Friday, January 02, 1998

Dear ERT Member & Associates,

This first schedule for 1998 promises some unusually good presentations. We urge you all to join us each Wednesday for coffee, rolls and an intellectual challenge. As of this moment all meetings will be at the Federal Reserve Bank in San Francisco. Should there be any changes we will be in touch with you.

January 7th, 1998

Zachary Berkowitz, is a Meteorologist and a weatherman for channel 7. He is a native San Franciscan having graduated Lick Wilmerding High School and San Francisco State University. A member of the St. Francis Yacht Club, Zachary, is an internationally recognized sailor. In addition to being a member of the American Meteorological Society, he is personally responsible for "El Nino". Zachary will speak on "The Weather and The Economic Round Table".

January 14, 1998

Philip Gold, a senior fellow of the Discovery Institute will give us a preview of his press conference to held the next day. He is co-author of a new book Justice Matters. Philips' book reminds us that the publics' faith in the American justice system is at an all time low. The civil justice system is out of control and looks to be headed for an unbelievable breakdown. The book explains why the system has deteriorated into an ugly mix of lottery and gladiatorial legal combat. Philip and his co-author Roberta Katz (who may join us) offer an agenda for change, a solution that by curbing abuses and reorganizing "traditional" courts, makes the justice system truer to its own ideals and prepares it for the 21st century. Gold received his BA in history from Yale and his Ph.D. in history from Georgetown. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps for ten years during which his specializations were intelligence, communications and civil-military operations.

January 21, 1998

Tom Schultz the San Francisco Regional Manager of the U.S. General Accounting Office will be our speaker. Tom has a BA from UC Berkeley and completed the Senior Executive Fellow Program at Harvard's' JFK School of Government. His office is responsible for the review, evaluation and audit of the funding and implementation of Federal government programs. Results of his work are reported to the U.S. Congress and cover a wide range of activities including: " the IRS, Treasury and Medicare segments of the consolidated financial statement audit of the Federal government; DOD and the military services implementation of base closure; the impact of federal welfare reform on state and local income security, child protection programsand the impact of Federal policies on U.S. financial institutions."

January 28, 1998

Craig, will talk. Craig Newmark has been described as a virtual treasure. When he hit town around 1994 he started using e-mail to alert friends to what he thought were exciting activities in the city. Then friends started to alert him to other "happenings". Today "Craigs List" is a major resource for job seekers and start-up companies at the more cutting-edge end of Web development. When he decided to have a party 400 people of all ages showed up and KMPG provided endless pizza. 5,000 people subscribe to "Craigs List" and that doesn't count the folks just passing through. Craig and his helpers have started a foundation "to actively help members of our community in finding or improving their employment situation..The nature of work in our society is changing fundamentally-the old employer-employee contract is no longer functioning and the technology driving work is changing incredibly fast. These changes will hopefully lead to improved lives for all of us but the tran! sition to this new work world is, sometimes, difficult." The presentation that Craig gives will be understood by all.

February 4th 1998

Pat Stull, (represented by Farella Braun & Martell) in April 1995 filed the largest whistle-blower lawsuit in California history. After 2 years of investigation Stull vs Bank of America was officially joined by the State of California, the City of San Francisco and hundreds of California towns and cities. During the last few months, Pat has been besieged by the press, the media and professional political types he was consequently skittish about talking in public. However his keepers have now let 'em loose and he's ready to talk. We have waited and shared Pats' anxiety however now that he has been given full rein he promises to provide an entertaining morning.

February 11, 1998

Marty Gans, "An American in Europe". Marty is a fully experienced and seasoned CPA who has been having the unique experience of starting a business from scratch in the Common Market. A former partner at Touche-Ross and a principal of a number of multi-national firms. Marty brings a very personalized/unique vision to the world of business tempered by a wonderful sense of humor. He is an amateur business historian and promises to keep you awake.

Please remember that after most weekly meetings we post a summary of the talk on our internet forum and offer the opportunity for members to review the speakers comments and add their own editorial message (hopefully starting an active discussion for all to join.

As a last note please be advised that dues become payable January 1st 1998. This notice serves as your invoice. You may pay our Treasurer Victor Furtado when you see him at a meeting or mail him at: 677 Tampico Drive, Walnut Creek, CA 94598.

Regards,
wex

Economic Round Table
http://www.zpub.com/ert

-- wex (wex4@msn.com), January 08, 1998