Valerie Jarrett decided that she couldn’t take that. “It was definitely a cheap shot and completely unwarranted,” she told Politics Daily. She then went on to define what is warranted: NYT columnist Paul Krugman, “somebody who is held out as a world expert who actually has taken the time to understand what’s in the bills and who was critical early on (but) is now supportive. That says something to me about people who take the time to be well reasoned. And when you listen to people say on the extremes what’s in the bill and it’s apparent that they have not actually read the bill . . .”
Well, Ms. Jarrett, that leads to a few questions. First of all, which bill are you talking about? The House bill, or the Senate bill? From what I understand they are both over a thousand pages in length. And every day there seems to be a new draft. And the draft that might become law, the one that Congressional leadership will come up with trying to reconcile the House and Senate bills, doesn’t even exist yet. So which one should Americans spend the time that it takes to read a thousand pages reading?
The viperish ogres at People for the (Anti)American Way have picked the wrong target for their latest their fundraising screed. Accustomed to watching their quarry turn tail and run while they greedily fleeced their dwindling gaggle of gullible loons, they decided to turn their guns on the gang at Americans for Limited Government.
In the words of Arno’s Last Action Hero, “Big mistake.”
The PAW crew accused ALG of “McCarthyism;” proving anew that their antiquated copywriters haven’t updated their glossaries since Norman Lear gathered them around his Underwood and taught them to spell “meathead” and “dingbat.” About 90% of Americans today don’t know McCarthy from Fibber McGee. And 90% of those who do know don’t care.
The basis for PAW’s baseless charge was as absurd as the accusation itself: they didn’t think it was nice for ALG to tell the truth about Obama cohort and Chicago moll, Valerie Jarrett. ALG had disclosed that Jarrett – who made a fortune as a Windy City slum lord – was the White House eminence grise behind some of Obama’s most radical appointments.
According to Jeffrey Young, the Healthcare beat reporter for The Hill, Valerie Jarrett is on Capitol Hill meeting with Harry Reid, Max Baucus and Chris Dodd.
Check out this five part series on Valerie Jarrett that was just released from the Americans for Limited Government Research Department.
Valerie Jarrett’s Grove Parc Fiasco: The Rich Got Richer: “In 1987, U.S. District Judge Marvin Aspen had appointed Habitat to oversee construction of all public housing in Chicago as part of the historic Gautreaux case, which found that the CHA had failed for decades to integrate housing. At first, Habitat’s job was to desegregate housing by building “scattered site” units in more affluent white neighborhoods across the city. But the effort had little impact. The company built about 1,800 units, mostly in lower-income Hispanic neighborhoods before the program ended.”
Valerie Jarrett’s Underwater Demolition: Cataloging Failure: Mayor Daley was displeased when Jarrett lost Spiegel, a catalog company which had operated warehouses in Chicago for 88 years. Daley wanted a more aggressive effort from the Department of Planning and Development. The company wanted to relocate its old warehouses. Her department proposed six sites, but Spiegel found all of them to be deficient. The best site was covered with 20 to 30 feet of water. Jarrett promised that the site could be filled-in in time to meet Spiegel’s deadline, but the company did not believe it.
Valerie Jarrett and Cecil Butler: Partners in Slime: Cecil Butler started managing the Lawndale Restoration, a low-income community in 1974. In 1995, Cecil Butler received a $51 million loan, backed by the state, to renovate Lawndale Restoration. In 1999, Valerie Jarrett’s Habitat formed an LLC with Butler’s Boulevard Management. In 2000, Cecil Butler hired the Habitat Company to manage Lawndale Restoration.
The Valerie Jarrett Health Care Plan: In 2004, Jarrett’s Habitat Company violated the Family and Medical Leave Act by terminating an ill employee. David Burnett had been employed with Habitat for fourteen years. His boss had no problems with him until late 2003 when Burnett began to have symptoms of prostate cancer.
Valerie Jarrett’s Cronies See “Green”: It appears that Jarrett tried to get a contract for Allison Davis, Obama’s former boss. In 1996, Habitat was overseeing the redevelopment of Cabrini Green. Habitat seemed to favor a plan from MCL/ASD LLC. This partnership was the creation of Dan McLean of MCL Development Corporation and Allison Davis. Davis went on to become a major fundraiser for Obama.
It appears that Jarrett tried to get a contract for Allison Davis, Obama’s former boss. In 1996, Habitat was overseeing the redevelopment of Cabrini Green. Habitat seemed to favor a plan from MCL/ASD LLC. This partnership was the creation of Dan McLean of MCL Development Corporation and Allison Davis. Davis went on to become a major fundraiser for Obama.
In January 1996, Joseph Shuldiner of HUD and and Valerie Jarrett, Executive Vice President of the Habitat Company, the city-sanctioned development manager for the CHA, held a press conference. The press conference noted that proposals were being considered for the redevelopment of the Cabrini-Green homes, and other CHA properties. HUD would be providing funds from HOPE VI which would be supplemented by other funds from bonds and from city coffers. The goal, a radically new Cabrini-Green. According to the Shuldiner, the “screening committee” was composed of “Cabrini Green residents, CHA, City of Chicago, and HUD officials and two (Mayoral) appointed community representatives.”[1] Although, it was clear in the process that Jarrett had much power in the evaluation process.
“The Habitat Company will be engaged in an extensive evaluation of each of the qualifying proposals, ascertaining their financial, technical, physical, social and aesthetic merits…. To arrive at a successful plan, technical excellence must match community need and conversely we need to know that any plan that the community favors will actually be feasible to build.”[2]
In 2004, Jarrett’s Habitat Company violated the Family and Medical Leave Act by terminating an ill employee. David Burnett had been employed with Habitat for fourteen years. His boss had no problems with him until late 2003 when Burnett began to have symptoms of prostate cancer.
Even as Burnett went to medical appointment after medical appointment, Habitat showed little concern for his health. Just before Burnett was officially diagnosed with cancer, Habitat terminated him.
In 2006, the Seventh Circuit of the US Court of Appeals ruled that Habitat had broken the law by denying Burnett the medical leave to which he was entitled. At no point along the way to this ruling did Jarrett intervene to try to right the wrong.
(David Burnett v. LFW, Inc. d/b/a The Habitat Company)
Cecil Butler started managing the Lawndale Restoration, a low-income community in 1974. In 1995, Cecil Butler received a $51 million loan, backed by the state, to renovate Lawndale Restoration. In 1999, Valerie Jarrett’s Habitat formed an LLC with Butler’s Boulevard Management. In 2000, Cecil Butler hired the Habitat Company to manage Lawndale Restoration.
According to ACORN, problems at the property included “cracked masonry, defective porches, rodent infestation, leaks, broken doors, missing locks, and standing water.” HUD estimated that repair costs for the nearly 1,000 salvageable units to be $44.9 million, or about $45,000 per unit.
In 2005, Lawndale restoration tenants marched against Cecil Butler demanding the removal of the slumlord.
“Cecil Butler has got to go, we don’t want to see him no mo’!” shouted Anna Morrison a 30-year tenant of the Lawndale Restoration Apartments.
Morrison was one of 100 tenants and members of the Lawndale Neighborhood Organization that Jan. 31 paid a visit to Joseph Galvan, regional director of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. They demanded that HUD immediately take over as property manager of 100 buildings in the Lawndale community.
Mayor Daley was displeased when Jarrett lost Spiegel, a catalog company which had operated warehouses in Chicago for 88 years. Daley wanted a more aggressive effort from the Department of Planning and Development. The company wanted to relocate its old warehouses. Her department proposed six sites, but Spiegel found all of them to be deficient. The best site was covered with 20 to 30 feet of water. Jarrett promised that the site could be filled-in in time to meet Spiegel’s deadline, but the company did not believe it.
As a result, more than one thousand people lost their jobs, and Chicago lost hundreds of millions of dollars. Jarrett was far from apologetic. She claimed her department “moved heaven and earth to exceed [Spiegel's] expectations. We didn’t drop the ball. I will sleep well.”
Spiegel Inc. doesn’t know where it wants to relocate its South Side distribution center, but it knows it won’t be in Chicago.
And that decision, called “gut-wrenching and emotional” by the catalog/retailing company, will rob the city’s economy of up to $510 million annually and put 2,000 jobs in jeopardy.
“In 1987, U.S. District Judge Marvin Aspen had appointed Habitat to oversee construction of all public housing in Chicago as part of the historic Gautreaux case, which found that the CHA had failed for decades to integrate housing. At first, Habitat’s job was to desegregate housing by building “scattered site” units in more affluent white neighborhoods across the city. But the effort had little impact. The company built about 1,800 units, mostly in lower-income Hispanic neighborhoods before the program ended.”
They were eventually able to convince Judge Aspen to allow development where “CHA and Habitat could show that the neighborhood would become ‘revitalized’ through large public and private investments that would lead to racial integration.” This came as a result of CHA’s and Habitat’s desire to tear down the Henry Horner Homes, across the street from the United Center, where the 1996 Democratic Convention was to be held. It led to the implementation of the “Plan for Transformation” that would replace existing public housing with developments that included public housing, affordable housing and market housing. This began in 2000. As of July of last year “under the Plan for Transformation, the city ha[d] lost more than 13,000 housing units for the poor at a time when low-income families face one of the worse housing crises in recent history.
After years of neglect and abandonment, many residents doubt that Jarrett and CHA officials have their interests at heart. ‘They was going to do what they was going to do,’ said Carmen Hart, who moved to Stateway Gardens [public housing] in 1960 and has been waiting three years to go back.” Only about one in three residents was able to return to redeveloped projects.
White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett argued Thursday there was no need for Social Secretary Desiree Rogers to testify before a congressional committee investigating the security breach at last week’s state dinner, explaining: “We think we’ve answered the questions fully.”
Citing an internal report by Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina posted Wednesday on the White House website, Jarrett told ABC’s “Good Morning America” that the administration had provided all the disclosure that was necessary.
“[Secret Service Director Mark] Sullivan will be up on the Hill. He ultimately is responsible for the security of the White House,” Jarrett said. “He’s prepared to discuss as much as he can, given it’s an ongoing investigation. And I think that you’ll see, when that investigation is concluded, the results of that will be open and transparent, as well. We take a great deal of pride in our transparency.”
House Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Pete King (R-N.Y.) has accused the White House of “stonewalling” an investigation into the security lapse that allowed an uninvited couple to attend last week’s dinner for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh..
