How many Congressmen and Senators promise to act independently and follow their constituents but once in office toe the "party" line? Ten percent, Thirty percent, Fifty percent, Eighty percent? If you investigate votes in both the Congress and the Senate, you would find that those that vote the party line is a significant amount. Why is that? Well, the Republican National Committee and the Democrat National Committee both provide funds and support for candidates of their party and in some cases it amounts to more than what constituents can provide. In most States, it is virtually impossible to run for public office unless you are a member of one of these two parties.
OK, let them have their party but let us get out! Those persons registering as Independent has been steadily growing and has actually become the deciding factor is many recent elections. Whether a candidate is Republican, Democrat, Independent, or whatever, hold their feet to the fire! They were voted in to represent YOU, not their party, not Special Interest Groups, not THEMSELVES! If they don't follow their constituency's wishes - VOTE THEM OUT! If they don't keep the promises they made when candidates - RECALL THEM! Don't wait for someone else to do it for you, get together with your neighbor; other neighborhoods; your town, your county. Contact your Congressmen and Senators and tell them what YOU want. If we are going to get these politicians back in line, it is up to US to do something.
Get involved before it's too late.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Energy Czar
Carol Browner started her career working as General Counsel for the Florida House of Representatives Committee on Government Operations from 1980 to 1981. In 1983, she worked as Associate Director for Citizen Action (founded by Ralph Nader), a lobbying group active in environmental issues. From 1986 to 1988, she worked as Chief Legislative Assistant to Senator Lawton Chiles (D) from Florida. She was instrumental in banning off-shore drilling near the Florida Keys. From 1988 to 1991, she worked as Legislative Director for (then) Senator Al Gore and became known as a Gore protégé. From 1991 to 1993, she headed the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, increasing its size to over 1,500 employees with a budget of $650 Million dollars.
After the 1992 elections, she took on the role of Transition Director for Vice-President Elect Gore, and later that year was appointed as President Clinton’s choice to head the Environmental Protection Agency. She served in that capacity throughout the Clinton Presidency becoming the longest serving EPA Director in history. In 1995, Browner and the EPA were charged by the House Government Reform and Oversight Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs with violating the federal Anti-Lobbying Act (18 U.S. Code § 1913) by faxing unsolicited material opposing the Republican-sponsored regulatory reform package to various corporations and public-interest groups.
As EPA Administrator, Browner started the Agency's successful “brownfields” program. The program helped facilitate cleanups of contaminated facilities, especially in urban areas, and leveraged more than $1 billion in public and private funds for cleanups.
She pushed through stringent air quality rules despite cost concerns within the administration and strong objections from some industry groups. The National Ambient Air Quality Standards was crucial environmental legislation for the Clinton administration. With Gore as her most important ally, the legislation survived both Congressional debate and court reviews. Browner began efforts to deal with global warming, giving the EPA authority to regulate carbon emissions causing climate change, although the EPA under the George W. Bush administration chose not to use that authority, it is already being used by the Obama Administration through “Cap and Trade” legislation.
After the Clinton Administration, Browner became a founding member of the Albright Group, a "global strategy group" headed by former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. As a Principal in that firm, Browner assists businesses and other organizations with the challenges of operating internationally, including the challenges of complying with environmental regulations and climate change. Coca-Cola and Merck have been among the clients for such international assistance. She also became a founding member and principal of Albright Capital Management, an investment advisory company.
Browner served as the chair of the Audubon Society; her term expired in 2008. She also joined the board of the Alliance for Climate Protection, an organization founded by Gore in 2006. In 2008 she joined the board of APX, Inc., which specializes in technology infrastructure for the environmental commodities markets, including those for carbon offsets and the CDM Gold Standard. She is or was also on the boards of the Center for American Progress, the Alliance for Climate Protection, the League of Conservation Voters. and the Commission for a Sustainable World Society.
Her previous year's income, in a 2009 report, was reported by the The Wall Street Journal to be between $1 million and $5 million from lobbying firm Downey McGrath Group, Inc., where her husband, Thomas Downey, is a principal. She also reported $450,000 in "member distribution" income, plus retirement and other benefits from The Albright Group. She was announced as President Obama's "Energy Czar" in December 2008.
After the 1992 elections, she took on the role of Transition Director for Vice-President Elect Gore, and later that year was appointed as President Clinton’s choice to head the Environmental Protection Agency. She served in that capacity throughout the Clinton Presidency becoming the longest serving EPA Director in history. In 1995, Browner and the EPA were charged by the House Government Reform and Oversight Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs with violating the federal Anti-Lobbying Act (18 U.S. Code § 1913) by faxing unsolicited material opposing the Republican-sponsored regulatory reform package to various corporations and public-interest groups.
As EPA Administrator, Browner started the Agency's successful “brownfields” program. The program helped facilitate cleanups of contaminated facilities, especially in urban areas, and leveraged more than $1 billion in public and private funds for cleanups.
She pushed through stringent air quality rules despite cost concerns within the administration and strong objections from some industry groups. The National Ambient Air Quality Standards was crucial environmental legislation for the Clinton administration. With Gore as her most important ally, the legislation survived both Congressional debate and court reviews. Browner began efforts to deal with global warming, giving the EPA authority to regulate carbon emissions causing climate change, although the EPA under the George W. Bush administration chose not to use that authority, it is already being used by the Obama Administration through “Cap and Trade” legislation.
After the Clinton Administration, Browner became a founding member of the Albright Group, a "global strategy group" headed by former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. As a Principal in that firm, Browner assists businesses and other organizations with the challenges of operating internationally, including the challenges of complying with environmental regulations and climate change. Coca-Cola and Merck have been among the clients for such international assistance. She also became a founding member and principal of Albright Capital Management, an investment advisory company.
Browner served as the chair of the Audubon Society; her term expired in 2008. She also joined the board of the Alliance for Climate Protection, an organization founded by Gore in 2006. In 2008 she joined the board of APX, Inc., which specializes in technology infrastructure for the environmental commodities markets, including those for carbon offsets and the CDM Gold Standard. She is or was also on the boards of the Center for American Progress, the Alliance for Climate Protection, the League of Conservation Voters. and the Commission for a Sustainable World Society.
Her previous year's income, in a 2009 report, was reported by the The Wall Street Journal to be between $1 million and $5 million from lobbying firm Downey McGrath Group, Inc., where her husband, Thomas Downey, is a principal. She also reported $450,000 in "member distribution" income, plus retirement and other benefits from The Albright Group. She was announced as President Obama's "Energy Czar" in December 2008.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Economic Czar
Paul Volcker, a Democrat[1], was appointed Chairman of the Federal Reserve in August 1979 by President Jimmy Carter and reappointed in 1983 by President Ronald Reagan.[2]
Volcker's Fed is widely credited with ending the United States' stagflation crisis of the 1970s. Inflation, which peaked at 13.5% in 1981, was successfully lowered to 3.2% by 1983.
The federal funds rate, which had averaged 11.2% in 1979, was raised by Volcker to a peak of 20% in June 1981. The prime rate rose to 21.5% in '81 as well. [3]
These changes in policy contributed to the significant recession the U.S. economy experienced in the early 1980s, which included the highest unemployment levels since the Great Depression. Volcker's Fed also elicited the strongest political attacks and most wide-spread protests in the history of the Federal Reserve (unlike any protests experienced since 1922), due to the effects of the high interest rates on the construction and farming sectors, culminating in indebted farmers driving their tractors onto C Street NW and blockading the Eccles Building.[4]
Since his appointment as the “Economic Czar”, it doesn’t appear that President Obama is utilizing Paul Volcker in any real capacity. However, he is drawing a salary from the Federal Government (your tax dollars at work). I can find no information on where the “Economic Czar’s” office is, his phone number, his job description, what he has been tasked to do (other than what was said by the President when he appointed him.
In March 2009, it seems that Lawrence Summers, who is director of Obama’s National Economic Council, may have taken over the title but no confirmation by the President.
There is no transparency when it comes to the “real” structure of the Executive Branch of our Government and it would take a great deal of investigative reporting to determine exactly how many persons are currently drawing Government paychecks as a result of President Obama’s beefing up of the numbers.
Much of the information on Volcker was extracted from Wikipedia.
Volcker's Fed is widely credited with ending the United States' stagflation crisis of the 1970s. Inflation, which peaked at 13.5% in 1981, was successfully lowered to 3.2% by 1983.
The federal funds rate, which had averaged 11.2% in 1979, was raised by Volcker to a peak of 20% in June 1981. The prime rate rose to 21.5% in '81 as well. [3]
These changes in policy contributed to the significant recession the U.S. economy experienced in the early 1980s, which included the highest unemployment levels since the Great Depression. Volcker's Fed also elicited the strongest political attacks and most wide-spread protests in the history of the Federal Reserve (unlike any protests experienced since 1922), due to the effects of the high interest rates on the construction and farming sectors, culminating in indebted farmers driving their tractors onto C Street NW and blockading the Eccles Building.[4]
Since his appointment as the “Economic Czar”, it doesn’t appear that President Obama is utilizing Paul Volcker in any real capacity. However, he is drawing a salary from the Federal Government (your tax dollars at work). I can find no information on where the “Economic Czar’s” office is, his phone number, his job description, what he has been tasked to do (other than what was said by the President when he appointed him.
In March 2009, it seems that Lawrence Summers, who is director of Obama’s National Economic Council, may have taken over the title but no confirmation by the President.
There is no transparency when it comes to the “real” structure of the Executive Branch of our Government and it would take a great deal of investigative reporting to determine exactly how many persons are currently drawing Government paychecks as a result of President Obama’s beefing up of the numbers.
Much of the information on Volcker was extracted from Wikipedia.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
US CZARs
There are currently 31 “active” Czars, most appointed by President Obama. Those Czars appointed by the President report directly to him and there is no independent oversight as to who these Czars are, what they are doing, or who they may represent. Following is a list of the President’s Czars as compiled by Taxpayers for Common Sense. The list shows the person’s name, Czar Title, actual name, and is sorted by date appointed:
Paul Volcker - Economic Czar - Chairman of the Economic Recovery Advisory Board - 11/26/2008;
Carol Browner - Energy Czar - Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change - 12/16/2008;
Elizabeth Warren - TARP Oversight Czar - Chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel for the $700B Bailout Fund - 12/16/2008;
Dennis Blair - Intelligence Czar - Director of National Intelligence - 12/18/2008;
John Holdren - Science Czar - Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Co-Chair of the President’s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology - 12/18/2008;
John Brennan - Terrorism Czar - Deputy National Security Adviser for Homeland Security - 1/8/2009;
George Mitchell - Mideast Peace Czar - Special Envoy to the Middle East - 1/22/2009;
Todd Stern - Climate Czar - Special Envoy for Climate Change - 1/26/2009
Gary Samore - WMD/Terrorism Czar - Coordinator for the Prevention of WMD Proliferation and Terrorism - 1/29/2009;
Joshua DuBois - Faith-based Czar - Director of the Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships - 2/6/2009;
Richard Holbrooke - Afghanistan Czar - Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan - 2/7/2009;
Gil Kerlikowske - Drug Czar - Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy - 2/11/2009;
Adolfo Carrion, Jr. - Urban Affairs Czar - Director of the White House Office of Urban Affairs - 2/20/2009;
Earl Devaney - Stimulus Accountability Czar - Chair of the Recovery Act Transparency and Accountability Board - 2/24/2009;
Jeffrey Crowley - AIDS Czar - Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy - 2/27/2009;
Nancy-Ann DeParle - Health Czar - Director of the White House Office of Health Reform - 3/2/2009;
Vivek Kundra - Information Czar - Federal Chief Information Officer - 3/5/2009;
Van Jones - Green Jobs Czar - Special Adviser for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation at the White House Council on Environmental Quality - 3/10/2009;
J. Scott Gration - Sudan Czar - Special Envoy to Sudan - 3/17/2009;
Ashton Carter - Weapons Czar - Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics - 3/26/2009;
Ed Montgomery - Car Czar - Director of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers - 3/30/2009;
Herb Allison - TARP Czar - Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Stability - 4/12/2009;
Alan Bersin - Border Czar - Asst Secretary for International Affairs & Special Rep for Border Affairs - 4/16/2009;
Aneesh Chopra - Technology Czar - Chief Technology Officer - 4/18/2009;
Cass Sunstein - Regulatory Czar - Director of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs - 5/12/2009;
Danny Fried - Guantanamo Closure Czar - Special envoy to oversee the closure of the detention center at Guantanamo Bay - 5/13/2009;
Cameron Davis - Great Lakes Czar - Special advisor to the U.S. EPA overseeing its Great Lakes restoration plan - 6/4/2009;
Kenneth Feinberg - Pay Czar - Special Master on executive pay - 6/10/2009;
Dennis Ross - Mideast Policy Czar - Special Adviser for the Persian Gulf and Southwest Asia - Different, unnamed position now - 6/16/2009;
Lynn Rosenthal - Domestic Violence Czar - Adviser on violence against women - 6/26/2009; and
David Hayes - CA Water Czar - Deputy Interior Secretary - 6/29/2009.
Each of these Czars has a salary between $158,500 and $172,200 (as best as I can determine – I cannot find all of them), but let’s just use $160,000 as an average. The taxpayer’s are on the hook for a total of $4,960,000 (Four Million Nine Hundred Sixty Thousand dollars). Here are the problems with most of these Czars:
(1) They are appointed by the President with no Congressional oversight (no independent review of their background or qualifications);
(2) In most cases, there is no record (at least public record) of their job description, so we don’t know what their job entails and therefore no way to measure success or failure;
(3) In many cases, their presumed role is a duplicate of a role already being done (supposedly) by another Government employee;
(4) There is no record of how many persons work for each Czar and are paid for by taxpayers;
(5) Since they report directly to the President and therefore part of the Executive Branch, they do not have to testify before Congress;
(6) Because the Czars belong to the Executive Branch, they are able to circumvent the “checks and balances” placed in the U.S. Constitution.
Just as an exercise, let’s assume that each Czar has a staff of five with an average salary of $50,000. Five times 31 Czars times $50,000 equals $7,750,000 (Seven Million Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand dollars). If we add the two figures together, we get $12,710,000 (Twelve Million Seven Hundred Ten Thousand dollars)! With the US Government spending Trillions of dollars, this doesn’t seem like much but shouldn’t we, the people know how our tax dollars are being spent?
In later posts, I will examine each of these Czars in detail.
Paul Volcker - Economic Czar - Chairman of the Economic Recovery Advisory Board - 11/26/2008;
Carol Browner - Energy Czar - Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change - 12/16/2008;
Elizabeth Warren - TARP Oversight Czar - Chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel for the $700B Bailout Fund - 12/16/2008;
Dennis Blair - Intelligence Czar - Director of National Intelligence - 12/18/2008;
John Holdren - Science Czar - Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Co-Chair of the President’s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology - 12/18/2008;
John Brennan - Terrorism Czar - Deputy National Security Adviser for Homeland Security - 1/8/2009;
George Mitchell - Mideast Peace Czar - Special Envoy to the Middle East - 1/22/2009;
Todd Stern - Climate Czar - Special Envoy for Climate Change - 1/26/2009
Gary Samore - WMD/Terrorism Czar - Coordinator for the Prevention of WMD Proliferation and Terrorism - 1/29/2009;
Joshua DuBois - Faith-based Czar - Director of the Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships - 2/6/2009;
Richard Holbrooke - Afghanistan Czar - Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan - 2/7/2009;
Gil Kerlikowske - Drug Czar - Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy - 2/11/2009;
Adolfo Carrion, Jr. - Urban Affairs Czar - Director of the White House Office of Urban Affairs - 2/20/2009;
Earl Devaney - Stimulus Accountability Czar - Chair of the Recovery Act Transparency and Accountability Board - 2/24/2009;
Jeffrey Crowley - AIDS Czar - Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy - 2/27/2009;
Nancy-Ann DeParle - Health Czar - Director of the White House Office of Health Reform - 3/2/2009;
Vivek Kundra - Information Czar - Federal Chief Information Officer - 3/5/2009;
Van Jones - Green Jobs Czar - Special Adviser for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation at the White House Council on Environmental Quality - 3/10/2009;
J. Scott Gration - Sudan Czar - Special Envoy to Sudan - 3/17/2009;
Ashton Carter - Weapons Czar - Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics - 3/26/2009;
Ed Montgomery - Car Czar - Director of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers - 3/30/2009;
Herb Allison - TARP Czar - Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Stability - 4/12/2009;
Alan Bersin - Border Czar - Asst Secretary for International Affairs & Special Rep for Border Affairs - 4/16/2009;
Aneesh Chopra - Technology Czar - Chief Technology Officer - 4/18/2009;
Cass Sunstein - Regulatory Czar - Director of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs - 5/12/2009;
Danny Fried - Guantanamo Closure Czar - Special envoy to oversee the closure of the detention center at Guantanamo Bay - 5/13/2009;
Cameron Davis - Great Lakes Czar - Special advisor to the U.S. EPA overseeing its Great Lakes restoration plan - 6/4/2009;
Kenneth Feinberg - Pay Czar - Special Master on executive pay - 6/10/2009;
Dennis Ross - Mideast Policy Czar - Special Adviser for the Persian Gulf and Southwest Asia - Different, unnamed position now - 6/16/2009;
Lynn Rosenthal - Domestic Violence Czar - Adviser on violence against women - 6/26/2009; and
David Hayes - CA Water Czar - Deputy Interior Secretary - 6/29/2009.
Each of these Czars has a salary between $158,500 and $172,200 (as best as I can determine – I cannot find all of them), but let’s just use $160,000 as an average. The taxpayer’s are on the hook for a total of $4,960,000 (Four Million Nine Hundred Sixty Thousand dollars). Here are the problems with most of these Czars:
(1) They are appointed by the President with no Congressional oversight (no independent review of their background or qualifications);
(2) In most cases, there is no record (at least public record) of their job description, so we don’t know what their job entails and therefore no way to measure success or failure;
(3) In many cases, their presumed role is a duplicate of a role already being done (supposedly) by another Government employee;
(4) There is no record of how many persons work for each Czar and are paid for by taxpayers;
(5) Since they report directly to the President and therefore part of the Executive Branch, they do not have to testify before Congress;
(6) Because the Czars belong to the Executive Branch, they are able to circumvent the “checks and balances” placed in the U.S. Constitution.
Just as an exercise, let’s assume that each Czar has a staff of five with an average salary of $50,000. Five times 31 Czars times $50,000 equals $7,750,000 (Seven Million Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand dollars). If we add the two figures together, we get $12,710,000 (Twelve Million Seven Hundred Ten Thousand dollars)! With the US Government spending Trillions of dollars, this doesn’t seem like much but shouldn’t we, the people know how our tax dollars are being spent?
In later posts, I will examine each of these Czars in detail.
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