Obama likely to name Wal-Mart Foundation head as budget director
Source: The Hill
Obama likely to name Wal-Mart Foundation head as budget director
By Erik Wasson - 01/25/13 11:01 AM ET
President Obama is likely to announce soon that Sylvia Mathews Burwell will be his next budget director, sources said Friday.
Burwell is a veteran of the Clinton administration, where she served as deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget. She is a close associate of former Clinton Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin and outgoing White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew, who is Obamas pick to be Treasury secretary.
Acting Budget Director Jeff Zients would either return to his previous role as the deputy OMB director overseeing the management of the government or assume a new role, should Burwell get the nod. His name has been mentioned as a possible replacement for U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, who leaves next month. Zients took over the budget role after Lew left OMB to become chief of staff last year.
A key consideration in the Burwell pick might be her gender, given the number of white males Obama has tapped for Cabinet posts in recent week.
Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/budget/279311-obama-likely-to-tap-burwell-to-be-budget-director
goclark
(30,404 posts)TheCowsCameHome
(40,161 posts)Freddie Stubbs
(29,853 posts)MynameisBlarney
(2,979 posts)Really?
Can someone please enlighten me as to why this is a good thing?
Plucketeer
(12,882 posts)Fire Walk With Me
(38,893 posts)A number of charter schools that rely on donations from a charity started by Walmart's founder are questioning whether they should continue accepting the funds in the wake of the Newtown shooting.
The Walton Family Foundation, established by Sam Walton, has given more money to charter schools than any other private donor, Businessweek reports. But some of those schools are reconsidering whether they should take money from a foundation made up of family members who own more than 48 percent of Walmart, which sells more guns than any other retailer in the U.S.
The New Media Middle School in Columbus, Ohio - which has gotten $250,000 in gifts from the foundation -- is one such charter school that doesnt know if accepting the funds is ethically responsible after a gunman took the lives of 20 students and six faculty members at Sandy Hook Elementary School last month.
Its a dilemma, Principal Andrew Sweigard told Businessweek. Its a moral issue. Can we take funding from a company that is linked to a potential disaster in our school? Do we want to associate ourselves with guns?
(More at the link.)
Angry Dragon
(36,693 posts)...if it goes through, I'll be disgusted.
Again.
woodsprite
(11,853 posts)but it's times when he goes and does something like this that I just can't figure out if he's on our side or "riding that yellow line" down the center of the congressional aisle. He seems to be especially that way in his choice of appointments, and it's infuriating! Am I the only one who feels that way? It's the kind of thing that would have made my parents threaten to 'box' my ears.
Walmart!?! UGH!!!
MynameisBlarney
(2,979 posts)It drives me crazy
DogPawsBiscuitsNGrav
(408 posts)someone who promotes low wages and creates jobs that force us into the working poor category. This sure as hell isn't the platform he ran on and it sure as hell isn't what I voted for!
totodeinhere
(13,034 posts)anything but bipartisan.
dreamnightwind
(4,775 posts)gateley
(62,683 posts)Of all the gin joints in the world --- WALMART??? I just don't get it.
Hotler
(11,353 posts)That is why no one from Wall St. has gone to jail. The only reason I voted for the president is because he was less of a tool than Rmoney. Nothing is going to change until we take to the streets by the tens of thousands and protest and shut this country down like they do in the mid-east and europe. it's time to get fighting mad people and take to the streets.
Demeter
(85,373 posts)WRONG, WRONG, WRONG, WRONG, WRONG
Why not get a competent non-connected, career government type person who would have no conflict of interest?
WhoWoodaKnew
(847 posts)FiveGoodMen
(20,018 posts)GeorgeGist
(25,294 posts)I thought this was The Onion.
madrchsod
(58,162 posts)and the republicans still hate him. meanwhile we just shake our heads and say, is that all there is?
"keep dig'n a little deeper in the well,well ,well"
FiveGoodMen
(20,018 posts)Or they pretend to in order to maintain the GoodCop/BadCop shtick that both parties are running against the citizens of this "democracy".
aquart
(69,014 posts)Javaman
(62,439 posts)in Mexico to get wally worlds built down there?
Cha
(295,899 posts)OP.
Javaman
(62,439 posts)Cha
(295,899 posts)the high from the inauguration is wearing off fast
Cha
(295,899 posts)Cha
(295,899 posts)I bet she'll be good at her job.
Burwell hails from Hinton, W.Va. and was a Rhodes scholar at Harvard University. She worked at McKinsey & Co. as a management consultant before joining the Clinton administration.
A Senate GOP source said that Burwells confirmation hearing at the Budget Committee could be rough regardless of her qualifications, given criticism Budget Committee ranking member Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) had made
Thanks kpete
gateley
(62,683 posts)by the OP). I just think it's unfortunate he's choosing someone who has an affiliation with a company that is renowned for its poor treatment of employees and vehemently anti-union. Surely there were others just as qualified who don't carry that particular taint.
Cha
(295,899 posts)knows what he's doing when and if he chooses her. In spite of her association with wal mart. I will not condemn her based on this evidence.
gateley
(62,683 posts)of the citizens.
Other than Walmart, this woman sounds stellar, but I can't help but wonder why she would associate herself with such a company that has such a poor rep when it comes to workers' rights.
Yes, the business model is phenomenal, but what about the people?
The owner of my company told me a story the other day. I'd assumed he probably was a Republican -- owns businesses across the country, etc. I rarely ever see him but he stopped by to say hi. Somehow we got onto politics (I wasn't too comfortable, but what the hell) and it turns out he's a Dem, always has been, LOVES Rachel -- and I noticed he was driving a Prius.
We got on to cars, and he told me that the business he's building in the South of town (from the ground up) he was getting bids from various contractors. One guy came driving up in a Hummer. He said "I'm sorry man, but I just can't hire somebody who drives a Hummer and has no concern for the environment and keeps shoveling money to Big Oil". The guy said "well I just drive it for work -- for the image." And my owner said "and that image tells me you're not concerned about anything other than yourself at the expense of hurting the environment and supporting an empire".
That's how I feel about this woman. Her choice to affiliate herself with Walmart makes me question her judgment.
Cha
(295,899 posts)think he knows more about who he wants for his Budget Director and is privy to more info on her than others who are complaining about it.
Hillary Clinton used to be on WalMart Board of Directors and she didn't turn out so bad.
Hope you don't mind.. I just saw this Pic from Inauguration and am dying to post it.
http://theobamadiary.com/
Interesting story about the Dem and the Prius(good on him) and the SUV guy..thanks, gately.
You're probably right about him not being in a bubble -- but sometimes his choices just baffle me because of the "garbage" they bring with them. Perception is important -- look at those of us who are flying off the handle at this!
And you have an excelent point about Hillary. I'll stand down on the Walmart thing -- but I hate the idea that ANYBODY in Obama's sphere thinks Walmart is okay!
EDITED (twice) because I was mushing this woman together with the woman he's putting forth to head the SEC. I'd better slow down and pay closer attention.
Odin2005
(53,521 posts)Only a little of the money goes to actually helping people, they are tax shelters and PR tools.
L0oniX
(31,493 posts)davsand
(13,420 posts)Hate on Walmart corporation as much as you want--as a union person I'll be happy to lead the lynch mob--but the foundation does good stuff.
Take a look at this article if you want to learn a bit more:
http://www.fastcompany.com/3003605/how-walmart-foundation-innovates-corporate-giving-bigger-impact
Don't write her off.
Laura
Freddie Stubbs
(29,853 posts)Cha
(295,899 posts)Kingofalldems
(38,360 posts)One seems to be all excited.
cheapdate
(3,811 posts)Truly, I deplore what they've done to our country. But the Foundation isn't the corporation -- it's a charity -- and I'm not so blind as to oppose a charitable organization if they do good works. And I won't blindly condemn a person for serving with a charity -- even if I disagree with the source of it's donations.
Catherina
(35,568 posts)ChisolmTrailDem
(9,463 posts)appointments should be drawn from academia and not from capitalist enterprises.