Declarations – East

Spotting Texting Drivers

“While it’s relatively easier for law enforcement to determine illegal handheld cell phone use by observing the position of the phone at the driver’s ear, the dangerous practice of texting while driving is often not as obvious.”

–The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Administrator David Strickland on the difficulties of catching texting motorists. His agency is providing $550,000 to Connecticut and Massachusetts to help them devise anti-texting enforcement techniques that could be adopted across the country.

Systemically Important

“The designation of AIG as a systemically important financial institution is necessary to ensure strong federal regulation of the company so that taxpayer dollars are not put at risk.”

–Christy Romero. Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, on regulating American International Group. She wrote in her latest quarterly report that AIG needs to be designated as a systemically important financial institution even if the company decides to sell its thrift bank.

Online Exchange Stalled

“We want to make smart, informed decisions for Pennsylvanians. We’re not going to rush headlong into this and make poor choices.”

–Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Michael Consedine on why the state-run health insurance exchange is unlikely to be ready for a scheduled January 2014 rollout. He said last month that development of the online exchange — a key element of the federal Affordable Care Act — has stalled because too many questions about its cost and operational details remain unanswered by the federal government.