Via FearLess: “…Earlier this week, President Obama called on Americans to reach out to Congress regarding the debt-ceiling debacle. And a lot of people made their voices heard. The day after Obama’s televised speech, the Capitol’s switchboard was overwhelmed with 40,000 calls per hour and email traffic swamped congressional servers to a near halt. We searched online for an official Twitter directory for the United States Congress, but we couldn’t find an updated and easy-to-use directory that contained links to Congressional members’ Twitter handles. So we rolled up our sleeves and built the damn thing ourselves. Below you will find an alphabetical list of states with names of U.S. Congressmen and women. Each name links to the elected official’s Twitter page. It’s simple and efficient. Which makes it the complete opposite of Congress’ ability to reach a compromise.”
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Monthly Archives: July 2011
Changes in state unemployment rates: June 2010 – June 2011
“From June 2010 to June 2011, Nevada again recorded the largest jobless rate decrease (-2.5 percentage points). Two other states had rate decreases of at least 2.0 percentage pointsMichigan (-2.1 points) and Indiana (-2.0 points). Selected states with statistically significant unemployment rate changes, June 2010 to June 2011, seasonally adjusted [Chart data]. Eleven additional states… Continue Reading
Report – Government keeps growing in 35 states and D.C.
“Thirty-five states and D.C. have actually added government jobs since 2006. Increases have been greater than 10,000 jobs in 11 of those states, as well as the District. Texas is leading the way, as it does in almost all employment categories. The number of federal, state and local government workers in Texas grew by 168,600… Continue Reading
Freddie Mac Issues Monthly Volume Summary for June 2011
News release: “Freddie Mac issued the company’s Monthly Volume Summary for June 2011. The summary, available on the company’s Web site at www.FreddieMac.com/investors/volsum, provides information on Freddie Mac’s mortgage-related portfolios, securities issuance, risk management and delinquencies. Beginning in January 2011, Freddie Mac began publishing pool-level delinquency disclosures on its single-family PC and Giant PC securities… Continue Reading
Pew – Safe Checking in the Electronic Age
“The Safe Checking in the Electronic Age Project aims to restore transparency, fairness, responsibility and free market principles to one of the most common consumer financial products the checking account. The campaign will promote policies to revise and update consumer banking regulations to: Reflect current technology; Eliminate abusive industry practices that have arisen in… Continue Reading
Commentary – Government Information in Peril
Follow up to House Bill – No Money for GPO’s Federal Digital System, Sharply Cuts Other Information Resources – Government Information in Peril, by Bernadine Abbott Hoduski: “The House-passed bill cuts funding for the Superintendent of Documents program from nearly $40 million to less than $34 million, making it very difficult for GPO to support… Continue Reading
Spending Less, Spending Smarter: Recommendations for National Security Savings FY 2012 to FY 2021
Deficit Reduction: $586.112 billion – “The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) and Taxpayers for Common Sense (TCS) have closely examined the defense budget for waste, fraud, and abuse and for programs in which there are cheaper yet effective alternatives or in which cancellation or delay poses an acceptable level of risk according to national security… Continue Reading
BLS: Medical plan benefits for physical therapy, kidney dialysis, and other benefits in 2009
“New data on medical benefits show the similarities and differences between traditional fee-for-service health care plans and health maintenance organizations (HMOs) for a variety of benefits: physical therapy, durable medical equipment, prosthetics, organ and tissue transplantation, kidney dialysis, and diabetes care management. In both fee-for-service plans and HMOs, more than two-thirds of participants in private… Continue Reading
The recession and recovery in perspective – compares current output and employment during present recession
Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis – “The 2007-2009 recession officially ended in June of 2009 (the second quarter). How bad was this recession, and how quickly is the economy recovering? How does this recession and recovery compare to previous cycles?” Mouse over the chart and select individual recessions to compare Related postings on financial system Continue Reading
KPMG: Power Sector Development in Europe – Lenders' Perspectives 2011
“The report, Power Sector Development in Europe – Lenders’ Perspectives 2011, notes that the European electricity industry will need an estimated EUR 1,900bn investment over the next twenty-five years if it is to meet both increasing electricity demand and ever-tightening environmental standards. Based on interviews with a selection of top European banks, the report concludes… Continue Reading
FTC Releases Reports on Cigarette and Smokeless Tobacco Advertising and Promotion
News release: “The amount spent on cigarette advertising and promotion by the largest cigarette companies in the United States declined from $12.49 billion in 2006 to $10.86 billion in 2007, and again to $9.94 billion in 2008, according to a report released today by the Federal Trade Commission. The largest spending category in both 2007… Continue Reading
NOAA – 'Federal Disaster Assistance Budgeting: Are We Weather-ready?'
Federal Disaster Assistance Budgeting: Are We Weather-ready?, Testimony by Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, July 28, 2011 “The year 2011 has already established itself in the record books as an historic year for weather-related disasters and it is not over in fact hurricane season is just getting underway. Just past the years midpoint, we have already… Continue Reading
