If you read this site regularly, you know that I am very upset about the fact that our new Senator from Massachusetts, Scott Brown, has not been sworn in. This delay has allowed the raising of the debt ceiling without the input of the voters of Massachusetts (the appointed Senator was the decisive vote), and I am sure there will be other things going through before Senator Brown is sworn in.<\/p>\n
Boston.com<\/a> reports that Senator Brown is hoping to be sworn in February 11th–more than three weeks after the election. When Ted Kennedy won that seat in a special election, he was sworn in within two days. My, how times change. Anyway, The Hill<\/a> is reporting that Obama nominee for Solicitor of Labor, Patricia Smith, may be confirmed before Senator Brown is seated. The problem with this nominee is that she seems to have lied to the Senate about her involvement with the Wage and Hour Watch program.<\/p>\n Ms. Smith said that she had no intention to expand the program throughout the State of New York, but the Washington Examiner reports:<\/p>\n “But <\/em>the e-mails<\/em><\/font><\/a> obtained through New York’s Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) suggest otherwise. Outside groups were being consulted as early as April 2008, and played a key role in developing the program. Smith herself was copied on e-mails discussing the program with these groups as early as November 2008. The program was announced publicly in January 2009, and Enzi’s memo contends that the businesses affected weren’t even allowed a meeting with Smith until March.”<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n According to the Washington Examiner, the program “was an effort to deputize unions to detect illegal employment practices — for example, by confronting and interviewing employees as they leave work, or even while they are on the job.” It would open the door for all kinds of intimidation tactics toward employers and employees. The question is not only what the program would do, but why she felt it necessary to lie about the program.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If you read this site regularly, you know that I am very upset about the fact that our new Senator from Massachusetts, Scott Brown, has not been sworn in. This delay has allowed the raising of the debt ceiling without … Continue reading \n