President Obama on Sixty Minutes

Posted on December 14, 2009 by billmanzi

The President, back on Sixty Minutes, talked Afghanistan, financial reform, and yes, even had to address the issue of the party crashers at the recent state dinner. The President backed the recent point made by Defense Secretary Robert Gates that the so called withdrawal deadline in Afghanistan of July 2011 was not absolute, and that he would determine the best course of action at that point. President was mildly irritated at some of the lines of questioning.

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President Obama on Financial Reform

Posted on December 12, 2009 by billmanzi

President Obama used his weekly address to praise the financial regulation package passed by the House. The President talked about the package, and about the opposition to it in some banking circles, both in his weekly message and on 60 Minutes. From the 60 Minutes interview.

In an interview to be aired Sunday night on CBS News’s “60 Minutes,” Obama said he shared the frustration of many Americans angry at the nation’s big banks.

“I did not run for office to be helping out a bunch of fat cat bankers on Wall Street,” Obama said, in excerpts released by CBS News.

He went on to criticize banks that received and repaid government bailout money and then resumed paying eight-figure bonuses to top executives.

“The people on Wall Street still don’t get it,” Obama said. “They’re still puzzled why it is that people are mad at the banks. Well, let’s see. You guys are drawing down 10, 20 million dollar bonuses after America went through the worst economic year… in decades and you guys caused the problem.”

Republicans criticized the bill, and it attracted zero Republican votes in the House. 27 Democrats also voted against. From the New York Times:

“The array of new regulations and taxes on consumers, investors and businesses will destroy jobs and further undermine the fragile economy,” Representative Spencer Bachus of Alabama, the senior Republican on the Financial Services Committee, said.

The Senate will not take up its version until next year. Read the Times story here.

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Coakley v Brown

Posted on December 9, 2009 by billmanzi

Attorney General Martha Coakley scored a quite impressive victory in the Democratic primary yesterday, racking up 47% of the vote in a four person race. Second place finisher Michael Capuano had 28%, with Alan Khazei third, and Steve Pagliuca fourth. Coakley had an early lead, and she never relinquished it, running a strong campaign that was truly error free. She will face State Senator Scott Brown, who easily won the Republican primary over Jack E. Robinson. Brown immediately went on the attack, challenging Coakley to sign an anti-tax pledge, which Coakley derided as a campaign gimmick. I saw our old friend Eric Fehrnstrom, press guru to Mitt Romney, acting as a “senior advisor” to the Brown campaign, and sounding the Brown campaign themes in an interview after the Brown win. Coakley meanwhile brought together her Democratic opponents with a unity event at the Omni Parker House, and they all pledged their full support for her candidacy. Hard to see how Brown can win this one. Coakley has shown herself to be tough and disciplined, and should have a huge financial advantage to boot. It looks to me like it will be Coakley in an easy win.

The city by city results are here.

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Mayor Manzi Names Carolyn McDougall as December’s Artist of the Month

Posted on December 9, 2009 by billmanzi

MAYOR MANZI NAMES CAROLYN V. McDOUGALL AS DECEMBER’S ARTIST OF THE MONTH
Methuen Artist’s Work on Display in the Mayor’s Office

Mayor William M. Manzi has named Carolyn V. McDougall as December’s Artist of the Month. Until Hurricane Katrina hit, Carolyn lived in Gulfport Mississippi for forty years with her family and taught art for thirty years. She now resides in Methuen. She is a 1962 graduate of the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston. While teaching art in Gulfport she was selected as Teacher of the Year and Most Popular Teacher of the Gulf Coast. She also had two yearbooks dedicated to her.

Carolyn focuses her art on watercolor painting and photography. She enjoys painting places she has visited such as Italy, England, France, Scotland, Saudi Arabia and St. Martens Island. She has two children, six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Her ninety-three year old mother lives in Methuen’s Burnham Road Apartments where she is also a resident. Carolyn states, “I hope people will enjoy looking at my paintings as much as I enjoyed painting them.”

Mayor Manzi stated, “Carolyn is one of the many talented artists living in our community. It is an honor to display her artwork. I encourage people to come to my office and view her paintings.”

The Methuen Artist of the Month Program was created by Mayor Manzi three and a half years ago in order to give members of the Methuen Arts Community a forum to display their work and to encourage participation in Methuen’s growing creative economy. Methuen artists interested in being considered as Artist of the Month should contact the Mayor’s Office.

December Artist

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Tree Lighting in Methuen

Posted on December 7, 2009 by billmanzi

Santa came to Methuen to light the City Christmas Tree last night. My thanks to the Max Family for their generous donation of a tree, and my thanks to Jill Stackelin for all of her hard work.

Santa arrives in Methuen

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Gavin Newsom Withdraws

Posted on December 6, 2009 by billmanzi

In a post made some time ago I had pointed to the California Governors race as one that was going to be very interesting. It will still be interesting, but maybe a little less so now that San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has pulled out of the race for the Democratic nomination. Newsom’s withdrawal leaves the Democratic field to former Governor and current Attorney General Jerry Brown. I guess Bill Clinton endorsing Newsom was just a little premature. Newsom’s statement.

It is with great regret I announce today that I am withdrawing from the race for governor of California. With a young family and responsibilities at city hall, I have found it impossible to commit the time required to complete this effort the way it needs to — and should be — done.

This is not an easy decision. But it is one made with the best intentions for my wife, my daughter, the residents of the city and county of San Francisco, and California Democrats.

When I embarked on this campaign in April, my goal was to engage thousands and thousands of Californians dedicated to reforming our broken system and bringing change to Sacramento.

I would like to thank those supporters, volunteers, and donors who have worked so hard on my behalf. I have been humbled by their support and am indebted to their efforts. They represent the spirit of change and determination essential to putting California back on the right track.

I will continue to fight for change and the causes and issues for which I care deeply — universal health care, a cleaner environment, and a green economy for our families, better education for our children, and, of course, equal rights under the law for all citizens.

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The President on Jobs

Posted on December 5, 2009 by billmanzi

The President spends his weekly address talking jobs, after the White House jobs summit and a new unemployment report showed a slight dip in the unemployment rate. The relatively good news on unemployment was a welcome relief from the string of terrible monthly reports of job losses that has created a political impetus in Congress to move a jobs program forward. It was welcome news for the President, who is under increasing pressure to show progress in putting Americans back to work.

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The President Surges in Afghanistan

Posted on December 1, 2009 by billmanzi

President Obama spoke tonight to an audience at West Point, detailing plans to add thirty thousand troops in Afghanistan but calling for a finite time frame for the mission of building Afghanistan’s military and governmental infrastructure. He spoke of the need to deal with major problems in Pakistan, and pledged to both countries that the U.S. has no interest in being an occupying power. He also dismissed the talk of nation building in Afganistan:

“That is why our troop commitment in Afghanistan cannot be open-ended, because the nation that I am most interested in building is our own,” the president said.

Is this strategy correct? I have my doubts. The fight is tribal as well as ideological, and getting the country on a different path may well be impossible, especially in a shorter time frame. But I must say that the United States cannot afford the effort required to nation build in Afghanistan. There is not the political will, or the financial ability, to do so. The President was faced with the most difficult of choices and has made the call. Was it the right one?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32545640

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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Jobs Jobs Jobs

Posted on December 1, 2009 by billmanzi

Today’s Globe has an editorial promoting the idea of tax incentives for private industry that would promote job creation. And yesterdays New York Times featured a piece by Paul Krugman calling for further federal spending to promote job creation. With unemployment at ten percent plus, and Wall Street begining to show robust profits and even more robust compensation packages the jobs situation cries out for attention. It will not be possible to call what we are going through a “recovery” until people are able to find work.

As we sift through the many different policy prescriptions that are forthcoming on the jobs situation my own quick observation is that we should start by avoiding tax policies that create a disincentive for employment. Piling further tax increases on employers is exactly the wrong idea at a time when they are not inclined to add employees. And I say that recognizing that many programs funded by payroll based taxes are in difficulty. We need to look at what impacts these payroll based taxes are having, and actually work to create, in the short term, additional tax incentives to aid in job creation. If the federal stimulus had concentrated more of its heft towards job creation I think it would have been a substantially better package. There are no easy answers, but promoting tax policies that penalize employers for adding workers will only make a bad situation worse.

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The Duke Weighs In

Posted on November 30, 2009 by billmanzi

Former Governor Michael Dukakis threw his support this weekend behind Congressman Michael Capuano in the Democratic primary for the United States Senate. Michael Dukakis still has a strong following in the Democratic Party, and I believe the Dukakis endorsement will help Capuano. It is the first time in twenty years that Governor Dukakis has endorsed in a Democratic primary. I have endorsed Michael Capuano in this race.

Posted in U.S. Senate Race | Tagged | 4 Comments