The Financial Crisis Inquiry Report
The Financial Crisis Inquiry Report

Author: Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission

Publisher: Cosimo, Inc.

Published: 2011-05-01

Total Pages: 692

ISBN-13: 1616405414

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The Financial Crisis Inquiry Report, published by the U.S. Government and the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission in early 2011, is the official government report on the United States financial collapse and the review of major financial institutions that bankrupted and failed, or would have without help from the government. The commission and the report were implemented after Congress passed an act in 2009 to review and prevent fraudulent activity. The report details, among other things, the periods before, during, and after the crisis, what led up to it, and analyses of subprime mortgage lending, credit expansion and banking policies, the collapse of companies like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and the federal bailouts of Lehman and AIG. It also discusses the aftermath of the fallout and our current state. This report should be of interest to anyone concerned about the financial situation in the U.S. and around the world.THE FINANCIAL CRISIS INQUIRY COMMISSION is an independent, bi-partisan, government-appointed panel of 10 people that was created to "examine the causes, domestic and global, of the current financial and economic crisis in the United States." It was established as part of the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009. The commission consisted of private citizens with expertise in economics and finance, banking, housing, market regulation, and consumer protection. They examined and reported on "the collapse of major financial institutions that failed or would have failed if not for exceptional assistance from the government."News Dissector DANNY SCHECHTER is a journalist, blogger and filmmaker. He has been reporting on economic crises since the 1980's when he was with ABC News. His film In Debt We Trust warned of the economic meltdown in 2006. He has since written three books on the subject including Plunder: Investigating Our Economic Calamity (Cosimo Books, 2008), and The Crime Of Our Time: Why Wall Street Is Not Too Big to Jail (Disinfo Books, 2011), a companion to his latest film Plunder The Crime Of Our Time. He can be reached online at www.newsdissector.com.

The Functions, Powers and Resources of the Information Commissioner
The Functions, Powers and Resources of the Information Commissioner

Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Justice Committee

Publisher: The Stationery Office

Published: 2013-03-21

Total Pages: 54

ISBN-13: 9780215055354

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The Information Commissioner's responsibilities look set to expand dramatically as a result of EU Data Protection laws and the possible implementation of recommendations about his role made in the Leveson Report. This could result in a funding shortfall of £42.8 million that may have to be paid for by the taxpayer. The removal of the notification fee payable to him by data controllers and other funding cuts could compromise his work unless Government finds a solution. The Information Commissioner has handled more casework and significantly cutting the backlog of freedom of information appeals at the same time as reducing his budget. The funding for freedom of information work was cut by 23% from £5.5 million in 2011-12 to £4.25 million in 2012-13. This report reiterates the Committee's recommendation that the penalties for data protection offences must be increased to provide a more effective deterrent and asks why the Government has not adopted recommendations that custodial sentences should be made available for breaches of section 55 of the Data Protection Act. There are also concerns that a significant number of public sector bodies that handle sensitive private data have refused free audits from the Information Commissioner that could identify security problems in the way they are handling data. The MPs call for compulsory audits to be extended to NHS Trusts and local councils. The Committee also reiterates its view that the Information Commissioner should be granted greater independence from the executive by being made directly responsible to, and funded by, Parliament

Brokering Access
Brokering Access

Author: Mike Larsen

Publisher: UBC Press

Published: 2012-08-10

Total Pages: 402

ISBN-13: 0774823259

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Is the business of public officials any of the public’s business? Most Canadians would argue that it is – that we citizens are entitled to enquire and get answers about our government’s actions. Yet, on a practical level, there still exists a struggle between the public’s quest for accountability and the government’s culture of secrecy. Drawing together the unique perspectives of social scientists, journalists, and access to information (ATI) advocates, Brokering Access explores the history of ATI law and supplies multiple examples of its contemporary application at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels. From restrictions to access of airport security data post-9/11 to censorship under the Access to Information Act to the difficulties of obtaining details on streetscape video surveillance, this book reveals the legal and bureaucratic obstacles citizens face when trying to access government information.