Kmar
Truth is my Bitch
+5,695|6603|132 and Bush

Enough to make you vomit blood. Skip ahead to 3 minutes in for the mind blowing juicy part..

Her responses suggest only one thing, the Fed answers to no one.

# Alan Grayson: Okay. Have you done any investigation concerning the Federal Reserve’s role in deciding not to save Lehman Brothers,
# which led to shockwaves that went through the entire financial system?
# Elizabeth A. Coleman: In that particular area, you know, I don’t feel like to comment on specific investigations,
# but we do not currently have an investigation in that particular area.
# Alan Grayson: All right, what about the $1 trillion-plus expansion of the Federal Reserve’s balance sheet since last September?
# Have you conducted any investigations regarding that?
# Elizabeth A. Coleman: Well, right now, we have a… we call it a review and with the term investigation, we have different connotations.
# We’re actually conducting a fairly high-level review of the various lending facilities collectively, which would include, you know,
# the TOWS, the variety of the different programs that are in process, so we’re looking at them at a fairly high level to identify risks.
# Alan Grayson: Well, I understand that, but we’re talking about events that started unfolding eight months ago.
# Have you reached any conclusions about the Fed expanding its balance sheet by over a trillion dollars since last September?
# Elizabeth A. Coleman: We have not yet reached any conclusions.
# Alan Grayson: Do you know who received that money?
# Elizabeth A. Coleman: For the… we are in the process right now of doing our review and…
# Alan Grayson: Right, but you’re the Inspector General. My question specifically is
# do you know who received that $1 trillion-plus that the Fed extended and put on its balance sheet since last September.
# Do you know the identity of the recipients?
# Elizabeth A. Coleman: I do not know. We have not looked at that specific area at this particular point on those reviews.

# Alan Grayson: (AUDIBLE SIGH)
# Alan Grayson: What about Bloomberg’s report that there are trillions of dollars in off-balance sheet transactions that the Federal Reserve has entered into since last September?
# Are you familiar with those off-balance sheet transactions?
# Elizabeth A. Coleman: You know, I think it may be important at this point to, just to bring up a certain aspect related to our jurisdiction and just to clarify perhaps some of my earlier comments.
# We are the Inspector General for the Board of Governors and we have direct oversight over Board programs and operations
# and we’re also able to look at Board-delegated functions to the Reserve Banks, as well as the Board’s oversight and supervision of the Reserve Bank.
# We do not have jurisdiction to directly go out and audit Reserve Bank activities specifically.
# Nevertheless, in our lending facility projects, for example, we are looking at the Board’s oversight over the programs and to the extent that it extends out to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
# Alan Grayson: Well, I have a copy of the Inspector General Act here in front of me and it says among other things that if you’re responsible,
# you can conduct and supervise audits and investigations relating to the programs and operations of your agency.
# Elizabeth A. Coleman: That’s correct.
# Alan Grayson: So I’m asking you if your agency has in fact, according to Bloomberg, extended $9 trillion in credit,
# which by the way works out to $30,000 for every single men, women, and child in this country. I’d like to know if you’re not responsible for investigating that, who is?
# Elizabeth A. Coleman: We, actually… we have responsibility for the Federal Reserve’s programs and operations, to conduct audits and investigations in that area.
# In terms of who is responsible for investigating… would you mind repeating the question one more time?
# Alan Grayson: What have you done to investigate the off-balance sheet transactions conducted by the Federal Reserve, which according to Bloomberg now?
# Elizabeth A. Coleman: I’ll have to look specifically at that Bloomberg article. I’m not… I don’t know if I have actually seen that particular one.
# Alan Grayson: That’s not the point. The question is have you done any investigation or auditing of off-balance sheet transactions conducted by the Federal Reserve?
# Elizabeth A. Coleman: At this point, we’re conducting our lending facility project at a fairly high level
# and have not gotten to a specific level of detail to really be in a position to respond to your question.
# Alan Grayson: Have you conducted any investigation or auditing of the losses that the Federal Reserve has experienced on its lending since last September?
# Elizabeth A. Coleman: We are still in the process of conducting that review. Until we actually, you know, go out and gather the information, I’m not in a position to really respond to this specific question.
# Alan Grayson: So are you telling me that nobody at the Federal Reserve is keeping track on a regular basis of the losses that it incurs on what is now a $2 trillion portfolio?
# Elizabeth A. Coleman: I don’t know if… you’re telling me that there’s… you’re… missing… that there are losses.
# I’m just saying that we’re not… until we actually look at the program and have the information, we are not in a position to say whether there are losses or to respond in any other way to that question.
# Alan Grayson: Mr. Chairman, my time is up, but I have to tell you honestly, I am shocked to find out that nobody at the Federal Reserve including the Inspector General is keeping track of this.
# Mr. Chairman: All right. Thank you, gentleman and…
Out   of    control. SOOOO much unaccounted for and they have no answer... seems like these audits are insanely overdue. Maybe we should put the next stimulus on hold until it's sorted? The most disturbing part of this interview is that she seems completely shocked by the question.. as if the idea of accounting for their actions is a ridiculous thought.
Xbone Stormsurgezz
Kmar
Truth is my Bitch
+5,695|6603|132 and Bush

Ron Paul gets it right here.
http://www.opencongress.org/articles/vi … it-the-Fed

Year after year in Congress, Rep. Ron Paul [R, TX-14] has introduced a bill to abolish the Fed (H.R. 833). Though the bill has a dedicated network of citizen supporters – see the End the Fed network – it has never made any legislative progress or gained a single co-sponsor.

This year, however, Paul has introduced a toned-down version, along with the original, that is gaining co-sponsors quickly and could actually get a vote this session — the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009. The co-sponsor list, currently at 58, is strongly bipartisan. It includes progressive Democrats like Rep. Alan Grayson [D, FL-8] and Rep. Henry Waxman [D, CA-30], Blue Dogs like Rep. Gene Taylor [D, MS-4] and Rep. Collin Peterson [D, MN-7], and conservatives like Rep. Michele Bachmann [R, MN-6] and Rep. Scott Garrett [R, NJ-5].

Far from ending the Fed, the bill calls for a full Government Accountability Office (GAO) audit of the central bank to be completed before the end of 2010 and submitted to Congress for review.

Current U.S. Code protects the Fed’s secrecy in several important areas (31 USC 714 – Sec. 714):

    Audits of the Federal Reserve Board and Federal reserve banks may not include – (1) transactions for or with a foreign central bank, government of a foreign country, or nonprivate international financing organization; (2) deliberations, decisions, or actions on monetary policy matters, including discount window operations, reserves of member banks, securities credit, interest on deposits, and open market operations; (3) transactions made under the direction of the Federal Open Market Committee; or (4) a part of a discussion or communication among or between members of the Board of Governors and officers and employees of the Federal Reserve System related to clauses (1)-(3) of this subsection.

All of these barriers to access would be eliminated by Rep. Paul’s bill.

In the past year or so, the Federal Reserve has given banks more than $2 trillion in loan guarantees in an attempt to forestall the economic crisis. But information on where all this money has gone and what kind of securities the Fed has accepted in exchange is unavailable. Since the Fed is a quasi-public institution, they aren’t obliged to tell us, even though they are pushing around public money. “The contrast is pretty clear,” says Sen. Bernard Sanders [I, VT], who is sponsoring the Senate version (S.604), “if you want to know who received the money under TARP, go to the website, it’s there. If you want to know who received the money from the Fed, it ain’t there.”

In the Politico, Ron Paul writes, “if this audit reveals what I suspect and Congress has finally had enough, it can also pass my legislation to abolish the Federal Reserve.” Whether you support ending the Fed, like Ron Paul, or fixing the Fed in order to restore the health of our financial system, finding out what the Fed is up to – and where they have been failing – is essential to moving forward. It may sound trite, but transparency is crucial for solving our economic crisis.

One more thing: OpenCongress user emarble left a comment on the bill text suggesting a simple improvement:

    In addition to increased congressional oversight, it would be nice if this provision included “all citizens who request it.” I propose the report on the audit be made available to the general public in electronic form, thereby making the Federal Reserve completely transparent.
This is the bill
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h1207/show
Overdue
Xbone Stormsurgezz
ATG
Banned
+5,233|6531|Global Command
Annnnnnnnnnd people wonder why I want these asshole lined up and shot.


As I have been saying, this is financial crime on a historical level.

People should be terrified that Obama is vastly increasing the powers of the fed. But I'm crazy.
King_County_Downy
shitfaced
+2,791|6599|Seattle

I've been saying it for years... The USA will collapse from the inside. It won't be terrorists or N. Korea..China...etc. It's corporate greed that will kill us from within. So much money is wasted and evaporated into thin air....
Sober enough to know what I'm doing, drunk enough to really enjoy doing it
mcgid1
Meh...
+129|6718|Austin, TX/San Antonio, TX
I'm sorry....how the HELL do you give away more tha a TRILLION DOLLARS and not know WHO THE HELL IT WENT TO!?!?  This is not information you should have to go out and gather after the fact!  You should know, before you distribure a TRILLION DOLLARS, exactly where it is going.  If you don't, then at the very least you should recieve the same punishment Madoff got for losing/scamming a mere few billion.
Mekstizzle
WALKER
+3,611|6623|London, England
It's not like it matters you guys can continue to make trillions of dollars and do massive gigantic stimulus plans and give it out to everyone, and the only way it'll stop is when the international community say enough is enough and the US can't continue acting like it's super rich funding giant lasers and shit.
ATG
Banned
+5,233|6531|Global Command
Here it is; a step by step blueprint for the destruction of America.
http://townhall.com/columnists/LarryKel … a_crack-up
KEN-JENNINGS
I am all that is MOD!
+2,973|6634|949

ATG et al. calling for the abolishment of the Fed - any plan on what will fill the void?

As for Ron Paul's new bill, it's certainly a nice thought knowing that our dear Congress is interested in signing a piece of paper to try to fool the public into thinking they have our best interests in mind.  These are the same politicians that agreed to TARP, auto bailouts, NAFTA, the depletion of an industrial base in the US over the last 50+ years, etc. - how and why should I be convinced that these people miracously had a change of ideology and have my (and the American public's) best interests in mind?  They are some of the guardians of the system, a buffer between 'the people' (the American public at large) and 'the man' (concentrated capital).  These people (Congress) don't have my interests in mind any more than they care about allocating my money to a sector of the economy that creates nothing of value and in fact artificially inflates prices of real goods (financial sector).  Maybe Ron Paul does altruistically want some accountability from the organized criminal enterprise known as the FED, but it doesn't change the fact that I am jaded as hell as to the intentions and workings of Congress.  I'll believe that Congress has my (and the American public's) best interests in mind and not the interests of concentrated capital as has been the reality since I've been alive.

Here's a thought - Congress gets to decide what to do with our money so long as we get to decide what the politicians do with their money.
Deadmonkiefart
Floccinaucinihilipilificator
+177|6708
They lost a trillion dollars aka $3,333 USD for every man, woman and child in America.  Oly Fucking Fuck.  They're a bunch of corrupt bastards who deserve to die, and they're not just stealing from every person in the country; they're stealing from future generations.  I find it interesting that the former employee of Goldman Sachs, now secretary treasury wouldn't let Goldman Sachs go under, but did allow its competitor, Lehman Brothers go bankrupt.  Also, not only did Goldman Sachs receive a disproportionate amount of the bailout, they also got to be classified as a bank holding company so that they got even more funds.

Last edited by Deadmonkiefart (2009-07-15 12:19:35)

Kmar
Truth is my Bitch
+5,695|6603|132 and Bush

KEN-JENNINGS wrote:

ATG et al. calling for the abolishment of the Fed - any plan on what will fill the void?

As for Ron Paul's new bill, it's certainly a nice thought knowing that our dear Congress is interested in signing a piece of paper to try to fool the public into thinking they have our best interests in mind.  These are the same politicians that agreed to TARP, auto bailouts, NAFTA, the depletion of an industrial base in the US over the last 50+ years, etc. - how and why should I be convinced that these people miracously had a change of ideology and have my (and the American public's) best interests in mind?  They are some of the guardians of the system, a buffer between 'the people' (the American public at large) and 'the man' (concentrated capital).  These people (Congress) don't have my interests in mind any more than they care about allocating my money to a sector of the economy that creates nothing of value and in fact artificially inflates prices of real goods (financial sector).  Maybe Ron Paul does altruistically want some accountability from the organized criminal enterprise known as the FED, but it doesn't change the fact that I am jaded as hell as to the intentions and workings of Congress.  I'll believe that Congress has my (and the American public's) best interests in mind and not the interests of concentrated capital as has been the reality since I've been alive.

Here's a thought - Congress gets to decide what to do with our money so long as we get to decide what the politicians do with their money.
Be jaded as hell. It doesn't change the fact that we need more transparency. Coleman seemed completely thrown off by the fact that she was getting questioned. It's obvious to me that we need more of these questions. Self audits aren't cutting it. Paul has tried to push this bill through several times... the only reason it has a chance now is that it is a toned down version. We have to continue to expose the problems. What we do with the crooks when they are exposed? Not sure, but outing these assholes is the first step.
Xbone Stormsurgezz
KEN-JENNINGS
I am all that is MOD!
+2,973|6634|949

Transparency in an inherently corrupt system: yeah OK, I guess
Ilocano
buuuurrrrrrppppp.......
+341|6669

KEN-JENNINGS wrote:

Transparency in an inherently corrupt system: yeah OK, I guess
It's a start.  Much like the Freedom of Information Act.  Sharpie use a plenty, but it gets the ball rolling.
FEOS
Bellicose Yankee Air Pirate
+1,182|6413|'Murka

mcgid1 wrote:

I'm sorry....how the HELL do you give away more tha a TRILLION DOLLARS and not know WHO THE HELL IT WENT TO!?!?  This is not information you should have to go out and gather after the fact!  You should know, before you distribure a TRILLION DOLLARS, exactly where it is going.  If you don't, then at the very least you should recieve the same punishment Madoff got for losing/scamming a mere few billion.
Hey. C'mon now. A trillion is a lot. There's gobs of zeroes. You can't expect people to do that kind of math at the drop of a hat. There'd be addition and subtraction...maybe even long division. Remainders. God forbid currency conversion.

Just what the fuck do you expect? They aren't Superman. Hell, they aren't even The Tick.
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
― Albert Einstein

Doing the popular thing is not always right. Doing the right thing is not always popular
ATG
Banned
+5,233|6531|Global Command
Did anybody actually watch the video?

There are talking about more like 10 trillion in " off balance sheet assets " whatevathefuckthat means.
Catbox
forgiveness
+505|6718
and here is a great article on Goldman Sachs in Rolling Stone
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/st … _machine/4
Love is the answer
Kmar
Truth is my Bitch
+5,695|6603|132 and Bush

FEOS wrote:

mcgid1 wrote:

I'm sorry....how the HELL do you give away more tha a TRILLION DOLLARS and not know WHO THE HELL IT WENT TO!?!?  This is not information you should have to go out and gather after the fact!  You should know, before you distribure a TRILLION DOLLARS, exactly where it is going.  If you don't, then at the very least you should recieve the same punishment Madoff got for losing/scamming a mere few billion.
Hey. C'mon now. A trillion is a lot. There's gobs of zeroes. You can't expect people to do that kind of math at the drop of a hat. There'd be addition and subtraction...maybe even long division. Remainders. God forbid currency conversion.

Just what the fuck do you expect? They aren't Superman. Hell, they aren't even The Tick.
I'm pretty sure I detect some sarcasm.. but I think the point is to get these things in check, long before gobs of zeros. I balance my bank account monthly and yes, if I waited and did it only once a year it certainly would be a headache.
Xbone Stormsurgezz
ATG
Banned
+5,233|6531|Global Command

[TUF]Catbox wrote:

and here is a great article on Goldman Sachs in Rolling Stone
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/st … _machine/4
Oh my God that was hard to read.

Why are these people not in jail?

Somebody needs to do something dramatic here to set things to right, if the government fails to reel in these terrorist.
FEOS
Bellicose Yankee Air Pirate
+1,182|6413|'Murka

Kmarion wrote:

FEOS wrote:

mcgid1 wrote:

I'm sorry....how the HELL do you give away more tha a TRILLION DOLLARS and not know WHO THE HELL IT WENT TO!?!?  This is not information you should have to go out and gather after the fact!  You should know, before you distribure a TRILLION DOLLARS, exactly where it is going.  If you don't, then at the very least you should recieve the same punishment Madoff got for losing/scamming a mere few billion.
Hey. C'mon now. A trillion is a lot. There's gobs of zeroes. You can't expect people to do that kind of math at the drop of a hat. There'd be addition and subtraction...maybe even long division. Remainders. God forbid currency conversion.

Just what the fuck do you expect? They aren't Superman. Hell, they aren't even The Tick.
I'm pretty sure I detect some sarcasm.. but I think the point is to get these things in check, long before gobs of zeros. I balance my bank account monthly and yes, if I waited and did it only once a year it certainly would be a headache.
Yeah. There was sarcasm. I cannot even comprehend the level of incompetency that would lead an IG to think she could testify before Congress without knowing at a minimum where the money went. Since they don't know, they can all be fired and replaced with competent people who would be no worse off on day one, but would likely be 100% better by day two.
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
― Albert Einstein

Doing the popular thing is not always right. Doing the right thing is not always popular
Zukabazuka
Member
+23|6687
Amazing really, small companies do small crimes like giving out black jobs or whats it called, that is they don't have to pay tax on the worker. If they get busted its pretty bad for them, here 3-10 trillion dollar and they don't know where it went and so far nothing has been done to them. =/ Real smooth there real smooth.
Freke1
I play at night... mostly
+47|6549|the best galaxy

[TUF]Catbox wrote:

and here is a great article on Goldman Sachs in Rolling Stone
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/st … _machine/4
thanks for the link.

This guy actually predicted the crach: http://www.youtube.com/user/manoftruth
and has some good economic insight I think. There are others on Youtube. But they all complain about how nobody listen.

The women in the video doesn't seem evil or stupid but she doesn't shout: "What the hell happend with all this money" either. Why are ppl like that?
I don't get it.
https://bf3s.com/sigs/7d11696e2ffd4edeff06466095e98b0fab37462c.png
Kmar
Truth is my Bitch
+5,695|6603|132 and Bush

FEOS wrote:

Kmarion wrote:

FEOS wrote:

Hey. C'mon now. A trillion is a lot. There's gobs of zeroes. You can't expect people to do that kind of math at the drop of a hat. There'd be addition and subtraction...maybe even long division. Remainders. God forbid currency conversion.

Just what the fuck do you expect? They aren't Superman. Hell, they aren't even The Tick.
I'm pretty sure I detect some sarcasm.. but I think the point is to get these things in check, long before gobs of zeros. I balance my bank account monthly and yes, if I waited and did it only once a year it certainly would be a headache.
Yeah. There was sarcasm. I cannot even comprehend the level of incompetency that would lead an IG to think she could testify before Congress without knowing at a minimum where the money went. Since they don't know, they can all be fired and replaced with competent people who would be no worse off on day one, but would likely be 100% better by day two.
I think I'm in the minority with this, and at the risk of sounding naive, I really think that some of this disaster is the result of a lot of people just really sucking at their job. Most people are quick to say this is designed destruction at the hands of a few Dr. Evil types, and to a degree I think this is true. However, I don't think this is all the result of a conspired plan. This is especially true in the private sector. Extremely poor decision making and promoting incompetents has become the norm.
Xbone Stormsurgezz
Harmor
Error_Name_Not_Found
+605|6550|San Diego, CA, USA
So you're saying a bunch of idiots are running around with a infinite-printing machine on our backs?
Flecco
iPod is broken.
+1,048|6667|NT, like Mick Dundee

Harmor wrote:

So you're saying a bunch of idiots are running around with a infinite-printing machine on our backs?
Sounds about right.
Whoa... Can't believe these forums are still kicking.
Kmar
Truth is my Bitch
+5,695|6603|132 and Bush

Harmor wrote:

So you're saying a bunch of idiots are running around with a infinite-printing machine on our backs?
I'm saying it is combination of factors, and that focusing on one single element will not solve the entirety of the problem.
Xbone Stormsurgezz
Harmor
Error_Name_Not_Found
+605|6550|San Diego, CA, USA
I want to know what's exactly going to happen when interest rates and inflation goes up.  I know interest rates dampen the economy because borrowing money is expensive, but inflation, as long as your income goes up as fast, is good if you own property, right?

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