Debbie Buchanan Engle

Art Is...The Permanent Revolution (trailer)

2012-02-09T09:27:00.000-06:00

Opens March 2, 2012 at the Quad Cinema in NYC.

The anger and outrage captured by graphic artists have defined revolutions through the centuries. Printmakers have depicted the human condition in all its glories and struggles so powerfully that perceptions, attitudes and politics have been dramatically influenced. And the value and impact of this art is even more important today.

In the new documentary, ART IS... THE PERMANENT REVOLUTION, three contemporary American artists and a master printer help explain the dynamic sequences of social reality and protest. Among the wide range of 60 artists on display are Rembrandt, Goya, Daumier, Kollwitz, Dix, Masereel, Grosz, Gropper, and Picasso. While their stirring graphics sweep by, the making of an etching, a woodcut and a lithograph unfolds before our eyes, as the contemporary artists join their illustrious predecessors in creating art of social engagement.

Top Secret Poetry Party - DE/AD house

2012-02-06T21:00:00.001-06:00

Top Secret Poetry Party - DE/AD house, a set on Flickr.

December, 2011

Marion Marks, Alan Dyson, Debbie Engle, Loren Demerath, Shreveport LA

2012-02-06T20:31:00.001-06:00

Marion Marks, Alan Dyson, Debbie Engle, Loren Demerath, Shreveport, originally uploaded by trudeau.

In the studio at KSCL discussing our new music video, "Louisiana Jive."

A Prayer for Super Bowl Sunday

2012-02-05T09:35:00.004-06:00

The world of fast money,

And loud talk,

And much hype

Is upon us.

We praise huge men whose names will linger only briefly.

We will eat and drink,

And gamble and laugh,

And cheer and hiss,

And marvel and then yawn.

We show up, most of us, for such a circus,

For such an indulgence.

Loud clashing bodies,

Violence within rules,

And money, and merchandise, and music.

And you Lord – like every day –

You govern and watch and summon,

You are glad when there is joy in the earth,

But you notice our liturgies of disregard and

Our litanies of selves made too big,

And our fascination with machismo power,

And our lust for bodies, and big bucks.

And around you gather, as every day,

Elsewhere uninvited, but noticed by you,

Those disabled and gone feeble,

Those alone and failed,

Those uninvited and shamed.

And you, Lord, whose gift is more than “super,”

Overflowing, abundant, adequate, and sufficient.

The day of preoccupation with creature comforts writ large.

We pause to be mindful of our creatureliness,

Our commonality with all that is small, vulnerable and exposed,

Your creatures called to obedience and praise.

Give us some distance from the noise,

Some reserve about the loud success of the day,

That we may remember that our life consists

Not in the things we consume,

But in the neighbors we embrace.

Be our good neighbor that we may practice

Your neighborly generosity all through our needy neighborhood.

~Taken from Prayers for a Privileged People by Walter Brueggemann

2012-02-04T23:19:00.003-06:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/robert_trudeau/6807402093/

At the "Art in Transportation" symposium - February, 2012

"The Louisiana Jive" by DE/AD Media Arts

2012-02-04T12:57:00.000-06:00

Click photo for music video (image by DBE)

"Louisianacontinues to be a center for controversy. Our colorful history and record offlamboyant leaders makes us easy targets for outsiders taking advantage of ourlive and let live attitude and willingness to live for today at the expense oftomorrow. The writers, performersand editor of this piece feel that the examination of Louisiana history andissues by Louisiana natives committed to improving the quality of life for allcitizens by revealing our tendency toward self-inflicted wounds allowsoutsiders to continue to take advantage of our weaknesses.

Thecontinued self abuse and willingness to give away our birthrights make us preyto every snake-oil salesman that comes down the pike. So here’s to the 'LouisianaJive!'"

Lyricsby D. B. Engle & Alan Dyson

Musicby Alan Dyson

MusicPerformed by Chris Allen, Randy Guynes, Erich Avinger & Alan Dyson.

AudioRecording Engineering and Mastering by Erich Avinger

VideoCompilation, Editing, Post Production

M&MCommunications Concepts

TonyParetti, dolphin wrangler

thanksto d.b.engle & kathryn usher for the use of documentary images

ad.e.Xa.d. production

Medicaid Privatization Hits Louisiana in 2012

2012-02-03T09:24:00.010-06:00

Public Affairs Research Council's (PAR) recent report on the impending privatization of Louisiana's Medicaid program warns consumers to stay involved and stay alert. PAR's report is titled: Checkup on Bayou Health Reform: What Louisiana Needs to Know About Medicaid Managed Care Privatization. It is available on PAR's website: www.la-par.org.

As Louisiana shifts its Medicaid program to one that will be outsourced to five private insurance companies, PAR warns that some private companies have attempted to increase profits by reducing necessary health services to Medicaid recipients. To make sure that does not happen in Louisiana, PAR says we need effective oversight, accountability, and program authority.

Yet, a proposed legislative oversight function was removed from a bill without proper warning to lawmakers during the appropriations process in 2010. Later, an attempt to strengthen legislative authority was approved unanimously by lawmakers, but vetoed by the governor after the 2011 legislative session. (See: Gov. Bobby Jindal's Medicaid privatization plan rejected by Louisiana House panel)

In the face of that reality, what can consumers do? Although PAR's study identifies potential areas of concern and the need for more legislative oversight, PAR strongly encourages Medicaid recipients to learn about their options under the new Bayou Health program, and to select a plan as soon as possible that is best suited to their particular needs. Say PAR, "Bayou Health has the best chance of succeeding if Medicaid-eligible people step forward and learn how to participate in the program.

Click here to read more about eligibility for Bayou Health.

To read more about Bayou Health's plans, click here.

Bayou Heath has a website for more information: https://bayouhealth.com.

Also, the Department of Health and Hospitals has created a website which may also help you understand this new Bayou Heath program, Making Medicaid Better.

The schedule for Bayou Health's plan is as follows:

New Orleans and Northshore regions
December 15, 2011 – Enrollment Begins
February 1, 2012 – Bayou Health Begins

Baton Rouge, Lafayette and Houma regions
February 15, 2012 – Enrollment Begins
April 1, 2012 – Bayou Health Begins

Lake Charles, Alexandria, Monroe and Shreveport regions
April 16, 2012 – Enrollment Begins
June 1, 2012 – Bayou Health Begins

Contact the Advocacy Center at (504) 522-2337 if you have trouble signing up for a plan or accessing the services you need.

Source: Advocacy Center of Louisiana
_________________________________________________________
Additional articles:

1. Rollout of Louisiana’s privatized Medicaid system has rocky start
POSTED: 10:24 AM Monday, January 16, 2012
BY: The Associated Press2. Amerigroup Now Serving Members in Louisiana
Posted: February 1, 2012
Source: Amerigroup Corporation

3. Gov. Bobby Jindal's Medicaid privatization plan rejected by Louisiana House panel
Posted: June 15, 2011
Source: Health Management Associates
Summary:
"Gov. Bobby Jindal's Medicaid privatization plan rejected by Louisiana House panel: The Louisiana Legislature is nearing a final vote on a bill that eventually would give lawmakers the power to scrap Gov. Bobby Jindal's planned privatization of the state's Medicaid insurance program for the indigent and working poor. The proposal, which cleared the House Health and Welfare Committee on a series of divided votes Tuesday, represents legislative displeasure at the governor's seeking of an overhaul of the multi-billion-dollar enterprise without lawmakers' input. Gov. Jindal is likely to veto the measure. (NOLA.com)"

Cardboard painting by Shreveport artist Steven Soffer - 2012 (detail)

2012-01-29T14:35:00.001-06:00

Cardboard painting by Shreveport artist Steven Soffer - 2012 (detail), originally uploaded by debchrisjoseph.

Click on image to see more original artwork by Mr. Soffer.

Integrity, Competence, and Caring are the Key Factors of Trust

2012-01-24T09:37:00.000-06:00

Source: http://congregationalresources.org


Photo: Debbie Buchanan Engle

...what are the components of trust? How can they be planted and nurtured? What resources might help you to do that?

"Expert" voices from diverse disciplines tend to agree that (1) distrust is widespread; (2) over time, trust can be eroded by small blunders as surely as by major violations; and (3) the basic components of trust include integrity, competence, and caring.

A report from Robert Hurley, "The Decision to Trust," notes that half of all business managers do not trust their leaders. The reason? Surprisingly, it's usually not tied to some egregious wrongdoing. Rather, it's often tied to leaders' little half-truths—along with their secrecy, their failure to keep their word, their unfounded claims of competence, and their ultimate lack of "benevolent concern" for employees.

With these clues about what erodes trust, what have researchers concluded about the factors that build it? While they call them by different names, they consistently cite integrity, competence, and caring as the key factors of trust.

Cathleen McGrath and Deone Zell's study in MITSloan Management Review, "Profiles of Trust: Who to Turn To, and for What," defines "trust" as "the willingness to take risks or be vulnerable to another person when there is something of importance to be lost."

Naming the attributes of trust as "integrity, ability, and benevolence," McGrath and Zell portray eight kinds of "trustees," based on the varying degrees to which they demonstrate these attributes:

Moral Compass—high integrity; shows strong sense of right and wrong;
Star Player—high ability (or competence); is skilled and talented;
Cheerleader—high benevolence (or caring); gives unconditional support;
Harsh Truth-teller—high integrity and ability; demonstrates sharp clarity;
Loyal Supporter—high integrity and benevolence; is honorable and supportive;
Dealmaker—high ability and benevolence; wants what will "work" for all;
Trustworthy Partner—high integrity, ability, and benevolence; most valued;
Average Joe—middling but not very high integrity, ability, or benevolence.

Each type demonstrates admirable qualities, but trust can go down if one attribute consistently trumps another. The "cheerleaders" who compromise their integrity, or the "star players" who don't care for others, will lose trust sooner or later.

Perhaps you recognize yourself, your colleague, or an employee in one of these portraits. But you also recognize that each of you can move toward the "trustworthy partner" portrait by building and communicating integrity, competence, and caring.

Websites going black to protest anti-piracy bills in Congress

2012-01-17T21:58:00.002-06:00

The Artwork of Leonard Maiden

2012-01-14T09:38:00.000-06:00

Shreveport artist...amazing person...check him out NOW.

His work + music by Shreveporter Alan Dyson = fantastic video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=IncV7gI9XlQ

Internet Censorship Act + Chamber of Commerce = NO FREE SPEECH

2012-01-10T16:08:00.004-06:00

Sponsored by: CREDO Action

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is at the forefront of efforts to pass the Internet Censorship Act, which fundamentally threatens the internet as we know it.

If the bill passes, corporate copyright holders would be able to demand the government shut down a website based on nothing more than an allegation that the website contains copyrighted material. And the government could do this even without a court order.

The free speech implications of this kind of extra-judicial government censorship of the internet is chilling. It's nothing short of an outright attack on our free internet.

Google, which is strongly opposed to the Internet Censorship Act and has an unofficial motto of "Don't be evil," is a member of the Chamber of Commerce. But the Chamber's all-out support of this incredibly dangerous legislation has reportedly caused Google to consider quitting the right-wing organization in protest.

Tell Google: Quit the Chamber of Commerce.

If Google leaves the Chamber, it will further reveal that the Chamber is nothing more than a front group for a small handful of wealthy corporate special interests. And this will further chip away at the Chamber's grandiose claim to broadly represent the interests of the American business community.

We've already seen a number of big corporations including Yahoo and Apple leave the Chamber, and it's a very big deal that Google is reportedly considering the same thing right now.

This is a case where the business interests of Google align with the needs of all of us who depend on the free and open internet.

Tell Google: Quit the Chamber of Commerce.

Progressives have any number of reasons to want to see the influence of the Chamber of Commerce diminish.

As the election season heats up, we'll almost certainly see the Chamber run vicious smear campaigns against people running against any number of right-wing extremists.

But more fundamentally, whether it's shilling for Big Oil or the tobacco companies or media giants, the Chamber is the poster child for how wealthy corporate money corrupts our system of government.

We have a chance now to help Google to do the right thing and quit the Chamber. Now's the time to speak out.

Tell Google: Quit the Chamber of Commerce.

PETITION: http://www.change.org/suggested?petition_id=174719

_________________________________________________________________
FOR MORE INFO ON S.O.P.A.: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_Online_Piracy_Act

25 Rules for Mothers of Sons

2012-01-08T18:04:00.002-06:00

Joseph, Zator, and Lee...The Boys

Former school-teacher = Deputy Secretary of the Louisiana Revenue Department??

2012-01-08T13:09:00.002-06:00

"Crony capitalism...is the name of the Republican game." ~Robert Scheer

January 07, 2012--3:12 PM CDT

Former State Rep. Jane Smith, a term-limited state representative from Bossier City who lost a contentious battle for a state Senate seat, has a new job with Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration, the Shreveport Times reports.

Jane Smith, a Republican whose term as the District 8 member of the state House of Representatives ends Monday, is taking an appointment as deputy secretary of the Louisiana Revenue Department, it was announced today. Smith's hiring is drawing fire from political watchdogs who say that Smith is not qualified for the job.

Shreveport demographer Elliot Stonecipher said that this is "more evidence of what we said all along up here about how Teepell / Jindal were in charge of her campaign for the Senate, and how much she's been in on what they've been doing for the last four years."

This no-doubt high-salary will be on top of her teacher retirement.

"All of us, of course, have to worry now about her tampering with our state income taxes, I guess. I hope that's a joke, but I'm not sure."

In an email sent to his subscribers, good-government watchdog C.B. Forgotston said that Smith's hiring was proof that "The 'Roads Scholar' (Jindal) is continuing to reduce unemployment in Louisiana."

Forgotston wrote that "Today, we learn that another soon-to-be, unemployed, politician will be quickly employed by the taxpayers of Louisiana.

Term-limited and recently defeated for the state senate, Rep. Jane Smith will not miss a single feeding from the public trough.

Despite mid-year budget cuts to Higher Ed and Healthcare, there's always room for another "good ol' boy" or in this case a "good ol' gal" at the public trough.

The more things change..

This latest political hiring follows the hires of Kevin Davis who was term-limited as St. Tammany Parish President, and Craig Taffaro who was defeated for reelection as St. Bernard Parish President.

It's yet to be confirmed what Smith's salary will be, but it the previous political hirings are any indication it will be six-figures. All will be getting increases from their previous feedings at the public trough.

In addition, Smith currently draws $64,000 annually from the Teachers Retirement system and her husband is being paid $94,000 a year as Assistant Superintendent of Bossier Parish Schools.

A good guess is that starting next week, the two Smiths will draw from the public trough approximately $250,000, annually. Not too shabby for a couple of school teachers.

Outrage?

If Edwin Edwards was the governor cutting Higher Ed and Heathcare while employing out-of-work political cronies like Jindal, there would be a huge public outcry. However, with Jindal, there is nothing but deafening silence.

Forgotston wondered, "Where's outrage?"

http://www.thedeadpelican.com for updates
(C) THE DEAD PELICAN 2012

Mussels from locally-owned Shreveport gastropub: Anvil

2012-01-07T20:56:00.000-06:00


All photos by Debbie Buchanan Engle

Anvil's Executive Chef is Stuart P. Dyson.

Alan showing Joseph the ropes.

Joseph takes his first bite.

Freshly-baked bread for "sopping."

Anvil is owned by Shreveport restaurateur, Joe Fertitta

...Like butterflies.

2012-01-03T10:36:00.001-06:00


'Don't be afraid, everything will be alright' by Ben Javens

Source: http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/page/2/

2012-01-03T10:31:00.002-06:00

'Ignore both of them' by Eleni Kalorkoti

Source: http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/page/2/

A List of Don’ts for Women on Bicycles Circa 1895

2012-01-03T10:27:00.000-06:00

By: Maria Popova

We’ve already seen how the bicycle emancipated women, but it wasn’t exactly a smooth ride. The following list of 41 don’ts for female cyclists was published in 1895 in the newspaper New York World by an author of unknown gender. Equal parts amusing and appalling, the list is the best (or worst, depending on you look at it) thing since the Victorian map of woman’s heart.

Don’t be a fright.
Don’t faint on the road.
Don’t wear a man’s cap.
Don’t wear tight garters.
Don’t forget your toolbag
Don’t attempt a “century.”
Don’t coast. It is dangerous.
Don’t boast of your long rides.
Don’t criticize people’s “legs.”
Don’t wear loud hued leggings.
Don’t cultivate a “bicycle face.”
Don’t refuse assistance up a hill.
Don’t wear clothes that don’t fit.
Don’t neglect a “light’s out” cry.
Don’t wear jewelry while on a tour.
Don’t race. Leave that to the scorchers.
Don’t wear laced boots. They are tiresome.
Don’t imagine everybody is looking at you.
Don’t go to church in your bicycle costume.
Don’t wear a garden party hat with bloomers.
Don’t contest the right of way with cable cars.
Don’t chew gum. Exercise your jaws in private.
Don’t wear white kid gloves. Silk is the thing.
Don’t ask, “What do you think of my bloomers?”
Don’t use bicycle slang. Leave that to the boys.
Don’t go out after dark without a male escort.
Don’t without a needle, thread and thimble.
Don’t try to have every article of your attire “match.”
Don’t let your golden hair be hanging down your back.
Don’t allow dear little Fido to accompany you
Don’t scratch a match on the seat of your bloomers.
Don’t discuss bloomers with every man you know.
Don’t appear in public until you have learned to ride well.
Don’t overdo things. Let cycling be a recreation, not a labor.
Don’t ignore the laws of the road because you are a woman.
Don’t try to ride in your brother’s clothes “to see how it feels.”
Don’t scream if you meet a cow. If she sees you first, she will run.
Don’t cultivate everything that is up to date because yon ride a wheel.
Don’t emulate your brother’s attitude if he rides parallel with the ground.
Don’t undertake a long ride if you are not confident of performing it easily.
Don’t appear to be up on “records” and “record smashing.” That is sporty.

"12 to watch in 2012" via www.How-Matters.org

2012-01-03T10:22:00.003-06:00

...I couldn’t resist sharing my top 12 people, trends, sites, and organizations to watch in 2012!!

In no particular order…

@InnovateAfrica – About to unleash the philanthropic and intellectual capital of the African Diaspora for collective social investment on the continent!
Re-Action – A private-sector endeavor to change the way we look at monitoring and evaluation in our sector.
USAID FORWARD – A reform effort by Raj that we’re all watching closely. (And yes, I someday hope Dr. Shah and I can be on a first name basis.)
The Broker Online – Sound thinking on the future of aid from an independent international magazine on globalization and development.
The Listening Project from CDA Collaborative Projects – They’ve got data on listening exercises with over 6,000 people in societies on the receiving end of aid. So they’ve got lots more to say!
WiserEarth.org – helps the global movement of people and organizations working toward social justice, indigenous rights, and environmental stewardship to connect. I love to watch the number groups registered on their site grow! At last count, now up to 113,740.
hiiDunia – Where do all of those research papers that were written for professors or donors go after they’re submitted? No longer just to the dusty shelf but to hiiDunia! They’ve got a really comprehensive blogroll as well.
Mathare Valley Blog – I’d love to see more and more sites like this one in the coming year and see more of the power of web 2.0 tools in action at the community level.
Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg of Can? We? Save? Africa? – Her organization, Akili Dada, is (dare I say?) putting Oprah’s school to shame!
whydev.org – Want to know why I’m hopeful about the future of aid work? Just take a look at this thoughtful and reflective site created by and for students, graduates and young professionals in development work.
Sparks Microgrants – A great example of locally-responsive aid. Appropriate scale. “Beneficiaries” as change makers.” This is what is possible, folks. And finally…
This space right here – It’s the time for how-matters.org to up its game. Stay tuned for future opportunities to join in! Exciting stuff ahead in the new year!

Debbie and Dorothy

2011-12-21T17:29:00.001-06:00

Debbie and Dorothy #art #louisiana #shreveport #shreveportbossierigers #kathrynusher, originally uploaded by Kathryn Usher.

photo by Kathryn Usher

Artwork Clearance - brainchild of feminist artist Debbie Buchanan Engle - goes global!

2011-12-20T09:43:00.000-06:00

By: Kathryn Usher - Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Photo: Kathryn Usher

Debbie Hollis Buchanan Engle (see photo above) is a radical progressive artist, small business owner and feminist. That's a bitchin' combination here in the Deep South.

Earlier this year she created the Facebook page Artwork Clearance as a place to host art auctions. How smart is that? Forget the fees you have to pay to Etsy or Ebay or any of the others. Debbie created an online auction house that is all her own. And she's hosted auctions for other artists and causes.

The creation of Artwork Clearance takes a page from the playbook of San Francisco based art appraiser, and art writer Alan Bamberger. He said, "In economic times like these, you gotta get creative in order to survive."

The current auction runs through noon Friday December 23, 2011. It's called "Bohemian Bottles." Sixty-six glass and paper pieces make up this collection. The pieces I'm drawn to are the ones that include the cutouts from her grandmother's old sewing patterns. They are paired with quips like "Bring It On" and "Boss Lady."

These are images she's been working with for quite some time. There is a history to this work and that's excellent news for collectors of her art. Centenary College took note of the importance of Debbie's work with these images back in 2006 and featured them in this write up.

Interest in this current auction is global with inquires as far flung as the UK.

You Are Not So Smart: Procrastination

2011-12-14T21:40:00.000-06:00

2011-12-13T21:14:00.000-06:00

England 2 Columbia 0 - Kirsty MacColl (w/ lyrics)

2011-12-11T21:54:00.000-06:00

GRITtv: John Fugelsang: Happy Holidays to War on Christmas

2011-12-09T18:34:00.000-06:00

Former Congressman Alan Grayson Explains Occupy Wall Street To The 1%

2011-12-08T08:58:00.000-06:00

Keb' Mo' - It Hurts Me Too

2011-12-06T21:44:00.000-06:00

Keb Mo - We Don't Need It (Live in the BIng Lounge)

2011-12-06T21:33:00.000-06:00

2011-12-05T22:52:00.004-06:00


Photo: DBE

the discontents
by debbie buchanan engle

You know it when you’re a kid-

You have a hangover before you’ve ever had a drink.

Anxiety? Maybe.

I remember that strung-out feeling at 14.

There is no good girl or bad girl-

Everything is reflexive.

Reactive.

Full of curiosity about God knows what.

You’ve been through therapy.

You memorized too much Oscar Wilde.

You’ve learned the value of sexual freedom

And the consequences of guilt –

And overcome them both.

You remember the very first time you saw Kerouac-

The first time you felt the magic of improvisation

In music.
In art.
In conversation.

You wrote some real shit, man…but it’s all been done before.

You argued the evils of government and the glory of socialism.

The first time you exposed yourself in public using your medium of choice…

You looked at that man and knew you would have him.

You embrace your label to find your identity –

Then you curse it because you don’t want to be stereotyped.

Woman.
Black.
Gay.
Southern.
Screw all of ‘em.

Your labor and your sweat come at 3AM.

You were born a generation too late.

Your brain is a giant file cabinet full of heroes, quotes, poems, embarrassments.

Why were your parents so damned square??

If only I’d had different parents,

I wouldn’t be stuck in this apartment with no tools, man,

No tools to express myself.

I curse my poverty, and I curse the wealth of those who are unoriginal but rich.

My disasters have made my life interesting enough to become art itself.

Remember the first time you were published? Holy shit, that was some amazing shit!!

But you were cool about it.

It’s so uncool to be proud…it makes you one of them.

You learned the words to “Amazing Grace” as a kid;

Now you’ve done everything possible to create a need to lean on those words, even if unconsciously.

And your family won’t understand – they never did.

One moment, you wanted to slit your wrists;

The next, you know you are a genius.

The time between the two won’t last long – take advantage of it because either one will kill you.

Highland Cultural District Announcement - Nov. 2011

2011-12-01T19:33:00.001-06:00

Highland Cultural District Announcement - Nov. 2011, a set on Flickr.

Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission Explains What Happened to the US Economy

2011-11-28T09:18:00.004-06:00

'The Commission concluded that this crisis was avoidable—the result of human actions, inactions, and misjudgments. Warnings were ignored. “The greatest tragedy would be to accept the refrain that no one could have seen this coming and thus nothing could have been done. If we accept this notion, it will happen again.”'

Source: http://fcic.law.stanford.edu/
_____________________________________________

"(FED Chairman) Bernanke in an April 2009 speech said that the Fed provided emergency loans only to “sound institutions,” even though its internal assessments described at least one of the biggest borrowers, Citigroup, as “marginal.”

On Jan. 14, 2009, six days before the company’s central bank loans peaked, the New York Fed gave CEO Vikram Pandit a report declaring Citigroup’s financial strength to be “superficial,” bolstered largely by its $45 billion of Treasury funds. The document was released in early 2011 by the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, a panel empowered by Congress to probe the causes of the crisis."

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-28/secret-fed-loans-undisclosed-to-congress-gave-banks-13-billion-in-income.html

Secret Fed Loans Gave Banks Undisclosed $13B

2011-11-28T09:02:00.000-06:00

"The Federal Reserve and the big banks fought for more than two years to keep details of the largest bailout in U.S. history a secret. Now, the rest of the world can see what it was missing.

The Fed didn’t tell anyone which banks were in trouble so deep they required a combined $1.2 trillion on Dec. 5, 2008, their single neediest day. Bankers didn’t mention that they took tens of billions of dollars in emergency loans at the same time they were assuring investors their firms were healthy. And no one calculated until now that banks reaped an estimated $13 billion of income by taking advantage of the Fed’s below-market rates, Bloomberg Markets magazine reports in its January issue.

Saved by the bailout, bankers lobbied against government regulations, a job made easier by the Fed, which never disclosed the details of the rescue to lawmakers even as Congress doled out more money and debated new rules aimed at preventing the next collapse...

“When you see the dollars the banks got, it’s hard to make the case these were successful institutions,” says Sherrod Brown, a Democratic Senator from Ohio who in 2010 introduced an unsuccessful bill to limit bank size. “This is an issue that can unite the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street. There are lawmakers in both parties who would change their votes now.”

The size of the bailout came to light after Bloomberg LP, the parent of Bloomberg News, won a court case against the Fed and a group of the biggest U.S. banks called Clearing House Association LLC to force lending details into the open...

Read the entire article here.