations on Share Classes and Wells Fargo Stable Return Fund

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2014/06/a-couple-of-observations-on-share.html

"Secrecy in Pensions Triggers Legislative Brawl in North Carolina"

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2014/10/secrecy-in-pensions-triggers.html

NC State Treasurer Janet Cowell's answer to the following question in 2012

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2014/10/nc-state-treasurer-janet-cowells-answer.html

"North Carolina Treasurer [Richard Moore] calls Wells’ Wachovia deal ‘highway robbery’

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2014/10/north-carolina-treasurer-richard-moore.html

NC Treasurer Janet Cowell Contributions; "Law Firms Seek Cut of State Pension Litigation" and Pay to Play

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2014/10/nc-treasurer-janet-cowell-contributions.html

Crow Holdings Capital Partners LLC and Pay to Play with NC Treasurer Janet Cowell

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2014/10/crow-holdings-capital-partners-llc-and.html

"NC Pension Accused of Pay-to-Play Violations"

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2014/10/nc-pension-accused-of-pay-to-play.html

And so it goes with the Federal Reserve and Roy Cooper and Janet Cowell again

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2016/01/and-so-it-goes-with-federal-reserve-and.html

The Goodmons, WRAL, Janet Cowell and Roy Cooper, overcharging North Carolina State employees in retirement plans and the Wachovia, Wells Fargo merger

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-goodmons-wral-janet-cowell-and-roy.html

Galliard, owned by Wells Fargo, North Carolina Stable Value Fund Transition Update; May 16, 2013

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2014/10/galliard-owned-by-wells-fargo-north.html

Why North Carolina Treasurer Janet Cowell isn't running for reelection, and how the City of Greensboro's retirement plan committee betrayed their co-workers

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/12/why-north-carolina-treasurer-janet.html

Public Information Request for the State of North Carolina's Treasurer

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2014/10/public-information-request-for-state-of.html

The Great Steven Tanger Performing Arts Center Lie; Part 28; Building Materials

https://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/WPU136201

If the price index 

of Roofing Asphalts, Pitches, Coatings, and Cement 

was about 265 in September, 2013, 

and about 220 now, about 17% lower, 

and the price for the center went up about 15%,

some are very, very lying as to what actually happened,

and one of  them is Steven Tanger

with the help of Matt Brown, Nancy Vaughan, Walker Sanders

and Nancy Hoffmann

"Naming announcement event!

On September 9, 2013, we announced the name of the center
– the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts
– and Mr. Tanger challenged the community to raise $35 million."

http://tangerperformingarts.com/
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Roy, Jim, Marty, Tanger, Nancy's and etc's High Colonic; "All the phantom wealth piled up in China's boost phase is now melting down and ...will trigger a meltdown in global phantom assets."

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2016/01/roy-jim-marty-tanger-nancys-and-etcs.html

Who said STPAC construction cost went up and why?

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2016/01/who-said-stpac-construction-cost-went.html

City of Greensboro Tax Dollars at Work; "Mayor to form arts task force"; Vaughan has no sense of shame or fiscal/political responsibility

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/12/city-of-greensboro-tax-dollars-at-work.html

Greensboro and oranges; Don and Nancy Vaughan, STPAC, Joe Killian, Allen Johnson, Walker Sanders, Jeff Gauger, Susan Ladd etc...

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/12/greensboro-and-oranges-don-and-nancy.html

City of Greensboro taxpayers are now directly guaranteeing $3,500,000 STPAC private donor contributions and some Say Yes to Education correlations with Mo Green and Mary Vigue

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/12/city-of-greensboro-taxpayers-are-now.html

Tonight Greensboro's City Council appears ready to violate an oath of office, which will take place a few minutes before the STPAC vote based on a willful, premeditated fraud on the City's taxpayers

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/12/tonight-greensboros-city-council.html

On STPAC etc... by the News and Record's Allen Johnson and Doug Clark, in the comments;

"The council should support this proposal, which it could vote on as soon as Tuesday’s meeting, because it rightly places the focus on arts center users, not all taxpayers."

Allen Johnson and Doug Clark,
employed by Jeff Gauger
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Control Fraud enabled by Greensboro's News and Record and the City of Greensboro

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/12/control-fraud-enabled-by-greensboros.html
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It's just a flat out lie gentlemen.

You are lying to your readers.

Don't you have any sense of right and wrong?

Some kind of moral compass?

Something that prevents you from willfully misleading your readers?

Do you realize you are part of an effort to commit fraud upon the public?

"Your news is half illusion Allen, Doug, Jeff, Joe etc... 

You are paid to keep those in Greensboro who bother to read your rhetoric joined to the status quo of our oligarchs.

Some of the truth which makes it through your news machine is wrapped in layers of manipulation. 

The public is lied to by our local government, elected leaders and business class and you report it as truth.

That makes you of them.

Your newspaper is where the local yokels get informed, government officials flat out lie for a massively corrupt City Council elected with your endorsements.

The TV stations recycle opinions from the News and Record and Roy's Rhino.

Greensboro's population has been rendered slaves by your hands via garbage propaganda.

That's about $12,168,000 in give aways you didn't mention Allen and Doug.

It's called a lie of omission right after another rigged election.

Why no disclosure that Arts Greensboro pays the News and Record for puff pieces, and that the $120,000 per year is pie in the sky garbage projections?
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"the Tanger Center for the Performing Arts faces a projected $10.2 million in cost overruns."

Allen Johnson and Doug Clark
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"additional construction funding support of $3.5 million from private donors and $9.6 million from patrons"

Item 13
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If the cost overruns are "$10.2 million", why do they need $3.5 million "and" $9.6 million = $13.1 million?

This is yours Allen, Doug, Stephen, Joe, Jeff, Margaret etc...

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/12/on-stpac-etc-by-news-and-records-allen.html

The STPAC supporters said the cost of building rose...

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/12/the-stpac-supporters-said-cost-of.html

Say Yes to Education Red Flag; Mary Vigue; She is about to be in charge of more than $25 million for a 'non-profit' after shafting City of Greensboro employees out of investment fee cuts

"Say Yes to Education taps local leaders for its Guilford chapter

To pay her tuition and minimize her college debt, Mary Vigue took classes in the mornings and worked the late shift at a gas station in Florida.

She said she worked three different jobs her senior year.

It will be interesting to see what Say Yes to Education's cut is

of all that money for college students.

“I know what it’s like to work for my education,” Vigue said.

That experience is one way Vigue said she would be able to relate to the thousands of students she stands to help in her new role as executive director of Say Yes Guilford.

Say Yes Guilford is now suspect

after announcing the hiring of someone of limited moral ethics

concerning the beneficiaries of the money donated.

Say Yes to Education, the New York-based nonprofit organization, announced Vigue’s hiring Monday. Her official start date is Nov. 16.

http://www.greensboro.com/news/say-yes-to-education-taps-local-leaders-for-its-guilford/article_21de4a49-a966-5f35-8778-cdcc5d7e7f65.html

The News and Record won't look into it,

as they refused to look into Greensboro's retirement plan

which the City ended up fixing with low cost index funds.

How Jim Westmoreland, Mary Vigue and ICMA-RC's lobbyists shafted Greensboro's employees

http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2014/12/how-jim-westmoreland-mary-vigue-and.html

George Hartzman believes City of Greensboro Manager Jim Westmorland and Assistant Manager Mary Vigue violated the City's Code of Ethics

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2014/11/george-hartzman-believes-city-of.html

Where is the $25 million donated to Say Yes Guilford?

From what I have found so far, Mary Vigue and Jim Westmoreland amongst others, betrayed City of Greensboro employees by regurgitating ICMA-RC's message of leave the plan fees and options unchanged.

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2014/12/crosspost-concerning-contents-of.html

If the $25 million is invested in high cost, low performing investments, 

Mary Vigue will have had a hand in stealing, again, 

from those she was charged to represent and act in the best interests of,

which may have been why she was hired for the position.

Westmoreland and Vigue have acted in the best interests of a retirement plan company connected to their management association instead of the employees they are supposed to represent.

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/01/please-help-save-35122520-for-city-of.html

ICMA member Mary Vigue misled the City Council members who were there, while ICMA member Jim Westmoreland looked on indifferently.

ICMA-RC pays ICMA to use the municipal management organization's credibility and connections with decision makers to fleece most of more than a million participants invested in about 9,000 retirement plans.

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/04/how-greensboros-city-council-shafted.html

In a News & Record letter to the editor, Hartzman wrote “City Manager Jim Westmoreland and Assistant City Manager Mary Vigue worked to prevent lower costs.” Hartzman believes a conflict exists as both Westmoreland and Vigue are members of ICMA, which created ICMA-RC in 1972. Both organizations reside in the same building in Washington, D.C., and share board members.

...In January, the city held three meetings for small groups of City Council members and ICMA lobbyists on the subject, not open to the public or press. Hartzman contends the issues he’s raised weren’t addressed in these meetings. He states that his “math has been confirmed by a former ICMA-RC employee and retirement plan benefit specialists employed for municipalities other than the city who also do business with ICMA-RC.”

I participated in a conference call led by Vigue, which included three other city staffers. I asked about the recent “closed door” meetings. Vigue said that she wouldn’t call the meetings “closed door,” but they were just “small group” meetings. She explained, “It’s easier, generally, to get on council’s calendar and to walk through some complicated information because this information is complicated.”

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/02/george-hartzmans-icma-rc-457-retirement.html

Assistant City Manager Mary Vigue stated the City did not have control over the fund line; that the plan had been reviewed; and that staff continued to look at it.

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/06/hartzmans-retirement-plan-whistle-city.html

We certainly don't want Jim Westmoreland, Mary Vigue, Connie Hammond, Donnie Turlington, Rick Lusk or Larry Davis to know who we are.

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/07/an-open-letter-to-greensboro-city.html

An email from Greensboro City Council mayoral candidate Devin King to the City's Jim Westmoreland, David Parrish, Chris Wilson, Wesley Reid and Mary Vigue

The representatives from ICMA-RC, affiliated with Jim Westmoreland, Mary Vigue and Jamal Fox, are selling a much more expensive retirement plan solution in pre-retirement meetings for City employees.  A "group annuity", which costs more than twice what the average of funds cost in the plan, would go way up in price if the City were to move away from ICMA-RC.

The City has set its own employees up and allowed them to be plundered, along with a threat which would penalise who knows how many if the money is ever moved away.

Westmoreland, Vigue and Connie Hammond let this happen.

City Council went along after being informed of the shortcomings.

They betrayed the City's employees without repercussion, and the News and Record and the Rhino Times let them.

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/09/an-email-from-greensboro-city-council.html

"Civil Response in writing please" ICMA members Jim Westmoreland and Mary Vigue trying to play Greensboro mayoral candidate Devin King for a fool, and losing

Not once has the City of Greensboro
provided written answers to questions
asked by City employees, Tony Wilkins and now Devin King.

What Jim, Mary and City Council are trying to do
is shut Devin up, to the detriment of City employees.

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/09/civil-response-in-writing-please-icma.html

ICMA-RC is not considered a fiduciary
for Greensboro's employees,
letting City Management including Jim Westmoreland,
Mary Vigue, members of ICMA,
mislead and overcharge City participants
with the active help of ICMA member Jamal Fox
and the rest of City Council.

ICMA-RC doesn't act in the best interests
of the City of Greensboro's employees,
but the best interests of ICMA-RC
with the help of Jim Westmoreland,
Mary Vigue, Connie Hammond, Rick Lusk, Larry Davis
and Jamal Fox.

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/09/a-couple-financial-experts-on-city-of.html

The City of Greensboro lied
in response to a public records request,
has been caught red handed,
and our local press won't report it
for the benefit of local City executives
and entrenched City Council incumbents
to the detriment of City employees
and they are going to get away with it
because it may harm the financial industry's profit margins.

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/09/per-city-of-greensboro-employee-who-was.html

This is what winning reads like for those who oppose the status quo; City of Greensboro ICMA-RC 457 retirement plan edition

http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2015/10/this-is-what-winning-reads-like-for.html