Took less than 6 years for the Dynamic Duo above, who should be called Jesse and Frank James, to steal enough money to ruin a company that was over 80 years old and the 15th largest property/casualty insurance group in the country when they got hold of it. Maybe the directors like ex-governor of Illinois Jim Edgar should have looked a little closer at the expenses like a corporate jet and flying Smith’s wife and her cat back from New Jersey when Dave and Bill were in Ohio and supposed to be coming back to Illinois and not making a side trip to NJ. I worked for Kemper for over 22 years and I’m just glad I got out before the Ken Lays and the Bernie Ebbers’ and Ivan Boeskys and Michael Milkens (sorry, Dave Mathis’ and Bill Smiths) got control of the Kemper Group. When you come right down to it, screw Dave Mathis and Bill Smith and the directors who didn’t do anything to stop the looting of the company and screw Bill Smith’s wife and her cat. If the cat is still alive, maybe someone will strangle it.
I agree with Mr. Hronek. Mr Smith brought a perfectly good company down to the ground. Mr Mathis, and the directors, allowed it to happen. Didn’t anyone see it coming, or were they just blinded by the large salaries and “extras” they were getting? Was a corporate jet REALLY necessary? Please…. I don’t think so.. We may have only been between the 12th and 15th in the country, but at least it was a stable company. With AIG now being under scutiny, makes me wonder what Smith did to that company while he was there. I for one was on disability at the time Kemper announced its closing. After 16 years with the company. I had to settle for a disability payment less then 1/3 of what I was entitled to. I bet Mr’s Smith and Mathis along with many others in the higher levels of the company lost nothing!! For many of us we saw the company going down the tubes as soon as Smith came on board and all the stories about his “spending” and inappropriate changes within the of the company started happening. We knew that many of his “buddies” were hired. I know they had contracts that were paid out in full and were outrageous. As usual its the little guy that pays the price for the ineffective management at the higher level..
Bill Smith should be in jail for life. He retired early because had he stayed on, he would have been found out — he comspired with other executives and directors like ex-governor of Illinois Jim Edgar and ultimatly rather than helping policy holders, destroyed their homes and then sued them, saying it was all their fault — and causing financial hardships and illnesses. Wo While Bill Smith’s wife and her cat used corporte funds and Kemper’s plane for expensive vacations. S,ith held meetings with attorneys to see how he could screw people. I filed a claim in February 2001 and two of Kemper’s adjusters came out at two different times, and inspected the damage; both agreed I was covered under the policy for ice dams. But when I reported mold–hidden mold — Smith ordered people to come out and check it out; Bill’s boys opened walls in my home without containment and then, after telling me I was covered, and puttin gme up in a hotel, destroyed my home, seized all of my property, and ultimately made the home uninhabitable; then KLumbermens sued me, redered me homeless and without an income (since my business was in my home) and forced me to hire a law firm — which cost me money that I didn’t have. Lumbermen’s claims that it’s all my fault and that therefore, I wasn’t covered for the hidden mold. Its been three years since I filed a counterlawsuit, and guess what, I have yet to have a fair day in court. If I loose this case, we’re all in trouble… With that said, two days after I was rendered homeless, I was diagnosed with a small rare breast cancer. Bill Smith and company knew that they had intentionally contaminated me and there are studies to prove that high level of toxic mold caused tubular breast cancer. The long of the short of it is that I need some allies to file criminal charges against Smith. As his attorneys are telling my attorneys that Lumbermen’s is going belly up, so they’re postponing and postponing, and refusing to disclose information.
Can anyone help me?
I live in Chicago and I’m desperate; I know why people go off the wall and kill judges! I’m not going to kill any judge, but I want Smith in prison! He can’t get away with what he did to me and so many other policy holders.
I’m a little emotional today because I have to come up with $15,000 to pay for an expert witness and depositions — and Kemper sued me!!!! If I had killed someone, I would get free attorneys and a quick trial.
Please help. e mail me gloami@msn.com if you have any advise or a similar story.
I just found this article and notice the last entries here were in 2005. Well, maybe my comments will fall on deaf ears, but at least I can vent.
I worked for Kemper Personal Lines in Charlotte and fell victim to the meltdown on 10-23-01.-Black Tuesday.My career with Kemper spanned 32 years and the hatchet hit me at age 55.-Tough age to be handing out resumes.
I was called into the boss’s office and handed a severnace check, told to leave the premises -not even a thanks for 32 years of service.
I was unnemployed, 55 and 2 kids soon to go to college and a bout with depression. We sold our home moved back to Ga. Now I work as an agency CSR making about 40,000 a year less. My retirement benefits were cut 50% and the Pension Guaranty Fund now oversees my retirement.Kemper could no longer fund it since they were bankrupted-
Profit Sharing was also cut and the botton line result to me for the past 5 years in salary, retirement and 401 K is close to 500,000. Corporate America can pucker up and kiss me where the sun does not shine.
Smith and Mathis- You will pay if not here then in the hereafter
Sorry, things turned out so bad for you. I remember we had a good branch office in Atlanta. Bill and Dave ruined things for most loyal long term employees and then ran a good company into the ground.
“Smathis” as like to call these two, who led this company into liquidation, are fortunate that Kemper was a private company. Otherwise, they may be behind bars right now where they belong.
It is amazing to me that after all these years so many of us are still p__sed off at Mathis and Smith. They ruined many lives. There were many of us who expected to retire there but now find ourselves starting all over. For many of us starting fresh as the recession started means we are first to go when layoff happens. now what ? Thanks again Mathis and Smith. The person who said these two belong in jail is right.
Kemper people, up off the canvas. Chin up and stick your nose back in the fight. Keep punching, but keep your left up and use your shoulder for protection. (Lesson from an Irish nun in junior high.) Learning, dedication, work, making the hard decisions when necessary, perseverance and professionalism were things I learned at Kemper and carry on since I left and since “K” crashed and burned. Dig up what we learned and hold our heads up and get back in it.
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Took less than 6 years for the Dynamic Duo above, who should be called Jesse and Frank James, to steal enough money to ruin a company that was over 80 years old and the 15th largest property/casualty insurance group in the country when they got hold of it. Maybe the directors like ex-governor of Illinois Jim Edgar should have looked a little closer at the expenses like a corporate jet and flying Smith’s wife and her cat back from New Jersey when Dave and Bill were in Ohio and supposed to be coming back to Illinois and not making a side trip to NJ. I worked for Kemper for over 22 years and I’m just glad I got out before the Ken Lays and the Bernie Ebbers’ and Ivan Boeskys and Michael Milkens (sorry, Dave Mathis’ and Bill Smiths) got control of the Kemper Group. When you come right down to it, screw Dave Mathis and Bill Smith and the directors who didn’t do anything to stop the looting of the company and screw Bill Smith’s wife and her cat. If the cat is still alive, maybe someone will strangle it.
I agree with Mr. Hronek. Mr Smith brought a perfectly good company down to the ground. Mr Mathis, and the directors, allowed it to happen. Didn’t anyone see it coming, or were they just blinded by the large salaries and “extras” they were getting? Was a corporate jet REALLY necessary? Please…. I don’t think so.. We may have only been between the 12th and 15th in the country, but at least it was a stable company. With AIG now being under scutiny, makes me wonder what Smith did to that company while he was there. I for one was on disability at the time Kemper announced its closing. After 16 years with the company. I had to settle for a disability payment less then 1/3 of what I was entitled to. I bet Mr’s Smith and Mathis along with many others in the higher levels of the company lost nothing!! For many of us we saw the company going down the tubes as soon as Smith came on board and all the stories about his “spending” and inappropriate changes within the of the company started happening. We knew that many of his “buddies” were hired. I know they had contracts that were paid out in full and were outrageous. As usual its the little guy that pays the price for the ineffective management at the higher level..
Bill Smith should be in jail for life. He retired early because had he stayed on, he would have been found out — he comspired with other executives and directors like ex-governor of Illinois Jim Edgar and ultimatly rather than helping policy holders, destroyed their homes and then sued them, saying it was all their fault — and causing financial hardships and illnesses. Wo While Bill Smith’s wife and her cat used corporte funds and Kemper’s plane for expensive vacations. S,ith held meetings with attorneys to see how he could screw people. I filed a claim in February 2001 and two of Kemper’s adjusters came out at two different times, and inspected the damage; both agreed I was covered under the policy for ice dams. But when I reported mold–hidden mold — Smith ordered people to come out and check it out; Bill’s boys opened walls in my home without containment and then, after telling me I was covered, and puttin gme up in a hotel, destroyed my home, seized all of my property, and ultimately made the home uninhabitable; then KLumbermens sued me, redered me homeless and without an income (since my business was in my home) and forced me to hire a law firm — which cost me money that I didn’t have. Lumbermen’s claims that it’s all my fault and that therefore, I wasn’t covered for the hidden mold. Its been three years since I filed a counterlawsuit, and guess what, I have yet to have a fair day in court. If I loose this case, we’re all in trouble… With that said, two days after I was rendered homeless, I was diagnosed with a small rare breast cancer. Bill Smith and company knew that they had intentionally contaminated me and there are studies to prove that high level of toxic mold caused tubular breast cancer. The long of the short of it is that I need some allies to file criminal charges against Smith. As his attorneys are telling my attorneys that Lumbermen’s is going belly up, so they’re postponing and postponing, and refusing to disclose information.
Can anyone help me?
I live in Chicago and I’m desperate; I know why people go off the wall and kill judges! I’m not going to kill any judge, but I want Smith in prison! He can’t get away with what he did to me and so many other policy holders.
I’m a little emotional today because I have to come up with $15,000 to pay for an expert witness and depositions — and Kemper sued me!!!! If I had killed someone, I would get free attorneys and a quick trial.
Please help. e mail me gloami@msn.com if you have any advise or a similar story.
I just found this article and notice the last entries here were in 2005. Well, maybe my comments will fall on deaf ears, but at least I can vent.
I worked for Kemper Personal Lines in Charlotte and fell victim to the meltdown on 10-23-01.-Black Tuesday.My career with Kemper spanned 32 years and the hatchet hit me at age 55.-Tough age to be handing out resumes.
I was called into the boss’s office and handed a severnace check, told to leave the premises -not even a thanks for 32 years of service.
I was unnemployed, 55 and 2 kids soon to go to college and a bout with depression. We sold our home moved back to Ga. Now I work as an agency CSR making about 40,000 a year less. My retirement benefits were cut 50% and the Pension Guaranty Fund now oversees my retirement.Kemper could no longer fund it since they were bankrupted-
Profit Sharing was also cut and the botton line result to me for the past 5 years in salary, retirement and 401 K is close to 500,000. Corporate America can pucker up and kiss me where the sun does not shine.
Smith and Mathis- You will pay if not here then in the hereafter
Jim Corpening
Jim,
Jim,
Sorry, things turned out so bad for you. I remember we had a good branch office in Atlanta. Bill and Dave ruined things for most loyal long term employees and then ran a good company into the ground.
Mike
?? MIKE WHO??
I was in commercial lines.
Mike Hiller
“Smathis” as like to call these two, who led this company into liquidation, are fortunate that Kemper was a private company. Otherwise, they may be behind bars right now where they belong.
It is amazing to me that after all these years so many of us are still p__sed off at Mathis and Smith. They ruined many lives. There were many of us who expected to retire there but now find ourselves starting all over. For many of us starting fresh as the recession started means we are first to go when layoff happens. now what ? Thanks again Mathis and Smith. The person who said these two belong in jail is right.
Kemper people, up off the canvas. Chin up and stick your nose back in the fight. Keep punching, but keep your left up and use your shoulder for protection. (Lesson from an Irish nun in junior high.) Learning, dedication, work, making the hard decisions when necessary, perseverance and professionalism were things I learned at Kemper and carry on since I left and since “K” crashed and burned. Dig up what we learned and hold our heads up and get back in it.