Boeing Kabuki Dance

Do they really think this will help?  GFS

—————————————————————————————————————

From Seattle P.I.  Aerospace Blog, Aubrey Cohen

January 7, 2010 11:28 a.m.

Boeing renames, reorganizes defense unit

Boeing has renamed its Integrated Defense Services unit “Boeing Defense, Space & Security” and reorganized the unit to focus on new and adjacent defense markets, the company announced Thursday.

“With these latest strategic moves, we can extend our core programs even as we enhance Boeing-wide capabilities designed to capture business in promising markets in the United States and around the world, including cyber-security, energy, intelligence, C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) and logistics,” Space & Security President and Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg said in a news release.

The announcement comes a day after Boeing announced changes aimed at refocusing the company’s engineering efforts.

The defense changes are part of an ongoing repositioning, Muilenburg noted.

“Boeing anticipated flattening defense budgets and shifting customer priorities for the past few years and has been taking aggressive steps to position the company for profitable growth in a challenging economy,” he said. “In the past 18 months alone, we have acquired seven companies to enhance existing capabilities, expanded Boeing’s services business, and created new divisions — like Unmanned Airborne Systems — to directly and rapidly respond to our customers’ emerging priorities.”

The new name “is a recognition that success in a highly competitive global arena will be determined by a company’s ability to offer and deliver new capabilities, products and services to meet complex customer demands,” the company said.

“As Boeing sustains and grows its core global defense business through solid execution, we are also playing a broader role in markets that go beyond Boeing’s traditional strengths,” Muilenburg said. “As we grow in these areas, it is important for us to send strong signals to our global customers that we are prepared to offer high-value Boeing solutions for all of their needs across defense, space and security domains.”

Analyst Richard Aboulafia, vice president of analysis at Teal Group, said the changes Boeing has announced in the past two days address important issues — particularly regarding engineering.

“They’ve had an issue with execution on a number of key programs, commercial and military,” he said. “They have received criticism from people who’ve said that engineering has taken a back seat to marketing and finance. This kind of message sends a clear signal that their intention is to address that concern.”

As for the defense changes, he said: “It’s tough to know what the right combination or the right organization is, but it’s pretty clear that the market is globally fragmenting, and pretty much all of the growth opportunities are out there internationally, rather than at home, so you have to organize to pursue those individual campaigns.”

Boeing Defense, Space & Security will keep its current operating units — Boeing Military Aircraft, Network and Space Systems and Global Services & Support. But is has consolidated some divisions, including combining the Combat Systems and Command, Control & Communications Networks divisions of Network and Space Systems into a new Network and Tactical Systems division.

Other structural changes include:

• Making the Weapons business in Boeing Military Aircraft a division, rather than a subdivision of BMA Global Strike Systems;
• Having the Heath, Ohio, and Ogden, Utah, Network and Space Systems facilities report to the Missile Defense Systems division, rather than the N&SS C3 Networks division;
• Having Global Services & Support operations in Australia report to Jim O’Neill, vice president/general manager, Integrated Logistics division and Aviation Training International, a joint venture for Apache helicopter training with AgustaWestland in the United Kingdom, report to Mark McGraw, vice president, Training Systems and Services division. Both entities previously reported to International Support Systems.

Here are the leadership changes:

• Rick Baily — vice president, Engineering and Mission Assurance; previously vice president/general manager of Combat Systems;
• Nan Bouchard — vice president, Program Management; previously vice president/general manager, C3 Networks;
• Dave Bowman — BMA vice president/general manager, Global Mobility Systems and International Tankers; previously vice president, Tanker Programs;
• Jean Chamberlin — BMA vice president/general manager, U.S. Air Force Tanker Program; previously vice president, Global Mobility Systems;
• Steve Goo — vice president, International Operations and Compliance;
• John Van Gels — vice president, Strategic Planning for Operations and Supplier Management; previously was vice president, Operations and Supplier Management;
• Bill Schnettgoecke — vice president, Operations and Supplier Management, succeeding Van Gels, for whom Schnettgoecke served as a deputy;
• Torbjorn Sjogren — GS&S vice president of the Boeing International Support Systems and Alsalam Aircraft Co. subsidiaries in Saudi Arabia; previously GS&S vice president, International Support Systems;
• Charles Toups — N&SS vice president/general manager of Network and Tactical Systems; previously vice president, Engineering and Mission Assurance.

UBS Whistleblower to hold conference

 

National Whistleblowers Center

3238 P Street, NW

Washington, D.C. 20007

http://www.whistleblowers.org

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Lindsey M. Williams (202) 342-1903

lmw@whistleblowers.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UBS Whistleblower Will Hold Brief Press Conference Tomorrow

Before Surrendering to Federal Authorities

Washington, D.C. January 7, 2010. UBS whistleblower Bradley Birkenfeld will surrender to U.S. authorities and report to Schuylkill County Federal Correctional Institution in Minersville, Pennsylvania, at 2pm, Friday, January 8, 2010.

Prior to entering the penitentiary, at approximately 1:15 pm, Mr. Birkenfeld and his counsel will make brief public remarks.

Mr. Birkenfeld will commence serving a 40-month sentence as a direct result of blowing the whistle on one of the largest tax fraud schemes in U.S. history, which has resulted in UBS bank paying a $780 million dollar penalty to the United States, and over 14,000 “taxpayers” voluntarily disclosing their illegal offshore accounts. Despite the fact that Mr. Birkenfeld’s disclosures have resulted in a multi-billion dollar net-gain to American taxpayers, and have forced UBS bank to shut down a massive illegal offshore banking practice, Mr. Birkenfeld was sentenced to an unprecedented 40-months in prison.

UBS Whistleblower given prison time instead of medal

 

National Whistleblowers Center

3238 P Street, NW

Washington, D.C. 20007

http://www.whistleblowers.org

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Lindsey M. Williams (202) 342-1903

lmw@whistleblowers.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UBS Whistleblower Enters Prison

Minersville, PA. January 8, 2010. At 2 pm today UBS whistleblower Bradley Birkenfeld surrendered to U.S. authorities and commenced serving a three-year and four-month sentence at the Schuylkill County Federal Correctional Institution in Minersville, Pennsylvania.

Stephen M. Kohn, the Executive Director of the National Whistleblower Center and one of Mr. Birkenfeld’s attorneys issued the following statement:

“An American tragedy.  A disgraceful miscarriage of justice. An insult to every honest American who must work hard and pay their taxes.  The imprisonment of Bradley Birkenfeld, the most important tax whistleblower in history, is shocking and unjustified. This decision is not only grossly unfair and personally harmful to Mr. Birkenfeld, it will also have a radical chilling effect on the willingness of other bankers to step forward and expose fraud. This is devastating to any efforts to expose the use of illegal offshore bank accounts by criminals who want to avoid taxes.” 

“After a careful investigation, we have now demonstrated that the justifications provided by the Justice Department for this unprecedented act of retaliation against a whistleblower were not true.  Justice Department lawyers misled the public and a court in justifying their reasons for indicting Mr. Birkenfeld and asking the Court to sentence him to a long prison term.”

“Mr. Birkenfeld’s 40-month sentence is a direct result of blowing the whistle on one of the largest tax fraud schemes in U.S. history, which has resulted in UBS bank paying a $780 million penalty to the United States, and over 14,000 “taxpayers” voluntarily disclosing their illegal offshore accounts. Mr. Birkenfeld’s disclosures have resulted in a multi-billion dollar net-gain to American taxpayers, and have forced UBS bank to shut down a massive illegal offshore banking practice.  He is a hero, not a criminal.  He did the right thing in voluntarily stepping forward and exposing these massive frauds.  He deserves our thanks and praise, not the terrible fate that awaits him in prison.”

“We are asking every person who wants to stop illegal offshore banking that results in over $100 billion in tax losses per/year to the United States to TAKE ACTION and write to the Attorney General, asking that the Justice Department’s decision to imprison Mr. Birkenfeld be reconsidered.”

Dean Zerbe, co-counsel  for Mr. Birkenfeld, stated:  “This is a sad day for Brad and his family.   A tragedy for the honest American taxpayers who will shoulder higher taxes because a generation of tax whistleblowers will be discouraged from coming forward.”

The National Whistleblower Center, through its TAKE ACTION advocacy program, is urging people to contact the Attorney General and request that the Birkenfeld case be reviewed and the decision to imprison him be reconsidered.

Disappointing Outcome for UBS Whistleblower, Bradley Birkenfeld

Tragic Day for Whistleblowers and Worldwide Anti-Corruption EffortsTake Action!
 
Today at approximately 2:00 pm EST, UBS whistleblower Bradley Birkenfeld reported to federal prison to begin a 40-month sentence. This miscarriage of justice will have the perverse effect of silencing whistleblowers who want to report tax fraud. In our entire history tracking whistleblower cases, this is the most abhorrent action ever taken against a whistleblower.  Mr. Birkenfeld deserves to be commended for protecting the American people and yet he faces the loss of his liberty.
 
TAKE ACTION! Demand Attorney General Holder review Birkenfeld’s case!
The facts of the case are clear:
Mr. Birkenfeld repeatedly tried to correct the illegal UBS tax fraud scheme internally.
Mr. Birkenfeld resigned from UBS when they failed to correct the problem internally.
Mr. Birkenfeld voluntarily approached the U.S. government with his allegations.
Mr. Birkenfeld made full disclosures to the Department of Justice, Internal Revenue Service, Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.
Every UBS tax cheat that has been prosecuted has received probation, fines, and/or community service – NO jail time.
Mr. Birkenfeld is the ONLY person connected with UBS to receive a prison sentence.
TAKE ACTION! Tell Attorney General Holder that you want a high-level independent review of the Birkenfeld case!

Tax Notes has named Mr. Birkenfeld as their inaugural “Person of the Year” and the New York Daily News has asserted that Mr. Birkenfeld should be given a “statue on Wall Street, not a prison sentence.” With articles like these and stories on 60 Minutes, Democracy Now and Fox Business News, the public has begun to understand why Mr. Birkenfeld’s sentence is not only unjust – it is dangerous to American taxpayers and the worldwide efforts to stop corruption. 

Now that the Government has decided to incarcerate Mr. Birkenfeld, the Justice Department might as well tell every American to open up a Swiss Bank Account and avoid paying taxes.  What whistleblower will come forward after seeing Bradley Birkenfeld sent to prison?
 
TAKE ACTION! Show your support for Bradley Birkenfeld by sending him a copy of your letter!
We need your help NOW! Please send a letter to Attorney General Holder and President Obama demanding that corrective action be taken immediately.  Then forward this action alert to as many people as possible and post it to your facebook, twitter, and other social networking sites. Together we can make it clear that this is unacceptable!

If you are outside of the United States please click here to Take Action.
 
Pass this message on to your friends and family!

Boeing Whistleblower, Gerald Eastman, considers the last decade and our present efforts to deal with Boeing corporate and government corruption.

Boeing Whistleblower, Gerald Eastman reflects on the past decade and wonders about the direction being taken by the new one, taking on Boeing and government corruption and more.  Here is a short excerpt.  You may find the complete post at The Last Inspector,  http://eastmans.site.aplus.net/pblog/index.php

“Boeing chose to jump on the Bush anti-regulation and ignore enforcing regulations bandwagon.  And, Boeing got busy early in the decade with revolving door fraud, as in the case of hiring Druyun Quid Pro Quo for fixing the first tanker contract award in Boeing’s favor.  Such revolving door shenanigans continue as employees eagerly jump from government to Boeing and back to government again, each time performing more service to Boeing such as favors in the form of information, contacts and influence, “adjusting” federal regulations to better the advantage of the company or make such regulations less in the way of opportunities for more questionable business dealings.  Combined with Boeing lobbyists and campaign contributions it is a powerful cabal that works 365 days a year to gain taxpayers dollars.”