"Today the committee continues its oversight of the Federal Government's use of suspension and debarment ... Suspension and debarment can be an effective tool for Federal agencies to ensure contractor performance. Unfortunately, as we will hear today, the suspension and debarment tool often goes unused ... In February of last year, we held a hearing on the operation and use of the Excluded Parties List System. We found that some Government agencies were ignoring Federal regulations by awarding funds to businesses that had been suspended or debarred. We also found that Federal agencies took far too long to suspend or debar, if they did it at all. Now, a year later, it seems little has changed."--P. 1-2.
Bruce Gauthier was strung along for years as a child and told to believe in Santa Claus. There were whispers about a big payout on Christmas Day, but really, its all just a lie. As an adult, he realized that those who tell you to rely on the stock market for retirement are just like the people who lie about the man in the big red suit. The only difference is that the stakes are much higher. Canada's national newspaper, The Globe and Mail, called the book one "of the years best writing on personal finance, market behaviour and investing strategies." The Globe's David Parkinson gave this review: "Just in time for Christmas comes a book that says having faith in financial markets to deliver your retirement security is as stupid as believing in Santa Claus. (Read it to the kids. Itll be a real eye-opener once they stop crying.) Toronto resident Bruce Gauthier is no financial expert just another regular Joe whose nest egg has floundered in the hands of the financial industry. Like the kid who found out theres no Santa, he feels betrayed, lied to. At times hes paranoid and irrational, seeing conspiracy theories all over the place. But beneath it all, there may be more truth here than most of us are comfortable admitting. His rants about regulatory oversight, stock options and short-selling are over the top, but they address some hard questions that maybe we all ought to be asking. Plus, its a strangely cathartic read I feel like hes more than angry enough for the both of us. Santa Claus Is Alive and Well and Living on Wall Street is not for financiers, brokers, investment advisers, or anyone with access to inside information from Wall Street. Instead, its for the everyday worker who wants to protect their retirement savings.
It all began with the dream. Ever since I was young, I had wanted to be somebody who participated in the cultural conversation, rather than just observe it. I was determine to be one of those who made the culture. I didn't know what I wanted to make, I didn't know what I wanted to say, but I knew I wanted to 'join the conversation', and help shape the culture. However, there were a few problems. Firstly, I didn't know how to get into those exclusive places where they make the culture, i.e. TV studios, Hollywood, established record labels, or at least your local radio station. I knew nobody who had any connection to that world, and it seemed like most people in that world were connected with each other. In other words, it seemed that you had to 'know the right people' to 'get the entry ticket'. Secondly, well, I'm trans. And back in the 1990s and 2000s, there certainly weren't any trans people I knew of, in those exclusive places where they made the culture.
This book is an extension of the author's last book (Crisis and Sustainability: The Delusion of Free Markets, Palgrave Macmillan, 2017) and sheds light on the evolution of the financial system after the 2007/08 crisis and on changes and developments in the regulatory framework that have taken place concurrently over the last ten years. The book’s central theme addresses the neoliberal philosophy of financial regulation and, in particular, the role of self-regulating markets in the finance sector and how this has affected incentives and behaviour within the finance sector. The author contends that neoliberal maxims have led us to believe that market-based finance is superior to, and safer than, a more rules-based regulatory regime for the sector, and then explains that experience suggests otherwise. The huge expansion of ‘financialization’ in the developed economies over the last two decades has greatly magnified the risks emanating from the impact of highly leveraged, risk averse, under-regulated finance on other sectors of these economies. The author concludes that financial institutions need to be encouraged to operate within a more socially responsible matrix that facilitates and promotes long-term economic growth coupled with social stability.
This is the story of my journey, as an LGBT author and singer-songwriter navigating the ever-changing media landscape, and constant cultural upheavals of the early 21st century. My journey towards embracing a positive attitude to life, to our differences, and to the world in general. I have chosen to tell my story in the hope that it will inspire others, and I hope that more people do this too. I am grateful to the stories of other people, and their life journeys, for inspiring me over the years, and getting me through hard times. Life is interesting, and what we learn from it can be unexpected. I wish to contribute to the vast pool of stories already out there, in the hope that one day, my story could be useful to another person out there, who needs a bit of inspiration. This book combines content from my 2021 works 'A Trans Popstar's Story: Being Trans and Chasing Dreams During Quarterlife', 'Eight Lessons from my Quarter Life Period' and 'The Background and Context of Moral Libertarianism' to paint a complete picture of my journey so far.
THE DEVILS MARRIAGE BREAK UP THE CORPOCRACY OR LEAVE DEMOCRACY IN THE LURCH America is becoming a ruiNation. The reason, well-known psychologist Dr. Gary Brumback, tells us is the corpocracy, the Devils Marriage between powerful corporations and patronizing politicians. He proposes Democracy Power, a revolutionary but civil, peaceful force to break up the corpocracy. Gary Brumback's passion for social and economic justice shines through every page of his new book. He tells it as he sees it, mincing no words. He shows how essential it is for us to change the rules of the game so that we may break the ties that bind corporations and government -- and move to a more equitable and sustainable future. ---Riane Eisler, author of The Chalice and The Blade and The Real Wealth of Nations. "A refreshing, exuberant read, full of sock-it-to-them creative insights about how corpocracy in the US has subverted democracy and what to do about it. This book is a political version of On the Road"-- a passionate out flowing of analysis, critique and transformative strategies, including a vision of a national coalition of NGOs and movements uniting to challenge the corpocracy, spearheaded by a US Chamber of Democracy. Not for the faint of heart but red meat for progressives and activists everywhere." ---Charles Derber, author of Corporation Nation, Regime Change Begins at Home, and, most recently, Greed to Green. This is an extraordinary and timely book that deserves to be widely read. Gary Brumback tells it like it is: America is no longer a democracy, governed by and for the people; we are a corpocracy governed by and for large corporations with the massive help of an obliging government. Their grip on our nation is tight, but not unbreakable. Brumback shows how we can loosen it and reclaim our democratic heritage. ,P>---Peter Barnes, author of Capitalism 3.0: A Guide to Reclaiming the Commons, and co-founder of Working Assets.
Jerry Parkinson spent nearly ten years, from 2000 to 2010, as a member of the NCAA’s Division I Committee on Infractions, participating in over one hundred major infractions cases. He came away from that experience—and the experience of reading extensive commentary on infractions cases—with the conviction that most observers do not understand the NCAA’s rules-enforcement process, despite the amount of public attention many major cases receive. Parkinson uses his insider’s perspective, along with illustrative stories, to help readers understand how the NCAA’s rules-enforcement process really works. These stories include: a university board of trustees chair committing suicide over an infractions case; a pay-for-play scandal leading directly to the state’s governor; a head coach falsely portraying a deceased player as a drug dealer to cover up the coach’s own misconduct; a gambler laundering his money by making the largest booster payments in NCAA history; and a coach’s sexual abuse of children leading to some of the harshest sanctions ever imposed by the NCAA. Based on years of experience and infused with insight, Parkinson provides a broad view of the world of NCAA rule breakers and the NCAA rules-enforcement process.
This book develops insights of digitalization and the future of financial services to originate an innovative approach to financial field, in order to underpin research and practice in the wide area of digital finance. The aim of this book is to extend our understandings on how digitalization and the future of financial services can be helpful in different business circumstances in many cross-functional financial areas, such as financial markets, financial risk management, financial technologies, investment finance, etc. Thus, the book aims at addressing the relevance of digital finance for different players, highlighting differences in tools and processes as well as identifying innovative practices in financial digitalization. This can result in some novel theoretical and practical insights that can foster financial players, in order to proactively explore and exploit opportunities in financial digitalization and offset financial risks and increase efficiency.
A Brookings Institution Press and American Enterprise Institute publication American presidents typically spend much of their first term trying to ensure a second term. Yet those "four more years!" are usually disappointing, replete with scandal, squabbling, plummeting approval, and few accomplishments. Thus far, George W. Bush's second term has largely followed that unfortunate pattern. In Second-Term Blues, John Fortier and Norman Ornstein lead a stellar cast of political analysts illuminating the priorities, governing tendencies, and leadership style of a president trying to steady his ship in rocky seas. While the media obsess over who will be elected, they rarely ask how a candidate would govern if elected. For example, how would the president approach other political institutions? Would foreign policy stress caution and coordination, or will the U.S. "go it alone"? What would be the tone of public persona and rhetoric? This is the first in-depth analysis of Bush's second go-round from that perspective. The contributors include some of the shrewdest and best known observers of U.S. politics. David Sanger (New York Times) reveals how Bush's foreign policy, particularly on Iraq, defines and restricts his presidency. Dan Balz (Washington Post) dissects America's changing political mood and considers how the president's personal style fits into that milieu. Charles O. Jones, former president of the American Political Science Association, defines Bush's executive style: "Seemingly, where narrow-margin politics appears to call for sensitive mastery of Congress, President Bush employs an unrelenting executive style, among the most intense ever." In addition, Carla Robbins of the New York Times and Fred Greenstein of Princeton University make insightful contributions. This important book considers how all of this helps explain what we've seen coming out of Washington since 2001 and what it may portend for the future.
Resolve neighbor conflicts and get peace of mind Don’t let a neighborly nuisance turn into a nasty lawsuit. Learn your rights and responsibilities with Neighbor Law, the plain-English guide to the laws behind common neighbor disputes. Neighbor Law is more than a legal guide—it’s a practical book filled with tips on how to solve problems and restore good neighbor relations. Find out how to handle: noisy neighbors trees that hang over a property line blocked views unclear boundary lines high, unsightly, or deteriorating fences dangers to children (“attractive nuisances”) problems with neighboring businesses drones trespassing onto your property other common issues, like secondhand smoke, blighted property, and animal issues. The 11th edition includes updated laws and information on going to court, boundary fences, private nuisances, and much more.
