Phil's Ride Across America Fort Wayne Stop (Pictures and Video)

Daniel Westrick with Phil Keoghan

Daniel Westrick with Phil's Father

Phil's Bike

Over 100 Bikers to join Phil

Phil with Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry

Phil Arriving in Fort Wayne

Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yuLAbhvOVA (Mayor's Comments)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFfQmX4SWUQ (Phil explains the Amazing Race and the Bike Ride)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mO6maIes-A (Phil explained why MS was selected for this ride)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDujeN1-3Vw (Phil Takes questions from the Public)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdXkLb5uFCY (The SHOUT-OUT)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HVDiHoPZBA (THE SEND-OFF)

October 10, 2008 was a great Day

I just went to the Walgreens Board and this is what the headline read

Walgreen CEO retires after failed Longs bid

YES FOLKS! JEFF REIN THE WORST CEO EVER AND ONE OF THE FOUR REASONS WHY I HATE WALGREENS, EXITED STAGE LEFT ON FRIDAY.

This was two days after Walgreens had humble pie served to them by LONGS and the America Public

I think that I played some role in his ouster or retirement. Because on September 29, I submitted a Letter to the Board of Directors of Longs Drug Stores outlining why CVS should buy them

Here is what I outlined

Walgreens has not been a good corporate citizen since 2002 when David W Bernauer took over the operations and when Jeff Rein took over in 2006. Here are the reasons why they have not been a good corporate citizen

- Walgreens had to settle two lawsuits totaling $55 Million with the government. $20 million when the EEOC charged that Walgreens were discriminating against African-Americans in the area of promotions or going to better stores and $35 million for overcharging Medicare on Pills and Capsules.
- Walgreens has an inane policy of having their photo-lab specialist not be in the photo lab and instead when being short-staff protect $100,000 worth of cosmetics no matter the gender. CVS has their specialists in the photo lab, so does Wal-Mart and Target, BUT NOT WALGREENS. They worry about protecting lipstick than developing a customer’s role of film. Now, Walgreens will counter that you work for the company. IF you work for any company and work in a call center for them by the same token, are you expected to head a store and work there in case the store is minus a couple of people. ANSWER NO, you work in the call center.
- Walgreens has promoted bad employees, fire great employees and exhibit poor customer service. Go to ripoffreport.com or complaints.com and search Walgreens and you will find that customers are complaining about the service and employees using foul language and racial slurs. As a former employee, I warned upper management about the poor customer service one store’s manager was giving. Upper management not only refused to listen to me, THEY BLAME ME for it. Many customers were coming up to me about my customer service and told me I WAS NOT THE PROBLEM. Therefore, after that another customer complained about that manager, I decided to speak out and be honest. I lost my job 5 days before Christmas in 2005.
- In addition, I went on to the Yahoo Message Board to tell the stockholders of Walgreens and the public about my experience. Walgreens Supporters have gone on the board and basically called me a crybaby, posted lies about me, stated that I was washed out and that my current job that I am scum and have posted my address and phone number on the message board. The Walgreens Supporters have been using tactics that Brown and Williamson employed on Dr. Jeffrey Wigand when he spoke out against them. We all know what happened to Brown and Williamson after that, RJ Reynolds brought them out.
- The town of Fairfield, CT in the neighborhood of Stratfield Village did not want Walgreens in their backyard because they had standards that Walgreens had to be conformed too. Instead of following the rules, WALGREENS sued this small neighborhood twice. Go to this website http://www.stratfieldvillageassociation.org/Walgreensmainpage.html and you will see the battle
- Walgreens did not want to buy you in the first place. The only reason why they want to buy your now is prevent CVS from getting you and trim tens of thousands of jobs.

Walgreens would have lost. They would blame the current economic conditions. I say that is not the only reason. It is their conduct of their employees and supporters is the reason why Jeff Rein is out the job.

CUBS CLINCH THE DIVISION

The Cubs Just Clinch the 2008 NL Central Divison Championship

Here is DAnbert Celebrated that

SIMPLE STONE COLD STYLE AND WITH PEPSI

Time to Kiss the Grill Master And another lesson for Walgreens

Today (July 10,2008) was our BBQ and yours truly helped out with feeding over 300 people.

I know that it is dark but it was sunny and hot outside. And I was not the only one grilling either. Various other departments helped out either by grilling, running the food into the break room and serving the food.

This was my first attempt at grilling. Ended up grilling about 30 hamburgers, 4 steaks and 6 hot dogs. Everyone loved the food.

I signed up to help grilling. I ACTUALLY GOT TO GRILL. I was telling our head of the call center that when I was working for Walgreens, I signed up to help out opening a new store (IE stock and face the new store). But on the day that I suppose to go to the new store and help out ... YEP, YOU GUESS IT, LYNN REED DECIDED TO DENY THE REQUEST AND HAD ME AT THE CURRENT STORE AGAIN!

SO, once again folks here is another comparison.

At Centennial Wireless - When you signed up to help out with something, YOU ARE ACTUALLY HELPPING OUT

At Walgreens - When you sign up to help out opening a new store, YOU WILL END UP WORKING AT YOUR CURRENT STORE.

And to those that say that I am a crybaby and that Walgreens can do whatever they want to someone ... DID YOU GUYS SAY THAT I WORK FOR THE COMPANY?

And if you want to use that logic, that would mean that I would have to go to Mississippi on a call and work at the store! I WORK IN THE COLLECTIONS DEPARTMENT AT A CALL CENTER.

They have the logic CORRECT. WALGREENS LOGIC, INCORRECT! And because of your logic combined with shelling out over $55 million to settle two lawsuits, poor sales and lot of other things, IN 10 months you went from $48 a share to $31 a share!

And if you Walgreen's Lovers still do not get it, I have four letters for you W E M L!

Saying Good Bye To Tim Russert

In this Nov. 14, 2007, file photo NBC's Meet the Press host Tim Russert speaks at the 60th anniversary celebration of NBC's Meet the Press at the Newseum in Washington. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

I was finishing up training with someone when I look up at the TV screen. It was flashing some information when it said the following





TIM RUSSERT, HOST OF NBC'S MEET THE PRESS AND WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF DIES





It was a total shock to me and to everyone.





I would like to think my role model when I was at IPFW and College Cable Access Center was Tim Russert. I try to model my Public Affairs show IPSGA Update like MEET THE PRESS. I think I did a great job and I would always end my interviews with these words, "AND THAT HAS TO BE THE LAST WORD."

And he would sign off, IF it's Sunday, IT'S MEET THE PRESS

I am wondering what this Sunday will be like?

Numbers tell the big story

I decided to do some research and post some numbers as to where everything stands in the Stock and It is posted on the Walgreens Yahoo Finance Board

These numbers are at where they closed on that day.

Centennial Wireless (A Regional Cell Phone Company)
Date of Hire (3/28/06): 7.17 a Share
As of June 6: 8.70 a Share
Change: +1.53 or 17% increase since starting to work for the company

WALGREENS: Former Employer
Date of Dismissal for telling the truth (12/20/05): 45.30 a Share
As of June 6: 36.03 a Share Change: -9.27 or 20% decrease since being dismissed from Walgreens

Now, what about the competition, where were their stocks during this three points in time Walmart:
12/20/05 : 48.60
03/28/06: 47.75
6/6/08: 58.37
Change: 9.77 or 17% increase since being fired, 10.62 or 18% increase since being hired

Target:
12/20/05: 54.03
3/28/06: 53.25
06/06/08: 54.63
Change: .60 or 1% Increase since being fired, 1.38 or 3% increase since being hired

CVS:
12/20/05: 27.72
3/28/06: 29.68
06/06/08: 42.64
Change: 14.92 or 35% increase since being fired, 12.96 or 30% increase since being hired

Since March 2006, CVS, Wal-Mart and Centennial Wireless ALL HAD DOUBLE DIGIT INCREASE in the price of their shares

Target has held steady

WALGREENS had DOUBLE DIGIT DECREASE IN THE PRICE SINCE FIRING ME!

I am wondering given what has occured

- $55 Million shelled out to settle two FEDERAL LAWSUITS
- Bad Customer Service FROM RIPOFFREPORT.COM and Planetfeedback.com
- Protect $100,000 Worth of cosmetics rather than help out a customer in photo
- Promote Bad Employees who use Racial Slurs and Foul Language
- Fire Great Employees
- Try to take a small town to court just to build there Stratfield Village Association in Fairfield, CT
- Support of the Gay Games

Now add on top of that

- Walgreens Supporters labeling me as a crybaby for telling everyone the real deal about the company (I am not a crybaby)
- Saying that I am now work for a 2nd-rate company (Would a 2nd rate company be expanding their call center in the UNITED STATES and customers are prefering Centennial over say Verizon, Sprint or AT&T)
- That I was not a team player (Eventhough I lead a team of people winning a department contest and now train people on the process within the department)
- That my job is "low-life scum" (Although many customers would disagree with that, saying that we help out customers)
- Walgreens Supporters labeling those that post FACTS as being insane (Or that Yank is Danbert or that I am Yank or Jim Newbauer does not exist, which are all false)

GIVEN ALL OF THAT ... Do you think that for 1 second that the Joe Q. Public believes the Walgreens Supporters OR the one that present facts and experiences ABOUT WALGREENS?

If I am Joe Q. Public, I am going with those that present Numbers and Experiences

The Bad and the Good

Folks, the Bad News

I was interviewed to get promoted in the company, but I did not get the promotion.

At least I am still in the same position and still have the respect of my co-workers and management.

THE GOOD NEWS

Walgreens had to settle yet another lawsuit, this time against the Federal Government over payments made by Medicaid.

AS cited by Yahoo - "the company dispensed one form of each of the generic drugs instead of another form of the same drug. Federal and state regulators investigated to determine whether this resulted in higher Medicaid reimbursement to the company."

RESPONSE FROM WALGREENS ACCORDING TO YAHOO: "Walgreens said it felt the reimbursements it received from Medicaid were consistent with applicable regulations."

NOW, because of 2 federal lawsuits, Walgreens is now out $55 million! And now the Walgreen Supports are bashing me because I am "a Crybaby", that I have an ax to grind, that I am not a team player.

Here is my challenge to everyone. Go on the Walgreens Message Board at Yahoo Finance and look at what the other side is saying.

If you want to post message on there, go for it. http://messages.finance.yahoo.com/mb/WAG

Also, do your research, look at RipOffReport.com and Planetfeedback.com. Then make your judgement.