When President Obama heads to a joint session of Congress tomorrow night, he’ll be honoring the 200-year old tradition of delivering the State of the Union to Congress and the American people. Two days later, the President will turn to Google+ to continue a more recent tradition, by taking questions online after his speech. You can tune in to the Hangout this Thursday at 4:50 p.m. ET.
Much like the Fireside Hangouts held by Vice President Biden and Domestic Policy Director Cecilia Munoz over the past few weeks, the President’s Fireside Hangout will include a group of people who regularly discuss important issues of the day online. During the conversation, the selected participants will ask the President their own questions—but we’d also like to hear from you before the Hangout. To let the President know what’s on your mind, head to the White House YouTube channel and submit a video or text question. You can submit or vote on questions you’d like to hear him address until 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday, February 13.
Looking for inspiration for your question? Watch the President’s State of the Union speech on YouTube tomorrow night at 9 p.m. ET, as well as the Republican response from Senator Marco Rubio directly afterwards.
Then tune in to Thursday’s Fireside Hangout on the White House Google+ page or YouTube channel for a unique online discussion between the President and the American people on Google+.
Tampilkan postingan dengan label Politics. Tampilkan semua postingan
Tampilkan postingan dengan label Politics. Tampilkan semua postingan
Fireside Hangouts: Join President Obama on Google+ after the State of the Union
Senin, 11 Februari 2013 0 komentar
Fireside Hangouts: Join Vice President Biden in a discussion about gun violence
Rabu, 23 Januari 2013 0 komentar
As President Obama and his cabinet begin their second term in the White House, they’re renewing a series of conversations on Google+ with top administration officials. These “Fireside Hangouts," a 21st-century spin on FDR’s famous radio addresses, bring top Administration officials to Google+ to discuss the most important issues in the country, face-to-face-to-face with fellow citizens in a hangout. The next hangout will take place Thursday, January 24 at 1:45 pm ET with Vice President Joe Biden on a topic that’s on everyone’s mind: reducing gun violence.
During his 30-minute hangout, Vice President Biden will discuss the White House policy recommendations on reducing gun violence with participants including Guy Kawasaki, Phil DeFranco and moderator Hari Sreenivasan from PBS NewsHour. If you'd like to suggest a question, just follow the participants on Google+, and look for posts about tomorrow's Hangout. To view the broadcast live, just tune in to the White House's Google+ page or YouTube channel on Thursday afternoon.
The White House will continue to host Hangouts with key members of the President’s cabinet on a range of second term priorities. Follow the White House on Google+ for more information about how you can join the conversation... or an upcoming Hangout.
During his 30-minute hangout, Vice President Biden will discuss the White House policy recommendations on reducing gun violence with participants including Guy Kawasaki, Phil DeFranco and moderator Hari Sreenivasan from PBS NewsHour. If you'd like to suggest a question, just follow the participants on Google+, and look for posts about tomorrow's Hangout. To view the broadcast live, just tune in to the White House's Google+ page or YouTube channel on Thursday afternoon.
The White House will continue to host Hangouts with key members of the President’s cabinet on a range of second term priorities. Follow the White House on Google+ for more information about how you can join the conversation... or an upcoming Hangout.
Japan’s political candidates hang out with voters on Google+
Jumat, 14 Desember 2012 0 komentar
Yesterday, the heads of Japan’s eight most popular political parties held eight consecutive Google+ Hangouts to engage with citizens across the country ahead of Sunday’s general election—arguably the largest (and longest) series of Hangouts with politicians ever! Each of the leaders held a Hangout, including incumbent Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda from the Democratic Party Japan and Shinzo Abe from the Liberal Democratic Party.
Voters asked questions that reflected the most pressing issues on the Japanese people’s minds: the ailing economy, social security and the future of energy programs. For instance, one 21-year old student asked a politician about welfare and economic self-reliance, in response to which the politician explained his vision to create more opportunities for young people.
After announcing these Hangouts on November 29, we invited citizens to upload their questions on to Google+ using the hashtag #政治家と話そう (“talk to politicians”). Ten participants representing a cross-section of voters across Japanese society—including a college student from Tokyo, a housewife from Mie prefecture, and a businessman from Shizuoka prefecture—were chosen to join the Hangouts. People who tuned in said that it gave them a chance to witness an in-depth conversation between politicians and voters up close, which is rare in Japan’s incredibly short and intense campaign season of 12 days.
These Hangouts are part of Google Japan’s effort to help voters get information about the candidates before they head to the polls on December 16. To help voters get access to information about more than 1,000 candidates and 12 political parties, we launched our Japan elections site, called Erabou 2012 (“Choose 2012”), at google.co.jp/senkyo. This site serves as a hub for all latest elections-related information, pulling together candidate profiles and party platforms. If you missed the Hangouts live, you can also watch the recordings there and on the Japan Politics YouTube Channel.
Voters asked questions that reflected the most pressing issues on the Japanese people’s minds: the ailing economy, social security and the future of energy programs. For instance, one 21-year old student asked a politician about welfare and economic self-reliance, in response to which the politician explained his vision to create more opportunities for young people.
After announcing these Hangouts on November 29, we invited citizens to upload their questions on to Google+ using the hashtag #政治家と話そう (“talk to politicians”). Ten participants representing a cross-section of voters across Japanese society—including a college student from Tokyo, a housewife from Mie prefecture, and a businessman from Shizuoka prefecture—were chosen to join the Hangouts. People who tuned in said that it gave them a chance to witness an in-depth conversation between politicians and voters up close, which is rare in Japan’s incredibly short and intense campaign season of 12 days.
These Hangouts are part of Google Japan’s effort to help voters get information about the candidates before they head to the polls on December 16. To help voters get access to information about more than 1,000 candidates and 12 political parties, we launched our Japan elections site, called Erabou 2012 (“Choose 2012”), at google.co.jp/senkyo. This site serves as a hub for all latest elections-related information, pulling together candidate profiles and party platforms. If you missed the Hangouts live, you can also watch the recordings there and on the Japan Politics YouTube Channel.
Get Ready to Vote with Google
Senin, 29 Oktober 2012 0 komentar
Every four years in the United States, people prepare to head to the polls and increasingly search for information about how to register to vote, where to vote and who is on their ballot. Even though it is 2012, important voting information is disorganized and hard to find on the Internet. To help voters research candidates and successfully cast their ballot on Election Day, we’ve launched our new Voter Information Tool.
You can enter your address to find information on your polling place, early vote locations, ballot information with links to candidates’ social media sites and voting rules and requirements. The tool is easy to embed on any website and is open source so developers can modify it to create custom versions. We're working with a number of media partners to ensure the tool is accessible across the web, and partners like Foursquare and AT&T are doing great work building apps on our Civic Information API.
We hope this tool will help make getting to the polls and casting your ballot as simple as possible.
(Cross-posted on the Politics and Elections blog)
You can enter your address to find information on your polling place, early vote locations, ballot information with links to candidates’ social media sites and voting rules and requirements. The tool is easy to embed on any website and is open source so developers can modify it to create custom versions. We're working with a number of media partners to ensure the tool is accessible across the web, and partners like Foursquare and AT&T are doing great work building apps on our Civic Information API.
We hope this tool will help make getting to the polls and casting your ballot as simple as possible.
(Cross-posted on the Politics and Elections blog)
Making it easier to cast your ballot
Selasa, 28 Agustus 2012 0 komentar
The first presidential nominating convention, held in 1832, was meant to give Americans a voice in the selection of the presidential nominee. Fast forward to 2012 and these conventions still represent a major moment in American politics—and we’re helping the conventions reach a larger audience by being the official live stream provider and social networking platform for the Republican National Convention in Tampa and the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte.
In conjunction with our on-the-ground efforts, we’re making a number of online tools available to help you get organized and informed as Election Day approaches.
Get informed
Our Google Politics & Elections site enables you to see the latest Google News, YouTube videos, search and video trends, and Google+ content about the election in one place. You can also visit our live Elections Hub to watch the national political conventions, debates and even election night LIVE right from your mobile phone or laptop.
Register to vote
To make it easy to navigate the rules and deadlines about registering to vote and how to vote by mail, we put together an online voter guide. We’ve also added a special section to make it easier for military and overseas voters to find information about their different rules and deadlines.
As we approach the final days of the election, we’ll continue to develop useful ways for voters and campaigns to engage one another around the important issues in 2012.
We hope these tools will help you stay informed and participate in the election!
In conjunction with our on-the-ground efforts, we’re making a number of online tools available to help you get organized and informed as Election Day approaches.
Get informed
Our Google Politics & Elections site enables you to see the latest Google News, YouTube videos, search and video trends, and Google+ content about the election in one place. You can also visit our live Elections Hub to watch the national political conventions, debates and even election night LIVE right from your mobile phone or laptop.
Register to vote
To make it easy to navigate the rules and deadlines about registering to vote and how to vote by mail, we put together an online voter guide. We’ve also added a special section to make it easier for military and overseas voters to find information about their different rules and deadlines.
As we approach the final days of the election, we’ll continue to develop useful ways for voters and campaigns to engage one another around the important issues in 2012.
We hope these tools will help you stay informed and participate in the election!
The U.S. election, live on YouTube
Rabu, 22 Agustus 2012 0 komentar
Today we’re introducing the YouTube Elections Hub, a one-stop channel for key political moments from now through the upcoming U.S. election day on November 6. You can watch all of the live speeches from the floor of the upcoming Republican and Democratic National Conventions, see Google+ Hangouts with power brokers behind the scenes, and watch a live stream of the official Presidential and Vice Presidential debates. You won’t need to go anywhere else for the must-watch moments of this election cycle...they’re all happening on the Hub live.
In addition to videos from politicians and parties, a diverse range of news organizations—both established names in media and sought-after new voices—are sharing their coverage of the political process on the new hub. You’ll find live and on-demand reporting and analysis from ABC News, Al Jazeera English, BuzzFeed, Larry King, The New York Times, Phil DeFranco, Univision and the Wall Street Journal. Each will put their own stamp on the Presidential race—from the conventions to the debates to election night.
Of course, we’ll have special live coverage around the Republican National Convention from August 27 to 30, the Democratic National Convention from September 4-6, the Presidential and Vice Presidential debates in October, and election night. Bookmark the Elections Hub now for a front row seat along the road to the White House.
(Cross-posted from the YouTube Blog)
In addition to videos from politicians and parties, a diverse range of news organizations—both established names in media and sought-after new voices—are sharing their coverage of the political process on the new hub. You’ll find live and on-demand reporting and analysis from ABC News, Al Jazeera English, BuzzFeed, Larry King, The New York Times, Phil DeFranco, Univision and the Wall Street Journal. Each will put their own stamp on the Presidential race—from the conventions to the debates to election night.
Of course, we’ll have special live coverage around the Republican National Convention from August 27 to 30, the Democratic National Convention from September 4-6, the Presidential and Vice Presidential debates in October, and election night. Bookmark the Elections Hub now for a front row seat along the road to the White House.
(Cross-posted from the YouTube Blog)
Versus: liberating opinion with Google+ Hangouts
Kamis, 01 Maret 2012 0 komentar
Whether enabling voters to interview their President, or connect underwater in a project to photograph the ocean floor, Google+ Hangouts are being used in amazing ways. Not only do Hangouts have the ability to connect people on opposite sides of the planet, they can also connect people on opposing sides of the social and political spectrum. We’re delighted to announce that a new series of global debates, that will be live streamed on YouTube, will do exactly that.
Versus, from Intelligence2—an organization committed to revitalizing the art of live debate—will give you the chance to question people who are close to the decisions being made on topical issues, on both sides of the debate. Real-time voting on the channel will also let the speakers know how their arguments are resonating with viewers.
The first motion to be debated is “It’s time to end the War on Drugs.” The debate will air diverse opinions from the likes of +Richard Branson, +Russell Brand, +Julian Assange, and experts such as the former Presidents from Mexico and Brazil, among others. BBC newsreader and presenter +Emily Maitlis will chair the debate.
The debate will be streamed live on the Versus YouTube channel on March 13 at 7pm GMT. From now until then, we invite you to discuss the issues and join the debate on the Versus page, where you’ll also find out how you could have the chance to secure a place in the live debate hangout.
Versus, from Intelligence2—an organization committed to revitalizing the art of live debate—will give you the chance to question people who are close to the decisions being made on topical issues, on both sides of the debate. Real-time voting on the channel will also let the speakers know how their arguments are resonating with viewers.
The first motion to be debated is “It’s time to end the War on Drugs.” The debate will air diverse opinions from the likes of +Richard Branson, +Russell Brand, +Julian Assange, and experts such as the former Presidents from Mexico and Brazil, among others. BBC newsreader and presenter +Emily Maitlis will chair the debate.
The debate will be streamed live on the Versus YouTube channel on March 13 at 7pm GMT. From now until then, we invite you to discuss the issues and join the debate on the Versus page, where you’ll also find out how you could have the chance to secure a place in the live debate hangout.
Keeping up with the 2012 U.S. election with Google.com/Elections
Senin, 02 Januari 2012 0 komentar
From the nineteenth century’s pamphlets to the twentieth century’s TV ad revolution, our elections have always been shaped by how we communicate and consume information. There’s no question that the Internet is set to deliver more political information, opinion and news than any other medium throughout the 2012 U.S. elections. The web offers candidate and issue info to voters; networking and fundraising platforms for campaigns; and research and productivity tools for journalists.
Today, just in time for the Iowa Caucuses, we’re launching google.com/elections, an election hub where citizens can study, watch, discuss, learn about, participate in and perhaps even make an impact on the digital campaign trail as it blazes forward to Tuesday, November 6, 2012.
The site enables voters, journalists and campaigns to quickly sort through election info by popularity, race or issues. People can also check out the Trends Dashboard to take the web’s real-time political pulse by comparing candidates’ YouTube video views, search traffic and Google News mentions. Campaign staffers, advocates and everyday citizens can utilize our tools and features to reach, engage and inspire voters.
There are a lot of miles to cover and coffee to be consumed before Election Day. We hope you’ll make Google.com/elections one of your regular online stops along the way.
(Cross-posted from the Politics & Elections Blog)
Today, just in time for the Iowa Caucuses, we’re launching google.com/elections, an election hub where citizens can study, watch, discuss, learn about, participate in and perhaps even make an impact on the digital campaign trail as it blazes forward to Tuesday, November 6, 2012.
The site enables voters, journalists and campaigns to quickly sort through election info by popularity, race or issues. People can also check out the Trends Dashboard to take the web’s real-time political pulse by comparing candidates’ YouTube video views, search traffic and Google News mentions. Campaign staffers, advocates and everyday citizens can utilize our tools and features to reach, engage and inspire voters.
There are a lot of miles to cover and coffee to be consumed before Election Day. We hope you’ll make Google.com/elections one of your regular online stops along the way.
(Cross-posted from the Politics & Elections Blog)
Magic moments in Egypt’s parliamentary elections, thanks to the web
Senin, 28 November 2011 0 komentar
Today more than 50 million Egyptians started heading to the polls to cast their votes for an independent Parliament, many for the first time in their lives. The revolution in Egypt, which captured the attention of the world beginning in Tahrir Square on January 25, 2011, made this possible by opening the floodgates of political participation.
With the free flow of information online, people can connect and engage in a open dialogue about the future of Egypt. The web is enabling many new voters to become better informed on their choice of candidates, and letting politicians reach electors in new and exciting ways.
Getting information about the new rules and the new players is no small feat for Egyptians: there are nearly 11,000 candidates vying for 498 seats across 27 governorates nationwide during a multi-stage election that started today and lasts until March 2012. We’re doing our best to organize information to make it easier for voters to find everything they need in one place. For example, millions of Egyptians have learned where they can vote through our landing page, www.google.com.eg/elections.
We’ve also worked to give a voice to thousands of candidates to reach voters through interactive video. The YouTube Townhall includes nearly 400 videos posted by candidates and political parties explaining where they stand on issues from education and the economy to health care and political reform, sparking vibrant conversations in cafés from Alexandria to Aswan.
We’re helping voters and politicians connect not just in Egypt, but throughout the entire Middle East and the world. For Tunisia’s recent parliamentary elections, we partnered with startup news portal Tunisia Live to offer a training workshop in Tunis on Google tools and social media for politicians. In France, we set up a special YouTube site for the upcoming parliamentary elections.
The Internet is playing an increasingly significant role in Egypt. It’s bolstering civic engagement and becoming a powerful mechanism for information sharing—crucial to helping the nation make the tough transition to democracy.
With the free flow of information online, people can connect and engage in a open dialogue about the future of Egypt. The web is enabling many new voters to become better informed on their choice of candidates, and letting politicians reach electors in new and exciting ways.
Getting information about the new rules and the new players is no small feat for Egyptians: there are nearly 11,000 candidates vying for 498 seats across 27 governorates nationwide during a multi-stage election that started today and lasts until March 2012. We’re doing our best to organize information to make it easier for voters to find everything they need in one place. For example, millions of Egyptians have learned where they can vote through our landing page, www.google.com.eg/elections.
We’ve also worked to give a voice to thousands of candidates to reach voters through interactive video. The YouTube Townhall includes nearly 400 videos posted by candidates and political parties explaining where they stand on issues from education and the economy to health care and political reform, sparking vibrant conversations in cafés from Alexandria to Aswan.
We’re helping voters and politicians connect not just in Egypt, but throughout the entire Middle East and the world. For Tunisia’s recent parliamentary elections, we partnered with startup news portal Tunisia Live to offer a training workshop in Tunis on Google tools and social media for politicians. In France, we set up a special YouTube site for the upcoming parliamentary elections.
The Internet is playing an increasingly significant role in Egypt. It’s bolstering civic engagement and becoming a powerful mechanism for information sharing—crucial to helping the nation make the tough transition to democracy.
Tunisia Talks on YouTube
Kamis, 20 Oktober 2011 0 komentar
The Arab Spring started in Tunisia, and it’s appropriate that Tunisia is now leading the way to a full democracy with their landmark free elections scheduled to take place on October 23. To help in this process, we recently partnered with startup news portal Tunisia Live to offer a training workshop in Tunis on Google tools and social media for politicians.
The turnout was fantastic; members from more than 40 parties and independent coalitions attended. The same day, Tunisia Live launched the Tunisia Talks channel on YouTube, channeling the enthusiasm of politicians to leverage social media and engage with voters. In this project, Tunisians are encouraged to submit and vote for top questions to the candidates, and many did so—for a flavor, see this example or this one. So far, more than 400 questions have been submitted.
This outreach is all the more exciting because YouTube was blocked for so many years in Tunisia. But when the regime collapsed last January, the site was unbanned and quickly became popular. Many Tunisian media outlets have set up channels to organize their video libraries on YouTube.
In this weekend’s elections, Tunisians will choose a constitutional council to write a new constitution for the country. Voters will select from lists of party members and independents. The Tunisian electoral committee has set up an official site www.isie.tn and is actively using social media to encourage voter registration—check their channel YouTube.com/isietn.
This is an exciting time in Tunisia. The media landscape—once limited and government-controlled—is now opening up to online platforms. Tunisians finally have access to a free Internet—and it’s playing a key role in building an encompassing political environment.
(Cross-posted on the European Public Policy Blog)
The turnout was fantastic; members from more than 40 parties and independent coalitions attended. The same day, Tunisia Live launched the Tunisia Talks channel on YouTube, channeling the enthusiasm of politicians to leverage social media and engage with voters. In this project, Tunisians are encouraged to submit and vote for top questions to the candidates, and many did so—for a flavor, see this example or this one. So far, more than 400 questions have been submitted.
This outreach is all the more exciting because YouTube was blocked for so many years in Tunisia. But when the regime collapsed last January, the site was unbanned and quickly became popular. Many Tunisian media outlets have set up channels to organize their video libraries on YouTube.
In this weekend’s elections, Tunisians will choose a constitutional council to write a new constitution for the country. Voters will select from lists of party members and independents. The Tunisian electoral committee has set up an official site www.isie.tn and is actively using social media to encourage voter registration—check their channel YouTube.com/isietn.
This is an exciting time in Tunisia. The media landscape—once limited and government-controlled—is now opening up to online platforms. Tunisians finally have access to a free Internet—and it’s playing a key role in building an encompassing political environment.
(Cross-posted on the European Public Policy Blog)
The Fox News/Google Debate live tonight on YouTube: GOP candidates answer your questions
Kamis, 22 September 2011 0 komentar
Since we announced the Fox News/Google Debate on September 1, people across the country have submitted more than 18,000 questions to the Fox News YouTube channel on topics ranging from immigration reform, to health care, to foreign aid to social security. Tonight, the Republican presidential candidates will answer those questions in the Fox News/Google Debate, which will be live-streamed on YouTube and broadcast on Fox News Channel starting at 9pm ET. We’ll also have an online pre-debate show starting at 8:30pm ET, featuring Fox News’s Shannon Bream and Chris Stirewalt, and Steve Grove, YouTube’s Head of News and Politics.
Even if you’re watching on TV, you can visit youtube.com/foxnews during the debate to vote on real-time polling questions and submit live commentary. Throughout the evening, we’ll share Google politics-related search trend information and public data that will provide context to the issues discussed. Fox News moderators will ask specific questions that were submitted by citizens through YouTube, and we’ll be looking at overall trends that emerge from the questions in aggregate. To give you an idea, here’s a look at the most popular words people used in their submissions (the bigger the word, the more often it was used).
Flex your democratic muscle and tune in to youtube.com/foxnews tonight at 8:30pm ET for a political debate that puts you in the driver’s seat of the discussion.
Even if you’re watching on TV, you can visit youtube.com/foxnews during the debate to vote on real-time polling questions and submit live commentary. Throughout the evening, we’ll share Google politics-related search trend information and public data that will provide context to the issues discussed. Fox News moderators will ask specific questions that were submitted by citizens through YouTube, and we’ll be looking at overall trends that emerge from the questions in aggregate. To give you an idea, here’s a look at the most popular words people used in their submissions (the bigger the word, the more often it was used).
Flex your democratic muscle and tune in to youtube.com/foxnews tonight at 8:30pm ET for a political debate that puts you in the driver’s seat of the discussion.
The Problem with Knee Jerk Legislation
Selasa, 06 September 2011 0 komentarInstapundit calls it the problem with naming laws after dead people. True, but it is also the problem with rushing to pass new laws to make the public feel good. Not only do you look foolish, sometimes you actually create mini-disasters. See, e.g. Sarbanes-Oxley and Dodd-Frank.
"Murder victim’s mother blames ‘bath salts’ drugs for her daughter’s death. New Jersey rushes to pass a ban on bath salts, names law after victim. Now: Tests show accused killer had no bath salts in his system.”
Congressman Wants Special Treatment By The TSA
Selasa, 18 Januari 2011 0 komentarSome Congressman, including James Clyburn, are using the Tuson shooting tragedy to argue for special privileges at airports, looking to by-pass the intrusive screening processes that they set up, through the TSA, for the rest of the country. It is an amazing peek into the minds of these elected officials, who seem to believe that they are better than the rest of us, and entitled to special treatment.
65% Favor Getting Rid of Entire Congress and Starting Over
Jumat, 29 Oktober 2010 0 komentarInteresting survey from Rasmussen. I would have thought it would be higher.
65% Favor Getting Rid of Entire Congress and Starting Over - Rasmussen Reports™
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 65% of Likely U.S. Voters say if they had the option next week, they would vote to get rid of the entire Congress and start all over again.
MA Securities Regulators Leaks SSNs of Advisers
Senin, 12 Juli 2010 0 komentarAccording to Investmentnews.com advisers in Massachusetts were stunned after receiving a letter from the Massachusetts Securities Division, announcing that the regulator had accidentally leaked personal information on some 139,000 advisers registered in the Bay State.
The regulator, which headed by Secretary of State William F. Gavin accidentally released the social security numbers of 139,000 state registered investment advisers. According to the article a spokesman for the securities division downplayed the privacy breach stating "the important thing is there was no breach and that the material was returned in tact."
More political doublespeak? The release of the social security numbers of over 100,000 individuals is not a security breach? If an adviser made that type of statement to the Massachusetts securities division, they would be filing charges for misrepresentation - not to mention the violation of state privacy acts for the underlying breach - accident or not.
Why do the regulators get a pass for this violation? Is someone being fired and having their permanent record permanently marked?
More...
The regulator, which headed by Secretary of State William F. Gavin accidentally released the social security numbers of 139,000 state registered investment advisers. According to the article a spokesman for the securities division downplayed the privacy breach stating "the important thing is there was no breach and that the material was returned in tact."
More political doublespeak? The release of the social security numbers of over 100,000 individuals is not a security breach? If an adviser made that type of statement to the Massachusetts securities division, they would be filing charges for misrepresentation - not to mention the violation of state privacy acts for the underlying breach - accident or not.
Why do the regulators get a pass for this violation? Is someone being fired and having their permanent record permanently marked?
More...
Who You Calling a Tea Bagger?
Rabu, 05 Mei 2010 0 komentarApparently President Obama is quoted in a book referring to the supporters of the Tea Party Movement as "tea baggers" and the right is having an absolute fit, claiming the term is disgusting and inappropriate. The feigned outrage is simply amazing.
Please. Let's be honest here. The reason the term has become so popular is that it is demonstrative of the complete lack of understanding. The joke has always been on Fox News - where anchor after anchor used the term "tea bagger" in supportive pieces, and never had a clue what the term meant. The mocking was directed at Fox News, and reporters and anchors who were so eager to support anything that was anti-Obama and so out of touch, that they had no idea that the term referred to a sexual act.
It wasn't only Fox News who used the term, the tea baggers themselves used it to identify themselves well before any "liberal" used the term. If you doubt this, search the news archives at Google for the term "tea bagger" and just scan the headlines. The term has been used by the movement itself, and by the "right" wing news media. Witness the "Proud to Be a Tea Bagger pins."
That is what made the term so appropriate. Clueless news anchors using the term to report about clueless protesters sitting in worn out lawn chairs waiving little American flags proudly referring to themselves as tea baggers, without a clue what they were protesting about, or that they were saying. Check out Teabaggers, You Named Yourselves, Rise of an Epithet at the National Review, The Slur That Must Not Be Named, for more,
Sort of like the protests over the Czars that the President was appointing, and the woman who wanted to know who they were going to rule over, and how much land the government was giving them.
But the real issue here is the feigned uproar. The press needs some honesty, politicians on both sides need to stop the feigned outrage, and the Tea Party Movement needs to focus on its core mission and getting the nut jobs off the stage.
A New American Tea Party: The Counterrevolution Against Bailouts, Handouts, Reckless Spending, and More Taxes
More>>>
Please. Let's be honest here. The reason the term has become so popular is that it is demonstrative of the complete lack of understanding. The joke has always been on Fox News - where anchor after anchor used the term "tea bagger" in supportive pieces, and never had a clue what the term meant. The mocking was directed at Fox News, and reporters and anchors who were so eager to support anything that was anti-Obama and so out of touch, that they had no idea that the term referred to a sexual act.
It wasn't only Fox News who used the term, the tea baggers themselves used it to identify themselves well before any "liberal" used the term. If you doubt this, search the news archives at Google for the term "tea bagger" and just scan the headlines. The term has been used by the movement itself, and by the "right" wing news media. Witness the "Proud to Be a Tea Bagger pins."
That is what made the term so appropriate. Clueless news anchors using the term to report about clueless protesters sitting in worn out lawn chairs waiving little American flags proudly referring to themselves as tea baggers, without a clue what they were protesting about, or that they were saying. Check out Teabaggers, You Named Yourselves, Rise of an Epithet at the National Review, The Slur That Must Not Be Named, for more,
Sort of like the protests over the Czars that the President was appointing, and the woman who wanted to know who they were going to rule over, and how much land the government was giving them.
But the real issue here is the feigned uproar. The press needs some honesty, politicians on both sides need to stop the feigned outrage, and the Tea Party Movement needs to focus on its core mission and getting the nut jobs off the stage.
A New American Tea Party: The Counterrevolution Against Bailouts, Handouts, Reckless Spending, and More Taxes
More>>>
Congressional Stock Trading Oddities -Time for Blind Trusts?
Senin, 29 Juni 2009 0 komentarThe controversy over Senator Durbin's stock transactions has put the spotlight back on stock market transactions by our elected officials. While Senator Durbin appears to have bought and sold stocks after the public announcement of the information he allegedly received, other odd trades are beginning to surface.
There are a number of reports of senators and representatives buying and selling stock at the time of important and significant announcements surrounding the government bailout programs last year. There are certainly problems with the claims of insider trading as I pointed out in my recent post on Senator Durbin's trades, which appear to be perfectly legitimate. The stories ignore the fact that many of these representatives have brokers or money managers who actually pick the positions that are bought or sold, and there are some who are actually in blind trusts.
But in a time when the American public is thoroughly disgusted with the conduct of our elected officials, and with the financial sector, isn't it time to address those perceptions and do something about the ability of elected officials to purchase or sell securities. Or to at least prevent them from doing so in industries that they have the ability to dramatically impact through legislation or other actions?
Blind trusts would appease some of the concerns without an outright prohibition, and is something that should be considered. Then again, it is these senators and representatives who would have to enact such a rule upon themselves. We will undoubtedly see term limits before we see a rule requiring blind trusts.
There are a number of reports of senators and representatives buying and selling stock at the time of important and significant announcements surrounding the government bailout programs last year. There are certainly problems with the claims of insider trading as I pointed out in my recent post on Senator Durbin's trades, which appear to be perfectly legitimate. The stories ignore the fact that many of these representatives have brokers or money managers who actually pick the positions that are bought or sold, and there are some who are actually in blind trusts.
But in a time when the American public is thoroughly disgusted with the conduct of our elected officials, and with the financial sector, isn't it time to address those perceptions and do something about the ability of elected officials to purchase or sell securities. Or to at least prevent them from doing so in industries that they have the ability to dramatically impact through legislation or other actions?
Blind trusts would appease some of the concerns without an outright prohibition, and is something that should be considered. Then again, it is these senators and representatives who would have to enact such a rule upon themselves. We will undoubtedly see term limits before we see a rule requiring blind trusts.
Congressional Pandering and the 100% Income Tax on Compensation
Sabtu, 21 Maret 2009 0 komentarCongress does a number of things very well. Pandering to the populace is one of them, and nothing demonstrates this as well as the House's attempt to punish AIG. The other thing they do well is pass a bill that has popular appeal, and then hope that someone else stops them, or there is a presidential veto, or the courts strike it down. Then they get to say "we tried to fix it but the [opposing party][the President][the Courts] wouldn't let us!"
We all know that Congress screwed up on the AIG bonuses. They prevented the use of bailout funds for bonuses, but exempted any bonus payable pursuant to a contract that existed prior to February 2009. That might not have been a screwup, on some levels, it makes sense. However, as we all know, there was a huge backlash from the public, since the bailout money was going to pay "executive bonuses." Congress, in its usual pandering, fueled that fire. Ignoring the fact that they expressly permitted those bonuse payments, they began railing against "bonuses" to "executives" at AIG too.
Mixing terminology is another thing Congress does well, since those "bonuses" are not really "bonuses" and the majority of people getting those bonuses are not "executives" but rather technical staff, analysts, assistants, in-house counsel, etc.
Then the House passed legislation on Thursday to impose a 90% surtax on bonuses granted to employees with household income of more than $250,000 at companies that received at least $5 billion from the government's financial rescue program.The Senate is considering a similar plan that could be up for a vote as soon as next week.
Let's follow the bouncing ball. First, the tax is on HOUSEHOLD incomes over $250,000. That covers a whole host of families. Two professionals, a nurse and a lawyer; a stock broker and a teacher.
Second, almost everyone on Wall Street has a compensation package that is salary plus "bonus." Wall Street structures its compensation packages this way intentionally. You see, they don't pay the "bonus" until March of the following year. Not only do they keep the float on the employee's money for the extra months, if you are not at the firm when the "bonus" is paid, you don't get it. So, folks stay until bonuses are paid in March. By then, the employee has worked three months, receiving a vastly reduced "salary" and is 1/4 of the way towards earning next year's bonus. Makes it hard to quit, since you will lose 1/4 of your compensation if you do. And round and round it goes.
Back to the tax. The tax applies to any bonus paid to any employee of any company who received more than $5 billion from the TARP funds, which includes Citi, JPMorgan, BofA, Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Morgan Stanley, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. and U.S. Bancorp.
Morgan Stanley staff gets paid salary plus bonus. Secretaries, IT folks, internal accountants, attorneys, all get bonuses as part of their overall compensation. It is almost guaranteed that most of those folks who are married with a working spouse make over $250,000 a year, combined. It's relatively easy, given the cost of living in a major city these days. An in-house attorney makes something on the order of $200,000. Her husband probably makes over $100,000 and BAM, they get hit with a 90% tax on her bonus, and she has absolutely nothing to do with the bank's current problems. Some of the IT professionals make over $200,000. Same situation. There are assistants who make significant amounts of money working at these firms, who get paid with a bonus, and the government is going to tax them too at 90%.
Congress cannot possibly justify this. They have created this mess and they are now pandering to the public. AND, they are too lazy to write a bill that actually addresses what they are trying to address. While I wouldn't agree with it, if you want to get the bonuses that were paid to executives, use the power of additional TARP funds to do it, not the tax code.
If you want to use the tax code, then apply the tax to bonuses over one million dollars. I would still have a huge problem with that, but you would not be taking money from the innocent secretary, bookkeeper and IT guy.
Don't believe it? Read it yourself, it's only one page long - The House Bonus Bill
Liddy Says Geithner Knew About Bonuses
Kamis, 19 Maret 2009 0 komentarAIG Chief Edward Liddy says that Geithner knew about the pending bonuses to its employees as far back as November 2008 when he was the Federal Reserve Chairman. This directly contradicts the timeline put forward by Geithner and the Administration,who claims that they only found out this month.
OK, which one is it. Did Geithner know about the bonuses in November, and is simply conducting an outrageous diversion for the public's amusement, or is he a dolt who didn't know until last month. Either one is not good, but if we are going to get into a situation where another Administration starts lying to us, there is going to be a severe collapse of confidence by the American public, the likes of which we have never seen.
The reality is that Geithner screwed up. I understand, or as our President says "I get it." There are thousands of employees at AIG, thousands of employees with different compensation packages. What undoubtedly happened is during the original TARP discussions and Geithner's involvement under the Bush Administration, the focus was on the "big" compensation packages, not the hundreds of others. (Keep in mind that the $165 million we are talking about, while a huge amount of money, is less than 1% of the 170 billion that AIG has received),
I get it. You were not looking at compensation packages that constituted less than 1% of the total bailout. I understand. In the grand scheme you were saving the country and the economy, and in context, $165 million was not a big deal. Completely understandable.
So why are you now screaming about AIG taking the bonuses, when you have already acknowledged that the amount of the bonuses is insignificant in the grand scheme of things?
You are not a liar, you are a politician doing what politicians do far too often. Pandering.
OK, which one is it. Did Geithner know about the bonuses in November, and is simply conducting an outrageous diversion for the public's amusement, or is he a dolt who didn't know until last month. Either one is not good, but if we are going to get into a situation where another Administration starts lying to us, there is going to be a severe collapse of confidence by the American public, the likes of which we have never seen.
The reality is that Geithner screwed up. I understand, or as our President says "I get it." There are thousands of employees at AIG, thousands of employees with different compensation packages. What undoubtedly happened is during the original TARP discussions and Geithner's involvement under the Bush Administration, the focus was on the "big" compensation packages, not the hundreds of others. (Keep in mind that the $165 million we are talking about, while a huge amount of money, is less than 1% of the 170 billion that AIG has received),
I get it. You were not looking at compensation packages that constituted less than 1% of the total bailout. I understand. In the grand scheme you were saving the country and the economy, and in context, $165 million was not a big deal. Completely understandable.
So why are you now screaming about AIG taking the bonuses, when you have already acknowledged that the amount of the bonuses is insignificant in the grand scheme of things?
You are not a liar, you are a politician doing what politicians do far too often. Pandering.
USNews.com has the details - AIG Chief, White House Statements At Odds?
More Details on the AIG Bonuses
Rabu, 18 Maret 2009 0 komentar
NYS Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has some details on the AIG bonuses, and the situation is not getting any better for the Administration or AIG.
First, please understand my ire. The details of these bonus payments are not yet public. Some reports say they are for executives, others say that 400 employees are included in the bonus payments. Some reports say they are retention bonuses, others say they are performance bonuses. All reports say that AIG entered into these contractual obligations in early 2008. The details make a difference, and I am not in favor of simply abrogating those contracts, nor of creating a retroactive tax on them. Ex post facto and all that other legal mumbo jumbo. In our system of jurisprudence, you simply cannot do that, and any court would strike down such attempts. Arguing for 90% taxes and intentional breaches of contract makes for some very nice pandering to the public, but it is not going to work.
My anger is directed at this Administration and the Bush Administration. I cannot fathom how they gave AIG 170 billion dollars without knowing where the money was going to go, and how it was going to be used. And forget about conditioning the use of the money. They could have conditioned that money on renegotiated bonuses. Not a problem at all, and we can assume it would have worked, since no bailout money, no AIG, no bonuses at all.
Mr. Cuomo has released some facts about the payments. It seems that his office, an outsider in the transactions, was able to do what the Fed and Treasury was unable or unwilling to do - get the details.
According to Mr. Cuomo's letter to the House Committee on Financial Services:
1. The top recipient received more than $6.4 million;
2. The top seven bonus recipients received more than $4 million each;
3. The top ten bonus recipients received a combined $42 million;
4. 22 individuals received bonuses of $2 million or more, and combined they received more than $72 million;
5. 73 individuals received bonuses of $1 million or more; and
6. Eleven of the individuals who received "retention" bonuses of $1 million or more are no longer working at AIG, including one who received $4.6 million.
First the retention bonuses. My understanding is that the agreement is "stay with us another year, and at the end of the year we will pay you $X since you agreed to stay." If that is the case, AIG needs to pay those bonuses. The parties entered into an agreement, the employee did what hew as supposed to do, and is entitle to the payment. This really can't be an issue, and yes, it is a lousy agreement, AIG management is a bunch of irresponsible fools, etc. But hindsight is wonderful, those are agreements that were entered into over a year ago, and should be honored.
Mr. Cuomo has identified payments of approximately 1/2 the $165 million, but without the details, it is difficult to comment on the payments, except to remind everyone, again, that these are contracts that were entered into over a year ago.
Do you really want the government forcing companies to breach employment contracts? Think about your own employment or business situation. You enter into a major agreement, do everything the agreement calls for, and when it comes time to get paid, the company refuses to pay. Or the government enacts a new law that puts a 90% tax on that type of contract.
Not in our system of jurisprudence. We need competent government leaders, not proponents of illegal and unconstitutional "fixes."
First, please understand my ire. The details of these bonus payments are not yet public. Some reports say they are for executives, others say that 400 employees are included in the bonus payments. Some reports say they are retention bonuses, others say they are performance bonuses. All reports say that AIG entered into these contractual obligations in early 2008. The details make a difference, and I am not in favor of simply abrogating those contracts, nor of creating a retroactive tax on them. Ex post facto and all that other legal mumbo jumbo. In our system of jurisprudence, you simply cannot do that, and any court would strike down such attempts. Arguing for 90% taxes and intentional breaches of contract makes for some very nice pandering to the public, but it is not going to work.
My anger is directed at this Administration and the Bush Administration. I cannot fathom how they gave AIG 170 billion dollars without knowing where the money was going to go, and how it was going to be used. And forget about conditioning the use of the money. They could have conditioned that money on renegotiated bonuses. Not a problem at all, and we can assume it would have worked, since no bailout money, no AIG, no bonuses at all.
Mr. Cuomo has released some facts about the payments. It seems that his office, an outsider in the transactions, was able to do what the Fed and Treasury was unable or unwilling to do - get the details.
According to Mr. Cuomo's letter to the House Committee on Financial Services:
1. The top recipient received more than $6.4 million;
2. The top seven bonus recipients received more than $4 million each;
3. The top ten bonus recipients received a combined $42 million;
4. 22 individuals received bonuses of $2 million or more, and combined they received more than $72 million;
5. 73 individuals received bonuses of $1 million or more; and
6. Eleven of the individuals who received "retention" bonuses of $1 million or more are no longer working at AIG, including one who received $4.6 million.
First the retention bonuses. My understanding is that the agreement is "stay with us another year, and at the end of the year we will pay you $X since you agreed to stay." If that is the case, AIG needs to pay those bonuses. The parties entered into an agreement, the employee did what hew as supposed to do, and is entitle to the payment. This really can't be an issue, and yes, it is a lousy agreement, AIG management is a bunch of irresponsible fools, etc. But hindsight is wonderful, those are agreements that were entered into over a year ago, and should be honored.
Mr. Cuomo has identified payments of approximately 1/2 the $165 million, but without the details, it is difficult to comment on the payments, except to remind everyone, again, that these are contracts that were entered into over a year ago.
Do you really want the government forcing companies to breach employment contracts? Think about your own employment or business situation. You enter into a major agreement, do everything the agreement calls for, and when it comes time to get paid, the company refuses to pay. Or the government enacts a new law that puts a 90% tax on that type of contract.
Not in our system of jurisprudence. We need competent government leaders, not proponents of illegal and unconstitutional "fixes."
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