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Politics : Liberalism: Do You Agree We've Had Enough of It? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Kenneth E. Phillipps who wrote (68534)	7/13/2009 11:49:49 PM
From: Hope Praytochange	1 Recommendation Respond to of 224729

Obama’s Chief Auto Adviser Steps Down o By MICHAEL J. de la MERCED and DANNY HAKIM Published: July 13, 2009 Steven Rattner is quitting his post as President Obama’s chief adviser on the troubled automobile industry at a time when an investigation into his former Wall Street firm’s role in a scandal involving public pension funds has intensified.Mr. Rattner, who has won plaudits for directing the rapid restructuring of General Motors and Chrysler, has been under a cloud since shortly after arriving in Washington in late February after it was disclosed that his firm, the Quadrangle Group, made payments to middlemen that helped it win state pension business.Mr. Rattner could not be reached for comment. A spokesman for Quadrangle declined to comment. An investigation by New York Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo has picked up in recent weeks, according to people briefed on the matter who did not want to be identified for fear of jeopardizing the inquiry. Quadrangle faces potential civil charges and is said to be eager to resolve the matter, according to these people, who said that Mr. Rattner has separate counsel from Quadrangle, and that discussions have accelerated among the various parties recently. Several other firms, including the Carlyle Group, a prominent private equity firm, have already paid fines and agreed to change their business practices as a result of payments they made to get pension business. A fine against Quadrangle could make it difficult for Mr. Rattner to remain in a position of authority in Washington, given his role in the matter. Mr. Rattner, according to people close to the investigation, arranged for his investment firm to pay $1.1 million to an agent who helped Quadrangle obtain New York pension business. The agent who received most of that money has been indicted and accused of selling access to the pension fund, but neither Mr. Rattner nor Quadrangle is expected to face criminal charges, according to people close to the matter. The Securities and Exchange Commission is also investigating pension fund abuses. The investigations in Quadrangle have raised questions about the political ambitions of Mr. Rattner. A major Democratic Party contributor, he backed Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s presidential campaign, and some speculated that he would have been interested in a major position in a Clinton administration, possibly as Treasury secretary. His wife, Maureen White, was Mrs. Clinton’s finance co-chairwoman.

To: Kenneth E. Phillipps who wrote (68534)	7/14/2009 7:18:04 AM
From: Sedohr Nod	2 Recommendations Respond to of 224729

Just looked at the local extended forecast Kenny....they are calling for the high 60's here come the weekend. You lefties are throwing a "global" disaster and my area wasn't invited.....we must not know the secret handshake or something.

To: Kenneth E. Phillipps who wrote (68534)	7/14/2009 7:42:35 AM
From: chartseer	Respond to of 224729

Oh bummer! deleted duplicate posting. comrade chartseer

To: Kenneth E. Phillipps who wrote (68534)	7/14/2009 7:50:17 AM
From: chartseer	Respond to of 224729

Oh bummer! Here in northeast Pennsylvania we have yet to turn on the air conditioner this summer. We moved here from NYC in 1984, for 10 winters 1985 through 1995 we didn't have any snow. A businessman I know said it was because he opened a snow blower dealership. Local ski area lost money and had to be sold to the county. One resident told me the reason we didn't have any snow was because of the two nuclear power plants built just south of here in Berwick PA. He said because of the steam emitted in the atmosphere from the power plants the climate had warmed thus no snow. Since then we have had snow. Yes the businessman had sold his snowblower dealership in 1996. I think he recently bought an air conditioner dealership because of the coming Global Warming. comrade chartseer

To: Kenneth E. Phillipps who wrote (68534)	7/14/2009 9:07:23 AM
From: Hope Praytochange	3 Recommendations Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 224729

Bloomberg Accuses Hillary of 'Double Flip-Flop' Monday, July 13, 2009 10:17 PM Article Font Size New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg lashed out at Hillary Clinton Monday, saying her betrayal has cost the city $260 million in lost tax revenues and counting. How? Six months into her tenure as secretary of state she has suddenly exempted diplomats from paying some property taxes here, according to the mayor. "It is totally unfair," Bloomberg said, according to CBS-2, a NYC affiliate. Bloomberg was enraged because the Hungarian mission had already written a check for $32 million when the State Department told them to cancel it. The mayor also complained that the State Department owes the city $66 million for providing police security for United Nations missions. Bloomberg called Clinton’s change of heart more than a simple double cross. He said it was a double flip flop. As New York's junior senator, Clinton fought to make diplomats pay up. Her reversal changes a longstanding policy, Bloomberg said. "Since 1873 they've been saying this is taxable," Bloomberg said, CBS-2 reported. Freed of paying property taxes, Bloomberg said, some governments would see it as a business opportunity to buy up properties and make money renting them out. "It's just patently unfair to New Yorkers and Americans and it contravenes established policy for 130-odd years and it just doesn't make sense," Bloomberg said. The State Department said it changed the policy because other countries were threatening to charge property taxes on U.S. property overseas, CBS-2 reported. "This was a decision made by the Department in the best interest of the United States -- its foreign policy and its taxpayers -- as both were jeopardized by foreign governments considering or already taking reciprocal action," said Fred Lash, press officer for State Department. The secretary of state now finds herself in the unenviable position of coping with the formidable might of Sen. Chuck Schumer. "We're going to find a way to make sure that these embassies pay and that New York is made whole," Schumer said. The mayor was especially upset because the Hungarian mission had already written a check for $32 million when the State Department told them to cancel it. The mayor also complained that the State Department owes the city $66 million for providing police security for United Nations missions.