Kansas native Sheila Bair stood out during her five-year term as chairwoman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. for her early warnings about high-risk lending and her willingness to take on the big banks. She is still speaking out in her new book, “Bull by the Horns,” which was released Tuesday. Bair, who grew up in Independence and graduated from the University of Kansas, blasts bankers she blames for the crisis and criticizes Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner for being an apologist for Wall Street and opposing financial reforms, the New York Times reported.
Gov. Sam Brownback asked lobbyists to contribute to a fundraiser Monday for 14 Republican state Senate candidates, prompting Democratic officials to complain about a pay-to-play system of government. Many of the candidates – including Rep. Dan Kerschen, R-Garden Plain, and Wichita City Council member Michael O’Donnell – defeated GOP incumbents in the August primary. Sponsors of the event, which was held at a Topeka law firm, contributed $1,000 to each candidate, and donors had to contribute $500 to each candidate. The list of sponsors was “a Who’s Who of lobbyists who represent interests in the Statehouse, and people and organizations tied to Brownback,” the Lawrence Journal-World reported.
Kansas native Sheila Bair stood out during her five-year term as chairwoman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. for her early warnings about high-risk lending and her willingness to take on the big banks. She is still speaking out in her new book, “Bull by the Horns,” which was released Tuesday. Bair, who grew up in Independence and graduated from the University of Kansas, blasts bankers she blames for the crisis and criticizes Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner for being an apologist for Wall Street and opposing financial reforms, the New York Times reported.
