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When the people fear the government, there is tyranny; When the government fears the people, there is liberty.  ~ Thomas Jefferson

 

Entries Tagged as 'More Government Reform (Control)'

Under financial overhaul, FTC could gain enforcement power over Internet

April 27th, 2010 · Deception, Democrats, Finance, Government Control, Non-Transparency

By Cecilia Kang Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 27, 2010

The Federal Trade Commission could become a more powerful watchdog for Internet users under a little-known provision in financial overhaul legislation that would expand the agency’s ability to create rules.

An emboldened FTC would stand in stark contrast to a besieged Federal Communications Commission, whose ability to oversee broadband providers has been cast into doubt after a federal court ruled last month that the agency lacked the ability to punish Comcast for violating open-Internet guidelines.

The version of regulatory overhaul legislation passed by the House would allow the FTC to issue rules on a fast track and permit the agency to impose civil penalties on companies that hurt consumers. FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz has argued in favor of bolstering his agency’s enforcement ability.

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On climate bill, Democrats work to overcome Graham’s immigration objections

April 26th, 2010 · Climate, Congress, Corruption, Deception, Democrats, Ethics, Government Control, Immigration, Non-Transparency, Terrorism from Within

By Juliet EilperinWashington Post Staff Writer
Monday, April 26, 2010

The current predicament of the Senate climate and energy proposal, which was attractive enough to lure the leaders of not only the Christian Coalition but also ConocoPhillips, Exelon and Duke Energy to a now-canceled bill launch Monday, underscores the fragility of its support.

The same political forces that have repeatedly shunted climate change to the back burner — partisanship and its low rank on voters’ priority list — have made passing a bill a herculean task. It encountered another hurdle this weekend when Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), one of its authors along with Sens. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.), said he was abandoning it unless climate legislation moved ahead of immigration on the Senate calendar.

For months, the three senators tried to assemble an inside-the-Beltway pact on climate change by reconciling the needs of the business and environmental communities. Now the fate of the bill rests on the prospects of a very different deal: one between Graham and Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.), who sees immigration reform as more essential than energy to his reelection bid.

“I’ve got some political courage, but I’m not stupid,” Graham said in an interview Saturday. “The only reason I went forward is, I thought we had a shot if we got the business and environmental community behind our proposal, and everybody was focused on it. What’s happened is that firm, strong commitment disappeared.”

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Kerry, Graham, Lieberman to unveil climate bill

April 24th, 2010 · Climate, Congress, Deception, Federal Spending, Government Control, Greed, Non-Transparency, Obama's Scheme, Politics, Selling Out the US, Tax Dollars, Taxes

By Juliet Eilperin Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, April 24, 2010

In their last and best shot at enacting a climate bill this year, Sens. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) and Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) plan to unveil a draft Monday that will provide a streamlined system for capping greenhouse gas emissions from the utilities and transport sector but still aims to reduce the nation’s carbon dioxide output by 17 percent in 10 years.

The measure offers numerous concessions to businesses, including allowing manufacturing and energy-intensive industries four years before they would be subject to the carbon cap; provisions for offshore oil drilling; $10 billion for the coal industry to capture and store its carbon emissions; and enough loan guarantees and incentives to provide for the construction of 12 nuclear power plants.

“Because of the broad-based industry support that I expect the bill will garner, both at the rollout as well as beyond, I think this is the best path forward,” said Fred Krupp, who heads the Environmental Defense Fund.

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Democrats urge fast action to limit salt in processed foods calling the matter a “public health crisis”

April 21st, 2010 · Deception, Democrats, Ethics, Federal Spending, Fraud Alert, Government Control, Health

By Lyndsey Layton – Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Two members of Congress urged the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday to move quickly to limit the amount of salt in processed foods, calling the matter a “public health crisis” that demanded a swift response from government.

“I understand they want to do it in a phased kind of a deal, but I don’t want it to be too long,” said Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. “This is crying out for change that’s long overdue.”

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) agreed, saying in a conference call with Harkin and reporters: “I don’t want this to take 10 years. . . . This is a public health crisis.”

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Obama rejects GOP claim that financial reform bill would encourage bailouts

April 15th, 2010 · Banking Industry, Congress, Corruption, Deception, Democrats, Economy, Ethics, Federal Spending, Government, Government Control, Money Lost, Non-Transparency, Obama's Scheme, Selling Out the US, Stimulus, Tax Dollars, Terrorism from Within

By Scott Wilson Washington Post staff writer
Wednesday, April 14, 2010; 7:34 PM

President Obama urged congressional leaders Wednesday to work together over the next several weeks on a financial regulation package, expressing confidence that a bipartisan bill remained possible even as Republicans said the Democrats’ proposal would make government bailouts more likely.

Speaking before a meeting with House and Senate leaders of both parties, Obama rejected that charge. “I’m absolutely confident that the bill that emerges is going to be a bill that prevents bailouts,” he said. “That’s the goal.”

Obama said he is “confident that we can work out an effective bipartisan package” to prevent individual financial institutions from growing so big their collapse would imperil the economy, plus regulate the derivatives markets and put in place other reforms.

Congressional Republican leaders left the meeting highly critical of the financial regulatory reform bill now before Congress. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), echoing comments he made Tuesday, said the bill amounts to an “endless taxpayer bailout for Wall Street banks.”

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Obama calls together congressional leaders in push for new financial regulation

April 15th, 2010 · Banking Industry, Congress, Corruption, Deception, Democrats, Economy, Ethics, Federal Spending, Finance, Government, Government Control, Non-Transparency, Obama's Scheme, Selling Out the US, Small Business, Tax Dollars, Taxes, Terrorism from Within

By David Cho, Brady Dennis and Scott Wilson – Thursday, April 15, 2010

The battle over reshaping the country’s financial regulation escalated on several fronts Wednesday, with President Obama stepping up his personal efforts to win Senate passage of an ambitious bill while senators from both parties fought to claim the anti-Wall Street mantle.

After a White House meeting between Obama and congressional leaders, Republican leaders criticized the Democrats’ proposal for leaving the door open to future bailouts of big financial firms. But the president, who has turned his attention to the financial overhaul after winning passage of health-care legislation, said he was confident that a bipartisan bill could be worked out to ensure that the economy is protected from the collapse of large financial companies.

Taking center stage in the fight over the legislation are exotic financial instruments known as derivatives. A Democratic senator who chairs a key committee is advocating new rules that would force the nation’s largest banks to stop trading nearly all kinds of derivatives — a move that would dramatically reshape several critical markets and deprive the firms of a major source of revenue.

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Anger over Wall Street’s big bonuses resurfaces, despite Obama policies

January 18th, 2010 · Banking Industry, Corruption, Deception, Democrats, Economy, Ethics, Federal Spending, Government Control, Greed, Healthcare, Money Lost, Non-Transparency, Obama's Scheme, Selling Out the US, Tax Dollars, Terrorism from Within

By David Cho and Binyamin Appelbaum Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, January 15, 2010

After a yearlong effort by the Obama administration to reform how Wall Street pays its executives, some of the nation’s biggest banks beginning Friday will pay out bonuses nearly as large as those in the best years before the crisis.

President Obama has repeatedly blasted the size of the payouts and Thursday called them “obscene” since many Americans “continue to face real hardship in this recession.” But the administration has chosen not to address the issue that most infuriates people: the magnitude of the bonuses.

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