Sunday Dec. 16 at Martinis on the Rock

 

The Mississippi Valley Blues Society welcomes Scottie Miller and the Reuptake Inhibitors to Martinis on the Rock on Sunday, December 16.  The show will start at 6:00pm, and admission will be $7.00 for members and $10.00 for non-members.  Martinis on the Rock, an MVBS business member, is located at 4619 - 34^th Street, Rock Island, right on the beautiful Rock River.

An accomplished and highly regarded keyboardist, Scottie offers up a diverse blend of blues, funk, soul and jazz, in addition to nailing down the New Orleans groove so tight this Minneapolis resident will have you wondering if the Mississippi River started flowing backwards.

Taking up piano at age six, Scottie Miller attended the prestigious Berklee School of Music, where, although he could only afford one year's tuition, he managed to complete all four years of proficiency requirements.  From there he went on to play with fellow Minnesotan Big John Dickerson and Blue Chamber, and later with Bo Diddley.

Currently, when not touring with his own band, he's been backing Ruthie Foster for the past four years.  In addition to being a keyboardist and bandleader, he's also a fantastic singer, songwriter, arranger and lyricist.  He's released seven CDs, including the solo acoustic effort Between the Black and the White, which compares favorably to Charles Brown's similarly classic album In a Grand Style.

The Events Committee has been trying to snag these guys for a couple of years, and we're fortunate to get them on this date, shortly after Scottie returns from a tour of Australia and a show in New York with Ruthie Foster.

Steve Pedigo

Legendary "explainer" helps enlighten Illinoisans about pension squeeze

 

CHICAGO - November 27, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn's new web campaign to educate Illinoisans about the pension squeeze was bolstered today by legendary "explainer" Salman Khan, who unveiled two videos to explain pensions in general and specifically lay out the Illinois pension crisis. Earlier this month, Governor Quinn met with Salman Khan in the governor's Chicago office, and Khan agreed to create an explainer video on Illinois' pension problem.

 

Khan's video on Illinois' pension problem and general video on pensions can be viewed at ThisIsMyIllinois.com and the "Thanks in Advance" Facebook page.

Founder of the trailblazing Khan Academy, Khan's 3,600 teaching videos have been viewed 204 million times. Khan - named by Time Magazine as one of the World's 100 Most Influential People - has appeared on "60 Minutes," "Colbert Report" and NPR to share his vision of offering a "world class education for everyone everywhere."

"The power of Salman Khan's videos comes from his ability to make a complex subject easy to grasp, and he does so in an informative and engaging style," Governor Quinn said. "We're delighted to have his help in enlightening Illinois citizens about how the pension problem came to be."

Employing his trademark " black blackboard" style, Khan focuses on Illinois' pension obligations in a seven-minute video in which he explains how spending on pensions will surpass spending for education by 2016. In his more general 10-minute video, he explains the concept of pensions - particularly the distinctions between "defined benefit" and "defined contribution" plans.

"Khan Academy is about life-long learning and we strive to help clarify topics that are important for understanding our society," Khan said. "When I learned about the underfunded pension situation in many states, especially in Illinois, I felt it was important that voters understand the issue themselves."

Governor Quinn recently launched an Internet campaign to educate everyday people on the 70-year old Illinois pension problem, deemed worst in the nation by the Pew Center on the States. Since launching, more than 28,000 unique visitors have gone to ThisisMyIllinois.com and a video featuring "Squeezy the Pension Python" has been viewed 20,000 times. The "Thanks in Advance" campaign is designed to boost public awareness about the "squeeze" caused by soaring pension costs and the need for pension reform.

In April, Governor Quinn proposed a plan to the General Assembly that would rescue Illinois' public pension systems, ensure employees have access to benefits and prevent skyrocketing pension costs from squeezing out core services such as education, health care and public safety. Quinn's plan would fully fund the pension system by 2042.

Born and raised in New Orleans, Khan is a former hedge fund manager who founded the nonprofit Khan Academy after discovering a knack for tutoring. What began as a favor to his niece and nephews in 2006 - sharing his mathematics explainer videos - has grown into one of the world's fastest-growing, widely-used education tools. Last month, www.khanacademy.org had 6,000,000 unique visitors from nearly every nation on earth. Available in 16 languages, Khan's explainer videos cover topics ranging from math and science to history and finance. He is author of "The One World School House: Education Reimagined".

###

WASHINGTON - Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Chuck Grassley is pressing Attorney General Eric Holder to produce documents about a quid pro quo between the Justice Department and St. Paul, Minn. where the Department agreed to drop two False Claims Act cases against St. Paul in exchange for the city dropping its pending appeal before the Supreme Court in Magner v. Gallagher.

At issue is evidence that shows the Justice Department declining to intervene in a False Claims Act case, over the concerns of career department attorneys, in exchange for St. Paul dropping the case before the Supreme Court that could have had negative repercussions against a policy favored by the Justice Department.

In a letter to Holder, Grassley wrote that a recent transcribed interview with former Associate Attorney General Tom Perelli made clear that Assistant Attorney General Tony West was involved in the quid pro quo deal.  West has been nominated to be the Associate Attorney General.

In light of West's nomination, which is pending before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Grassley requested that the 1,202 documents withheld by the department regarding the quid pro quo matter be produced to the committee as part of the background review process for his nomination.

Grassley said that any suggestion that he, as a Ranking Member of a committee, does not have access to the documents in question has no basis in law or policy.

Grassley wrote, "I do not abandon my constitutional responsibilities simply because I am in the minority; rather, I remain bound to provide oversight to those executing the law.  A committee chairman may set the agenda for a committee, but a chairman does not control activities of the minority in fulfilling their obligations under the Constitution."

In addition, Grassley wrote that court cases support the role of Congress in conducting oversight.  In Murphy v. Dep't of the Army, the District of Columbia Circuit held that "[a]ll Members [of Congress] have a constitutionally recognized status entitling them to share in general congressional powers and responsibilities, many of them requiring access to executive information."  That court also found that restricting information-gathering powers only to committee chairmen is an "intrusion into the legislative sphere" because "[e]ach [Member] participates in the law-making process; each has a voice and a vote in that process; and each is entitled to request such information from the executive agencies as well enable him to carry out the responsibilities of a legislator."  The Second Circuit agreed with this principle when it held in Devine v. United States that the Privacy Act does not prevent committee members other than the chairman from receiving information that might otherwise be protected from disclosure by the statute.

Grassley relayed in his letter that it was unfortunate that West's nomination could be delayed, but it was necessary to appropriately evaluate his performance in his current role as the Judiciary Committee reviews his nomination for Associate Attorney General.

Ultimately, it is up to the Justice Department to produce these documents in order for West's nomination to proceed.

Here is a copy of the text of Grassley's letter to Holder.  A signed copy can be found here.

 

November 26, 2012

Via Electronic Transmission

 

The Honorable Eric H. Holder, Jr.

Attorney General

U.S. Department of Justice

950 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.

Washington, DC 20530

 

Dear Attorney General Holder:

On September 24, 2012, and October 4, 2012, I joined Chairman Smith of the House Committee on the Judiciary, Chairman Issa of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Chairman McHenry of the House Subcommittee on TARP, Financial Services And Bailouts of Public and Private Programs in writing regarding the production of documents and access to witnesses from the Department of Justice (Department).  We requested the documents and witnesses as part of our investigation into the quid pro quo deal where the Department agreed to drop two False Claims Act cases against the City of St. Paul, Minnesota in exchange for the City dropping its pending appeal before the Supreme Court in Magner v. Gallagher.[1] On October 11, 2012, the Department responded to our letters stating that 1,268 pages of documents were made available to the House Committees, 1,202 of which were only made available for review in camera at the Department.  Only 66 pages were actually produced to the House Committees.[2] The October 11 letter also declined to make Department officials available for transcribed interviews.

My staff, along with the staff of the House committees, is currently investigating the details of this quid pro quo.  To date, the Department has failed to allow my staff to review the 1,202 documents, even in camera, despite my oversight responsibilities on the Senate Committee on the Judiciary (Committee) and the serious questions this arrangement raises.  I am disappointed that the Department has failed to provide my staff the same access that it has provided the staff of the House Committees.

Most recently, through a transcribed interview with former Associate Attorney General Thomas Perrelli that occurred on November 19, it has become clear that Assistant Attorney General Tony West was involved in this arrangement in his capacity as head of the Department's Civil Division.  Given that Mr. West's nomination for Associate Attorney General is currently pending before the Committee, it is important that the Committee understand his involvement in these matters.  Therefore, I write today requesting that the 1,202 documents withheld by the Department regarding this matter be produced to the Senate Judiciary Committee as part of the background review process for his nomination.

It is unfortunate that Mr. West's nomination could be delayed by this request, but it is necessary because you have denied my staff access to documents essential to ensure adequate and appropriate Congressional oversight of the Executive Branch as part of the executive nominations process.  Specifically, I have been informed that the Department refused my staff access to the documents on Monday, October 15, 2012, because there was not a request from the Chairman of the Committee.  However, no such request is required by any law, rule, regulation, or judicial precedent.

The Department's decision to deny the opportunity for my staff to review these documents is misplaced and threatens to delay the review of Mr. West's nomination.  This investigation was undertaken in conjunction and cooperation with Chairman Smith, Chairman Issa, and Chairman McHenry.  Therefore, the Department's general policy that investigations be conducted by and through the authority of the chairman of a committee with jurisdiction is fully satisfied.

The Department's position seems to be that I, as a ranking member of a Committee, must receive permission from the chairman in order to allow access to the documents in question.  Yet, any suggestion to this effect is without a basis in law or policy.  Senate committees are organized so as to give minority parties significant resources to conduct our own investigations and further our own priorities.  I do not abandon my constitutional responsibilities simply because I am in the minority; rather, I remain bound to provide oversight to those executing the law.  A committee chairman may set the agenda for a committee, but a chairman does not control activities of the minority in fulfilling their obligations under the Constitution.

Indeed, the Department's current insistence that I seek the Chairman's permission is tantamount to executive interference in internal Legislative Branch affairs.  Both chambers of Congress have a long-established practice of partnerships between Members and Chairmen of other committees with appropriate jurisdiction to permit us to exercise our constitutional power of inquiry.  By preventing my staff from viewing these documents, the Department is interfering with these internal rules and norms.  As a result, the Department is intruding into how Congress organizes itself and attempting to prevent Members from working cooperatively to advance our legitimate interests.

Moreover, the principle that Congress controls its internal affairs in these matters has been strongly supported by the judiciary, most notably in Murphy v. Dep't of the Army[3] and Devine v. United States.[4] In Murphy, the District of Columbia Circuit held that "[a]ll Members [of Congress] have a constitutionally recognized status entitling them to share in general congressional powers and responsibilities, many of them requiring access to executive information."[5] That court also found that restricting information-gathering powers only to committee chairmen is an "intrusion into the legislative sphere" because "[e]ach [Member] participates in the law-making process; each has a voice and a vote in that process; and each is entitled to request such information from the executive agencies as well enable him to carry out the responsibilities of a legislator."[6] The Second Circuit agreed with this principle when it held in Devine that the Privacy Act does not prevent committee members other than the chairman from receiving information that might otherwise be protected from disclosure by the statute.[7]

Accordingly, I ask that the Department provide the 1,202 responsive documents outlined in the October 11 letter no later than December 4, 2012.  Without these documents, it will be impossible to appropriately evaluate Mr. West's performance in his current role, as the Committee reviews his nomination for Associate Attorney General.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Grassley

Ranking Member

cc:        The Hon. Patrick J. Leahy, Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate

The Hon. Darrell Issa, Chairman, Committee on Oversight and Government, United States House of Representatives

The Hon. Lamar Smith, Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary, United States House of Representatives

The Hon. Patrick McHenry, Chairman, Subcommittee on TARP, Financial Services and Bailouts of Public and Private Programs, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, United States House of Representatives

The Hon. Elijah Cummings, Ranking Member, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, United States House of Representatives

The Hon. John Conyers, Jr., Ranking Member, Committee on the Judiciary, United States House of Representatives

The Hon. Mike Quigley, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on TARP, Financial Services and Bailouts of Public and Private Programs, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, United States House of Representatives

[1] See Letter from Congressman Smith, Congressman Issa, Congressman McHenry, and Senator Grassley to Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr., Attorney General, U.S. Dep't of Justice (Sept. 24, 2012) (on file with author) (requesting access to documents and witnesses); Letter from Congressman Smith, Congressman Issa, Congressman McHenry, and Senator Grassley to Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr., Attorney General, U.S. Dep't of Justice (Oct. 4, 2012) (on file with author) (same).

2 Letter from Judith C. Appelbaum, Acting Assistant Attorney General, U.S. Dep't of Justice to Congressman Smith, Congressman Issa, Congressman McHenry, and Senator Grassley (Oct. 11, 2012).

3 613 F.2d 1151 (D.C. Cir. 1979).

4 202 F.3d 547 (2d Cir. 2000).

5 613 F.2d at 1157.

6 Id.

7 202 F.3d at 551.

Senators to be joined by Reps. McNerney & King, veterans working in wind industry

TOMORROW, Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2012, Senators Chuck Grassley and Mark Udall will headline a press conference with Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.) and Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) and veterans from around the country to discuss the importance of extending the Wind Production Tax Credit.  Around 40 veterans, many of whom have found post-military careers in the wind energy industry, are participating in a two day fly-in during which they also will meet with members of Congress from their home states.

The Wind PTC is due to expire at the end of this year unless Congress renews it.  Without renewal, thousands of jobs and our energy security will be jeopardized.  The wind PTC supports thousands of good-paying, middle-class jobs throughout the country.  Americans of all stripes, including veterans, have benefited from the job opportunities and growth created by the wind energy industry.

Grassley has been the father of the wind PTC and has fought to ensure that the wind industry has the support it needs to power communities.  Udall has been a vocal proponent for the wind PTC, speaking almost every day the Senate has been in session to urge his colleagues to extend the PTC and secure made-in-America energy and the jobs it creates.