Last week, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission did something it has never done before. It charged the state of New Jersey with fraudulently misleading investors about the health of the state’s pension plan. From 2001 to 2007, the SEC charged, the state gave out false information about the state’s retirement funds.

I sent the following email to Charlie Sykes, Talk Radio Host at WTMJ in Milwaukee, WI. I’d explain the reason for it, but I think the email does a pretty good job of filling you in. Anyway, here it is. Let’s see what his response will be, if any.

The President blasts Republicans in the Senate who are blocking unemployment insurance and small business tax breaks to create jobs — even as they push for permanent, massive tax cuts for the richest Americans.

by Zach Carter, Media Consortium blogger

In the fall of 2008, decades of finance-first, bankers-know-best economic policies coalesced to create one of the worst economic crises in history, one that the banks themselves could not survive without staggering levels of government support.

A new 5-cent tax on disposable grocery bags in Washington, DC is working better than expected. In its first assessment of how the new law is working, the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue estimated that food and grocery establishments gave out about 3 million bags in January. Before the bag tax took effect Jan. 1, the Office of the Chief Financial Officer had said that about 22.5 million bags were being issued each month in 2009.

By Lindsay Beyerstein, Media Consortium blogger

While President Obama signed the final piece of the health care reform bill into law on Tuesday, opponents are not taking the defeat lying down. This week’s prize for the most bizarre objection to health care reform goes to Glenn Beck’s guest host Doc Thompson who alleged that a tax on tanning salons is racist

Some thing a 3rd party might want to consider

Video of Obama saying the exact opposite of what he’s now in favor of – a middle class tax increase.

That, to put it mildly, is a lot of money, especially if you get rid of the money used to enforce our current drug laws and add it to the tax revenue. In this economy,don’t you think states might be interested?

In the UK, “bonuses are back” is the new phrase reverberating around the financial district. It is a phrase that should fill us all with disgust. Now is the time for banks to pay back their debt to society and not just to pay themselves.