newsobserver.com projects - Bank of America - Comments

Re: Burr has $3 million

MalleusMaleficarum — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:42:03 -0400

Burr is the NC equivalent of PAC Man. But, this is trivial in contrast to the massive amount of money he will have next year - from PACs, Corporate lackeys and Lobbyists. We need to get rid of Burr, he is an embarrassment to the people who elected him.

Re: Burr has $3 million

ruralnc — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:45:55 -0400

Ben,

Shouldn’t the headline read: Burr has 3.4 million. Considering that $461,445 you left off is almost 3 times the amount any of his opposition has. Just trying to be fair since you put Lewis and Marshall’s numbers up like that. Thanks.

Re: School board sets its goals

neo_mom — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:13:01 -0400

I think I found where we can save a bunch of money and give it to the local school districts....

Eliminate the entire State Board of Education and all of the bureaucrats at the DPI.

It took them two days at a hotel to come up with that dreck?

Good god - get a group of parents together and you'd come up with better even if they don't have the vaunted PhD.

Still paying 2 leaders of education?

concerned53 — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 21:41:01 -0400

Are we still paying Bill Harrison $250k or more on top of what the state pays Atkinson, who was elected State Superintendent in 2008?

Re: In regards to Goss's crazy scheme

domewatcher — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 12:33:03 -0500

This site that Goss is after is a little more "lively" than the Dome. I don't know if Goss will be able to throttle them or not. He would be better off forgetting about doing it through legislation and letting RTB censor their posts. That would tame them down and lead them into a life of hope, growth and opportunity.

Re: In regards to Goss's crazy scheme

j1c2kp — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:43:20 -0500

ohmygosh Goss is a baptist minister

In regards to Goss's crazy scheme

PoliticalJunkie — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 10:52:13 -0500

Southeastern North Carolina's Crooked Senators

This is the blog Goss is after. He ought to know nothing good comes of doing the dirty work of his two disgraced colleagues from SE NC.

Re: A niece's roommate comes through

FFC1304 — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 12:47:56 -0500

Did ya'll spot Obama's KENYAN granny in the crowd ANYWHERE? WHY was she hidden from the media?

Re: Perdue to hold economic roundtable

robdarich — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:19:54 -0500

Oh jeez, don't these people have enough lobbyist?
None are going to take credit for disasters.
None are going to bring up the idea that they should.

Maybe they'll prop up a scape-goat, I've heard that works.

Re: Perdue to hold economic roundtable

goobnav — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:29:33 -0500

Here it is come one, come all to the greatest show in NC. All you coffers line up so I can give you the taxpayers money. People, it's simple its called flood Raleigh with enough complaints that the media will look for scandal and she'll be the first gov. to resign and go to prison just like her friend Jim Black. Who is ever out there with a grudge start getting your evidence together so that this can be done by 2010 and then a real person can be put in office. N&O you have started by not endorsing her so start looking for the dirt. It has to be there in plain sight.

Re: Perdue to hold economic roundtable

dahedgehog — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:06:41 -0500

Would be nice to have a representative from outside the top 1% of the income bracket. Maybe a labor representative, at least?

Re: Perdue to hold economic roundtable

MissV — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:03:36 -0500

Another opportunity to dialogue with people who are out of touch with reality. Numbers analyzed by people who make hundreds of thousands of dollars and who only know about homeless and jobless people from a TV screen. More cutting edge insanity in NC.

Re: Hagan criticizes Dole over banking bill

Proctor — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 01:15:53 -0400

Sen. Dole has a strong and commendable record on banking oversight, and it is disappointing and surprising to see the Hagan campaign try to claim otherwise.

Sen. Dole was a leader in the Senate several years ago in recognizing and pointing out the need for regulatory reform and oversight of the sort which is now finally being discussed in both houses of Congress. Had she had more support in both parties in the U.S. Senate for her earlier analysis of structural banking problems and for her proposals to correct these systemic problems, the banking and finance sector of the American economy might not have had to face the crisis with which it now must contend.

David P. McKnight

Reform this...

scharrison — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:00:36 -0400

"Dole was right to propose reform when she did"

I'm not really sure tearing down two regulating bodies to replace them with one of your own that can be more easily manipulated is how voters these days would describe true reform. From S.190 (2005):

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=s109-190

"SEC. 301. ABOLISHMENT OF OFHEO.

(a) IN GENERAL- Effective at the end of the 180-day period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the positions of the Director and Deputy Director of such Office are abolished.

SEC. 311. ABOLISHMENT OF THE FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE BOARD.

(a) IN GENERAL- Effective at the end of the 1-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, the Federal Housing Finance Board (in this title referred to as the `Board') is abolished."

and in place of these bodies, we would get this:

"SEC. 1311. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FEDERAL HOUSING ENTERPRISE REGULATORY AGENCY.

`(a) ESTABLISHMENT- There is established the Federal Housing Enterprise Regulatory Agency, which shall be an independent agency of the Federal Government."

the leadership of this *replacement* agency would (of course) be chosen by the President, and he/she in turn would choose everybody else:

"SEC. 1312. DIRECTOR.

`(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF POSITION- There is established the position of the Director of the Agency, who shall be the head of the Agency.

`(b) APPOINTMENT; TERM-

`(1) APPOINTMENT- The Director shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, from among individuals who are citizens of the United States, have a demonstrated understanding of financial management or oversight, and have a demonstrated understanding of capital markets, including the mortgage securities markets and housing finance."

Re: Hagan criticizes Dole over banking bill

CitizenOpinionated — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 21:23:19 -0400

Ryan:

Can you be anymore partial...seriously?

Everytime Kay Hagan opens her mouth or sends out a press release...it is run, yet in looking the Dole website, countless press releases are ignored. Unless the Dole campaign just mistakenly not sending them to you guys; I am left wondering, when you will give equal time. Dole warned against the financial meltdown three times and the need for regulation and oversight on Fannie and Freddie. These warnings were quickly negated by the Democrats and even squashed by one, Senator Charles Schumer. The same Charles Schumer that is financing Kay Hagan's campaign and the same one that received thousands in contributions from the executives and PACs of Fannie and Freddie. Essentially we are paying for the mistaes of the Democrats that are funding and strongly influencing this race, yet Hagan says it is Dole that is influenced by special interest. I guarentee you very few in North Carolina would ever vote for Schumer (Reps and Dems alike).

Honestly, if the Dems claim were true and this were the fault of the Republicans, then how come the witch hunt trials are not starting. Given the majority of the Democrats, it is a certainity that they would demand investigations.