Mary Jo Whiteis tough,
formidable,
unrelenting.
She's probably not even five-feet tall, but she is very tall -- powerful, important, when it comes to going after the cheaters on Wall Street. She's the chair of the Securities Exchange Commission, the only woman to hold the top position in the 200-year-plus history of that office.
I probably couldn't carry on a very good conversation with her -- her world and my world rarely collide, though show business needs investors, and what Wall Street has been doing has made it harder to get them. The investment world's machinations have been slowing down our country's progress, our recovery from the disastrous economic slump of five years ago.
I'd more than fill this page if I stated her educational background, where she's worked and all the awards she's won as a lawyer. White is renownedfor getting convictions against the terrorists responsible for the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, and the bombings of our embassies in Africa.
Personally, she's a sports fan, a runner herself, happily married to the man she met in high school. Their son is currently enrolled in Colombia Law School.
Since taking over the commission last April, White, 66, has given both fans of regulation and big money investors something to complain about. She has changed SEC rules to require crooked guys to admit guilt rather than just pay fines. She has stepped up investigations of lawyers and accountants who shield companies by failing to flag fraud. The SEC recently announced the latest of nearly 700 busts.
Glance at this video -- it's not exciting, but clearly shows that Mary Jo knows all the ins-and-outs, and can out talk, (and probably out think) the brilliant minds that know the ins-and-outs of making money. Which explains Obama’s chief reason for making her the nation’s top financial cop, saying when he nominated her, “You don’t want to mess with Mary Jo.”
With several politically charged decisions coming in the next two months, Mary Jo White gives us hope that soon, sooner rather than later, we can get the country back to progressing forward, not backward, and get out from under the clutches of Wall Street guys who are making us poorer while they get richer, and richer and richer.
Posts
4 comments:
Thank you for this post. I didn't know much about Mary Jo White before.
"Timely"...amazingly so. How it is Em that you bring to the forefront items of interest, that many did or do not have a clue as to the importance and relevancy to their lives. You are now playing in my backyard and I can attest that the lady in which you write about- Ms. Mary Jo White - has a daunting task ahead. She WILL expose just how "unfair" the stock market operates, and the trading in such, is not always or has NEVER been on a fair playing field (and that's putting it mildly). As Ms. White progresses through with the dredging of the muck, many "day traders" will learn all of their dollars- many a whole retirement account- never stood a chance as the big fishes unjustly. unfairly and probably , in some instances, illegally gobbled them with ease. This lady will change the stock market "game" forever and should have an impact on world economies as no other woman before her "could". Thank you Em for being in front of the story. GREAT work!
Thanks for such an informative article Em. We need more Mary Jo's in this country. Embezzlers and other crooked business persons need to be held accountable for their crimes.
The fortunate/unfortunate thing, is that everything is a 'fad' with an expiration date. But while it lasts..we are being eaten alive.
Technology has created the speculative day trader, who can do so without even leaving his den.
Lets see is if there is actual long term action, and not just more louder noise to quiet us bleating sheep.
Post a Comment