Daily Archives: 17 March 2009

Peter Schiff V-log on the current market rally and the Fed

More Change We Can Believe In: The End of Farmers Markets

“What this will do is force anyone who produces food of any kind, and then transports it to a different location for sale, to register with a new federal agency called the ‘Food Safety Administration.’ Even growers who sell just fruit and/or vegetables at farmers markets would not only have to register, but they would be subject inspections by federal agents of their property and all records related to food production. The frequency of these inspections will be determined by the whim of the Food Safety Administration. Mandatory ‘safety’ records would have to be kept. Anyone who fails to register and comply with all of this nonsense could be facing a fine of up to $1,000,000 per violation.”

“Update: The Husband of the Bill’s Sponsor Does Work for Monsanto

Rosa DeLauro (D- CT) is married to Stanley B. Greenberg.

Here’s a bio on Greenberg:

Stanley B. Greenberg is Chairman and CEO of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research.

He has served as polling advisor to President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore, Prime Minister Tony Blair, Presidents Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki, Prime Minister Ehud Barak, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, President Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada of Bolivia and their national campaigns.

Greenberg provides strategic advice and research for companies, organizations and campaigns trying to advance their issues amid shifting social currents. . . .

His private sector clients include BP, Boeing, Monsanto, Comverse, Sun Microsystems, United HealthCare, the Business Roundtable, and the organizing committee for the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

—END UPDATE—” (Read more from cryptogon.com)

Obama extends sanctions against Iran

More change we can believe in.

“Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:07:06 GMT

The US has extended a set of sanctions against Iran for another year over claims that Tehran is still a threat to US national security.

‘The actions and policies of the Government of Iran are contrary to the interests of the United States in the region and pose a continuing unusual and extraordinary threat’ to US national security and the US economy, President Barack Obama said in a Thursday message to Congress.” (Read more from atheonews.blogspot.com)

Four largest TARP recipients spent billions on ‘questionable transactions’

Corruption is an inevitable and predictable consequence of the marriage between government and the private sector. The hands-off approach would have simple, and simply effective. Irresponsible companies would go bankrupt. Responsible ones would survive.

“Rather than using federal bailout money to reinvigorate lending to consumers, some banks that received funds from TARP have spent it on questionable items that have done little to improve the health of the country’s financial sector but have certainly helped out foreign economies such as Dubai and China.

For instance, Citigroup Inc, which received $50 billion in Troubled Asset Relief Program funds, made an $8 billion December loan, not to an American entity, but to a Dubai public sector company, according to a newly released Monday memo by Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), chairman of the House Domestic Policy Subcommittee.

The Goldman Sachs Group, which received $10 billion in TARP funds at the end of October, saw fit to spend $2 billion earlier in the year on the repurchase of company stock, which resulted in an increase in company share price.” (Read more from rawstory.com)