http://spencerspeaks.com/2008/01/23/divesting-in-iran-could-prove-tricky-for-public-pensions/ Here are my thoughts; share yours Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:39:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1 http://spencerspeaks.com/2008/01/23/divesting-in-iran-could-prove-tricky-for-public-pensions/#comment-1799 usersuz Wed, 23 Jan 2008 19:17:22 +0000 http://spencerspeaks.com/2008/01/23/divesting-in-iran-could-prove-tricky-for-public-pensions/#comment-1799 This is not an isolated phenomenon: every corporation, not just pension plans, is required either by statute or founding documents to maximize profit first and foremost. Leaves little or no room for entities that want to do some social betterment projects, does it? Not that I'm convinced we should do this to Iran. It's a naughty bunch over there but not the worst by a long shot. We could find our state employees without a place to invest in if we don't think this through. After all, investments congregate where the money is, just like corruption, greed, and malice do. We want investments where there is no corruption? Hmmm. This is not an isolated phenomenon: every corporation, not just pension plans, is required either by statute or founding documents to maximize profit first and foremost. Leaves little or no room for entities that want to do some social betterment projects, does it? Not that I’m convinced we should do this to Iran. It’s a naughty bunch over there but not the worst by a long shot. We could find our state employees without a place to invest in if we don’t think this through. After all, investments congregate where the money is, just like corruption, greed, and malice do. We want investments where there is no corruption? Hmmm.

]]> http://spencerspeaks.com/2008/01/23/divesting-in-iran-could-prove-tricky-for-public-pensions/#comment-1804 Iran » Divesting in Iran Could Prove Tricky for Public Pensions Thu, 24 Jan 2008 01:39:00 +0000 http://spencerspeaks.com/2008/01/23/divesting-in-iran-could-prove-tricky-for-public-pensions/#comment-1804 [...] Jim Spencer wrote an interesting post today on Divesting in Iran Could Prove Tricky for Public PensionsHere’s a quick excerptOn Tuesday, the state’s retirement program announced a moratorium on new investments in companies doing significant amounts of business in the Iranian energy industry. This follows legislation last year that decreed divestiture of … [...] […] Jim Spencer wrote an interesting post today on Divesting in Iran Could Prove Tricky for Public PensionsHere’s a quick excerptOn Tuesday, the state’s retirement program announced a moratorium on new investments in companies doing significant amounts of business in the Iranian energy industry. This follows legislation last year that decreed divestiture of … […]

]]> http://spencerspeaks.com/2008/01/23/divesting-in-iran-could-prove-tricky-for-public-pensions/#comment-1805 Wildflower Thu, 24 Jan 2008 04:01:29 +0000 http://spencerspeaks.com/2008/01/23/divesting-in-iran-could-prove-tricky-for-public-pensions/#comment-1805 I guess the quandry is whether to sacrifice principle for principal then? It would be harder for the pensioners to live on "principles" than the extra principal generated by these funds. The extra principal could mean they don't have to choose between prescriptions and food each month. I would guess our country originally furnished a lot of the weapons that eventually took American lives in Afghanistan and perhaps Iraq. Does that make us a terrorist country too? I guess the quandry is whether to sacrifice principle for principal then? It would be harder for the pensioners to live on “principles” than the extra principal generated by these funds. The extra principal could mean they don’t have to choose between prescriptions and food each month.
I would guess our country originally furnished a lot of the weapons that eventually took American lives in Afghanistan and perhaps Iraq. Does that make us a terrorist country too?

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