Trump to nominate Ben Carson for HUD

[nitpicker]

Source: Radio/TV reports

In DC WRC TV4 and WTOP-FM noting this as breaking

Read more: Link to source

[nitpicker]

1. CBS confirmation

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-names-ben-carson-for-housing-and-urban-development-secretary/

[JI7]

2. how is he qualified for that ?

[redwitch]

3. He isn't.

Jeezuz. what a mess!

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. His ego is as big as tRump's -- example: has a painting of him with Jesus

Carson is (was) a super-specialized technician (brain surgeon), which means leading small teams in the OR where everyone is underneath you and jumps instantly to do your command.

Government and politics are not like that. Both he and tRump miss this vital point.

He does not have the ability to see big pictures in detail and neither does tRump. Unlike tRump, Carson proved in his past that he can study detail, which is a necessary skill but not sufficient.

[BumRushDaShow]

8. The code word "Urban" is in the department name. nt

[snooper2]

23. because jesabus will make it all happen with prayin'!

[IronLionZion]

27. He has experience stabbin people so hard the knife breaks

and he's a very talented surgeon (no joke, I respect the man's medical skills)

But he's not experienced in housing policy. Dude didn't even live in Baltimore when he was at Johns Hopkins but way outside the city's suburbs.

As someone else mentioned, "urban" is probably the key word. Trump associates the word with a certain type of people.

[JI7]

28. i get that about trump but Carson himself rejected the other offer he actually does

have some experience for and is taking this one. So i don't get why carson is taking it.

[IronLionZion]

29. It's a difficult and thankless job too

Carson is probably not going to like the job.

We don't hear much about the work of Julian Castro, the current HUD director. HUD is a very low profile agency that doesn't get much attention.

on edit: Trump probably pressured Carson into it so he can show he has a diverse cabinet. Plus very few people would want the job

[brucefan]

30. He's "urban"

[putitinD]

5. this whole administration is going to go down in flames in 6 months. America will be like Humpty

Dumpty's egg, all the king's horses and all the kings men, won't be able to put America back together again.

[JonLP24]

6. Stop Treating HUD Like A Second-Tier Department

HUD sometimes has a reputation as a bureaucratic backwater — presidents rarely put their closest advisers in charge of it. But in terms of its impact on Americans’ lives, HUD is far from second-tier. It has a budget of nearly $50 billion and employs over 8,000 workers. Its programs have a major impact on poverty, home ownership and affordability. Its data collection and enforcement roles are key for fighting discrimination and segregation. Here are four reasons why HUD and housing policy matter. Let’s hope President-elect Trump and maybe-Secretary Carson see that.

Poverty

Housing should be at the center of any attempt to fight poverty. Recent research by Harvard sociologist Matthew Desmond, among others, has shown that inadequate housing is often a catalyst for a cycle of poverty; it triggers residential instability, which hurts the life outcomes of children and their parents. And for the poorest of the poor, the homeless, experts are increasingly promoting a “housing first” approach, in which authorities try to help people find housing as a first step toward addressing other poverty challenges.

But housing policy in the U.S. is skewed toward rewarding wealthy homeowners (with tax deductions) rather than renters, who tend to be poorer. HUD oversees the Section 8 housing voucher program, which helps about 5 million people pay for private housing. Another roughly 2 million people are in public housing.

But, crucially, the majority of poor Americans who qualify for housing assistance don’t get it — about 75 percent, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Of those families below the federal poverty guideline, 67 percent don’t get any housing assistance. A new HUD secretary could help change that, or could promote other reforms that would let the government help more poor families afford housing.

Housing finance

HUD has a huge influence on the mammoth U.S. mortgage market. The Federal Housing Administration, a sub-agency under HUD, underwrites one in six mortgages. That makes HUD responsible for over $1 trillion in mortgages. This FHA insurance allows many Americans — especially lower-income ones — to get mortgages at a lower cost than they could otherwise attain.

http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/stop-treating-hud-like-a-second-tier-department/

[BumRushDaShow]

11. It has been treated as such for decades

Essentially a "dumping ground" (like the Department of Labor and later the Department of Education), despite the criticality of the mission and function. It usually became an easy place to put a token POC (vs having a POC in charge of the Justice Department or Treasury Department or DOD, etc), because its impact was deemed as "localized" (despite the fact that it isn't).

The problem here is that Carson is a celebrated brain surgeon and would be a better "fit" in a science/medical-based department/agency, if one were to nominate him for something.

I have been hearing discussion this morning (and previously) that there are many GOP who have been active in urban communities for decades. The irony here though is that Carson had initially claimed he wasn't interested.

[JonLP24]

12. I'm on the HUD VASH program

One of the best things that ever happened to me.

[BumRushDaShow]

14. I have relatives and friends

who work for HUD. It's a travesty how that department had been marginalized by the GOP since the '70s.

But as an interesting thought - with what has been a steady migration of the children of baby boomers (who themselves were born/raised in suburbia, where some even moved to exburbia before retiring), there may be resurgence of emphasis in the department - if anything to prepare the previously neglected cities for this influx (which is often resulting in massive gentrification).

As a historical note - Romney's father George was in charge of HUD under Nixon from '68 - '72 (and of course we all know how Drumpf and his father were literally drowning in housing discrimination complaints in the '60s and '70s).

[Dorian Gray]

7. I am surprised

that it wasn't Omarosa. Christ. He's just a fool.

[Vinca]

9. And his qualifications are what? That he's lived in a house?

Loyalty to Herr Trump is rewarded. Next up: Trump's make-up person. The person with orange hands.

[HAB911]

10. OH NO DOCOTR STABBY!

[Snarkoleptic]

13. In the grand tradtion of handing out cabinet positions to unqualifited loyalists.

I can hear it now...a housing crisis, followed by "Yer doin' a heckuva job Bennie".

Alphonso Jackson at HUD - not qualified, but GWB's neighbor.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-dreier/hud-secretary-alphonso-ja_b_94787.html

The involuntary resignation of HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson this week provides an opportunity to underscore and distinguish the three major failings of the Bush administration: corruption, indifference, and incompetence.

Corruption occurs when a government official — elected or appointed — uses his or her office to engage in illegal activity for partisan or personal advantage. Jackson is facing investigations by the HUD inspector general, a federal grand jury, and the Justice Department’s public integrity section for a variety of alleged corrupt practices, including steering HUD funds and contracts to friends and Bush political supporters in violation of HUD’s rules.

This kind of crony capitalism, which the news media often refer to as “scandals,” has been rampant within the Bush administration. In most cases, the corrupt officials are allowed to resign without facing prosecution. Instead of fines or jail time, they land lucrative jobs as lobbyists and consultants.

Michael Brown at FEMA - not qualified, but his boss was GWB's 2004 campaign manager

http://articles.latimes.com/2005/sep/04/nation/na-brown4

WASHINGTON — The leader of the U.S. government's much-criticized handling of hurricane relief efforts in the Gulf Coast came to Washington in 2001 with scant background in dealing with natural disasters. But he had an important connection: His new boss was an old friend who had managed George W. Bush's successful campaign for the White House.

Michael D. Brown left his job in Colorado supervising horse-show judges to work for Bush's longtime political aide, Joe Allbaugh, who was heading the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the new administration.

Brown had been a lawyer active in Republican politics whose most relevant emergencyresponse experience was a stint supervising police and fire departments as assistant city manager in an Oklahoma City suburb.

[turbinetree]

15. Since I had the opportunity to pick from on so many of how "STUPID" this "guy" is

I chose these.

Remember through out the entire process of the clown show by the media tried and exceeded in making the entire "republican primaries look and feel with that flair of "Normalization" for everyone of these whack jobs, and they now have power

And then remarkable response to what a "doctor" says about a f***ing serial predator

[SickAndTiredOfRepubs]

34. Loyalty to Trump appears to be the only qualification required to be in Donald's Cabinet. Nt

[muriel_volestrangler]

16. 3 weeks ago, he said he was unqualified to run a federal agency

Carson not interested in serving in Trump administration

Business manager and close friend Armstrong Williams said Carson won't join the incoming Trump administration and would only serve as an unofficial adviser.
...
"Dr. Carson was never offered a specific position, but everything was open to him," Williams told The Hill in a phone call.

"Dr. Carson feels he has no government experience, he's never run a federal agency. The last thing he would want to do was take a position that could cripple the presidency."

http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/306045-carson-turned-down-offer-to-serve-in-trump-administration-report

Consider it crippled.

[yallerdawg]

17. Did you hear the one: "Two idiots met on a debate stage..."

[JudyM]

24. Yes, that was a delicious moment.

[JonLP24]

35. WTH was that?

He seemed to be waiting for Trump and Trump tells him "good job"

[kebob]

18. But of Course!

Last edited Mon Dec 5, 2016, 11:46 AM - Edit history (1)

After all, HUD is the "black" Cabinet Dept., and why fill the Surgeon General's position with an actual fucking surgeon when Dr. Oz is available?

[TNNurse]

19. Am I the only person wondering

if Trump will accidentally name someone who is actually QUALIFIED for a position in the government of staff??? ANYONE???

[LongTomH]

20. Not! Bloody! Likely

[HAB911]

21. Dr. Stabby

This historic move represents both the first time Carson will rip families apart without using a scalpel, and the first time Trump has willingly chosen to give Housing to a black man.

Progress?

[Botany]

22. We are fucked.

“Dr. Carson feels he has no government experience, he’s never run a federal agency. The last thing he would want to do was take a position that could cripple the presidency.”

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2016/12/05/trump_nominating_ben_carson_for_hud_secretary_spot.html

[Cryptoad]

25. Who said,,,

cream doesn't rise to the top!?

[Afromania]

26. ugh

God, this guy looks like the sad sloth that couldn't. This cabinet is the worst cabinet, we are in the darkest timeline.

[Satch59]

31. These cabinet confirmation hearings should be a referendum...

On the current GOP senators. Watching them ask questions that Carson (and other insane picks) won't be able to answer and then confirm him/them... They will own this shit...

[PSPS]

32. All of these cabinet picks are straight from central casting

HUD = "Urban" = black = Carson

If you "look the part" (a direct quote from Trump explaining Romney being considered for SoS,) and exhibit the requisite adoration for The Donald (i.e. another yes man or, if the part calls for it, a young woman, married or not, who likes to be fingered by celebrities,) then you've got the part.

[3catwoman3]

33. "3 weeks ago, he said he was unqualified to run a federal agency."

So why the bleeding hell did he think he was qualified to run for president?

My forehead is developing callouses -

[sweetroxie]

36. Oh! He's not qualified for HUD

but he WAS qualified to be president?!!!! Boggles the mind.

[saltpoint]

37. I'm not sure Ben Carson can find his

way out of a cardboard box, never mind run a government department.

[They_Live]

38. the doctor

could not manage a bag of marbles.

[wisteria]

39. Because, this is just what HUD needs, a retired brain surgeon.