ShortJohnSilver
4th January 2011, 08:16 PM
I keep on connecting the dots ... bookstores and music stores - whoever owns such a large chain has a lot of control over what books and music reach the public, right?
Let's keep an eye on what is happening to Borders - more evidence of consolidation and hidden control of America's media will be found, I think...
Who are the two evil Khazars taking over Borders?
Bennett LeBow and Howard Lorber.
LeBow's crimes:
he bought into Liggett Group, a large tobacco company; then during the Clinton Administration he was instrumental in the completely un-Constitutional "Master Settlement Agreement" which transferred $206 Billion to the various states as reparations from the tobacco companies, without ever going through court or having anything proven
for more info, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_Settlement_Agreement#Financial_provisions
he transferred $21 million illegally into his own pocket then was caught red-handed and had to give it back
spent $3 million flying his friends to London to see and party aboard his new 177-foot yacht
SEC violations (never charged though the company went bankrupt, etc.)
etc. etc.
see more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bennett_S._LeBow
Howard Lorber is his henchman/sidekick ... not as much is available online about him publicly... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Lorber
what I got from BusinessWeek's online bio:
Howard M. Lorber has been the Chief Executive Officer of Vector Group Ltd. since September 27, 2005 and its President since January 2001. Mr. Lorber has been Consultant of Hallman & Lorber Associates Inc. since January 2005. He serves as President of Vector Group Inc. since January 2001. He joined Vector Group in 1994 and was actively involved in the management of all of Vector's assets. Mr. Lorber served as the Chief Operating Officer of Vector Group Ltd. from January 2001 to January 1, 2006. He served as Chief Executive Officer of Nathan's Famous Inc., from November 1993 to December 2006. He served as President and Chief Operating Officer of New Valley Corporation (formerly Western Union Corporation), a controlling interest of Vector Group Ltd. from November 1994 to December 2005. He also served as Chief Operating Officer of VGR Holding, Inc. from January 2001 to January 1, 2006. Mr. Lorber served as a Consultant of Vector Group Ltd. and Liggett from January 1994 to January 2001. He has over 30 years of experience as a principal of businesses in numerous industries, including real estate, hospitality, tobacco, restaurant, financial services and insurance management. He served as Chief Executive Officer of Hallman & Lorber Associates Inc., for more than five years. He has been Executive Chairman of Nathan's Famous Inc. since January 1, 2007. He serves as Chairman of the Board of Open Acquisition Corp. Mr. Lorber served as Chairman of Hallman & Lorber Associates Inc., from 1975 to December 2004. He served as the Chairman of Board of Directors of Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc., a subsidiary of New Valley Corp. from May 2001 to July 14, 2006. He served as the Chairman of the Board of Nathan's Famous Inc. from 1990 to January 1, 2007. He has been the Vice Chairman of Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc. since July 14, 2006. He has been an Independent Director of United Capital Corp., since May 1991 and serves as Director of Open Acquisition Corp. He has been a Director of Borders Group, Inc., since May 21, 2010, SP Acquisition Holdings, Inc. since June 2007, Vector Group Ltd. since January 2001, Nathan's Famous Inc. since 1987, PLM International, Inc., since January 1999 and Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc. since 2001. He serves as a Trustee of Long Island University and Babson College. Mr. Lorber has been a registered representative of Aegis Capital Corp., since 1984. He served as a Director of VGR Holding Inc. since January 2001 and Alpine Lace Brands Inc., since September, 1993. He served as a Director of Prime Hospitality Corp., from May 1994 to November 2004. He served as a Director of New Valley Corp., since November 1991. Mr. Lorber holds a Bachelors of Arts degree, a Masters of Science Degree in Taxation and an Honorary Doctorate from Long Island University.
....
Let's have a look at Canada, where there is only ONE bookstore chain across the entire country. Who is the head of Chapters Books?
Heather Reisman ... yup, you guessed it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heather_Reisman
her husband Gerald Schwartz owns 2/3rds of
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onex_Corporation
which is the second-largest employer in Canada, after the Federal Government.
---
Why did I post this today?
Because earlier today, both their CIO and General Counsel resigned without explanation, in the midst of Borders asking for special terms due to their supposed cash flow problems - for books that have already been in inventory and may well have already been sold!
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/45671-two-borders-execs-resign-b-n-issues-statement-on-special-terms-.html
Brief Bio of Thomas D. Carney (note he has been with Borders since 1994):
Mr. Thomas D. Carney has served as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Borders Group Inc. since April 2008. From April 2004 through April 2008, Mr. Carney served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for the Company. From December 1994 through April 2004, Mr. Carney served as Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for the Company. For more than five years prior to joining the Company, Mr. Carney was a Partner at the law firm of Dickinson, Wright, Moon, Van Dusen & Freeman in Detroit. Mr. Carney holds a bachelors degree from the University of Michigan and a juris doctor degree from The University of Michigan School of Law.
Brief Bio of Scott Laverty:
Mr. Scott Laverty has served as Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer of Borders Group, Inc since May 2009. Prior to joining Borders Group, Mr. Laverty was a partner with IBM for two years. From 2001 through 2006, he was a senior manager with Deloitte Consulting, where he was the North American Oracle Retail practice leader. Mr. Laverty served as a principal consultant from 1997 through 2001 at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Earlier in his career, Mr. Laverty worked in the retail industry, including positions with Payless Shoesource and Michaels Arts and Crafts. Mr. Laverty holds a bachelors degree in business from the Louisiana State University and a masters degree in finance, also from Louisiana State.
NOTE that neither of these two recents exits appear to be Khazar, at least from their biographies; BTW this info has been scrubbed from Reuters etc. - I had to get these bios via cached pages that would otherwise be unavailable.
Anyone else have any other info to add?
Let's keep an eye on what is happening to Borders - more evidence of consolidation and hidden control of America's media will be found, I think...
Who are the two evil Khazars taking over Borders?
Bennett LeBow and Howard Lorber.
LeBow's crimes:
he bought into Liggett Group, a large tobacco company; then during the Clinton Administration he was instrumental in the completely un-Constitutional "Master Settlement Agreement" which transferred $206 Billion to the various states as reparations from the tobacco companies, without ever going through court or having anything proven
for more info, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_Settlement_Agreement#Financial_provisions
he transferred $21 million illegally into his own pocket then was caught red-handed and had to give it back
spent $3 million flying his friends to London to see and party aboard his new 177-foot yacht
SEC violations (never charged though the company went bankrupt, etc.)
etc. etc.
see more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bennett_S._LeBow
Howard Lorber is his henchman/sidekick ... not as much is available online about him publicly... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Lorber
what I got from BusinessWeek's online bio:
Howard M. Lorber has been the Chief Executive Officer of Vector Group Ltd. since September 27, 2005 and its President since January 2001. Mr. Lorber has been Consultant of Hallman & Lorber Associates Inc. since January 2005. He serves as President of Vector Group Inc. since January 2001. He joined Vector Group in 1994 and was actively involved in the management of all of Vector's assets. Mr. Lorber served as the Chief Operating Officer of Vector Group Ltd. from January 2001 to January 1, 2006. He served as Chief Executive Officer of Nathan's Famous Inc., from November 1993 to December 2006. He served as President and Chief Operating Officer of New Valley Corporation (formerly Western Union Corporation), a controlling interest of Vector Group Ltd. from November 1994 to December 2005. He also served as Chief Operating Officer of VGR Holding, Inc. from January 2001 to January 1, 2006. Mr. Lorber served as a Consultant of Vector Group Ltd. and Liggett from January 1994 to January 2001. He has over 30 years of experience as a principal of businesses in numerous industries, including real estate, hospitality, tobacco, restaurant, financial services and insurance management. He served as Chief Executive Officer of Hallman & Lorber Associates Inc., for more than five years. He has been Executive Chairman of Nathan's Famous Inc. since January 1, 2007. He serves as Chairman of the Board of Open Acquisition Corp. Mr. Lorber served as Chairman of Hallman & Lorber Associates Inc., from 1975 to December 2004. He served as the Chairman of Board of Directors of Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc., a subsidiary of New Valley Corp. from May 2001 to July 14, 2006. He served as the Chairman of the Board of Nathan's Famous Inc. from 1990 to January 1, 2007. He has been the Vice Chairman of Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc. since July 14, 2006. He has been an Independent Director of United Capital Corp., since May 1991 and serves as Director of Open Acquisition Corp. He has been a Director of Borders Group, Inc., since May 21, 2010, SP Acquisition Holdings, Inc. since June 2007, Vector Group Ltd. since January 2001, Nathan's Famous Inc. since 1987, PLM International, Inc., since January 1999 and Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc. since 2001. He serves as a Trustee of Long Island University and Babson College. Mr. Lorber has been a registered representative of Aegis Capital Corp., since 1984. He served as a Director of VGR Holding Inc. since January 2001 and Alpine Lace Brands Inc., since September, 1993. He served as a Director of Prime Hospitality Corp., from May 1994 to November 2004. He served as a Director of New Valley Corp., since November 1991. Mr. Lorber holds a Bachelors of Arts degree, a Masters of Science Degree in Taxation and an Honorary Doctorate from Long Island University.
....
Let's have a look at Canada, where there is only ONE bookstore chain across the entire country. Who is the head of Chapters Books?
Heather Reisman ... yup, you guessed it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heather_Reisman
her husband Gerald Schwartz owns 2/3rds of
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onex_Corporation
which is the second-largest employer in Canada, after the Federal Government.
---
Why did I post this today?
Because earlier today, both their CIO and General Counsel resigned without explanation, in the midst of Borders asking for special terms due to their supposed cash flow problems - for books that have already been in inventory and may well have already been sold!
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/45671-two-borders-execs-resign-b-n-issues-statement-on-special-terms-.html
Brief Bio of Thomas D. Carney (note he has been with Borders since 1994):
Mr. Thomas D. Carney has served as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Borders Group Inc. since April 2008. From April 2004 through April 2008, Mr. Carney served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for the Company. From December 1994 through April 2004, Mr. Carney served as Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for the Company. For more than five years prior to joining the Company, Mr. Carney was a Partner at the law firm of Dickinson, Wright, Moon, Van Dusen & Freeman in Detroit. Mr. Carney holds a bachelors degree from the University of Michigan and a juris doctor degree from The University of Michigan School of Law.
Brief Bio of Scott Laverty:
Mr. Scott Laverty has served as Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer of Borders Group, Inc since May 2009. Prior to joining Borders Group, Mr. Laverty was a partner with IBM for two years. From 2001 through 2006, he was a senior manager with Deloitte Consulting, where he was the North American Oracle Retail practice leader. Mr. Laverty served as a principal consultant from 1997 through 2001 at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Earlier in his career, Mr. Laverty worked in the retail industry, including positions with Payless Shoesource and Michaels Arts and Crafts. Mr. Laverty holds a bachelors degree in business from the Louisiana State University and a masters degree in finance, also from Louisiana State.
NOTE that neither of these two recents exits appear to be Khazar, at least from their biographies; BTW this info has been scrubbed from Reuters etc. - I had to get these bios via cached pages that would otherwise be unavailable.
Anyone else have any other info to add?