You’ve probably heard of the “fireman arsonist syndrome,” a mental disorder where firemen set fires so they can be heroes who extinguish them. See also, hero syndrome.
This is the best psychological description I can find of s slew of Trump nominees or rumored appointments, although with one big twist. These nominees actually don’t want to save people or policies meant to protect our safety and security. They’re all about "burn baby burn." And they are open about it. More or less the opposite of heroes.
Take Betsy DeVos, whose Education Secrecy nomination hearings began yesterday. DeVos is “a billionaire Republican with no professional experience in schools,” but whose personal philosophy is “laser-focused on undermining … public schools”
Besides that troubling fact, there’s the concern about her “extensive financial holdings” in RDV Corporation:
RDV is affiliated with LMF WF Portfolio, a limited liability corporation listed in regulatory filings as one of several firms involved in a $147 million loan to Performant Financial Corp., a debt collection agency in business with the Education Department.…
If confirmed as secretary, DeVos would be in a position to influence the award of debt collection, servicing and recovery contracts, in addition to the oversight and monitoring of the contracts. She would also have the authority to revise payments and fees to contractors for rehabilitating past-due debt — all of which has Senate Democrats concerned.
In sum, under a DeVos-led Education Department, America’s public schools systems (which teaches 90 percent of students), might go down in flames, but ruinous student debt could be spectacular for the DeVos’s!
And speaking of ruinous student debt or really any kind of consumer debt, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has been on a “mission [to safeguard] consumers against predatory financial institutions. Over the years, the bureau has launched initiatives to stop debt collectors from harassing people and to help Americans avoid unnecessary bank fees, among other campaigns.”
However, “Trump is expected to almost immediately dismiss Richard Cordray, who has been the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) since its creation in 2011.” His likely replacement seems to be Congressman Randy Neugebauer (R-TX), and:
For supporters of the CFPB, Trump's possible choice for its new director is beyond alarming. Why? Because, similarly to the way that Trump has chosen an anti-vaccine crusader to lead a commission on (yep) vaccines, Neugebauer has been one of the CFPB's most outspoken opponents.
In the past, Neugebauer has come out strongly against the CFPB, criticizing several key rules concerning payday lenders and mandatory arbitration. The former lawmaker even introduced legislation in May 2015 that would completely change the CFPB structure, removing power from the director and handing it over to a commission, thereby restricting its ability to independently craft regulations.…
Understandably, consumer advocates are slamming the potential choice of Neugebauer to lead the watchdog agency he seems to have been trying to destroy. “He is a complete hack for the industry on pretty much every issue,” Paul Bland, the executive director of Public Justice, told MONEY on Friday.
The Democrats are trying to fight back. Yesterday,
[Sen. Elizabeth] Warren -- along with Democratic Senators Chuck Schumer and Sherrod Brown -- said in a joint conference call Tuesday that they will do everything they can to prevent Trump from dismissing Richard Cordray, the head of the CFPB.
"The CFPB is on the verge of finalizing three critical laws," Warren said, referring to rules on debt collection, payday lending and forced arbitration. She said firing Cordray would be a "huge handout to [bank] lobbyists."
Cordray and the CFPB have taken on big banks like Wells Fargo as well as shady payday lenders.
Wonder if a few fire hotshots could help right about now?
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