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Something has to give. The mortgage foreclosure fiasco is turning into an inter-agency donnybrook, with the bank-friendly Fed resisting efforts by the FDIC to crack down on illegal foreclosure actions by banks. These squabbles don't hurt the political elite, they hurt actual homeowners by eliminating tools that they can use to fight the fraud. Don't expect any help from the new Congress. The 111th did nothing to stop the fraud, or to stop banks from illegally breaking into our homes, stealing our possesions, and locking us out.
Does anyone else think that the new talk of Senate reform is just in time to screw over the middle class? With GOP control of the House, the Senate becomes the incubator for "bipartisan" compromise, which, lately, has meant that the working class takes it on the chin. Even at my cynical best, I often feel like I can't keep up. I just don't trust them.
I ignored Brad Cook's hometown tooting of Judd Gregg's horn in NHBR in the latest issue, when Cook said Gregg would make an excellent president. Yes, of the United States. Yes, he was somewhat serious. But I'm a little concerned after opening the virtual pages of the Foster's and seeing the echo chamber at work. Nationally syndicated columnist and buffoon, Jonah Goldberg is adding to the speculation. On one hand, it's hard to imagine that a Gregg candidacy excites anyone. On the other hand, Gregg did win the lottery...
The miracle that is the NH economy, the National Journal notwithstanding, is not a miracle for all. All local area homeless shelters are full. If you've got some change in your pockets going jing-a-ling-a-ling, please help out. Food pantries are also looking for donations.
Businesses continue to hold hostages. In the original announcement (Foster's) about the Thompson Center Arms closing in Rochester, the company claimed:
"We needed to streamline in order to make our company more efficient and profitable," Pluff said, noting the size of the Springfield facility as part of the reason for relocation.
In a very minor blurb in the Seacoast paper today, we get the rest of the story:
Gun maker Smith & Wesson said Massachusetts has approved $6 million in tax breaks over the next seven years, enabling the company to move 225 jobs to its Springfield headquarters.
[Judd Gregg] also said that the one-year holiday on payroll taxes will affect [sic] exacerbate the problems with the Social Security Trust Fund.
I'm under no illusions that Gregg would ever support a sane fix to SS's modest revenue challenge - raising the cap. Nor do I think he really cares whether there is stimulus money for the bottom 98% of Americans in this "deal," whether it be UI benefits, payroll holidays, whatever.
But I believe he is the first elected official's voice I've heard in New Hampshire or anywhere to mention the consequences of The Deal's lowering of the payroll tax.
And you can be darn sure Gregg's friends in the senate will do everything in their power after he is gone to extend that reduction.
This is a rare chance for New Hampshire's federal delegation to speak with one voice.
Find a mechanism to guarantee the expiration of the payroll tax "holiday," or better still, pay for it some other way.
Otherwise: No Deal.
Think of all the Broderific media oxygen they would get banding together on this. It might actually work!
The future of Social Security is at stake. Yesterday I heard a millenial on the radio talk about the "free money" he's going to get from the payroll tax holiday.
When the president reached out to the GOP agreed to extend tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans for the next two years. he didn't quite win over Republican Senator Judd Gregg.
"I have reservations."
Gregg says the bill is too costly because its extension of unemployment benefits will increase the deficit, though he's leaning in favor of it.
That extending the Bush tax cuts to millionaires will increase the deficit isn't even a consideration. Extending unemployment benefits to folks who can't find work, now that's the problem, that's going to increase the deficit.
(This from the same Very Serious Fiscal Hawk who will throw a tantrum in front of Harry Reid for as long as it takes until all of his rich friends get to keep their deficit skyrocketing Bush tax giveaways.)
I guess the one good thing about today is that the Catfooders are finally caput. What a harmful diversion from the four alarm fire of prolonged high unemployment.
When Judd Gregg opposed extending jobless benefits back in May, his reasons were rooted in intellectually lazy class stereotypes:
Because you're out of the recession, you're starting to see growth and you're clearly going to dampen the capacity of that growth if you basically keep an economy that encourages people to, rather than go out and look for work, to stay on unemployment.
This article, detailing the real suffering that will occur with the imminent expiration of jobless benefits this month, shows otherwise:
Some economists worry that renewing jobless aid would discourage some unemployed people from seeking work. But a study by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco downplayed the impact as "quite small." For most recipients, the average $300 weekly unemployment check doesn't go very far.
Relatedly, Judd Gregg is so Very Serious about money matters that he is a member of the Catfood Commission.
Each succeeeding Wikileaks docudump leaves me "meh." I think I finally know why.
We lied about why we invaded a country, ending over a hundred thousand lives before their time, wounding many more, displacing more still.
Our chief executive at the time goes on book tours. Senators like Judd Gregg leave the stage with full honors. Congresscritters like Charlie Bass get re-elected.
This is the accountability lesson we are leaving our children.
The earmark ban supported by New Hampshire's newly elected Republican congressional members would eliminate $156 million in federal funding for New Hampshire projects. The funding is included in 69 earmarks contained in current drafts of congressional spending bills.
New Hampshire projects benefiting from the earmarks include the Dover Teen Center and its programs for at-risk teenagers ($240,000), the University of New Hampshire's "Inclusive Education Initiative" for students with autism and related disabilities ($500,000) and the New Hampshire Food Bank ($1,250,000).
It is unclear whether any appropriations bills will be passed during the current lame-duck session of Congress. If, as expected, Congress passes a continuing resolution rather than an appropriations bill, no earmark spending would be approved. And it will be much harder for organizations to renew their earmark requests next session.
New Hampshire's newly elected incoming members of Congress -- Kelly Ayotte, Frank Guinta and Charlie Bass -- have all said they oppose earmarks.
[Sen. Jeanne] Shaheen said smaller states like New Hampshire are sometimes at a disadvantage when it comes to the federal funding formulas used to distribute tax dollars. "Congressionally directed spending is one way to level the playing field," Shaheen said. "It allows us to make a case for worthwhile projects like enhancing the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, expanding the New Hampshire Food Bank, and helping our local police departments purchase the equipment they need."
(That Gregg, the Banksters' BFF, would come out against Warren is as predictable as night following day. Less so, though, is his embrace of the Glenn Beck Book of Phony Conspiracies. - promoted by Dean Barker)
He's not going quietly. He should be slinking away into retirement, but instead he is coming out against social justice, just so we can feel another slap in the face. Talking about Elizabeth Warren, he frets:
"My concern is that she would use the agency for the purpose of promoting social justice," Gregg said on ABC's "Top Line" webcast.
Gregg and other Republican senators had opposed the robustness of the new consumer agency during the extended debate over Wall Street reform in the Senate
.
God forbid that we should protect consumers, the little people who make the engine of the economy go.
More (Dean): dKos has some choice quotes from Gregg from before Glenn Beck took over his brain.
It's happening. Well, not yet. But a federal court has ruled Don't Ask Don't Tell is a crazy concept and the United States Senate may well be voting on its repeal soon. Of course, we know that Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Congresspeople Carol Shea-Porter and Paul Hodes are leading the fight on this cause on behalf of equality and justice.
The Human Rights Campaign and other equality organizations are encouraging calls to our Senators during the next few days. Please, if you support repeal of DADT, and who in their balanced and equalized mind doesn't, make a call.
Senator Judd Gregg can be reached at (202) 224-3324. Senator Jeanne Shaheen's number is (202) 224-2841.
A nice staffer will likely answer, and tell them that you're calling to ask the Senator to push for repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
There IS a New Hampshire Democratic Gubernatorial Primary race! The Concord Monitor has a story about it in today's (Friday's) edition. Try this link, and if it doesn't work go to the newspaper's home page and you'll find it: http://www.concordmonitor.com/...
I helped Paul McEachern in his 2004 challenge to John Lynch. I had known Lynch since the mid-1970s, but had known McEachern since the mid-1960s. I had previously supported Chris Spirou over McEachern before backing McEachern in other races. In other words, they were all good people, and any would have been great governors.
Supporters of that stimulus strategy say the short term borrowing pales relative to the economic free-fall that would result if Congress sat on its hands. But Gregg disagrees.
"When the Congress is on vacation, you're actually a little safer than when we're in session," he said Friday. "We're just spending too much. We've got to slow the spending down if we're going to get this government under control."
Gregg has at least one admirer. Van Susteren likened the New Hampshire Republican to a modern-day Cassandra. "When all is said and done," she said, "don't blame Senator Gregg because [he's] been saying this for quite some time."
I've read Cassandra, Greta. I've taught Cassandra. Senator Gregg, you are no Cassandra. More Agamemnon, really:
Our senior senator is upset that money will be taken away from his one of his key constituencies - multi-national corporations - and given to spoiled New Hampshire instead:
After months of uncertainty, the state appears likely to get $22 million more in federal money in 2011 than it had budgeted for.
...Republican Sen. Judd Gregg voted against it. Gregg has said the bill is pandering to teachers unions at the expense of raising taxes on multinational corporations - which could move jobs overseas.
You see, it's now New Hampshire's fault that multi-national firms move jobs overseas. If only we weren't so greedy!
In other news, New Hampshire gets about 71 cents back from the federal government for every one dollar we give to it.
Ayotte, Gregg and the NH GOP All Clinging to Tainted Campaign Contributions
CONCORD - Today, the New Hampshire Democratic Party called on the New Hampshire Republican Party to stop their disgraceful hypocrisy and return all the dirty money collected by their candidates and elected officials in recent years. News broke this morning that two Texas billionaires, both major conservative donors, were charged by the SEC with operating a $550 million securities fraud. [NYT, 7/30/10]
What's the New Hampshire connection? The brothers gave thousands to the campaigns of current Sen. Judd Gregg and former Sen. John E. Sununu [CQ Moneyline, accessed 7/30/10] .
"The New Hampshire GOP has surpassed the height of hypocrisy which is impressive, even for them. They're engaging in disgusting political stunts to try and shift focus away from the fact that their candidates sink deeper and deeper in the polls, the closer we get to Election Day," said Emily Browne, Press Secretary for the New Hampshire Democratic Party. "Seeing as Chairman Sununu still refuses to dump the $15,000 they took from Indian tribe clients of convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, this isn't a huge surprise."
I know this is old news, but I'm going through 200+ emails since I left for a camping trip (nothing spells fun like "tornadic activity" experienced from a tent!), and I can't let this go by unseen.
Here's a segment (full release below the fold) from a floor speech given by Jeanne Shaheen on the real life consequences of not extending UI benefits.
I recently heard from Jo Ellen in Canterbury, New Hampshire about the plight of the unemployed. Jo Ellen was a high-ranking nurse with a graduate degree and a good job, until she was laid off to cut costs. She is in her 60's and has been working her whole life. Since being laid off, she has applied for dozens of jobs - from part-time to retail positions. She has cut back on her professional experience on her resume so that she's not ruled out for being overqualified. She always mentions that she is willing to accept any salary. But none-the-less, she has not been called to interview. Not once.
Jo Ellen wrote to me not only because her unemployment insurance will soon expire, but also because she is so troubled that she keeps hearing the politicians who voted against this extension say that people collecting unemployment are irresponsible or looking for a handout. She's not looking for a handout - she's looking for a job. And while we still face one of the most difficult job markets in history - where there are 5 applicants for every 1 job - we need to make sure people like Jo Ellen stay afloat.
There are millions of people across this country just like Jo Ellen. There are millions of people who need these benefits to prevent disaster.
You will remember that Judd Gregg was one of the scoundrels who made the (probably politically motivated) claim that if we extended unemployment benefits that the lazy jobless would basically stop looking for work.
I would also add that this story is Exhibit A on why raising the Social Security retirement age is wrong.
That giant gap consists of Americans who are unemployed, and couldn't get a job even if they wanted to. This emphasizes the need for Congress to extend unemployment benefits. It's pretty clear that millions of Americans remain unemployed because the jobs aren't there -- not becuase they aren't trying hard enough to find them. In fact, it's not even close.
He's basically become a one-dimensional cartoon at this point:
Top Republicans called on Democrats in Congress and the White House to extend all the tax cuts that are set to expire at the end of this year.
Sen. Judd Gregg (N.H.), the top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, joined House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) in pushing for the extension of a series of taxes set to expire at the end of this year, including a series of cuts for households making more than $250,000 per year.
Mr. Deficit Hawk won't spend another dime on jobless benefits for millions of out-of-work Americans, but God forbid we cut the deficit by having the wealthiest pay their fair share after the free ride Bush gave them.
The saddest part of all is how Very Seriously this servant of the plutocracy is taken.
As much as I disliked going through Landrigan's increasingly Republican Status-esque column, this made me laugh out loud.
Through his several business incarnations, Binnie ran millions of investments through Deutsche, and got a favorable response when he first suggested it.
Two days before the (fundraiser) was to come off, though, a bank executive informed Binnie it had to be called off.
According to the bank official, senior Sen. Judd Gregg, a ranking Republican in the brewing debate over financial reform, had weighed in to register a protest.
...Ultimately, you'll never guess for whom Deutsche and Citibank have hosted fundraisers for in this race.
Oh, you got it: Ayotte.
TARPmeister Judd Gregg sure has the banksters wrapped around his finger, doens't he?
How nice for Ms. Ayotte, and for us, if she ends up representing us them in January.
CBS, which has actually been doing a decent job of covering the GOP's bizarre attack on the unemployed:
"It is a very painful thing to be unemployed," says Pink. "It's very humiliating and it's very humbling."
In January she was laid off from her job in a New York law firm. She's been constantly looking for work. Her $420 weekly unemployment check is the only way she can pay her rent. The checks end this month and she is angry that Congress did not extend her benefits, reports CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy.
"I've been paying taxes. I've helped the banks bail out and I figure now I need help. Why should I be overlooked?" she says.
We live in an upside down world.
The Banksters who caused this economic catastrophe get whatever they need to stay solvent.
The innocent victims, Mr. and Ms. Joe Taxpayer, won't get what they need to stay solvent. And nearly one of ten of them can't find work. And that's not counting the vast underemployed.
And even though the GOP in the White House, in the Senate, in the House, suffered their biggest defeat in my lifetime, they are the ones calling the shots. Just as they have been with their failed fiscal policy, with a slight reprieve now and then, for thirty years.
