Bailouts. War. Unemployment. Our government is bought, and we’re angry. Now, we’re turning our anger into positive action. By signing this petition, you are joining our campaign to get money out of politics. Our politicians won’t do this. But we will. We will become an unrelenting, organized wave advocating a Constitutional amendment to get money out of politics.
As the petition grows, we can use my show on MSNBC as a platform to force this issue to the center of the 2012 elections. Join us. Sign up. Tell your friends. Facebook it. Tweet it. #GetMoneyOut.
In 2009, a judge in Manhattan had a lucrative appointment to hand out: oversight of a diamond district building that was drifting into foreclosure.
Nearly 600 people in Manhattan had been approved for such work. But the job went to a lawyer named Mark D. Lebow, who is the husband of Patricia E. Harris, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s most trusted aide.
Since then, Mr. Lebow has earned $352,000 in fees, more than $5,000 a week, according to court records.
[…]
When a building goes into foreclosure, a judge appoints a lawyer as a receiver who acts a property’s temporary landlord during the process. Receivers are entitled to fees that typically amount to 5 percent of a property’s revenues. Judges can award less than 5 percent, but usually do not.
WASHINGTON — A Wall Street Journal editorial writer who has been closely involved with the paper’s recent attacks on Elizabeth Warren is a former Goldman Sachs banker. The same editorial writer, Mary Kissel, is readying another piece critical of Warren and the new consumer agency, according to a source familiar with the coming article.
Like most major newspapers, the Journal does not disclose the authors of its editorials. Kissel recently appeared on the John Batchelor radio show as a representative of the Journal‘s editorial board do discuss Warren, and repeated the main arguments used in the editorials.
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, August 7, 2010
For several decades, whenever a question of housing policy came up in Washington, two companies dominated. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac marshaled armies of lobbyists, deep political connections and millions of dollars in contributions to get their way.
But now Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, titans of the mortgage finance industry, are wards of the state, bailed out by Washington to the tune of $160 billion and banned from political activity. As the Obama administration and Congress prepare to take up overhauling the $12 trillion U.S. mortgage market, new interests are shaping the debate like never before.
Among those influencing many Democrats are affordable housing advocates and liberal think tanks that want the government to do less to foster homeownership and more to support rental housing for low-income people. Those influencing Republicans favor sharply reducing all federal support for housing.
In the past, Fannie and Freddie found backers on both sides of the political aisle. Key Democrats in Congress and in the Clinton administration were their most ardent supporters. President George W. Bush touted an “ownership society,” relying on Fannie and Freddie to help low-income people buy homes.
Officials from both parties now agree that the housing finance system is unsustainable; virtually all new home loans are guaranteed by Fannie, Freddie or the Federal Housing Administration, putting taxpayers on the line. Administration officials say they still believe in a significant government role in promoting home ownership, but one less expansive than under previous presidents. Republicans, who have introduced legislation to get rid of Fannie and Freddie altogether, might not vote for an overhaul that retains any government role in housing.
On Aug. 17, the Treasury Department is hosting a conference of financial companies, housing advocates, academics and other interested parties to begin discussing how to design a new system that doesn’t rely as much on taxpayers. The Obama administration is required to make a proposal by January under the bill recently passed by Congress to reshape financial regulation.
By Laura Rice TOLEDO24
Monday, May 03, 2010 at 8:23 p.m.
WOOD COUNTY, OH — A Wood County man facing foreclosure has boarded himself up in his home along with five others.
They are refusing to leave, despite a court order, and they say they will be there until Wood County Sheriff’s Officers drag them out.
Protestors are gathered outside Keith Sadler’s home of 20 years in rural Wood County trying to bring public attention to what they say is unfair action by banks and trying to keep the sheriff’s department from kicking him out.
“So far they have not come. Probably because of the strong public presence that has been so basically we can call this a victory for the day and hopefully we can carry that through tomorrow and the rest of the foreclosure,” said Lance Crandall, Toledo Foreclosure Defense League.
But the real action is going on inside, where Sadler and five others are locked up with supplies with no plans to leave.
NBC24 spoke with Sadler over an internet connection.
“They’re going to have to drag us out. We’re not going to willingly walk out,” said Sadler.
Sadler emphasizes that this is a peaceful protest and that they do not have any weapons.
He says he is doing this for himself.
“Because it’s my home,” said Sadler.
But also for all the others that could not keep up with house payments. Sadler was off work after a hand injury.
“I cut all the avenues that I could before that to try to make payments, to try to keep as close to on time as I could and of course it was getting impossible,” said Sadler.
What Sadler wants now is a moratorium on foreclosures. But, in talks with Wood County Sheriff Mark Wasylyshyn, that is not happening.
“(The Sheriff is) basically refusing to do that, saying it’s his duty to uphold the law of the courts even though the laws are immoral and unjust,” said Sadler.
NBC24 spoke with Sheriff Wasylyshyn who said it is Sadler who has broken his word.
Wasylyshyn met with him weeks ago to discuss an eviction plan and he says Sadler agreed to leave peacefully.
Wasylyshyn says sheriff’s deputies will remove the protestors from the property but he would not say when. He says his top priority is keeping his officers safe.
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