The mantrum of the last few weeks is that Obama must focus only on the budget and, either explicitly, or implicitly drop a focus on climate change, energy independence, green jobs, just to name a few. The idea repeated through the right wing echo chamber is apparently that it is possible to do only one thing at once, that only once the most pressing thing on the list is completed is it possible to move to item number 2. And then 3. And then 4. . . .
Author Archives: shirah
U.N.: It’s time for the world to ditch the dollar
by gjohnsit, posted with permission
The fact that this announcement came out just one day after the Federal Reserve committed itself to printing money by the trillions, is not a coincidence.
(Reuters) – A U.N. panel will next week recommend that the world ditch the dollar as its reserve currency in favor of a shared basket of currencies, a member of the panel said on Wednesday, adding to pressure on the dollar.
What did the regulators know and when did they know it?
GAO knows. In a report released today, GAO reviews the quality of the methods used by financial regulators and the actions taken when problems were found. It. is. not. a. pretty. picture.
An AIG Timeline, by GAO
The question of who is to blame for the AIG bonuses and its general performance is much in the news. We have an almost Watergatian inquiry: What did they know and when did they know it?
GAO has produced an overview of events, including a timeline, that should be helpful in understanding these complex issues.
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Last Week GAO Kicked Out the Jambs, 3
The GAO has issued many studies on information security. This time it was the SEC in the spotlight. The public report does not include all the information. Some has been held back for limited distribution. Here, though, are the findings.
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Healthcare infections and contracting out work
A new study by CUPE, a public sector union in Canada, finds that current approaches to fighting hospital and healthcare acquired infections are ineffective.
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“Firing is the best way to get good workers”
Is it, though? The mantrum you hear every where these days is: To get good workers and good work an employer must be able to fire workers. That means just-cause employment, tenure, and union grievance procedures are on the firing line, because, they, well, stand in the way of the “firing” line.
NPR reporter Claudio Sanchez can barely report a story that advocates this position. For example, on March 18, his story starts with:
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Last Week GAO Kicked Out the Jambs, 2
This past week saw a flood of important reports from GAO. I’m going to post a selection of what I consider the most significant with the GAO summaries. Here is number 2. Just how great are those new secure passports?
Last Week GAO Kicked Out the Jambs, 1
This past week saw a flood of important reports from GAO. I’m going to post a selection of what I consider the most significant with the GAO summaries.
First, a 111 page report on another Bush-era failure – on Bush’s main claim – keeping us safe. What can keep us safer than poorly tested weapons?
Poverty – 2007 style
Poverty, unemployment, depression are all on our minds these days. It is almost a breath of fresh air to return to the good ol’ days of 2007 when poverty was off our national radar screen. Of course, that didn’t mean it wasn’t there. It was. In 2007, 37.3 million people, or 12.5 % of Americans, lived at or below the official poverty level. And, believe it or not, many of those people were able to be poor while also working. In fact, 7.5 million of us were in the ranks of the working poor.
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