Green Jobs Czar vs Glenn Beck

Van Jones, a black activist who has been appointed Obama’s Green Jobs Czar, gained his political experience as a radical environmentalist. He bragged in a 2005 interview that he was using environmentalism to fight for racial and class justice. He was so angered by the Rodney King riots of 1992 that he became a communist. Since then he has worked with /or founded a number of radical groups:
• STORM – or Standing Together to Organize a Revolutionary Movement, primarily black group advocating “third world Marxism”
• The Apollo Alliance – a coalition of labor, business, community leaders, and environmental groups favoring a “green” revolution
• Green for All – an activist environmental organization with mostly black membership
• Colors of Change – an activist group organized to "strengthen Black America's political voice"

Colors of Change is the group that persuaded many advertisers to withdraw their ads from Glenn Beck’s popular television show on Fox News. The show has done several segments recently that were critical of both President Obama and Van Jones.

Has the Chicago way has moved to DC?

Government of, by, and for the Czars, Part II

Finally, I have a more complete list of Obama’s Czars as of July 15. I have read, but not verified, that each one was hired at $172,000 per year. No one seems to know about the cost of their office staffs, rent, and equipment. Nor do they know where their offices are located or how to contact them. But what really should concern citizens is the fact that these appointees will be fashioning regulations that will control our lives, but they are answerable to no one except President Obama. Neither the voters nor their representatives have any input into their selection or oversight.

In an effort to counteract Obama’s moves, Jack Kingston (R GA) introduced the Czar Accountability and Reform Act (CZAR) in the House last Thursday. It would prohibit the use of government funds to pay the salaries and expenses of the czars or their staffs. The question is whether Nancy Pelosi will even allow it to reach the floor for a vote.

Af-Pak - Richard Holbrooke
AIDS - Jeffrey Crowley
Border - Alan Bersin
Car - Ron Bloom
Climate - Todd Stern
Copyright - Not yet named
Cybersecurity - Not yet named
Domestic Violence - Lynn Rosenthal
Drug - Gil Kerlikowske
Economic - Paul Volcker
Education - Not yet named
Energy - Carol Browner
Executive Pay Rate - Kenneth Feinberg
Faith Based - Joshua DuBois
Great Lakes - Cameron Davis
Green Jobs - Van Jones
Guantamano Closure - Daniel Fried
Health Reform - Nancy Ann DeParle
Info Tech - Vivek Kundra
Iran - Not yet named
Mideast Peace - George Mitchell
Mortgage - Not yet named
Persian Gulf and Southwest Asia - Dennis Ross
Regulatory - Cass Sunstein
Safe Schools - Kevin Jennings
Science - John Holdren
Stimulus Accountability - Earl Devaney
Sudan - J. Scott Gration
TARP - Herb Allison
Technology - Aneesh Chopra
Terrorism - John Brennan
Urban Affairs - Adolfo Carrion, Jr.
Weapons - Ashton Carter
Weapons Mass Destruction - Gary Samore

Previously, I mention a couple of things about the science czar, John Holdren. Go to A Czar Too Far to if you wish to read more about him.

Great Minds Run Together Again

After I posted about John Holdren's unsavory ideas yesterday morning, Sean Hannity featured him last night on his Fox News show as he also discussed Obama's czars. Sean added a few more details, such as Holdren's belief that people who deny Global Warming should be prosecuted. You can read about it here.

Speaking of Czars, I neglected to mention Obama's Car Czar, Steve Rattner, who resigned yesterday. Please add comments if you know of others I missed. I'd like to keep an up-to-date list of our new ruling elite.

Government of, by, and for The Czars

Obama has named at least 21 czars that greatly increase the power of the Executive Branch of our government. None of these people face hearings or confirmations; their sole allegience is to the president. It is such a massive power grab that even Robert Byrd left his sick-bed long enough to pronounce the moves, which are outside of congressional oversight, violate the Constitution.

A president may have as many advisors as he wishes, however the Constitution does not provide for executive “czars” who directly dictate policy, such as Feinberg who will approve of executive pay for any business that receives government money.

After a two-hour search of the Internet I found the names and positions of 21, but I am not certain my list is complete. They are:

Af-Pak: Richard Holbrooke
Border: Alan Bersin
Cars: was Steve Rattner
Climate: Todd Stern
Cybersecurity: Rod A. Beckstrom
Drug: Gil Kerlikowske
Energy: Carol Browner
Executive Pay Rate: Kenneth Feinberg
Faith Based: Joshua DuBois
Guantamano Closure: Daniel Fried
Health Reform: Nancy Ann DeParle
Info Tech: Vivek Kundra
Mideast Peace: George Mitchell
Non proliferation: Gary Samore
Persian Gulf and Southwest Asia: Dennis Ross
Regulatory: Cass Sunstein
Science: John Holdren
Stimulus Accountability: Earl Devaney
Sudan: J. Scott Gration
TARP: Herb Allison
Terrorism: John Brennan
Urban: Adolfo Carrion, Jr.

Little is known about their backgrounds, about their direction from the President, or about the exact scope of their power. For example, few people know that John Holdren has co-authored a book praising forced abortions and mass sterilization, that his Cyber Security Czar claims to know nothing about IT, or that his energy czar is a member of the Socialist International who believes in one world government.

Next time, let's test the candidates for President on their understanding of basic civics and the Constitution. And maybe we need to re-read the Tenth Amendment ourselves.

Another Week, Another Czar

The administration is ready to appoint its twentieth Czar; this one will be in charge of compensation in private businesses. The public relations spin is that this person is needed only to protect taxpayers who have bailed out banks, insurance, and automobile manufacturers from evil executives there who might over pay themselves. It’s just to protect the little people.

But already hints are emerging that the Pay Czar will also issue “guidelines” to “assist” other companies in designing their compensation packages. The Federal Reserve is openly mentioning the perceived need for bank rules, even for banks not involved in TARP, to restrict pay for executives to avoid bank failure. The policy creep for areas of bureaucratic control will slowly, continually enlarge until it’s forcibly stopped by legislation. As you know, that seldom occurs.

Of course, free market capitalism does all of this without government interference or expenditure of taxpayer money. But now that the government is in charge of major US industries and reaching for control of others, the need for a czar apparently has emerged.

So we get to pay for yet another well-heeled, powerful executive and his staff who are accountable to no one except President Obama. Don’t you just love government of the people, by the people, and for the people?

Another Czar? (Up Dated)

It’s hard to keep up with all of the czars that Obama has appointed since January 20. According to Fox News, there were 18 back in the middle of April, so the new Cyber Czar will make at least 19. I appreciate the need for increased need for the security of the Internet. Our country is totally dependent on it now for business, for news, and for personal use.

But, I am more than a little concerned that these czars answer to no one except Obama. They are not subject to Congressional or public oversight. It could easily be (or become) an end run around the separation of powers that has served the United States well up until now. What if one or more of the czars acts AGAINST the public?

If you're interested in more analysis of the Cyber Czar position, read Big Hollywood's
Gary Graham's article.

As Lord Acton said, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”