To Restore Trust in Government, Slow Wall Street's... - By Sen Tammy Baldwin & Hillary Clinton

[DonViejo]

To Restore Trust in Government, Slow Wall Street's Revolving Door

One of our nation's greatest strengths is that we are governed by each other -- what President Lincoln celebrated as "a government of the people, by the people, and for the people."

But increasingly, Americans' trust in government is eroding. And a big reason for that is the so-called revolving door between government and the private sector.

Inviting outside voices into government is often a good thing. When public servants have experience beyond Washington, they bring new ideas, new perspectives, and new knowledge to the work of governing this huge, complicated country of ours. Some of America's most dedicated public servants got their start in technology, business, academia, or other fields. Most of the time, that private-sector experience is an asset, not a liability.

But in some cases, it can affect the public trust -- for example, if a public servant's past and future are tied to the financial industry. That's when people start worrying that the foxes are guarding the hen house.

The American people need to be able to trust that every single person in Washington -- from the President of the United States all the way down to agency employees -- is putting the interests of the people first.

more
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hillary-clinton/wall-street-revolving-door_b_8064504.html?1441031416

[ismnotwasm]

1. K&R

[1StrongBlackMan]

3. Ahhh ...

that rare space where reality and policy meet.

This is a good Bill ... it recognizes that the expertise one gains working in the private sector (specifically, banking, in this case) does not/should not forever taint one from public service.

But I suspect, too many here, live in a world where Denver should have passed on Manning ... because he did a great job in Indie.

[Armstead]

13. There are good smart people who are not...

Greedy fucks.

Instead of a whole two years.....How about some politicians who appoint people who aren't in the revolving door? Who don't come from the Corporate Farm and are not looking to join the millionaires club after public service.

And to forestall your inevitable "yeah right you'll get really qualufied people that way" I am not suggesting people starve after govt service.....But there's a difference between making a good living and being part of the Brass Ring Club where you kiss ass in office and then cash in afterwards.

That cronyism helped to screw the economy and government. Do we really want to perpetuate the same folks thus time? I guess some do.

[1StrongBlackMan]

14. Are you really saying having a successful career and gaining expertise ...

in the highly technical area of banking makes one, or is a sign that someone is a greedy fuck?

But there's a difference between making a good living and being part of the Brass Ring Club where you kiss ass in office and then cash in afterwards.

Your idealism is starting to look like envy.

[Armstead]

15. No. That's not what I am saying at all

There are plenty of good people who work in banking and finance, including ones who do quite well financially.

However, the middle is being hollowed out and we have allowed the creation of a "hyper economy" in which wealth has become obscenely concentrated. In part it's a matter of social and ethical values (or lack of them) and a loss of perspective -- and it's also a systemic problem in which this is enabled and encouraged. A New Gilded Age.

Once there was a healthier mix of small, mid-sized and large banks. But we allowed the big banks to swallow up the smaller and mid-sized ones in a geometric pattern, leading to the present situation with a handful of "too big to fail" banks. So you have mega institutions where a few people are living in a stratosphere, and the middle manager and front line jobs either disappear or pay dogshit.

If we, as a nation, had said "Enough is Enough" and stopped this through antitrust and otehr regulations in the past we would not have such a situation today. But we didn't -- and we turned over the store to people who bought into it.


If you think that doesn't matter -- and we should continue to enable it, and populate government with people who support that economic polarization, obviously I wonlt change your mind.

But don't ascribe motives such as "envy" or "hater" to those who think we should do something to change it.

[1StrongBlackMan]

16. Okay. n/t

[jmondine]

2. How about Getting Rid Of the Fucking Door?

Enough with half-assed measures. Let's make college "debt free" instead of free. Make health care "affordable" instead of guaranteed. "Slow" carbon emissions rather than eliminating fossil fuels.

I am not inspired by "Let's take some small steps that might make some progress in making our problems less worse."

[roguevalley]

4. 'slow' anything leaves me cold. we have no time left to fuck around

[HappyPlace]

5. Are we to now believe that Clinton is taking up the fight against Wall Street?

[Skwmom]

6. Oh yeah, that should really restore the faith.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. Was this missage approved by her corporate donors?

[Juicy_Bellows]

8. What a pantload.

From the link -

Right now, government employees entrusted with oversight are required by law to recuse themselves from any cases involving their former employers for one year. That's not long enough. This bill would bump it up to two years. And for people leaving government service, this bill would prevent them from taking a job at a company they oversaw until at least two years have passed.

Two years..... fucking weld the door shut!

[Thinkingabout]

9. Well, Hillary has been out of the Senate for a few years now and not a lot has happened.

[whatchamacallit]

10. Wink wink

Steaming log.

[Fumesucker]

11. The last two words of the title made me startle the dog

Thanks, I needed that.

[Armstead]

12. Hahahahahahahahaha....That's a good one

a real
knee slapper

[HereSince1628]

17. Look, over there!!! It's a revolving door! Forget about us indentured servants of the oligarchs!

Want the people's trust restored in a government that represents and serves the will of -all-?

KILL CITIZENS UNITED

[tavalon]

18. Wow, how very half assed

Money out of politics - Now. Universal health care - Now. Arrest Wall Street criminals en mass - Now. No revolving door between the wolves and the sheep (I think we know who is whom) - Now. Clamp down on police violence and the militarization of the same - Now.

There you go, Madame Clinton. I just wrote your platform.