Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

JonLP24

(29,929 posts)
14. Even the sole stock -- IBM -- Bernie Sanders owns doesn't reek of corruption
Tue May 5, 2015, 02:21 PM
May 2015

Rank

In 2012, Fortune ranked IBM the No. 2 largest U.S. firm in terms of number of employees,[7] the No. 4 largest in terms of market capitalization,[8] the No. 9 most profitable,[9] and the No. 19 largest firm in terms of revenue.[10] Globally, the company was ranked the No. 31 largest firm in terms of revenue by Forbes for 2011.[11] Other rankings for 2011/2012 include the following:[13]

No. 1 company for leaders (Fortune)
No. 1 green company in the U.S. (Newsweek)[48]
No. 2 best global brand (Interbrand)
No. 2 most respected company (Barron's)[49]
No. 5 most admired company (Fortune)
No. 18 most innovative company (Fast Company)

For 2012, IBM's brand was valued by Interbrand at $75.5 billion.[50]

For 2012, Vault ranked IBM Global Technology Services No. 1 in tech consulting for cyber security, operations and implementation, and public sector; and No. 2 in outsourcing.[51]

<snip>

Work environment

IBM's employee management practices can be traced back to its roots. In 1914, CEO Thomas J. Watson boosted company spirit by creating employee sports teams, hosting family outings, and furnishing a company band. In 1924 the Quarter Century Club, which recognizes employees with 25 years of service, was organized and the first issue of Business Machines, IBM's internal publication, was published. In 1925, the first meeting of the Hundred Percent Club, composed of IBM salesmen who meet their quotas, convened in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

IBM was among the first corporations to provide group life insurance (1934), survivor benefits (1935) and paid vacations (1937). In 1932 IBM created an Education Department to oversee training for employees, which oversaw the completion of the IBM Schoolhouse at Endicott in 1933. In 1935, the employee magazine Think was created. Also that year, IBM held its first training class for female systems service professionals. In 1942, IBM launched a program to train and employ disabled people in Topeka, Kansas. The next year classes began in New York City, and soon the company was asked to join the President's Committee for Employment of the Handicapped. In 1946, the company hired its first black salesman, 18 years before the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 1947, IBM announced a Total and Permanent Disability Income Plan for employees. A vested rights pension was added to the IBM retirement plan. During IBM's management transformation in the 1990s revisions were made to these pension plans to reduce IBM's pension liabilities.[58]

In 1952, Thomas J. Watson, Jr., published the company's first written equal opportunity policy letter, one year before the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Brown vs. Board of Education and 11 years before the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 1961, IBM's nondiscrimination policy was expanded to include sex, national origin, and age. The following year, IBM hosted its first Invention Award Dinner honoring 34 outstanding IBM inventors; and in 1963, the company named the first eight IBM Fellows in a new Fellowship Program that recognizes senior IBM scientists, engineers and other professionals for outstanding technical achievements.
An IBM delivery tricycle in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1965

On September 21, 1953, Thomas Watson, Jr., the company's president at the time, sent out a controversial letter to all IBM employees stating that IBM needed to hire the best people, regardless of their race, ethnic origin, or gender. He also publicized the policy so that in his negotiations to build new manufacturing plants with the governors of two states in the U.S. South, he could be clear that IBM would not build "separate-but-equal" workplaces.[59] In 1984, IBM added sexual orientation to its nondiscrimination policy. The company stated that this would give IBM a competitive advantage because IBM would then be able to hire talented people its competitors would turn down.[60]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM

The buying & selling of stocks from Congress members concerns me from a conflicts of interest POV but I can't make an issue of the stock Sanders owns.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

Sherrod Brown's jen63 May 2015 #1
As has been noted, Bernie is totally out of touch... Wilms May 2015 #2
He's either Francis of Assissi or a terrible money manager then whatthehey May 2015 #3
I'm not very familiar with how net worth is estimated JonLP24 May 2015 #5
Screw this post. You have NO IDEA what kind of financial obligations this man has assumed. Pooka Fey May 2015 #9
So you ignored my alternative to go for the poutrage tizzy instead? whatthehey May 2015 #17
3rd possibility: It's none of my damn business Pooka Fey May 2015 #18
Limiting options to simply two choices is irrational when we lack all relevant knowledge. LanternWaste May 2015 #36
Senator salary = ~175k. Avalux May 2015 #16
Anyone at that bracket can and should easily manage 15% annually whatthehey May 2015 #19
You would think. SheilaT May 2015 #31
I'm not forgetting anything. Avalux May 2015 #34
Living in DC *AND* a home state. Gidney N Cloyd May 2015 #39
Most average Americans are bad personal money managers. I'm bad with my personal liberal_at_heart May 2015 #23
Congress does pay well, but living in one of the most expensive cities in the world mountain grammy May 2015 #44
Hey, he's rich compared to VT's senior senator: Leahy cali May 2015 #4
Two things dsc May 2015 #6
If housing is excluded, then I think it's dumb to call it 'net worth'. closeupready May 2015 #7
I have no idea either unless it is because that doesn't have to be listed on the forms dsc May 2015 #8
Oh, right, that might very well be. They wouldn't want closeupready May 2015 #11
The info OpenSecrets comes from what they put on the forms JonLP24 May 2015 #12
Even the sole stock -- IBM -- Bernie Sanders owns doesn't reek of corruption JonLP24 May 2015 #14
Bernie and Leahy are certainly common people compared to Warren and Grayson AZ Progressive May 2015 #10
Isn't Joe Biden in that range too ? obnoxiousdrunk May 2015 #13
Seems to be close enough $543,014 JonLP24 May 2015 #15
That sounds like minus the house, my guess for Bernie is just under 700K all tallied with Vt house. Bluenorthwest May 2015 #20
Bernie!! AzDar May 2015 #21
No wonder he relates to the common American. He's not a multi millionaire like most liberal_at_heart May 2015 #22
Obviously, Goldman Sachs hasn't offered him an entertainment gig at $200k per gig. Tierra_y_Libertad May 2015 #24
Maybe he'll become rich AFTER he's President, like Bill Clinton. Metric System May 2015 #25
Maybe so. I was just reading about Bill's 104 million in 11 years giving speeches. leftofcool May 2015 #28
A few stars make that but the average NFL career is 3-4 years. hifiguy May 2015 #30
True that. I think baseball players last the longest. leftofcool May 2015 #37
He should give a speech to UCLA GummyBearz May 2015 #26
Universities will pay to get he best. leftofcool May 2015 #29
And sometimes they end up getting the worst GummyBearz May 2015 #41
His investments hasn't received special attention it would seem. stillwaiting May 2015 #27
Wow. I could have a higher net worth than the president. gollygee May 2015 #32
So he's rich workinclasszero May 2015 #33
That's probably a paid off house and a few other assets AZ Progressive May 2015 #40
I have my SS and two lotto tickets! tavernier May 2015 #35
Probably puts him in the top 1%. DCBob May 2015 #38
Obviously he does not manage money well. woolldog May 2015 #42
Maybe he had his wife give back her golden parachute and his net worth Thinkingabout May 2015 #43
Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Bernie Sanders has an est...»Reply #14