Rush Limbaugh's latest

The picture above on Limbaugh's website is of President Obama as Conan the Barbarian and the SHE-RO is the Speaker of the House Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi.

Rush Limbaugh comments on the President's Recovery Act on Limbaugh's website linked below. Ironically both Rush Limbaugh and Al Sharpton will be on the Sunday Morning Political T.V. Talk shows. Rush on Fox-TV with Chris Wallace and Al Sharpton on ABC's This Week with George Stephanopoulos.

Al Sharpton communicated Rush Limbaugh's negative comments about NFL players (eg. Limbaugh stated: "NFL looks like the crips and the bloods without weapons...") to both the NFL brass and the press following the leaking of Rush's involvement as a partner of a group bidding for ownership of the St. Louis Rams. Because of Sharpton's comments, the NFL Player's Union President protest, and Michael Wilbon's column in the Washington Post about Limbaugh's past negative comments re: NFL players -- all making National News -- the investment group decided to drop Rush Limbaugh as a partner.

Rush Limbaugh now takes shots at Press Secretary Robert Gibbs speaking at the daily briefing about President Obama's Recovery Plan. Link directly below, or you can click the title above:
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_103009/content/01125114.guest.html

Recovery Act Recipient Reports

640,329 DIRECT JOBS = OVER 1 MILLION JOBS SAVED OR CREATED

Reports from recipients posted today cover a little less than 50 percent of Recovery Act money put to work through September 30th. The fact that 640,329 jobs have been reported as directly created or saved by this portion of spending validates estimates by the government and private forecasters that the Recovery Act is responsible for more than 1,000,000 jobs overall so far.
640,329 DIRECT JOBS SO FAR = ON TRACK FOR 3.5 MILLION JOBS AS PROMISED

Today’s reports cover just 20 percent of the total $787 billion in spending and tax relief in the Recovery Act. The fact that 640,329 jobs have been reported as directly created or saved with about 20 percent of funds indicates we are on-track to meet our target of creating or saving at least 3.5 million jobs over the life of the Act.

MOST OF THE JOBS ARE TEACHERS, CONSTRUCTION WORKERS

Some critics have said that the Recovery Act jobs are “government bureaucrat” jobs. But today’s report puts the lie to that. Of the 640,329 jobs that were reported today, about 325,000 are education jobs and over 80,000 are in the construction sector.
THE JOBS ARE IN THE HARDEST-HIT COMMUNITIES

Today’s reports show that the jobs are in the communities that need them the most. The states with the highest unemployment rates in the country when the Recovery Act was passed today reported creating and saving 25 percent more jobs per capita than the nation as a whole.
DIRECT JOBS CREATED ARE JUST A PART OF WHAT THE ACT HAS DONE

Today’s report of approximately 640,329 direct jobs created does not capture:
Jobs created by more than $80 billion in tax relief for businesses and working families
Jobs created by $250 stimulus checks to more than 54 million Americans
Indirect jobs: when workers hired on a Recovery Act project spend their paychecks or when prime contractors hire suppliers or other companies to get a job done
Jobs created by billions of dollars of small business loans which are exempt from reporting
Even all this does not capture the benefit of the Recovery Act’s funding direct help to individuals: Pell Grants, funds to prevent Medicaid cuts, unemployment insurance, and more.
RECOVERY.GOV = SEE IT FOR YOURSELF

Don’t take our word for it: go to Recovery.gov where you can click on maps and see details on tens of thousands of Recovery Act projects – see for yourself what the Recovery Act is doing in your city, town, or neighborhood. Making this amount of information in this level of detail, this quickly (just one month after the end of the reporting period) has never been done before.

640,329 DIRECT JOBS = ONLY THE BEGINNING

The Administration has moved out nearly half of Recovery Act funds, but
· Over 75% percent of recipients, accounting for approximately $140 billion of awards that are creating approximately 70% of the jobs, report that their projects are less than 50 percent complete – indicating the job impact of these dollars will continue for some time;
· Key programs like smart grid, broadband, high speed rail are just getting underway.

Harvard University BIG Announcement!!!

Harvard University announced over the weekend that from now on undergraduate students from low-income families will pay no tuition. In making the announcement, Harvard's president Lawrence H. Summers said, "When only ten percent of the students in elite higher education come from families in the lower half of the income distribution, we are not doing enough. We are not doing enough in bringing elite higher education to the lower half of the income distribution."

If you know of a family earning less than $60,000 a year with an honor student graduating from high school soon, Harvard University wants to pay the tuition. No tuition and no student loans!

To find out more about Harvard offering free tuition for families making less than $60,000 a year, visit Harvard's financial aid website at: http://www.fao.fas.harvard.edu/ or call the school's financial aid office at (617) 495-1581.

Why not send to someone whether they can use this or not. They might know someone who can.

White House Conference Call on New American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Reports - You are invited!

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of Media Affairs

For Immediate Release
October 30, 2009

Administration Officials to Hold Conference Call on New American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Reports


WASHINGTON- TODAY at 4:30 PM EDT, Administration Officials will hold an on the record briefing call to discuss the direct jobs created and saved by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, as of September 30, 2009, as reported by a segment of recipients of Recovery Act funding. These reports were filed by state and local governments, private companies, community organizations and other recipients of Recovery funds in early October. The reports will be posted publicly on Recovery.gov later in the day. For more about the new reports, see the White House Blog: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2009/10/30/act-action-new-report-shows-recovery-act-creating-jobs-throughout-nation-0.


WHO: Jared Bernstein, Chief Economist and Senior Economic Advisor to the Vice
President
Ed DeSeve, Senior Advisor to the President for Recovery Act Implementation
Dan Pfeiffer, White House Deputy Communications Director

WHAT: On the record briefing with regional reporters on Recovery Act reports

WHEN: TODAY
4:30 PM EDT

HOW: Reporters wishing to join this call should dial (800) 230-1059. No passcode is necessary.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi unveils Health Care Bill

story by Politico.com
written by Patrick O'Conner & Chris Frates

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi unveiled a $894 billion health care bill Thursday that would extend coverage to 36 million Americans through a mix of subsidies, tax incentives and penalties on individuals and small businesses, but the final package falls short of the more liberal vision of a public health insurance option.

Party leaders would like to start debate on the bill next week and hope to have a final vote before Veteran's Day on Nov. 11.

The long-awaited introduction of a combined House health care bill that totals 1,990 pages produced few major surprises. After weeks of public hand-wringing, leaders – and party liberals – bowed to political reality by allowing doctors and hospitals to negotiate their rates with the government under the public plans.

Unveiling the bill at the Capitol, Pelosi said the bill would meet the goals of “affordability of the middle class, security for our seniors, responsibility to our children. It reduces the deficit, meets President Obama’s call to keep the costs under $900 billion over 10 years and it insures 36 million more Americans.”

“The bill is fiscally sound, will not add one dime to the deficit as it expands coverage, implements key insurance reforms and promotes prevention and wellness across the health system,” Pelosi said.

The bill would cut the deficit by about $30 billion over the next 10 years.

Pelosi, however, backed down from a deal granting liberals a vote to establish single-payer government-run health care. She cut the deal with New York Rep. Anthony Weiner to break a last-minute logjam on the Energy and Commerce Committee. But, in the end, party leaders were concerned the final cost would be astronomical and the vote would fail to garner votes from even half the caucus.

The legislation would require health insurers to offer broader coverage and end practices that discriminate against higher-risk individuals. It would also establish a national insurance exchange with subsidies to lower- and middle-income households to make coverage more affordable.

The Congressional Budget Office offered Pelosi and her team some good news and some bad news. The good news is that the bill shouldn’t add to the deficit over the first decade after its enactment. The bad is that the legislation is projected to create deficits over the second five years, a fact that should give budget hawks plenty to worry about.

Pelosi’s decision to strip a $245 billion package of doctors’ payments also threatens to anger party moderates. The so-called “doc fix,” which would fill a long-standing shortfall under Medicare reimbursement rates, would put the overall cost of the bill well over $1 trillion and create more than $200 billion in red ink for the federal government over the next 10 years – two big “no-nos” from President Barack Obama’s perspective.

The bill should cause plenty of headaches for the industries impacted.

The legislation imposes as much as $150 billion in Medicare cuts on the prescription-drug industry – almost double the $80 billion cuts in the Senate bill. It imposes a 2.5 percent tax on medical device manufacturers, a quietly influential force on Capitol Hill. And health insurers, who have already agreed to end many of the practices banned by the bill, would have to compete with a government-run insurance vehicle that would put pressure on them to lower premiums.

“The promise of health care reform has been that if you like your current coverage, you can keep it," said Karen Ignagni, the president and CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans. "We are concerned that this proposal will break this promise by increasing health care costs for families and employers across the country and significantly disrupting the quality coverage on which millions of Americans rely today."

The American Medical Association withheld judgment on the bill in a statement Thursday and reminded Congress of its commitment to enacting a permanent “doc fix.”

In addition, businesses with a combined annual payroll exceeding $500,000 will be forced to pay penalties for its uninsured workers.

As expected, the House bill generates most of its income by imposing a graduated surtax on married couples who make more than $1 million and individuals whose adjusted gross income exceeds $500,000. The initial income thresholds were $350,000 for couples and $280,000 for individuals.

Democrats leaving a meeting with their leaders Thursday morning sounded bullish about the prospects for the vote.

"I think it's probably going to be our best-faith effort at health reform in the House," said first-year Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly. "I'm looking forward to being supportive."

North Dakota Rep. Earl Pomeroy, one of three Democrats on the Ways and Means Committee to vote against the bill, told colleagues Thursday that he plans to support this bill.

"This is a very big step," Pomeroy said of the current bill. "The action the speaker has taken, it will pass the House."

The two biggest hurdles that remain involve abortion and immigration. Party leaders plan to offer an amendment to the final bill that will address members concerns on both issues, people familiar said Thursday. But the details remain unclear.

A number of abortion opponents believe the current bill creates a backdoor for the federal government to fund the procedure through subsidies created by the exchange system. Others argue that's not the case; they make the case that an amendment by California Rep. Lois Capps preserves current laws, which prohibit the federal government from funding abortions and require insurance companies to use private premiums to fund the procedure.

"Many of us who are concerned about the issue feel that the protections are there." said Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Doyle, a staunch abortion foe who voted for the bill on the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Michigan Rep. Bart Stupak has been carrying to mantle for anti-abortion Democrats, but there has been an effort to go around him on this issue in order to pick up votes without heeding his request to codify a current ban that has to be updated each year through the Appropriations process.

On immigration, a bloc of mostly moderate Democrats is pushing party leaders to impose a verification system similar to the one includled in the Senate bill, but Hispanic members, in particular, are fighting to block that change.

Now that they have a final bill, House Democrats are now calling on Obama to put his thumb on the scale.

"I guess the time has come for the President of the United States to get in here a little bit,” Weiner said after emerging from a closed-door caucus meeting Thursday. “I understand the idea of letting the legislature work its will, but unless we have the president in there putting his finger on the scale and his hands on the shoulders of some of my colleagues we are not gonna be successful with our red-zone offense."

Yvette Clarke, one of the strongest voices for the robust public option behind closed doors, says progressives will vote for the bill.

"We're going to have to," she said. "We've done what we can do."

Jonathan Allen and Jake Sherman contributed to this story.

President Obama on Small Business and Health Care Reform

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
___________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release October 29, 2009

South Court
Eisenhower Executive Office Building
11:51 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon, everybody. Please, have a seat. Before I begin, I want to just acknowledge two people who are working extraordinarily hard on behalf of small businesses. First of all, the administrator of our Small Business Administration, Karen Mills, is here. (Applause.)

The other individual who is on his way and will be here in a hot second but we didn't want to keep everybody waiting is a dear friend of mine, a great former governor of Virginia, is now the senator from the great state of Virginia, and a huge supporter of small business and trying to figure out how to help all of you control your costs, and that's Senator Mark Warner. So when he comes in, please give him a smile. (Applause.)

I asked you here today to talk about health insurance reform and why it's so critical to the success of small businesses across our country. But before I do, let me talk a minute just briefly about the new economic numbers that were released this morning.

I am gratified that our economy grew in the third quarter of this year. We've come a long way since the first three months of 2009, when our economy shrunk by an alarming 6.4 percent. In fact, the 3.5 percent growth in the third quarter is the largest three-month gain we have seen in two years. This is obviously welcome news and an affirmation that this recession is abating and the steps we've taken have made a difference.

But I also know that we got a long way to go to fully restore our economy and recover from what's been the longest and deepest downturn since the Great Depression. And while this report today represents real progress, the benchmark I use to measure the strength of our economy is not just whether our GDP is growing, but whether we're creating jobs, whether families are having an easier time paying their bills, whether our businesses are hiring and doing well. And that's what I'm here to talk with you about today.

I know many of you have come from different corners of our country to be here, and looking out at all of you I'm reminded of the extraordinary diversity of America's small businesses. You're owners of coffee shops, and diners, and hotels. You're florists, exterminators, builders. Each of your shops and firms reflects different passions, and different ideas, and different skills.
But what you share is a willingness to pursue those passions, take a chance on those ideas, and make the most of those skills. What you share is an entrepreneurial spirit, a tireless work ethic, and a simple hope for something better that lies at the heart of the American ideal. Businesses like yours are the engines of job growth in America. Over the past decade and a half, America's small businesses have created 65 percent of all new jobs in this country. And more than half of all Americans working in the private sector are either employed by a small business or own one.
Now, even in good times, starting a business, as all of you know, is not easy. It takes moxie, it takes gumption, it takes ingenuity, and failure is often more likely than success. But I don't have to tell you that it's been particularly difficult over the past few years. From the middle of 2007 through the end of 2008, small businesses lost 2.4 million jobs. Thousands have shut their doors altogether. And because of the credit crunch, banks have shrunk back from lending, making it harder to get loans to branch out, or finance your inventories, or maybe even to make payroll. Maybe you've had to forgo raises. Maybe you've had to do the unthinkable and lay off friends or family.

So we know how tough times have been for small businesses. That's why I made sure the Recovery Act included a number of measures to help small businesses weather this economic storm. We've put a tax cut -- a tax cut, not a tax hike -- a tax cut into the pockets of the vast majority of small business owners and employees. We've supported nearly 65,000 [sic] loans to small businesses -- more than $13 billion in new lending. More than 1,200 banks and credit unions that had stopped issuing SBA loans when the financial crisis hit are lending again today. And just last week, we proposed increasing the cap on what are called 7(a) and 504 loans -- some of the loans most frequently handed out by the SBA.

But given the enormous problems small businesses and all Americans are facing today, we're
aware that these steps are by no means enough. If we're serious about strengthening small businesses, if we're serious about creating a climate where our entrepreneurs can succeed, if we're serious about giving you the chance to prosper and grow, I believe, this administration firmly believes, that we need to pass health insurance reform in the United States of America.
Now, few have a bigger stake in what happens than all of you. Few have a bigger stake than the men and women who own a small business, work at a small business, or rely on someone who does. Few have a bigger stake in what happens because few are struggling more under the status quo. You all know the story.

We all know that family premiums have skyrocketed more than 130 percent over the past decade. They have more than doubled. But small businesses have been hit harder than most. A story in the paper just the other day said that many small businesses may see their premiums rise about 15 percent over the coming year -- twice the rate they rose last year. And in part because small businesses pay higher administrative costs than larger ones, your employees pay up to 18 percent more in premiums for the very same health insurance.

In one national survey, nearly three-quarters of small businesses that don't offer benefits cited high premiums as the reason -- and that's not surprising.

The bottom line is that too many Americans like you can't afford to build the kinds of businesses you'd been hoping to build. Too many budding entrepreneurs can't afford to take a gamble on a smart idea because they can't give up the health insurance they get in their current job. Too many of you not only can't afford to provide health insurance to your employees, too many of you are having a tough time just affording health insurance for yourselves. That's bad for our economy, it's bad for our country, and that's what we'll change when health insurance reform becomes law.

Just this morning, the House of Representatives released its version of health reform legislation, and I want to commend Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic Caucus for their leadership in achieving this critical milestone. They forged a strong consensus that represents a historic step forward. This bill includes reforms that will finally help make quality insurance affordable. Importantly, this bill is also fully paid for and will reduce the deficit in the long term.

Now, there is no doubt that this legislation, and the legislation that's being drafted in the Senate, would benefit millions of small businesses. It's being written with the interests of Americans like you and your employees in mind.

And yet, there are those who have a vested interest in the status quo who are claiming otherwise, and they're using misleading figures and disingenuous arguments. So I want to try to explain as clearly as I can exactly what health reform would mean for small business owners like you and the workers you employ.

The first thing I want to make clear is that if you are happy with the insurance plan that you have right now, if the costs you're paying and the benefits you're getting are what you want them to be, then you can keep offering that same plan. Nobody will make you change it.
What we will do is make the coverage that you're currently providing more affordable by offering a tax credit to small businesses that are trying to do the right thing and provide coverage for their employees. Under the House and Senate bills, millions of small businesses would be eligible for a tax credit of up to 50 percent of their premiums. That's in the legislation that's already been proposed.

We'll also make your coverage more stable and more secure. Right now, if just one of your workers falls seriously ill, it could spell disaster for your entire business. You could see your premiums shoot up and you face a painful choice: Do you eat the costs and ask your workers to contribute more? Do you seek another insurance plan, without any guarantee that you'll be able to find one that's affordable? Or do you just scale back benefits or drop coverage altogether?
I don't think that you should have to make that choice in the United States of America. Under health insurance reform, we put an end to the days when an insurance company could use one worker's illness to justify jacking up premiums for everybody. We'll crack down on excessive overhead charges by setting strong standards on how much of your premium can go towards administrative costs and requiring insurers to give you a refund if they violate those standards. It'll be against the law for insurance companies to deny you coverage because of a preexisting condition. And it will be against the law for insurance companies to drop your coverage when you get sick or water it down when you need it the most.

They'll no longer be able to place some arbitrary cap on the amount of coverage you can receive in a given year or a lifetime. If you get your insurance through your employer, we'll change the cutoff on how old your kids can be to remain on your plan -- we'll raise that to 26 years old. We'll place a limit on how much you can be charged for out-of-pocket expenses. And insurance companies will be required to cover, with no extra charge, routine checkups and preventive care, like mammograms and colonoscopies -- because there's no reason we shouldn't be catching diseases like breast cancer and colon cancer before they get worse and cost more money. That makes sense, it saves money, and it saves lives.

So that's what we'll do for all the small businesses that have insurance, that are currently providing insurance. And for all the small businesses that can't afford to provide insurance right now, and small business owners who can't even afford to get coverage themselves, we'll finally make quality coverage affordable. And here's how we'll do it.

One of the biggest problems in our health care system right now is if you're a small business owner or if you're self-employed, you often have such a small number of workers that insurance companies aren't all that interested in your business. It's basic economics. You don't have a lot of leverage as a small customer. And as a result, you end up paying higher costs than big businesses that can get better deals because they've got more workers -- they got more purchasing power.

So what we'll do is to set up what we're calling an exchange that will pool small businesses together. And that will mean it's not just you bargaining with insurance companies, it's you and many other small business owners and self-employed individuals all across the country. And with all that additional leverage, you'll be able to get better deals than you could have ever received on your own. In fact, small businesses that choose one of the plans in this exchange could save 25 percent on their premiums by 2016 -- only two years after the exchange has been set up.

And we'll also offer tax credits to make insurance even more affordable for millions of small businesses. So meanwhile, by expanding coverage for more Americans, we're going to help eliminate the "hidden tax" of more than a thousand dollars that the average worker is paying to cover the medical expenses of the uninsured.

Now, nothing is free, and it's true that when reform becomes law, businesses of a certain size who do not offer their workers health care coverage may be required to contribute to the costs -- and that makes a lot of small business owners nervous. Opponents of reform have tried to say that you'd be subject to this penalty and it could potentially drive up your costs.

But here are the facts, because this has been analyzed repeatedly. About 90 percent -- 90 percent of all small businesses, regardless of what version of this plan you're talking about that's currently going through Congress -- 90 percent of all businesses would be exempt from this requirement. So if your business is anything like the vast majority of small businesses out there, this requirement simply won't apply to you -- because I don't think it's fair to impose a penalty on small businesses that are already operating at very narrow margins.

So that's what health insurance reform would mean for you and for all our small businesses. It would reduce your costs. It would prevent small business owners from facing exorbitant rate hikes. It will make coverage affordable for all small businesses that can't afford it right now. And if you're providing health insurance to your employees, it gives you more predictability, more security, more stability.

It will help remove the worry that if you have the courage to strike out on your own and open a business, you'll be doomed from the start. It will help give entrepreneurs and all Americans the assurance of knowing they won't go broke when they get sick. It will help ensure that no small business owner in America has to choose between being a successful employer and an employer who cares deeply about the well-being of his employees, or her employees. It will help us be the kind of country we know ourselves to be.

So what's at stake isn't just the success of our businesses or the strength of our economy or even the health of our people. What's at stake is that most American of ideas -- that this is a place where you can make it if you try; where you can be your own boss; where the only limits to what you can achieve are your smarts, your savvy, your dreams, your willingness to work hard; where you can pass on to your children a better life than you inherited.

That's what's at stake. That's what we're fighting for. And I'm absolutely confident that if we do what has to be done, if we can build an economy that works for all Americans, if we can promote innovation, and foster growth, and build a better health care system that is not a drag on each and every one of you, then not only will we ease the burdens on entrepreneurs, not only will we give our small businesses a huge boost, not only will we produce the kind of growth we so desperately need in this country, but we'll secure the blessings of America for our children and our grandchildren.

That's what we're fighting for. I need your help to make it happen. Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you. God bless America. (Applause.)

President Obama Announce a $3.4 Billion dollar Energy Investment plan

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_______________________________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 27, 2009

President Obama Announces $3.4 Billion Investment to Spur Transition to Smart Energy Grid
Applicants say investments will create tens of thousands of jobs, save energy and empower consumers to cut their electric bills

ARCADIA, FLORIDA – Speaking at Florida Power and Light’s (FPL) DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center, President Barack Obama today announced the largest single energy grid modernization investment in U.S. history, funding a broad range of technologies that will spur the nation’s transition to a smarter, stronger, more efficient and reliable electric system. The end result will promote energy-saving choices for consumers, increase efficiency, and foster the growth of renewable energy sources like wind and solar.

The $3.4 billion in Smart Grid Investment Grant awards are part of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, and will be matched by industry funding for a total public-private investment worth over $8 billion. Applicants state that the projects will create tens of thousands of jobs, and consumers in 49 states will benefit from these investments in a stronger, more reliable grid. Full listings of the grant awards by category and state are available HERE and HERE. A map of the awards is available HERE.

An analysis by the Electric Power Research Institute estimates that the implementation of smart grid technologies could reduce electricity use by more than 4 percent by 2030. That would mean a savings of $20.4 billion for businesses and consumers around the country, and $1.6 billion for Florida alone -- or $56 in utility savings for every man, woman and child in Florida.

One-hundred private companies, utilities, manufacturers, cities and other partners received awards today, including FPL which will use its $200 million in funding to install 2.6 million smart meters and other technology that will cut energy costs for its customers. In the coming days, Cabinet Members and other Administration officials will fan out to awardee sites across the country to discuss how this investment will create jobs, improve the reliability and efficiency of the electrical grid, and help bring clean energy sources from high-production states to those with less renewable generating capacity. The awards announced today represent the largest group of Recovery Act awards ever made in a single day and the largest batch of Recovery Act clean energy grant awards to-date.

Today’s announcement includes:

Empowering Consumers to Save Energy and Cut Utility Bills -- $1 billion. These investments will create the infrastructure and expand access to smart meters and customer systems so that consumers will be able to access dynamic pricing information and have the ability to save money by programming smart appliances and equipment to run when rates are lowest. This will help reduce energy bills for everyone by helping drive down “peak demand” and limiting the need for “stand-by” power plants – the most expensive power generation there is.

Making Electricity Distribution and Transmission More Efficient -- $400 million. The Administration is funding several grid modernization projects across the country that will significantly reduce the amount of power that is wasted from the time it is produced at a power plant to the time it gets to your house. By deploying digital monitoring devices and increasing grid automation, these awards will increase the efficiency, reliability and security of the system, and will help link up renewable energy resources with the electric grid. This will make it easier for a wind farm in Montana to instantaneously pick up the slack when the wind stops blowing in Missouri or a cloud rolls over a solar array in Arizona.

Integrating and Crosscutting Across Different “Smart” Components of a Smart Grid -- $2 billion. Much like electronic banking, the Smart Grid is not the sum total of its components but how those components work together. The Administration is funding a range of projects that will incorporate these various components into one system or cut across various project areas – including smart meters, smart thermostats and appliances, syncrophasors, automated substations, plug in hybrid electric vehicles, renewable energy sources, etc.

Building a Smart Grid Manufacturing Industry -- $25 million. These investments will help expand our manufacturing base of companies that can produce the smart meters, smart appliances, synchrophasors, smart transformers, and other components for smart grid systems in the United States and around the world – representing a significant and growing export opportunity for our country and new jobs for American workers.

The combined effect of the investments announced today, when the projects are fully implemented, will:
Create tens of thousands of jobs across the country. These jobs include high paying career opportunities for smart meter manufacturing workers; engineering technicians, electricians and equipment installers; IT system designers and cyber security specialists; data entry clerks and database administrators; business and power system analysts; and others.

Leverage more than $4.7 billion in private investment to match the federal investment.

Make the grid more reliable, reducing power outages that cost American consumers $150 billion a year -- about $500 for every man, woman and child in the United States.

Install more than 850 sensors - called ‘Phasor Measurement Units’ - that will cover 100 percent of the U.S. electric grid and make it possible for grid operators to better monitor grid conditions and prevent minor disturbances in the electrical system from cascading into local or regional power outages or blackouts. This monitoring ability will also help the grid to incorporate large blocks of intermittent renewable energy, like wind and solar power, to take advantage of clean energy resources when they are available and make adjustments when they’re not.

· Install more than 200,000 smart transformers that will make it possible for power companies to replace units before they fail thus saving money and reducing power outages.

· Install almost 700 automated substations, representing about 5 percent of the nation’s total that will make it possible for power companies to respond faster and more effectively to restore service when bad weather knocks down power lines or causes electricity disruptions.

· Power companies today typically do not know there has been a power outage until a customer calls to report it. With these smart grid devices, power companies will have the tools they need for better outage prevention and faster response to make repairs when outages do occur.

Empower consumers to cut their electricity bills. The Recovery Act combined with private investment will put us on pace to deploy more than 40 million smart meters in American homes and businesses over the next few years that will help consumers cut their utility bills.

Install more than 1 million in-home displays, 170,000 smart thermostats, and 175,000 other load control devices to enable consumers to reduce their energy use. Funding will also help expand the market for smart washers, dryers, and dishwashers, so that American consumers can further control their energy use and lower their electricity bills.

Put us on a path to get 20 percent or more of our energy from renewable sources by 2020.

Reduce peak electricity demand by more than 1400 MW, which is the equivalent of several larger power plants and can save ratepayers more than $1.5 billion in capital costs and help lower utility bills. Since peak electricity is the most expensive energy – and requires the use of standby power generation plants – the economic and environmental savings for even a small reduction are significant. In fact, some of the power plants for meeting peak demand operate for only a few hundred hours a year, which means the power they generate can be 5-10 times more expensive than the average price per kilowatt hour paid by most consumers.

Report: Nuclear inspectors visit newly revealed Iran plant

Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- United Nations-backed nuclear inspectors on Sunday visited a newly disclosed Iranian nuclear facility near the city of Qom, Iranian media has reported.

"IAEA inspectors today visited the... nuclear installation," the semi-official Mehr news agency said, referring to International Atomic Energy Agency staff. "The IAEA inspectors arrived Saturday night and are scheduled to inspect the... site several times. The inspectors will leave Tehran Tuesday."

Tehran sent shock waves through the international community in September by revealing the existence of the previously secret nuclear enrichment facility near Qom.

The IAEA announced Saturday its inspectors were leaving for the much-anticipated inspection. The agency declined to give more details on Sunday.

"It is our policy not to comment on the itinerary of our inspectors," a spokesman for the U.N. nuclear watchdog told CNN.

The inspectors will visit the installation to make sure it is being used for peaceful purposes, said Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency.

The inspection comes after Iran said Friday that it needs more time to decide whether to sign onto a deal that could help end the international showdown over its nuclear activities. http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/10/25/iran.nuclear.inspection/index.html

President Obama Signs Emergency Declaration for H1N1 Flu

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary
_____________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release October 24, 2009

President Obama Signs Emergency Declaration for H1N1 Flu

In keeping with the administration’s proactive approach to H1N1 Flu, President Obama last night signed a proclamation declaring 2009-H1N1 Influenza a national emergency. The proclamation enhances the ability of our Nation’s medical treatment facilities to handle a surge in H1N1 patients by allowing, as needed, the waiver of certain standard federal requirements on a case-by-case basis. A copy of the proclamation and the accompanying message to Congress are attached.

The foundation of our national approach to the H1N1 flu has been preparedness at all levels –- personal, business, and government –- and this proclamation helps that effort by advancing our overall response capability.

Please check Flu.gov for the most up-to-date news on H1N1, preparedness, and vaccine distribution.

Financial Services Committee Passes Congresswoman Maxine Waters’ Amendment

Waters: Attorneys who participate in deceptive foreclosure assistance schemes
should be regulated by Consumer Financial Protection Agency

Washington, DC – The House Financial Services Committee today passed an amendment offered by Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) to crack down on foreclosure rescue scams that prey on vulnerable homeowners. The amendment subjects attorneys participating in foreclosure prevention services to regulation by the proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency.

As the number of foreclosures has skyrocketed since the subprime mortgage meltdown started, many “foreclosure consultants” have popped up, promising to protect homeowners. Typically, they charge an excessive fee for services that can be obtained for free from a qualified nonprofit counseling agency or deliver little or nothing for the money received. Although many states prohibit foreclosure rescue consultants from collecting up-front fees, by partnering with an attorney, they can evade such restrictions. An example is the Federal Home Loan Modification Law Center, which qualified as a law firm and charged homeowners as much as $3,495 upfront for services never provided.

Congresswoman Waters, who chairs the Housing and Community Opportunity Subcommittee, has been a leading advocate of loan modifications as a way to prevent foreclosures. “Unfortunately, many consumers are being victimized by scam artists offering bogus services. Perhaps some turn to so-called ‘foreclosure rescue consultants” out of frustration when their loan servicer delays providing a loan modification, or they are deceived by the advertising they see. Certainly, it’s easy to understand that many consumers would falsely believe that Federal Home Loan Modification Law Center had some affiliation with the federal government. In any case, clearly too many people are being ripped off when they seek assistance to save their homes, and I want to make sure American homeowners are fully protected by the Consumer Financial Protection Agency,” she said.

Under the proposed language for the Consumer Financial Protection Agency, non-depository financial service providers engaged in financial activity are subject to registration and reporting requirements and examination standards and procedures. However, the bill exempts all attorneys from CFPA’s authority. Congresswoman Waters’ amendment would not affect most attorneys, as it would hold only those who provide foreclosure prevention services to the same registration and reporting requirements as anyone else who offers to assist in avoiding foreclosure, a group that the bill clearly regulates.

The proliferation of attorneys engaged in this type of loan modification scam is so prevalent that at least 23 states have enacted legislation to limit the role of attorneys in loan modification firms. The amendment would not affect attorneys engaged in legal filings related to bankruptcy or foreclosure court proceedings, an exception that is consistent with Massachusetts’ law, one of the strongest anti-foreclosure scam laws in the country.

Congresswoman Waters’ amendment has received the support of prominent consumer and civil rights advocates including Americans for Financial Reform; Center for Responsible Lending;

Consumer Action; Consumers Union; Empire Justice Center; National Association of Consumer Advocates; National Community Reinvestment Coalition; National Council of La Raza; National Consumer Law Center; National Fair Housing Alliance; Public Citizen; Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law; and U.S. PIRG.

The Financial Services Committee approved Congresswoman Waters’ amendment before passing legislation to establish a Consumer Financial Protection Agency (H.R. 3126).

CFPA is a central part of financial regulatory reform efforts that President Obama and Congress are engaged in as a response to last year’s financial crisis. Congresswoman Waters has been a strong supporter of CFPA. In addition to the amendment cracking down on load modification scams, she offered another amendment approved today to include consumer advocates on the CFPA Oversight Board.

House of Representatives Week of 10-26-09

Upcoming Week

Next week the House must approve a Continuing Resolution funding the federal government. In addition, the House will consider H.R. 3854 - Small Business Financing and Investment Act of 2009 to improve access to capital for small business.

Also the House will take up the conference report on H.R. 2996 - Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010.

State of Play

CONSUMER PROTECTION
This week the Financial Services Committee approved legislation that will establish a new, independent federal agency solely devoted to protecting Americans from unfair and abusive financial products and services. As called for by President Obama, the Consumer Financial Protection Agency (CFPA) represents one of the most significant efforts by Congress to bring about long overdue financial reform and ensure that Americans are able to take advantage of capitalism’s benefits without falling victim to industry abuses.

As last year’s crisis demonstrated, deceptive financial products – such as predatory mortgages and hidden credit card fees – not only damage the livelihoods of American families, but can destabilize the entire economy.

The creation of the CFPA will finally put the interests of consumers at the forefront of the federal government’s attention and enforcement efforts. As outlined in H.R. 3126, the agency’s mission will be to promote a fair and transparent marketplace for financial products and to safeguard the American public from abusive industry tactics. In an unprecedented move, the bill also extends federal supervision to a host of financial industries, such as payday lenders and mortgage originators, which have long escaped oversight.


STARTING CREDIT CARD HOLDER RIGHTS SOONER
Also this week the Financial Services Committee unanimously passed H.R. 3639, the Expedited CARD Reform for Consumers Act of 2009, which would move up the effective date for credit card reforms from February 22 to December 1. The bill changes the date by which banks and credit card issuers would have to comply with the remaining provisions of the Credit CARD Act, new consumer-friendly legislation signed by President Obama earlier this year. The bill now moves to the House floor for consideration.


STARTING IMMEDIATELY TO CLOSE THE DONUT HOLE
Friday House leaders announced that the House health insurance reform bill soon to be unveiled will include a provision that begins to close the Medicare prescription drug donut hole immediately upon enactment. The House bill will completely eliminate the gap in coverage in 10 years – five years faster than in the original House bill unveiled in July. As of January 1, 2010, the legislation will reduce the size of the donut hole by $500 and give a 50 percent discount for brand-name drugs to recipients in the donut hole.

Beginning to close the donut hole immediately means that 1.1 million seniors will avoid falling into the donut hole in 2010. The gap closes completely by 2019, and over that time the 3 million seniors still affected by the donut hole will see lower costs, more coverage, and better benefits.


SUPPORT GROWS FOR PUBLIC OPTION
Washington Post/ABC News Poll
57 percent favor a public health insurance option, while 40 percent are opposed. (Support has risen since mid-August in this poll, when 52 percent supported a public option)
51 percent support a plan that includes some form of public option for those who cannot afford private coverage – even if it had no Republican support. (37 percent would prefer a bipartisan plan without this choice).
· 56 percent support a provision mandating all Americans have insurance, either through their employers, on their own, or through eligibility for Medicare or Medicaid.
· Support increases to 71 percent if the legislation provides subsidies for low-income Americans to help them purchase insurance; a majority of Republicans say they back the mandate with subsidies.
Almost 80 percent of all Americans have no confidence in the Republicans in Congress to make the right decisions for the country. (Among Republicans, only 40 percent express confidence in the GOP congressional leadership to make good choices.)

CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll
Public Health Insurance Option Administered By Federal Government
Now August
Favor 61% 55%
Oppose 38% 41%

Trust More on Health Care
Obama 50%
Republicans 34%

Washington Post, ‘Public Option Gains Support’
“A new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that support for a government-run health-care plan to compete with private insurers has rebounded from its summertime lows and wins clear majority support from the public… sizable majorities back two key and controversial provisions: both the so-called public option and a new mandate that would require all Americans to carry health insurance…” [10/20/09]

Wall Street Journal, ‘Public Option Gets New Life in Senate’
“Advocates contend a public plan would encourage lower premiums and better terms for consumers in many parts of the country that are dominated by a handful of major insurers. ‘It gives some real competition, when many times there isn't,’ said Sen. Charles Schumer (D., N.Y.)…” [10/20/09]



AT ALL-TIME LOW, PARTY OF NO CRITICIZED BY MORE BRETHREN
The Republican Party's favorable rating among Americans is at lowest level in at least a decade, according to a new national poll. Thirty-six percent of people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Friday say they have a favorable opinion of the Republican Party, with 54 percent viewing the GOP negatively.

According to the Washington Post/ABC News Poll, nearly 8 in ten Americans lack confidence in Republicans to make the right decisions for our country’s future. [10/19/09]

Two more Republican leaders this week criticized the party of no…

BUSH: "We just can't be the party of no. Republicans need to offer, based on their own principles, solutions to these problems." --Former FL Governor Jeb Bush, The GW Hatchet, 10/22/09

HAGEL: “Former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) chided some of his former colleagues who have suggested that halting healthcare reform would be politically beneficial to the GOP. ‘If your attitude is wrong, if your intention is to use healthcare to destroy the other party, or to destroy the presidency of Barack Obama, then it's very unlikely you're going to find much consensus from people who want to use healthcare,’ Hagel said earlier this month in a speech at the University of Michigan, video of which was only made available recently.” The Hill 10/23/09

They add to the chorus of former Republican leaders who have done the same:

BOB DOLE, Former Senate Majority Leader , 10/7/09

MICKEY EDWARDS, former Republican congressman, 10/7/09

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, Republican Governor, California, 10/6/09

BOBBY JINDAL, Republican Governor, Louisiana, 10/6/09

DR. LEWIS SULLIVAN, Former Health and Human Services Secretary under President George H.W. Bush 10/8/09

MARK McCLELLAN, Former Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under President George W. Bush 10/6/09

MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, Mayor, New York City, NY 10/5/09

TOMMY THOMPSON, Former Health and Human Services Secretary under President George W. Bush 10/5/09

BILL FRIST, Former Senate Majority Leader (R-TN) 10/2/09

Soupy Sales dies at 83; slapstick comic had hit TV show in 1960s

story by LA Times
written by Elaine Woo

Soupy Sales, a comic with a gift for slapstick who attained cult-like popularity in the 1960s with a pie-throwing routine that became his signature, has died. He was 83.

Sales had numerous ailments and died Thursday at Calvary Hospital in the Bronx, said Kathy O'Connell, a longtime friend.

As the star of "The Soupy Sales Show," he performed live on television for 13 years in Detroit, Los Angeles and New York before the program went into syndication in the United States and abroad.

Ostensibly for children, the show had broad appeal among adults who found Sales' puns, gags and pratfalls deliciously corny and camp. His cast consisted of goofy puppets with names like White Fang, Black Tooth and Pookie, and a host of off-camera characters, including the infamous naked girl.

The high point of every show came when a sidekick launched a pie into Sales' face. Sales once estimated that he was hit by more than 25,000 pies in his lifetime.

The gag became more than hilarious; it evolved into a hip badge of honor. Frank Sinatra was first in a long line of celebrities who clamored for the privilege to be cream-faced, including Tony Curtis, Mickey Rooney, Sammy Davis Jr., Dick Martin and Burt Lancaster.

"I've never done a pretentious show; it's always had a live feeling, the kind of thing that comes across when you don't know what's going to happen next," Sales told author Gary Grossman in the 1981 book "Saturday Morning TV." "I've never done anything simply because I thought I could get away with it. I've just wanted to do the funniest show."

The possibility of humor dogged Sales from the start. He was born Milton Supman on Jan. 28, 1926, in the North Carolina backwater of Franklinton. The Supmans were the only Jews in town. Sales' father ran a dry goods store that sold sheets to the Ku Klux Klan.

The family name was often mispronounced as "Soupman." To make matters worse, his parents, who had nicknamed his brothers "Hambone" and "Chickenbone," dubbed him "Soupbone." Eventually, Milton became just Soupy.

His father died when he was 5, prompting a move to Huntington, W.Va. Sales acted in school plays and in high school was voted most popular boy.

World War II did not dampen his showbiz ambitions. He fought in the Pacific theater in the Navy and participated in the invasion of Okinawa but managed to entertain crew mates with routines broadcast on the ship's PA system.

After his discharge, Sales returned to West Virginia and enrolled in Marshall College as a journalism major, earning a bachelor's degree in 1949. He went to work for a radio station in Huntington as a scriptwriter. At night he did stand-up in nightclubs. Soon he became a disc jockey.

In the early 1950s he moved to Ohio, where a Cleveland station manager gave him the professional name of Soupy Hines. That was nixed in Detroit, where his new station manager thought Hines would be confused with an advertiser, the Heinz soup line. Thus was Soupy Sales born.

In 1953, Sales launched a daily live children's show on Detroit's WXYZ-TV, called "Soupy Sales Comics." The show caught on, causing the station to give him a nighttime slot for "Soupy's On." Sales created characters such as Wyatt Burp, a belch-prone sheriff, and Calypso King Harry Bella, a crazy-eyed South American with a mop top.

In 1955, the show was picked up by ABC as a summer replacement for "Kukla, Fran and Ollie" and renamed "The Soupy Sales Show." Its star soon became Detroit's top-rated daytime television personality.

Sales was joined by White Fang, "the meanest dog in the United States," and Black Tooth, "the nicest dog in the United States," of whom all that viewers saw were giant paws. Other characters included his irrepressible girlfriend, Peaches, the vivacious Marilyn Monwolf, and a bloodthirsty neighbor, the Count, who touted an album titled "Love in Vein."

Every show featured a segment called Words of Wisdom, an opportunity to offer silly sayings such as "Be true to your teeth and they won't be false to you."

The highlight of each show, of course, was the pie-throwing, which Sales elevated to an art.

Sales took his first pie in the face in 1950 when he played an Indian in a spoof of the James Stewart movie "Broken Arrow." That pie was real. Later, he would switch to shaving-cream pies. But he swore that the secret of a good pie was the crust: If it stuck to the face, it was, in Sales' opinion, no good."

A pie has to hit you and explode into a thousand pieces," the expert explained, "so you see the person's face and see it take away his dignity."

By 1961, the face that launched several thousand pies in Detroit began to dominate local TV in Los Angeles. Critics were unkind, calling the show "a mishmash of mediocrity" that was meant for "kids with low IQs." But viewers lapped it up, making it the No. 1 local show by 1962. A survey at the time revealed that more than a third of Sales' fans consisted of adults. Some of them were hosting pie-lobbing parties in their basements.

One day, Sinatra called. "Hey, Soupy, it's Frank," he said. "I want to come on your show on one condition: I get hit with a pie." Sales was happy to fulfill the legendary crooner's wish.

The appearance by Sinatra stirred a stampede of stars hungry for the same humiliation. One night featured a triple-header: Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Trini Lopez were all pied together.

In his evening show, Sales also featured jazz musicians including Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and Duke Ellington. The Ken Burns jazz documentary included a clip from Sales' show.

"A lot of people grew up watching me," he told The Times several years ago. "I'll probably be remembered for the pies, and that's all right. That's fine and dandy. I'm flattered."

He is survived by his wife of 29 years, Trudy Carson Sales; sons Tony and Hunt from a previous marriage; a brother; and four grandchildren.

White House New Family Portrait 10-2009

Used, Abused and Left to Die Alone: "Saartjie" Sara Baartman

written by Zamantungwa

It’s been 51 years since the women of South Afrika took to the street and went and faced the apartheid government to let them know what their demands were; five years since Sara Baartman was returned home and laid to rest; and, perhaps, since the begin of time since the female form has been used and abused to different ends including art, science, culture and religion – and most of the reasons negative.

Sara Baartman was not the first, the last or only woman whose body became her prison. But she is one of the most famous in the world and definitely important for the South Afrikan, and indeed the Afrikan, woman. Who was Sara Baartman and more importantly who is she now – what does she mean to South Afrikan women, that is, if she means anything at all?

Five years ago on August 9, a 187 year old skeleton was for the first time given a burial. Women cried, sang and talked. This 187 year old skeleton was Sara Baartman, a woman who when she died on foreign soil probably never thought that she would become so important or ever come back home.

The facts

Sara Baartman was born in 1789 in the Gamtoos River in what is now known as the Eastern Cape Province of South Afrika. She was of the Khoisan people, a people that have been pushed into the margins and almost to extinction by various groups including the Dutch and British settlers and the various Bantu tribes. The Khoisan were a nomadic people that were eventually pushed into settler state when the Europeans forced their way into South Afrika.

In her late teens, Sara, came to the Cape and became a farmer’s slave. She lived and worked there until 1810. In 1810, British ship doctor, William Dunlop, brought her then Sara that she would make a lot of money exhibiting herself to the Europeans in London. Her body would from then on become a sore point for many Afrikans particularly the Khoisan people. So off to London she went.

In London, Sara would become what we today may regard an exploited porn star. She was paraded in a building in Piccadilly – naked. Often made to walk side ways, stand or sit as ordered – much like a circus animal. She was also told to show off her ‘protruding’ posterior and her ‘large’ genitals. Sara Baartman and William Dunlop had reached London at a time when the anti-slavery debate was big. But in court it was found that Sara had ‘entered’ into a formal agreement with William – but had she ever seen that document? Much less understood what it meant? This will never be known. William Dunlop bought Sara from her last master therefore she was in all effects his slave, so there shouldn’t be any illusion about her having any free will.
Sara was in London for four years and then handed to a Parisian showman of wild animals and the ‘show’ carried on in Paris. Between 1814 and 1815, Sara was with a travelling circus often being ‘handled’ by an animal trainer.

Sara Baartman died in 1816 at the age of 25, a poor prostitute, an alcoholic and lonely woman; it was also believed that she had syphilis… But the show went on – she was handed over to George Cuvier who made a plaster of her body, dissected her and conserved her genitals and brain in bottles of formaldehyde. There she (skeleton, brain and genitals) would lie in pieces, her spirit in limbo for the French and others to experiment on her and gawk at her until 1976 when her remains were no longer on show.

Sara Baartman’s journey home began in 1994 when former president Nelson Mandela made the call to his French counterpart, a law had to be passed only in 2002 and only then did the French see fit to set her free. Her remains came back to South Afrika in January 2002 and finally, on the 9th of August 2002, laid to rest at the place of her birth. Where, no doubt, her ancestors embraced her.

Sara Baartman’s Significance

From a humanitarian perspective, Sara Baartman is a heavyweight. She’s heavy because not only does she represent all those ‘different’ people that have and probably still are like ‘kept’ animals being used and exhibited in circuses, she also represents all those girls and women that are lured daily into situations were they are trafficked to other lands to serve as labour and mostly sex slaves. She represents the remains of other Afrikans and Afrikan treasures be it skulls, brains or organs, art or symbols that are kept in museums all over the world and in some white man’s private collection. She represents our Afrikan body issues – breasts too big or small, butt to big, hair too kinky… Sara Baartman represents all the ludicrous claims (masked as religion or science) that Europeans have used against Afrikans to class us sub-human and therefore justify segregation, apartheid, discrimination and slavery. Sara Baartman represents all these girls and women and all the slaves of the past and the slaves of today. Forgotten, unaccounted for, unseen, anonymous, alive, drugged, duped, brainwashed and still showing on a TV set near you or a so-called cultural village in some bush resort…

The different faces of Sara Baartman, from Josephine Baker and Aunt Jumaima to prostitutes and sex slaves to video girls and porn stars, fill the media but most are only a statistic, a number, in some police commissioners office file. Many will never be found.

It is important that we do not forget Sara Baartman and those like her. It is important that we seek the freedom of all those that are still held captive in museums or are being captured daily by human traffickers to be sold into sex trades and labour all over the world. Their freedom is as imperative as Sara Baartman’s freedom is. It is important for those of us who have body issues to we remember Sara Baartman and remember what her body came to represent – we need to kill the ‘hottentot venus’ she is not who we are or who Sara is.

We need to break free from our bodies for we can not allow our bodies to become our prisons too.

President speaks on Small Business Initiatives

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary
___________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release October 21, 2009

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
ON SMALL BUSINESS INITIATIVES

Metropolitan Archives
Landover, Maryland



THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Please, everybody, have a seat. Thank you so much. Thank you, Joe, for that introduction, and for inviting us here to Metropolitan Archives.

I want to acknowledge a few other extraordinary guests. First of all, the governor of the great state of Maryland, Martin O'Malley, is here. (Applause.) Senator Ben Cardin, who is doing an outstanding job on behalf of the state; House Majority Leader Hoyer; Representative Chris Van Hollen; Representative Donna Edwards, whose congressional district we are in; County Executive Jack Johnson; Mayor William Gardner, the mayor of Hyattsville; and my outstanding Secretary of the Treasury, Tim Geithner; as well as my extraordinary SBA administrator, Karen Mills. I am so glad to have them standing behind me today.

Five years ago, this company was founded by Joe and his old fraternity brother, Doug Peters. I have not had a chance to ask them what they were doing during those frat years. (Laughter.) But they were two friends who had known each other since middle school. And today, their families took this company from an empty warehouse to a small business that stores and delivers records for some of the largest firms in the world.

And the success -- the story of their success has been the story of small business owners all across the country -- men and women from big cities and from small towns who've had both a good idea and the drive to follow through on it; who've convinced family and friends to join them in taking a chance on a dream.

Now, these entrepreneurial pioneers embody that spirit of possibility and the tireless work ethic and the simple hope for something better that lies at the heart of the American ideal. And they've always formed the backbone of the American economy. They're the ones who've opened up the mom-and-pop stores and started the computer tinkering that's led to some of the biggest innovations and corporations in the world. After all, Hewlett-Packard began in a garage. Google began as a research project. McDonald's started with just one restaurant.

Over the past decade and a half, America's small businesses have created 65 percent of all new jobs in the country. And more than half of all Americans working in the private sector are either employed by a small business or own one -- more than half. These companies are the engine of job growth in America. They fuel our prosperity. And that's why they have to be at the forefront of our recovery.

The problem is, our small businesses have been some of the hardest hit by this recession. From the middle of 2007 through the end of 2008, small businesses lost 2.4 million jobs. And because banks shrunk from lending in the midst of the financial crisis, it's been difficult for entrepreneurs to take out the loans they need to start a business. For those who do own a small business, it's been difficult to finance inventories and make payroll, or expand if things are going well.

And that's why we made sure the Recovery Act focused on helping small businesses expand and create jobs. In it, we temporarily reduced or eliminated fees on SBA loans -- loans that give small businesses more money to reinvest in their own futures. And we guaranteed some of these loans by up to 90 percent, which has given local banks and credit unions the confidence they need to lend.

In the last eight months, these steps have made a real difference for small businesses across America. So far, the Recovery Act has supported over 33,000 loans to small businesses that have already helped save or create nearly tens of thousands of jobs -- nearly $13 billion in new lending -- $13 billion. And more than 1,200 banks and credit unions that had stopped issuing SBA loans when the financial crisis hit are lending again today. And more than $4.3 billion in federal contracts are now going to small businesses.

We're also providing tax relief to small businesses under the Recovery Act -- relief that will give these businesses back over $5 billion this year. And we're giving tax cuts directly to 95 percent of working Americans, which includes the vast majority of small business owners and their employees.

So there's no question that our Recovery Act has given a boost to every American who works at a small business, or owns one, or aspires to own one. There's no question that the steps we've taken have improved the overall climate for small business across the country.

But there's also no question that we've got a long way to go. There's still too little credit flowing to our small businesses. There's still too many entrepreneurs who can't get the loans they need to open up their doors and start hiring. There's still too many who are struggling to make payroll and to stay open. And there's still too many successful small businesses that want to expand further and hire more but just don't have the capital to do it.

Metropolitan Archives is one of these companies. Last February, Joe and Doug were able to purchase the building we're standing in with an SBA loan -- an expansion that has already helped them retain 10 jobs, and one that will create 10 new ones in the months ahead. In fact, business is going so well that they're already hoping to expand again. But they need another loan to make it happen.

These are the kind of stories I hear from small business owners all the time. And they're the kind of stories that my unbelievable administrator for the SBA, Karen Mills, hears every single day. And that's why today, we're announcing new steps to support more lending to America's small businesses -- steps that will lead to more jobs, more growth, and a stronger economic recovery.

The first thing we need to do is increase the maximum size of various SBA loans. So I'm calling on Congress to increase the cap on what's called 7(a) loans to $5 million. These are the loans most frequently handed out by the Small Business Administration to help folks open their doors and buy machinery, equipment, land and buildings. These larger loans will help more small business owners and franchisees grow. We also need to increase the maximum size of what's called 504 loans to $5 million. These are the type of loans that Joe and Doug used to expand this business and create new jobs. And we should also increase the maximum size of microloans -- these are smaller loans -- that go to start-ups and other smaller businesses.

Today, we're also taking additional steps to boost credit for small businesses through our financial stability plan. The major banks that were in critical condition a year ago need no new assistance from the government, and so we're winding down that portion of the TARP program. But to spur lending to small businesses, it's essential that we make more credit available to the smaller banks and community financial institutions that these businesses depend on. These are the community banks who know their borrowers; who gave them their first loan; who've watched them grow from down the street -- not from Wall Street. The large majority of the business loans from these smaller banks are not to major corporations -- they're to entrepreneurs like Joe and Doug. And when banks like these are hit by recession and financial crisis, creditworthy small businesses lose out, and that means less expansion and fewer new jobs just when we need them most.

And that's why we must do more to give these new opportunities to smaller banks so that they have the ability to access capital -- so that they can lend to small businesses in their communities. So under the new steps that we're announcing today, if these institutions put forth a plan to increase lending to small businesses, we will help them get the credit they need to do it at rates that are more affordable than the ones offered to our largest financial institutions. (Applause.) And we will make capital even more affordable to the community development financial institutions that focus on providing credit to America's small businesses in our hardest hit rural and underserved communities. (Applause.)

Finally, I've asked Tim Geithner and Karen Mills to convene a conference in the coming weeks that will bring together regulators, congressional leaders, lenders and small businesses to determine what additional steps we can take to get credit flowing to small businesses that want to expand and create more jobs. Of all the steps we're taking to move this economy from recession to recovery, I continue to believe that the success of our small businesses will be a foundation upon which our future prosperity is built. So we will continue to do whatever we can to help these businesses grow and thrive. And I'm confident that the steps we announced today will do that for small business owners across the country, men and women we hear from every day.

They're people like Andy Cabral. Son of Portuguese immigrants, Andy started his business on an SBA loan and now runs 10 stores across Maryland and Virginia that employ 130 people. And Andy has already seen one loan fall through the cracks because of the financial crisis and he's hit the cap on his SBA loans. But the measure we're announcing today will help Andy and other franchisees pursue their plans to expand and create more jobs.

And these steps will make a difference for more small businesses like Pete's APizza in Washington, D.C. I recommend it -- that everybody go out there. (Laughter.) When the three owners had little more than a dream of opening up a casual pizza restaurant, they found it challenging to get financing. Ultimately they got a loan through City First Bank, a community development bank right in Washington. Today, business is booming. And the initiative we're announcing today will help more banks provide more loans to businesses like Pete's.

And the steps we've announced will make a difference for Joe and Doug, and all the folks who work here at Metropolitan Archives. In the past five years, you've done all that's asked of Americans who hope to pursue a dream of owning their own business -- you've taken a risk on a good idea, you've worked hard for your success, you've met your responsibilities to your employees and your customers. It's time that responsibility and that success are rewarded with the opportunity to keep growing, keep hiring, keep contributing to the success of your community and of your country. That's the opportunity we're providing today, and that's the opportunity I will continue to fight for as your President in the weeks and months ahead.

So to all the small business owners out there, I just want to close by saying this. I know that times are tough and I can only imagine what many of you are going through, in terms of keeping things going in the midst of a very tough economic climate, but I guarantee you this: This administration is going to stand behind small businesses. You are our highest priority because we are confident that when you are succeeding, America succeeds.

Thank you very much, everybody. (Applause.)

In the Case of Rush Limbaugh, Activism Once Again Prevails

Op-Ed by Rev. Al Sharpton

Last week, when conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh lost his bid for partial ownership of the St. Louis Rams, many adjectives were used to describe his possible state of mind. Several news outlets commented on his anger and frustration, while the right-wing had a field day with the 'injustice' of it all. But perhaps the most precise word to summarize Mr. Limbaugh's reaction to news that his inflammatory commentary of the past excluded him from ownership in the NFL is pure and simple "fear." Fear that activism is alive and well, and fear that activism worked.

Almost as quickly as news broke of Limbaugh's football dreams, I was contacted by members of the NFL Players Association over concern they had regarding ownership from a man who previously equated the NFL to a game between rival gangs the Bloods and the Crips. A man who in 2003 stated that Eagles' quarterback Donovan McNabb was overrated because the media just wanted to see a Black athlete succeed. And a talk show host whose controversial, divisive statements about African Americans and other minorities had no place in a sport that was primarily comprised of Black players and epitomized unity.

Without hesitation, I drafted a public letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, voicing the shared apprehension that I and other progressive individuals ready to move beyond antiquated and offensive rhetoric felt about the matter. We took bold and immediate action because that is precisely what this situation demanded; for silence equals acceptance. And as a result of our active engagement, we were able to halt an immense wrong from ever transpiring. Cornered and defeated, Limbaugh has resorted to once again launching personal attacks against me because, simply put, he is virtually powerless to do anything else.

In op-eds and on his radio show, the multimillionaire has inaccurately interjected my name in riots such as Crown Heights in 1991 and Freddie's Fashion Mart of 1995. He accused me of playing a 'leading role' in these incidents, when in fact I urged calm and peacefully defended victims. In fact, in 2000, RNC Chairman at the time Jim Nicholson himself publicly recanted similar erroneous allegations, but unfortunately Limbaugh has not taken a lesson from the history books.

Many in conservative media continue to harp on Limbaugh's other false claim -- that I somehow created the Tawana Brawley case of 22 years past. Instead, I trusted official police reports indicating their own findings of a battered and sexually assaulted woman. That is why people like Bill Cosby put up a reward for information on the case even before I got involved. It was a civil jury that did not believe Brawley's attorneys, just like a criminal jury didn't believe OJ Simpson was guilty during his trial. But let's remember that not all of those who believed OJ was innocent are racist, just like my belief in Brawley did not make me a racist. Even after paying damages of $65,000, I am still wrongfully accused of creating a hoax, when the jury itself wasn't convinced by evidence presented by attorneys, and the facts proved that I was simply defending someone I honestly believed was a victim.

But this type of vitriol is nothing new from the Limbaughs of the world who are fearful of truth, justice and change. They are weary of our ability to step in for the downtrodden in situations like Abner Louima, Amadou Diallo, Sean Bell, the Jena 6 and in our capability to curb harmful speech from Don Imus and yes, from Rush Limbaugh.

The greatest civil rights leader of all time, Martin Luther King Jr., taught everyone that activism is a necessity to effect progress in society. MLK isn't notorious for passing legislation or enacting laws, but for his sheer amazing ability to raise issues of concern and shed light on injustice. In no way can I, nor anyone else compare to MLK, but as a student of his, I work diligently to carry on his legacy and speak out on intolerance in whatever form it may appear -- and that includes Limbaugh's dangerous words.

Despite the outright lies that Limbaugh and others may spread, I and the National Action Network will not cease in our unwavering duty to speak for the voiceless. And I take comfort in the notion that the people will continue to turn to us if and when they need assistance, for people reach out to those that are effective.

I can proudly attest that we were indeed victorious in this most recent incident of rectifying a potential wrong and garnering justice. Activism once again prevailed; awareness once again succeeded. And perhaps most importantly, we collectively proved that more involvement is needed in a climate of hate created by certain entities on the right. It's time for even more renewed activism -- for it works.

Rush Limbaugh and others be very very afraid

Rev. Al Sharpton threatens to sue Rush Limbaugh over Wall Street op-ed

The Rev. Al Sharpton is ready for a Rush to judgment.

story by New York Daily News

written by Larry McShane

The civil rights leader, typically impervious to insults, said Saturday that he will sue Rush Limbaugh for defamation unless he gets an apology from the right-wing radio host.

Sharpton was outraged by a Limbaugh op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal that blamed him for the 1991 Crown Heights riot and a 1995 killing spree at a Harlem store.

"I am definitely going to prove he makes reckless, unaccountable statements," Sharpton said. "Which is why he was forced out of buying an NFL team in the first place."

Limbaugh lashed out at Sharpton over the right-wing radio host's failed attempt to purchase a piece of the St. Louis Rams. Sharpton, among others, blasted Limbaugh's bid for NFL ownership.

Limbaugh replied in his op-ed piece that Sharpton "played a leading role in the 1991 Crown Heights riot ... and 1995 Freddie's Fashion Mart riot."

Seven people were killed by a gun-toting man who set a fire in the Freddie's Fashion Mart. A Jewish scholar was stabbed to death in Crown Heights three hours after a 7-year-old black boy was fatally struck by a car.

Slanderous, according to Sharpton, who denied both allegations.

"He doesn't have the right to lie and accuse people of crimes," Sharpton said. "He wants to criminalize me.

"That's what got him in trouble. He tried to criminalize the NFL players, calling them Crips and Bloods."

The hard-line conservative also mentioned Sharpton's wrongful accusations in the Tawana Brawley case, and the reverend's "blind hatred" - although Sharpton took no issue with those remarks.

Limbaugh was unavailable for comment Saturday.

To read Rush Limbaugh's op-ed, click above title.

Rush Limbaugh responds to Syndication One's News-Talk Networks' Radio Talk Show Host Warren Ballentine's comments about Fox-TV's Juan Williams

Juan Williams Defends Rush, Gets Smeared by Another Guest on Fox

Written by Rush Limbaugh on Rushlimbaugh.com http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_101609/content/01125107.guest.html

October 16, 2009

RUSH: Last night on the O'Reilly Factor on the Fox News Channel Juan Williams was a guest along with some radio host by the name of Warren Ballentine and the subject was me, and O'Reilly said, "The reason that Limbaugh is not going to be able to buy into the NFL is because a bunch of made-up stuff became legion and he got hammered." Here's Warren Ballentine and Juan Williams, their exchange.

BALLENTINE: Okay, we won't look at the made-up stuff. Let's look at him playing Barack the Magic Negro on his show. That's not racial, either. It is racial to real black people.

WILLIAMS: Hey, Warren. Hey, Warren, you were saying that I was -- my argument was a red herring. Maybe you should do some research, go back and find out that it was an article written by a black person, headline: "Barack the 'Magic Negro.'"

BALLENTINE: But he made it out of a song -- he made it out of a song and played it on his show.

WILLIAMS: So what? He's making fun of it.

BALLENTINE: Juan, you know what, you can go back to the porch.

RUSH: Now, Ballentine said Juan, you can go back to the porch. Snerdley, what do you think that's a reference to? Exactly right! Snerdley, of all the people here who would know, he's calling him an Uncle Tom. Juan Williams is simply disbursing the facts. Juan Williams is black. Juan Williams caught hell for writing a positive piece about Justice Thomas back during that whole scenario when he was nominated. Got this guy Warren, "Go back to the porch, Juan." He just called him an Uncle Tom, in other words, a sellout because he's not following the lie, he's not following the party line on this. You talk about bigoted. Here's a guy, Juan Williams just trying to get the truth out about this and comes under attack, comes under assault. This is Obama's America, folks. This is it. "Limbaugh Targeted By Obama Official."

The Race Card, Football and Me -- My critics would have you believe no conservative meets NFL 'standards.' by Rush Limbaugh

Op-Ed written by Rush Limbaugh from Rushlimbaugh.com/Wall St. Journal

David Checketts, an investor and owner of sports teams, approached me in late May about investing in the St. Louis Rams football franchise. As a football fan, I was intrigued. I invited him to my home where we discussed it further. Even after informing him that some people might try to make an issue of my participation, Mr. Checketts said he didn't much care. I accepted his offer.

It didn't take long before my name was selectively leaked to the media as part of the Checketts investment group. Shortly thereafter, the media elicited comments from the likes of Al Sharpton. In 1998 Mr. Sharpton was found guilty of defamation and ordered to pay $65,000 for falsely accusing a New York prosecutor of rape in the 1987 Tawana Brawley case. He also played a leading role in the 1991 Crown Heights riot (he called neighborhood Jews "diamond merchants") and 1995 Freddie's Fashion Mart riot.

Not to be outdone, Jesse Jackson, whose history includes anti-Semitic speech (in 1984 he referred to Jews as "Hymies" and to New York City as "Hymietown" in a Washington Post interview) chimed in. He found me unfit to be associated with the NFL. I was too divisive and worse. I was accused of once supporting slavery and having praised Martin Luther King Jr.'s murderer, James Earl Ray.

Next came writers in the sports world, like the Washington Post's Michael Wilbon. He wrote this gem earlier this week: "I'm not going to try and give specific examples of things Limbaugh has said over the years because I screwed up already doing that, repeating a quote attributed to Limbaugh (about slavery) which he has told me he simply did not say and does not reflect his feelings. I take him at his word. . . . "

Mr. Wilbon wasn't alone. Numerous sportswriters, CNN, MSNBC, among others, falsely attributed to me statements I had never made. Their sources, as best I can tell, were Wikipedia and each other. But the Wikipedia post was based on a fabrication printed in a book that also lacked any citation to an actual source.

I never said I supported slavery and I never praised James Earl Ray. How sick would that be? Just as sick as those who would use such outrageous slanders against me or anyone else who never even thought such things. Mr. Wilbon refuses to take responsibility for his poison pen, writing instead that he will take my word that I did not make these statements; others, like Rick Sanchez of CNN, essentially used the same sleight-of-hand.

The sports media elicited comments from a handful of players, none of whom I can recall ever meeting. Among other things, at least one said he would never play for a team I was involved in given my racial views. My racial views? You mean, my belief in a colorblind society where every individual is treated as a precious human being without regard to his race? Where football players should earn as much as they can and keep as much as they can, regardless of race?

Those controversial racial views?

The NFL players union boss, DeMaurice Smith, jumped in. A Washington criminal defense lawyer, Democratic Party supporter and Barack Obama donor, he sent a much publicized email to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell saying that it was important for the league to reject discrimination and hatred.

When Mr. Goodell was asked about me, he suggested that my 2003 comment criticizing the media's coverage of Donovan McNabb—in which I said the media was cheerleading Mr. McNabb because they wanted a successful black quarterback—fell short of the NFL's "high standard." High standard? Half a decade later, the media would behave the same way about the presidential candidacy of Mr. Obama.

Having brought me into his group, Mr. Checketts now wanted a way out. He asked me to resign. I told him no way. I had done nothing wrong. I had not uttered the words these people were putting in my mouth. And I would not bow to their libels and pressure. He would have to drop me from the group. A few days later, he did.

As I explained on my radio show, this spectacle is bigger than I am on several levels. There is a contempt in the news business, including the sportswriter community, for conservatives that reflects the blind hatred espoused by Messrs. Sharpton and Jackson. "Racism" is too often their sledgehammer. And it is being used to try to keep citizens who don't share the left's agenda from participating in the full array of opportunities this nation otherwise affords each of us. It was on display many years ago in an effort to smear Clarence Thomas with racist stereotypes and keep him off the Supreme Court. More recently, it was employed against patriotic citizens who attended town-hall meetings and tea-party protests.

These intimidation tactics are working and spreading, and they are a cancer on our society.

Rush Limbaugh is a nationally syndicated talk radio host.