If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
Permitting Tea Party, left-wing, libertarian, middle-of-the-road -- whatever -- groups to define themselves as untaxed social welfare organizations that may accept unlimited, untaxed, secret corporate gifts and sponsor political ads is a sarcoma on democracy.
Republicans again have it all wrong as they bring to the House floor the SEC Regulatory Accountability Act, or the so-called SEC "cost-benefit" bill. The bill seeks to not only undo Dodd-Frank, but all financial market regulation past, present, and future.
Nikola Tesla wrote once, "The present is theirs; the future, for which I really worked, is mine." I can see this being quoted by any supporter of equi...
In 2009, my friend Mike was getting into bitcoin and I remember him explaining the whole concept to me: A virtual currency managed by a peer-to-peer network open to anyone with a computer and uncontrolled by any bank or government.
The appointment comes as no surprise because the agency typically draws regulators from the ranks of the regulated. But it does illustrate a significant problem: by relying so heavily on people with industry connections, the SEC can tangle itself in conflicts of interest.
There is much more to be done before we can get a sense of what really happened to the power of reputation on Wall Street.
Our economy has shown great resilience in the face of a dire balance sheet, fraud, and lack of regulatory oversight. However, if we want to create a sustainable and authentic recovery, we need confidence in the SEC's ability to police capital markets.
There is a scandal here, but it is not the one House Republicans have seized on.
If Aetna does, in fact, hike premiums by more than 100 percent for some of its customers, as CEO Mark Bertolini suggested, no doubt part of that money will go to covering his shockingly lucrative paycheck.
No longer is financial performance the only metric by which a company is to be measured. Relevant in the mix of information when making an investment decision is the extent to which a company exhibits social responsibility.
During former Citigroup executive Jack Lew's recent confirmation as Treasury Secretary, some people were troubled to learn that the big bank had promised him special financial awards if he left to take a job in the government. But a review by POGO shows that Lew's deal with Citi was no anomaly.
The megabanks should welcome the opportunity to explain to their investors why they benefit from their megabank size and structure. And the SEC should permit investors an opportunity to let their voices be heard.
Mary Jo White -- President Obama's nominee to serve as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) -- said at her confirmation hearing today that the investing public need not worry about her history of defending companies from the government.
Mary Jo White is touted as a former tough prosecutor with the ability to police Wall Street. She is at the top of her profession, with experience as a leading corporate defense attorney. And it is this very experience that raises questions as to whether she can and will do the job.
"Pro-life" values? Not a label that abortion-rights advocates should use for opponents of a woman's right to choose an abortion. One of the main reasons those opponents keep calling themselves "pro-life" is they want to imply that supporters of abortion rights are anti-life. Why help?
We cannot afford more caves and concessions on critical issues for which there really can be no compromise, Mr. President. You must recognize this moment as an opportunity to show the nation and the world true leadership. There could be no better time.
