First a little history. In 1985 I was employed by Mellon bank in Pittsburgh, PA doing a job I truly enjoyed. A couple of things happened that ruined the best job I ever had. First, Mellon decided there was some easy money to be made in Texas, so they sent a whole mess of suits down there and gave a wash tub full of money to every Texan with a little oil on their shoes. The suits got bonuses and Mellon lost a couple billion dollars.

About that time, the boss I worked for moved to a different area and I answered to a freshly pressed CPA - Joe Banko. One of those self righteous types that operated by instilling fear. I was the sole bread winner and this bastard made my life miserable. I'm sure he tolerated me because I was VERY VERY good at what i did. It was in this weakened condition that I agreed to listen to a job offer from Arthur Andersen. At first Banko, that lousy son of a bitch, blocked them from talking to me - may he rot in the hottest pit in Hell. Finally, he agreed and I listened.

Mellon was going through great turmoil at the time and I was in the level and salary range that was getting pruned daily. I accepted the offer from Arthur Andersen to move to Chicago. I swear on all that is holy that i had no idea what kind of people they were AND I had the statement from Banko that I "always had a job at Mellon" (Guess what that promise was worth when I called him in a few months?)

When I was interviewing for the job, I had specifically asked if they had the business which I was being hired to run (tax outsourcing). I'm not a rain maker, but a hell of a good planner and operations type. I was told they did and accepted the job. It didn't take long after I got to Chicago to realize that there was none. This was like hiring an airplane pilot and then telling him to build the plane and sell the tickets and then fly the plane.

No matter how absurd the stories you hear about Arthur Andersen - believe them! In my eight years there I was constantly amazed at the depths of deprivation. The partners were like Pavlov's dogs - in any given situation they would spew WHATEVER was necessary to get the money, as the gamblers say. Truth was not an issue, merely a statistical anomaly.

I recall one of the older partners commenting on the sheer "evil" that was pervasive in the company. I could give you quotes, but rightfully you wouldn't believe them. They're too absurd and you would assume they were the result of a failing memory.

I'm sure people around me got damn tired of hearing me rail about those bastards - just a frustrated old man. No! Someone who just couldn't stand the cesspool of evil and squaller I was enduring daily to meet my family obligations. In retrospect I should have quit and taken my chances, but no balls, no balls at all.

It's probably no surprise, that this hate continued to burn and continues to burn daily. As I have often said, the first thing I do in the morning is check the newspaper to see if Arthur Andersen has been sucked into the bowels of hell. If not, the day is not going to be what I had hoped. It looks like I may finally get my wish.

They took everything - career - self respect - you name it. A couple of years ago I wrote a letter to my last boss, Mac Gajek, and let him know how I felt. No threats, just bitterness. The bastards call the St. Charles, IL Police Department and had me pulled in. They were "concerned about my well being". Gajek - I'll say this for the world to hear - you're a lying sack of bat shit!

There's another example of Andersen's reach. Saint Charles, IL is the site of the World Wide Training Center. Think that didn't matter when they called and had me arrested?

That's enough - time to move on. R.I.P. AA!