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To: Enigma who wrote (84809)	4/27/2002 10:30:47 AM
From: long-gone	Respond to of 116822

<<Give me one example where Clinton bombed gold >> Must I really dig it up? btw, the insults aren't "mindless" when they are exactly accurate. Clinton Administration Proposal that the IMF sell-off gold holdings House Committee on Banking and Financial Services ------------ Statement of HON. RON PAUL OF TEXAS "The Clinton Administration's proposal for the International Monetary Fund to sell some of their gold holdings should be rejected outright as misguided and historicallyoffensive. "I am pleased Rep. Jim Saxton's Joint Economic Committee has todaycriticized the proposed gold sales, stating in a press release that it 'will accommodatemore IMF loans, subsidies, and moral hazard problems.' A renewed IMF would further distortthe market pricing of credit and aid the transfer of wealth from taxpayers to a few selectgroups: officials of inept, and often corrupt and brutal, governments; already over-paidinternational bureaucrats who don't pay taxes themselves; and Wall Street fat cats. "In short, the debt relief proposal is an admission of failure of the IMF's 'papergold' policies. The IMF pushes irresponsible monetary policies with ever-larger debtburdens on client countries. These policies only exacerbate human suffering around theworld as citizens of poor countries suffer the burden of a higher cost of government,higher cost of capital and reduced economic growth. "This is a prime example of harming nations with the very mechanism which purportsto be helping them. For example, Ghana is one of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries(HIPC) the debt relief proposal is meant to help. However, 40% of Ghana's total exportscome from gold whose price would fall. Such a move will also destabilize Nelson Mandela'sSouth Africa, which is the largest producer of gold in the world. Needless to say,producers of gold in the United States will be similarly hard hit. "It is ironic that proponents of U.S. membership in the IMF argue we have a claimto an asset. However, by selling off the IMF's only real 'assets,' any possible value tothe US evaporates. "It should not be forgotten that the money the U.S. used to pay our initialcontribution to the IMF came from the 'paper profit' of President Franklin Roosevelt'sforced confiscation of gold from the American people. The gold that the U.S. governmenttransferred to the IMF should be returned to the American people, from whom it wasforcibly taken. "I am so amazed by the cavalier attitude toward the American people and thecitizens of countries around the world, that I today introduced HR1147 to withdraw the USfrom the IMF and HR1148 to abolish the Federal Reserve." house.gov Clinton-Gore Russia Policy "Greatest U.S. Foreign Policy Failure Since Vietnam" September 14, 1999 House Majority Leader Dick Armey delivered the following statement today at a Capitol Hill press conference where he announced five specific steps that Congress will be taking in the coming days to begin to address the failure of the Clinton-Gore Administration's policy towards Russia: Saxton, Armey, Fowler, Gilman discuss Russia policy failure. We're gratified by today's overwhelming vote for the Iran Nonproliferation Act. By acting today we've helped deter Russian organizations from aiding Iran's ballistic missile program. This action is just the first of many congressional steps required to address the failure of the Administration's Russia policy. You may recall that last year, Congress decided not to enact a similar bill over the President's veto because the Administration asked for more time to let the President's policy work. But it's clear there is nothing left of that policy to save. The unparalleled financial graft in Russia—much of it apparently involving money from US taxpayers—marks the effective end of the Clinton-Gore Administration's approach to Russian reform. The disastrous results speak for themselves. The stated purpose of the Clinton-Gore policy was to help Russia become a peaceful and productive free market democracy. Instead, Russia has become a looted and bankrupt zone of nuclearized anarchy. This is a tragedy beyond words. It is a tragedy first for the Russian people, who have endured immense suffering in this century and now must endure more. It is a tragedy for the United States and all law abiding nations. After prevailing in a decades long Cold War, we'll likely continue to face a Russian security threat for another generation or more. The Clinton Administration's Russia policy is the greatest U.S. foreign policy failure since Vietnam. We need to find out what went wrong and where we go from here. It is time for Congress to ask, Who lost Russia? For this reason, we'd like to call you attention to the following: First, we intend to see the Iran Nonproliferation Act become law – even if we have to override the President's veto. If this Administration is unwilling to stop the flow of arms technology out of the former Soviet Union, Congress will require it to do so. Second, we strongly believe that the Administration should instruct the IMF to provide no further aid to Russia until the nonpartisan IMF commission now meeting issues its report. Fundamental changes in the IMF may be required before assistance to Russia can resume. We need to allow time for this reappraisal. Third, we look forward to a comprehensive set of hearings by Chairman Leach in the Banking Committee. Beginning next week, these will explore in detail the loss of American aid in Russia. The American taxpayers sent billions to Russia—and all of it may well have been lost or stolen. We need an accounting. Fourth, I am today asking Chairman Saxton of the Joint Economic Committee to analyze the IMF's new plan to sell part of its gold reserves. Given the manifest irresponsibility with which the IMF handled its loan programs to Russia, we need to ask if the IMF deserves even greater resources through gold sale proceeds. Finally, the International Relations Committee will be holding a series of hearings on overall U.S. policy towards Russia, and specifically the Gore/Chernomyrdin Bi-national Commission. freedom.house.gov There, proof you don't remember gold history, want to remember history, or worse yet, deny it, or lie about it. Take your choice one way lie about it the other you're simply an idiot.

To: Enigma who wrote (84809)	4/27/2002 11:08:36 AM
From: long-gone	Respond to of 116822

O'Leary announces cost-cutting initiative for DOE By Lynn Yarris, LCYarris@LBL.gov Energy Secretary Hazel O'Leary introduced a "Strategic Realignment and Downsizing Initiative" on May 3, which she says will result in a savings of $1.7 billion through the closing of offices, the elimination of jobs, privatization, and the sale of assets. She also announced that the Clinton Administration is submitting a legislative package that would generate an additional $5.3 billion to the American taxpayers. The Secretary discussed the initiative at a press conference that was shown live in the Bldg. 50 auditorium via satellite. "Today, we take an historic step in restructuring the Department of Energy for its vital post-Cold War missions, she said. "Our downsizing and alignment commitments will enable us to do our work better and at lower cost. "The Mobil Corporation announced a 10-percent downsizing and their stock went up," she said. "If we were a private corporation, our stock would be soaring." O'Leary's proposal calls for a 27-percent downsizing in staff. In answering questions from reporters, Secretary O'Leary put herself forth as the "advocate for the continuation of DOE" and foresaw no closing of any national laboratories. Following the press conference, LBL director Charles Shank took questions from Laboratory employees. In response to a question about the impact of downsizing and budget reductions on research programs, the Director said, "There is a major programmatic piece that has yet to be described and yet to be done. At this time, no one has any idea what it will mean to us." The downsizing initiative calls for the closing of 24 offices, including 12 in Washington, D.C., as well as 11 field offices, and the international office in Paris. DOE's Oakland field office will be spared. The only impact on the Bay Area will be the closing of a small energy efficiency support office in Oakland. DOE plans to reduce employment at its headquarters by 2,338, and by 1,450 in the field. These reductions are expected to be achieved through buyouts and attrition. The Secretary also plans to raise some $75 million from the sale of surplus assets that include more than 10,000 pounds of precious metals (e.g., gold, silver, platinum), more than five tons of other metals, and thousands of tons of chemicals. Some $68 million is to be saved over the next five years from consolidating four energy grants into "performance partnership" block grants to states and reducing the number of regional support offices from 10 to five. Other reductions and savings are to come from cuts in travel, use of support service contractors, and regulatory reforms. Legislation being submitted to Congress calls for privatizing the Western Area and the Southwestern and Southeastern Power Administrations and transferring them to local utility customers; establishing the Bonneville Power Administration as an independent, government-owned corporation; selling the Naval Petroleum Reserves to the private sector; and separating the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission from DOE. This legislation would not only generate revenue, it would take more than 6,700 employees and 80 offices off the DOE rolls, the Secretary said. "Our legislative package puts the ball squarely in Congress' court," O'Leary said. "With their cooperation, we can deliver $5.3 billion more of our $14.1 billion commitment made to President Clinton and American taxpayers in December." lbl.gov