Maxine Waters

We think that it is--we know it is an extremely difficult problem, and it is going to impact these areas even more.

I thank you for basically the way that you pay attention to the Members and try and help work through their problems.

I agree with that impression.

I appreciate that advice and that information. I am looking to play a role in some of this reform.

I basically take the position that the government, perhaps, should not be involved in deciding the compensation for executives of these companies.

What would any of you suggest that we should include in legislation that would prevent this kind of action?

I am thinking of holding a hearing in that area in order to go ahead and start to address these problems.

There is a section of Los Angeles County where the Section 8 residents are constantly singled out by law enforcement.

Thank you very much, Chairman Frank, for convening today's hearing on the Section 8 Voucher Reform Act.

We lost the battle to have control of the second $350 billion, as you know. It is all over in the Administration with a lot of flexibility.

We may still have a role to play in all of this; and that role has to do with negotiating with this Administration about what they are going to do to help ease the pain on these dealers.

Unfortunately all of that seems to be at risk at this point as we look at what is happening with the major manufacturers.

As the government considers the assistance that they are going to give to the manufacturers, could not a case be made that the liability costs be assumed in whatever TARP funding may be forthcoming.

And should do that. And additionally, if inventory was forced upon dealers that is creating a liability for them, should not that information be made available and documented for the bankruptcy court?

There are those who would like to stay in business and would like to have some assistance.

I have been working with Mr. Damon Lester for months now as he has walked these halls trying to get some attention to what has been happening with the minority auto dealers.

My problem with the way this has been approached is this. We know that tons of cocaine was coming out of Nicaragua during the time of the confrontation between the Sandinistas and the Contras.

They never delved into why and how all of these tons of cocaine was coming into first Los Angeles, cooked into crack cocaine and spread out across this country.

We also know that drug dealers such as Danilo Blandon, who brought cocaine into Los Angeles that was cooked into crack by Ricky Ross, who is getting out of prison--just got out of prison now, who told us where it came from.

Let me just say that I wish that we as elected officials had the courage to deal with difficult issues.

I cannot reconcile that we require judges to be qualified.

For too many years, unjustified disparate treatment of crack and powder cocaine has had a racially disproportionate and unjust impact upon on poor people and minority communities.

The 100-1 unequal treatment is not justified. Our laws should reflect the evidence of harm to society.

That basically describes what has happened with the arrest and convictions of these young Black men for the most part.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I would like to begin by thanking you and Speaker Pelosi for your leadership in this area.