Inspector is both a police rank and an administrative position, both used in a number of contexts. However, it is not an equivalent rank in each police force.

Australia

In Australian police forces, the rank of Inspector is generally the next senior rank from Senior Sergeant and is less senior than a superintendent (in the cases of the Queensland Police and Western Australia Police) or the rank of Chief Inspector in the other Australian police forces. Members holding the rank usually wear an epaulette featuring three silver pips, the same rank badge as a Captain in the army. In addition to the general rank of Inspector, some police forces use other ranks such as Detective Inspector and District Inspector.

Austria

In Austria a similar scheme was used as in Germany. At some point the police inspector was completely removed from the list of service ranks. The current police service has an inspectors service track with "Inspektor" being the entry level - it is followed by "Revierinspektor" (precinct inspector), "Gruppeninspektor" (group inspector), "Bezirksinspektor" (county inspector), "Abteilungsinspektor" (office inspector), "Kontrollinspektor" (control inspector) and "Chefinspektor" (chief inspector).

In Austria the "Inspektor" is a colloquial name for any detective which is used independent of the actual rank.

Canada

In most Canadian police services the rank of Inspector is the first above the sergeant ranks. It is usually immediately below the rank of Superintendent. Senior Inspectors are higher ranking administrative rank in Canada's police forces.

France

In the French National Police, inspecteur is a former rank of members of the Command and Management Corps. There were several grades of Inspecteur, with senior detectives holding the various grades of commissaire. See French National Police for current ranks.

Germany

In contemporary Germany, "Inspektor" is a civil service rank. It is the lowest and therefore the entry rank of the gehobener Dienst (upper service) requiring a degree from a three-year administrative college. The rank is not used in the German police services; there the equivalent of Inspektor is Kommissar. In earlier times the upper service track was called "Inspektorenlaufbahn" (inspectors service track) ranging from "Inspektor", "Oberinspektor" (senior inspector), "Amtmann", "Amtsrat" to "Oberamtsrat" (senior supervisor).

The title is used on many professional areas that require an inspection service, like "Brandinspektor" (fire inspector in the fire department), "Steuerinspektor" (tax inspector in the financial department) or "Bauinspektor" (building inspector in building control) that are in a supervision position of their department. In many administration parts a corresponding position exists like the "Regierungsinspektor" (government inspector on the federal level), "Stadtinspektor"/"Stadtverwaltungsinspektor" (city administration inspector)), "Kreisinspektor"/"Kreisverwaltungsinspektor" (county administration inspector) that serve in supervision of the department.

In some regions the "Inspektor" is a colloquial name for any detective rank just like in Austria.

Hong Kong

In the Hong Kong Police Force, inspector (including probationary inspector and senior inspector) is the rank senior to station sergeant and junior to chief inspector, an inspector is a leader of a team, a shift or a police station. The rank badge of probation inspector is one silver star on his/her shoulder pad. The rank badge of inspector is two silver stars on his/her shoulder pad. The rank badge of senior inspector is two silver stars above a silver horrizonly bar on his/her shoulder badge. The rank badge of chief inspector is three silver stars on his/her shoulder pad. Customs and Excise Department also have inspector ranking like the Hong Kong Police Force, but with bronze stars and bars rank badge.

India

officer with rank of Police Inspector]] In the police forces of India, an inspector is a non-gazetted police officer ranking above a Sub-Inspector and below a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) or an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP). In the Rural areas Inspectors generally (but not always) have jurisdictions over more than one police station (generally under a Sub-Inspector of Police). However, in many cities, Inspectors would be the Station House Officer (SHO) at every police station. The rank insignia for a Police Inspector is three stars, and a red and blue striped ribbon at the outer edge of the shoulder straps. In rural areas where an inspector is in charge of a police circle (consisting more than one police station) he is also referred to as "Circle Inspector" (CI).

Indonesia

In the Indonesian National Police, there are four levels of inspector, which are First Police Inspector (Inspektur Polisi Satu), Senior Police Inspector (Inspektur Polisi Dua), First Police Inspector Adjutant (Ajun Inspektur Polisi Satu), and Second Police Inspector Adjutant (Ajun Inspektur Polisi Dua). Those ranks are below the rank of Police Commissioner Adjutant (Ajun Komisaris Polisi) and above the rank of Chief Police Brigadier (Brigadir Polisi Kepala).

Ireland

In the Garda Síochána, inspectors are senior to sergeants and junior to superintendents. Inspectors may be either detectives or in uniform.

Italy

In the Polizia di Stato, the position of Ispettore (Inspector) replaced the rank of Maresciallo after the 1981 reorganization and demilitarization of the corps; an Ispettore is thus a Sergeant of several sorts, above the rank of Sovrintendente (Superintendent, which is somewhat equal to a Senior Corporal) and under the rank of Commissario. There are three four different Inspector ranks in the Polizia di Stato: Vice Ispettore ("Assistant Inspector"), Ispettore ("Inspector"), Ispettore Capo ("Chief Inspector") and Ispettore Superiore ("Special Inspector", or "Superior Inspector"), roughly equivalent to the ranks ranging from Junior Sergeant to Second Lieutenant. A fifth position, called Ispettore Superiore S.U.P.S., where the achronym stands for Sostituto Ufficiale di Pubblica Sicurezza ("Special Inspector - Substitute Public Safety Commissioned Officer"), is used to designate those Inspectors which can act as substitutes to Commissioners in the chain of command under certain situations, or in Police detachments that are too small to require the presence of a Commissioner; when this happens, the officer is named Ispettore Superore - Sostituto Commissario ("Special Inspector - Substitute Commissioner"). Inspectors can serve either in uniformed patrol duties, plain-clothed patrol duties, or as detectives. The Inspector ranks are the highest that an Italian Police officer can reach without having a University degree.

Malaysia

In Malaysia's police force, the rank Inspector is one step above the Sub-Inspector and one step under Assistant Superintendent. There are three stages: probation inspector (three years probation), inspector and chief inspector. Inspectors are recruited differently from the normal police constable. Their training is also longer. The minimum requirement to join police inspector is a degree.

Poland

In Poland, inspector (inspektor) is a high rank (above podinspektor and młodszy inspektor, but below nadinspektor), comparable to colonel of the armed forces.

Romania

In the Romanian Police, inspector is a rank senior to Subinspector and junior to Inspector principal and corresponds to the former rank of Police Lieutenant (see Romanian Police Ranks).

Sri Lanka

In the Sri Lanka Police Service, Inspector of Police (IP) is a gazetted officer rank senior to Sub-Inspector and junior to Chief Inspector. In many cities, Inspectors would be the Officer in Charge (OIC) at most police stations. The rank insignia for a Police Inspector is two stars.

United Kingdom

Within the British police, inspector is the second supervisory rank. It is senior to that of sergeant, but junior to that of chief inspector. The rank is mostly operational, meaning that inspectors are directly concerned with day-to-day policing. Uniformed inspectors are often responsible for supervising a duty shift made up of constables and sergeants, or act in specialist roles such as supervising road traffic policing.

The rank of inspector has existed since the foundation of the Metropolitan Police, formed in 1829, when it was used to designate the rank immediately below that of superintendent, and many Commonwealth police forces also use the term.

Plain-clothes detective inspectors are equal in rank to their uniformed counterparts, the prefix 'detective' identifying them as having been trained in criminal investigation and being part of or attached to their force's Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

The epaulettes of uniformed inspectors, unlike those of constables and sergeants, do not show a divisional or personal identification number. Instead they feature Order of the Bath stars, informally known as "pips", being the same insignia as those of a lieutenant in the British Army.

Newly promoted inspectors currently receive a salary of £46,788 (£48,840 London) rising to £50,751 (£52,818 London).

United States

In the United States, the term inspector can have very different meanings depending on the law enforcement agency.

Municipal police

In the San Francisco Police Department, inspector is the normal title for a detective, and the investigative branch of the SFPD is called the Bureau of Inspectors.

In the Berkeley, California, Police Department, inspector was once the title used for an investigative supervisor who commanded a specific specialized detail, like Homicide, Robbery, or Property Crimes, within the department's Detective Division. They ranked between sergeants and lieutenants and, on the comparatively rare occasions when they wore uniforms, their rank insignia was identical to that worn by warrant officers in the US Armed Forces. The title has since been phased out, and the duties once performed by inspectors are now performed by detective sergeants.

In the Hayward, California Police Department, the rank of inspector is a civil service rank above a detective and below that of a sergeant.

In the New York City Police Department, an inspector is a high-ranking executive position, two grades above a Captain, and one grade above a Deputy Inspector. In the LAPD, the rank of inspector, one grade above captain, was changed to commander in 1974, because LAPD senior officers preferred the more military-sounding title.

State Police

In the Wisconsin State Patrol, and others, inspectors are state troopers assigned to the motor carrier safety inspection unit where they enforce trucking laws and regulations.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation's Division of Motor Vehicles License and Theft Bureau uses the title of Inspector for it's sworn state Law Enforcement Agents / Investigators. The Inspectors of this agency investigate motor vehicle theft, title and odometer frauds, state issued identification and driver's license frauds, as well as regulate and inspect motor vehicle dealerships, repair shops, tow and storage facilities, and emissions and safety inspection centers. The NC DMV License and Theft Bureau is the state's oldest Law Enforcement Agency and was formed in 1921 to combat vehicle theft with the rising sales of Ford's Model T. The agency has kept the title designation of Inspector for traditional purposes.

Federal Police

In the FBI, an inspector is a special agent whose main duty is inspecting local Field Offices and Resident Agencies to make sure they are operating efficiently. Since FBI Inspectors are not tied to any particular Field Office, they have, in the past, also been used as trouble-shooting investigators on major cases. Joseph Sullivan, the model for Inspector Lew Erskine, the fictional character played by Efrem Zimbalist Jr. in the 1965-1974 ABC TV series The FBI, was perhaps the best-known of the Bureau's Major Case Inspectors.

The United States Marshals Service employs a similar position.

In the Postal Inspection Service, inspector is the name given to 1811 Criminal Investigators, better known as special agents in most other Federal Law Enforcement Agencies.

Administrative law

In American administrative law, an inspector is an official charged with the duty to issue permits, such as a building inspector or sanitation inspector, and to enforce the relevant regulations and laws. An agency may have an Inspector General responsible for preventing internal fraud, waste, abuse and other agency deficiencies. These positions are commonly known as the Fire Inspector or Building Inspector. The duty it act is based on the adopted building or fire code in the municipality.

References

Category:Police ranks Category:Administrative law Category:Police ranks in the United Kingdom Category:Law enforcement

Colour	gray
Name	The Inspector
Portrayer	Pat Harrington, Jr.
Gender	Male
Occupation	Inspector

The Inspector is a series of 1960s theatrical cartoons produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises and released through United Artists. The titular character is based on Jacques Closeau, a comical French police officer who is the main character in the Pink Panther series of films.

Plot

Although the titular character was never given a name, in contrast to Inspector Clouseau, the cartoon character was generally competent. The cartoons' humor came from the sometimes surreal villains and situations the Inspector was exposed to, with a healthy dose of stylized cartoon slapstick. Through these difficult circumstances, criminals often get the better of him and he must face the wrath of his ill-tempered, bullying Commissioner (who is clearly based on Herbert Lom's Commissioner Dreyfus character) who holds him in well deserved contempt.

Pat Harrington, Jr., provided the voice (and voiceover narration) for the Inspector and, with the exception of one cartoon, his assistant, a Spanish gendarme named Deux-Deux (common nickname in French for Eduard or Eduardo). In Spain, the character was named "Totó," and in the Mexican dubbing, Dodò). The name in the English version of the cartoon sounds likeJu-Ju. The frustrated Commissioner was voiced first by Larry Storch and then Paul Frees, with some other strange sounds coming from his mouth from time to time. The first cartoon, The Great DeGaulle Stone Operation, was the short featured before screenings of the James Bond film Thunderball.

While the Inspector character design remained basically the same throughout the DePatie-Freleng shorts, and was used in the opening credit sequence of the 1968 live-action film Inspector Clouseau (which had Alan Arkin standing in for Peter Sellers as the title character), the Inspector featured in the opening titles of the later Pink Panther features changed dramatically over the years.

The music used for the titles of the cartoon was the song "A Shot in the Dark" by Henry Mancini, borrowed from the 1964 feature film of the same name (the second entry in the Pink Panther film series). The other music in the shows was composed by William Lava. Two shorts had their own unique version of the theme music, Napoleon Blown-Aparte and Cock-A-Doodle Deux Deux.

Most of these shorts appeared in The Pink Panther Show. The Inspector (this time voiced by Marvin Miller) also appeared in new wraparound animation created for The Pink Panther Show, in which he tried to capture The Pink Panther. Reruns of The Inspector and The Pink Panther Show play on the channels Boomerang and Animania.

List of shorts

NOTE: The initials after each title indicate the director. FF=Friz Freleng, GC=Gerry Chiniquy, RM=Robert McKimson, GS=George Singer.

1965

01 The Great DeGaulle Stone Operation (FF, co-directed by GC) - The Inspector guards the famous diamond from the three-headed jewel thief (the Brothers Matz-O'Reilly, individually named Weft, Wight and Wong).

1966

02 Reaux, Reaux, Reaux Your Boat (GC) - The Inspector is after the notorious smuggler Captain Clamity (a clam with legs).

03 Napoleon Blown-Aparte (GC) - A mad bomber escapes from Le Prison and wants to get even with the man who put him there, the Commissioner. With an endless supply of bombs, he keeps blowing the Commissioner up, with the Inspector's unwitting help. In the end the villain is revealed to be an anthropomorphic bomb who detonates himself.

04 Cirrhosis of the Louvre (GC) - The Blotch (a red blob of paint) threatens to steal all the paintings from the Louvre.

05 Plastered in Paris (GC) - The Inspector chases the man known as "X" around the world.

06 Cock-A-Doodle Deux Deux (RM) - The huge diamond 'The Plymouth Rock' has been stolen and the suspects are chickens.

07 Ape Suzette (GC) - The Inspector thinks he is fighting a little man but an ape gets in all the punches.

08 The Pique Poquette of Paris (GS) - Spider Pierre (who has four arms and a spider-web gun) picks pockets, especially those of the Inspector.

09 Sicque! Sicque! Sicque! (GS) - In the house of a mad scientist, Deux Deux drinks a flask of something and keeps changing into a big green monster who beats up and shoots the Inspector.

10 That's No Lady - That's Notre Dame (GS) - Trying to catch a purse snatcher, the Inspector disguises himself as a woman and falls afoul of the Commissioner's wife.

11 Unsafe and Seine (GS) - The Inspector is told his life is in danger and he must meet with an agent.

12 Toulouse La Trick (RM) - The Inspector handcuffs himself to Toulouse Le Moose and throws away the key so he cannot escape him. Toulouse drags the handcuffed Inspector through very rough terrain.

1967

13 Sacre Bleu Cross (GC) - When they go after Hassan the Assassin, Deux-Deux gives The Inspector an unlucky rabbit's foot.

14 Le Quiet Squad (RM) - The Commissioner is overworked and needs absolute quiet or he goes into uncontrolled fits of temper. The Inspector is assigned to look after him, but has trouble with a noisy cat.

15 Bomb Voyage (RM) - The Inspector and Deux-Deux go to the planet Yornova to rescue the Commissioner, who has been kidnapped by aliens.

16 Le Pig-Al Patrol (GC) - The Inspector is sent after biker Pig Al and his biker gang.

17 Le Bowser Bagger (GC) - The Inspector is given Private Bowser, a very energetic dog, in his efforts to track down a thief.

18 Le Escape Goat (GC) - Sacked for letting Louie Le Fink escape, the Inspector tries to stop Le Fink from taking vengeance on the Commissioner, but ends up becoming part of the manhunt himself.

19 Le Cop on Le Rocks (GS) - The Inspector is mistaken for a bank robber who is his double.

20 Crow De Guerre (GC) - The Inspector is continually outwitted by a crow that steals jewels.

21 Canadian Can-Can (GC) - Sent to Canada on an exchange programme, the Inspector is sent after Two-Faced Harry, who has an "innocent" face on his front and an evil face on his back.

22 Tour De Farce (GC) - Through his own fault, the Inspector is stranded on Deserted Island with the convict Mack Le Truck, who is trying to kill him.

23 The Shooting of Caribou Lou (GC) - On holiday in Canada as a Mountie, the Inspector is kidnapped by the diminutive but aggressive fur trapper Caribou Lou.

1968

24 London Derriere (GC) - Having chased jewel thief Louie Le Swine around the world, the Inspector tries to nab him in London. Unfortunately, he runs afoul of the no-gun laws and a British Police Captain.

25 Les Miserobots (GC) - The Inspector is fired after being replaced by an efficient police robot. He tries to destroy it, but his attempts backfire. In the end the robot does such a good job that the Commissioner loses his job as well, and joins the Inspector in a skid-row soup kitchen.

26 Transylvania Mania (GC) - The Inspector is sent to find a scientist who is making monsters without a licence. The scientist is a vampire who needs a brain for his latest monster, and the Inspector arrives at just the right moment.

27 Bear De Guerre (GC) - The Inspector goes quail hunting but runs afoul of a disagreeable bear.

28 Cherche Le Phantom (GC) - The Inspector looks for the Phantom, and finds the crook is an escaped gorilla who happens to be an opera buff.

29 Le Great Dane Robbery (GC) - A stolen code book is hidden in an embassy, with a very large dog named "Tiny" guarding it.

30 La Feet's Defeat (GC) - The Inspector and Deux-Deux follow the footprints of Muddy La Feet and encounter many booby traps, which Deux-Deux sets off. The crook turns out to be the Commissioner, playing a prank on the Inspector. This is the only time that the Inspector accepts Deux-Deux's Spanish.

31 Le Ball and Chain Gang (GC) - The Inspector tries to get into the house of an argumentative couple.

1969

32 French Freud (GC) - A crooked Russian actress and her "maid" (i.e. husband in drag) are trying to kill the Inspector to get at the Du Barry diamond, which he is guarding under his hat.

33 Pierre and Cottage Cheese (GC) - The Inspector takes the very bad advice of a Chinese robot on how to break into a house where Dirty Pierre Le Punk is reportedly hiding.

34 Carte Blanched (GC) - The Inspector has a guilty conscience over an unreturned shopping cart (apparently brought on by a malignant voiceover), which everyone thinks he has stolen.

Voices

Pat Harrington, Jr. - The Inspector and Deux-Deux

Don Messick - Deux-Deux (only in La Feet's Defeat)

Larry Storch - The Commissioner (1965–1966) (Only in The Great DeGaulle Stone Operation and Napoleon Blown-Aparte)

Paul Frees - The Commissioner (1966–1967)

Marvin Miller - The Commissioner (1967, 1968–1969), The Inspector (The Pink Panther Show)

Mark Skor - The Commissioner (1967) (Only in Canadian Can-Can)

DVD release

A DVD containing the first seventeen shorts was released on March 4, 2008 from MGM Home Entertainment/20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

A DVD set titled Pink Panther and Friends Classic Cartoon Collection released on January 27, 2009 MGM Home Entertainment contains the first set of 17 shorts and a volume 2 containing the last 17 shorts.

Other appearances

The Inspector also appears in the 1993-95 syndicated TV series, The Pink Panther voiced by Brian George. The Inspector often works alongside the Pink Panther when he is depicted in the law enforcement.

External links

Big Cartoon Database

Golden Age

Retrô TV

Category:The Pink Panther Category:1965 introductions Category:Animated film series

Image name	Alan Grayson high res.jpg
Name	Alan Grayson
State	Florida
District	8th
Term start	January 3, 2009
Term end	January 3, 2011
Preceded	Ric Keller
Succeeded	Daniel Webster
Party	Democratic Party
Date of birth	March 13, 1958
Place of birth	New York City, New York
Alma mater	Harvard College (A.B.)
Profession	Attorney
Residence	Orlando, Florida
Spouse	Lolita Grayson
Website	www.Grayson.House.gov
Religion	Judaism

Alan Mark Grayson (born March 13, 1958) is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

The district includes just over half of Orlando, including Downtown, Winter Park, significant portions of unincorporated Orange County, as well as Celebration, Walt Disney World and parts of Lake County, Marion County and Ocala. Grayson was defeated for re-election in 2010.

Early life and education

Grayson was born in the Bronx, New York. He graduated from Bronx High School of Science and worked his way through Harvard University as a janitor and nightwatchman, graduating summa cum laude in three years. He was also a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He returned to Harvard for graduate studies. Within four years, he earned a law degree with honors from Harvard Law School, a master's in public policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government, and completed the course work and passed the general exams for a Ph.D. in government.

Law career

Grayson was employed as a law clerk at the Colorado Supreme Court in 1983, and at the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals from 1984 to 1985, where he worked with such judges as Abner Mikva, Robert Bork, and two judges who later joined the U.S. Supreme Court: Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia. He was an associate at the Washington D.C. firm of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson for five years, where he specialized in contract law.

Grayson wrote his masters thesis on gerontology and in 1986, he helped found the Alliance for Aging Research (AAR), and served as an officer of the organization for more than twenty years. AAR is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. that was founded to promote medical research to improve the human experience of aging.

In 1991 he founded the law firm Grayson, Kubli which concentrated on government contract law. He was a lecturer at the George Washington University government contracts program and a frequent speaker on the topic.

In the 2000s, he worked as a plaintiffs' attorney specializing in whistleblower fraud cases aimed at Iraq war contractors. One contractor, Custer Battles, employed individuals who were found guilty of making fraudulent statements and submitting fraudulent invoices on two contracts in 2003 the company had with the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq. On behalf of his clients, Grayson filed suit under the False Claims Act and its qui tam provisions.

U.S. House of Representatives

Grayson is considered a liberal Democrat and represented a district that was historically Republican but supported Barack Obama in 2008. He was a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, of which he was vice-chairman.

Committee assignments

Committee on Financial Services

*Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government-Sponsored Enterprises

Committee on Science and Technology

*Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight

*Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics

Legislation head sponsored by Grayson

Pay For Performance Act (H.R. 1664)

Public Option Act (H.R. 4789)

War Is Making You Poor Act (H.R. 5353)

Shareholder Protection Act (H.R. 4790)

Paid Vacation Act of 2009 (H.R. 2564)

Political positions

Federal Reserve transparency

During his first term in office, Grayson supported Ron Paul's Audit the Fed legislation. Grayson gained attention for exchanges with Federal Reserve System Vice Chairman Donald Kohn and Inspector General Elizabeth A. Coleman. The 5-minute examination of Coleman in the House Financial Services Committee was posted on the Congressman's official Youtube page. As of December 2010, it has been viewed more than 3.4 million times.

In March 2009, following the AIG bonus payments controversy, Grayson joined with fellow freshman Democrat Jim Himes of Connecticut to introduce the Grayson-Himes Pay for Performance Act, legislation to require that all bonuses paid by companies that had received funds under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 be "based on performance". The bill was co-sponsored by eight other members of the House. On March 26, the bill was approved by the House Financial Services Committee by a vote of 38-22 and on April 1, the bill was passed by the full House of Representatives by a vote of 247-171.

Grayson was a co-sponsor of the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009, which would provide additional provisions to audit the Federal Reserve, including removing several key exemptions.

Mandatory Foreclosure Mediation

Congressman Grayson's Orlando-based 8th Congressional District was hit hard by the foreclosure crisis. The Congressman received many complaints from constituents about the refusal of lenders to work out a solution to avoid foreclosures. In response, Grayson wrote a letter to Chief Judge Belvin Perry on February 12, 2009, requesting the implementation of a mandatory mediation program. Judge Perry issued an administrative order two weeks later. The program requires mortgage lenders to negotiate in good faith within 45 days of a homeowner's request for mediation. The order requires the mortgage lender to cover the cost of the mediation, up to $500. On December 28, 2009, the Florida Supreme Court ordered managed mediation in all foreclosure cases in the state.

Economic stimulus

Grayson made it a priority to increase the amount of federal money coming back to the 8th Congressional District. He often said that people in the 8th District have been "exporting taxes and importing debt." During his first year in office, the amount of federal grant dollars returning to the district nearly doubled (98% increase). The Congressman established a grant notification system. The system notifies subscribers immediately when a federal grant opportunity in their areas of interest becomes available. He also hired a full-time grants coordinator, who focused solely on helping people navigate the federal grants process.

Congressman Grayson twice broke ranks with Democratic leadership and joined Republicans to oppose the raising of the federal debt limit (Roll no. 46, 2/4/10, Roll no. 988 12/16/09). He said at the time of the February vote, "We need to live within our means. We need to eliminate wasteful spending. If we did those two simple things, we would not need to raise the debt limit."

Grayson supported the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and has been outspoken in favor of extending unemployment benefits for Americans who have lost their jobs. The Congressman argues that the government has never cut off unemployment insurance when the unemployment rate was higher than eight percent. Grayson also voted for the FDA Oversight of Tobacco Products, which gives the FDA power to regulate tobacco products.

Health care

In response to Republican arguments that the Obama administration's preferred health care bill was too long and complicated, Grayson on March 9, 2010, introduced H.R. 4789, the Public Option Act (sometimes called the Medicare You Can Buy Into Act), a short four-page bill which would allow all citizens and permanent residents of the United States to buy into the public Medicare program at cost. The bill immediately attracted high praise from the progressive blogosphere, and even critics of public health care plans conceded its "nearly irresistible" simplicity. The bill attracted 82 co-sponsors and was referred to the Ways and Means Committee.

Grayson later voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. He voted in support of Eliminating Adjustments of Medicare Rates of Payment. He also voted against Republican substitutes for the health care amendment and insurance law amendments.

Civil rights

Grayson voted in support of the Hate Crimes Expansion Act, which expands the definition of hate crimes and strengthens enforcement of hate crime laws. He also voted for the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Grayson supported the Paycheck Fairness Act, a bill that allows victims of wage discrimination to sue for punitive damages.

Environment

Grayson voted for the House's 2009 American Clean Energy and Security Act (also known as the Cap and Trade Bill). A main reason he supported it was the promise from the White House and the Speaker of the House for a $50 million "Hurricane Research Center" in Central Florida, paid for with research dollars set aside in the bill. Grayson noted after the passage of the ACES Act his concern about our dependence on foreign oil, the need to promote green technologies and renewable energy sources, and the job creation from the bill (an estimated 95,000 jobs in Florida). "This bill unleashes American ingenuity to solve the energy crisis. It lets us solve our problems by being Americans and thinking our way out of it. We will become an international energy power," he said in a news release.

The BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico affected Florida's number one industry, which is tourism. The lack of a relief well prevented company officials from shutting down the leak immediately. Instead, it took months to drill a new relief well, while millions of gallons of oil gushed into the Gulf each week. In response, Grayson introduced the Emergency Relief Well Act (H.R. 5666). It requires that an emergency relief well be drilled at the same time as any new exploratory well.

Defense

Congressman Grayson has been an outspoken critic of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In May of 2010, he introduced the "War Is Making You Poor Act" (H.R. 5353). The bill requires the President to fund the wars from the Department of Defense's FY '11 base budget of $550 billion. It uses the $159 billion in "supplemental funding" to eliminate federal income taxes for everyone's first $35,000 a year. The bill does not necessitate an end to the wars or mandate a cut-off date. In addition to the tax cuts, the bill cuts the federal deficit by $15.9 billion.

The Congressman tried to combat wasteful spending by government defense contractors by introducing his "Gold Plating Amendment." The amendment requires that cost or price account for half of the evaluation of bids for defense contracts. The law at the time allowed for cost to account for only one percent of the evaluation. The amendment passed as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 2647) in June of 2009. However, the language was stripped from the final bill during the conference committee between Senate and House leaders. Congressman Grayson worked successfully to get the amendment inserted into the IMPROVE Acquistion Act, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives on April 28, 2010.

Grayson voted for the 2009-2010 Defense Appropriations, which authorizes $681 billion of appropriations for the Department of Defense. He also supported the 2009-2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Authorizations, which provided $46.18 billion in appropriations for 2009-2010.

Combating Federal Waste, Fraud, and Abuse

Grayson worked hard to combat federal waste, fraud, and abuse both before and after being elected to office. In the September 6, 2009 edition of The New York Times, columnist Gretchen Morgenson thanked Congressman Grayson for uncovering the fact that, due to the federal bailout of mortgage finance giant Fannie Mae, taxpayer money had been funding the legal defense fees for former top executives at the institution. Grayson requested information about these legal costs after a June 2009 hearing of the House Financial Services Committee. The Congressman’s work uncovered that, between September 6, 2008 and July 21, 2009, taxpayers spent $6.3 million defending Fannie Mae executives Franklin Raines, J. Timothy Howard, and Leanne Spencer. Taxpayers paid an additional $16.8 million to cover legal expenses of workers at the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, Fannie’s former regulator.

In September 2009, Congressman Grayson used a parliamentary maneuver called an “extension of remarks” to provide crucial instruction on H.R. 3221, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009, a bill that, among other things, included a provision that prohibited funding for ACORN (the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now). Grayson’s extension of remarks directed that the legislation defund any organization that cheats the federal government, not just ACORN. The defunding measure passed the House with a final vote of 253-171. Grayson also encouraged the public to report companies covered by the bill and set up a method to report offending companies via his Congressional web site.

“Teach the Constitution Week”

On September 14, 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Congressman Grayson’s “Teach the Constitution Week” resolution (H.Res. 686). The bill urged high schools to spend one week each September teaching the United States Constitution to high school seniors and also encouraged students to petition the government on an issue of personal importance to them to demonstrate their understanding of their rights and responsibilities as citizens of the United States. The non-partisan resolution was passed by a voice vote and featured 222 co-sponsors.

New Frontier Congressional Gold Medal Act

On the 40th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Congressman Grayson’s New Frontier Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2009 (H.R. 2245). The bill asked the President to present Congress’s highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal, to Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin Jr., and Michael Collins, as well as John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth. Only about 200 medals have ever been awarded in the country’s 233-year history. The New Frontier Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2009 passed the House unanimously on July 20, 2009.

Controversial public remarks

Grayson quickly gained a reputation as an elected official who was "not shy about his opinions." He was unrestrained in his criticism of right-wing positions, politicians, and pundits, particularly those employed by and/or frequently appearing on Fox News Channel. His sharp characterizations in public remarks earned him national attention both positive and negative.

Health care

In September 2009, during the debates leading to the passage of the Affordable Health Care for America Act by the House in November, Grayson summed up the "Republican health care plan" as "'Don't get sick, and if you do get sick, die quickly.'" His remarks were widely condemned by Republican politicians but, according to Grayson, were well received by his constituents. Grayson reported that his comments resulted in over 5,000 campaign contributions and that the positive emails he received outnumbered the negative ones by a four-to-one margin; Grayson raised $347,000 for his reelection campaign during the third quarter, much of it attributed to his remarks.

He defended his comment and in a House Floor speech stated, “I apologize to the dead and their families that we haven't voted sooner to end this holocaust in America." Grayson, who is Jewish by birth, apologized to the Anti-defamation League for those offended by his generic use of "holocaust". He also maintained that Congressional Republicans have failed to offer a feasible plan. In October 2009 he launched www.NamesOfTheDead.com, a website to "memorialize Americans who die because they don’t have health insurance." He subsequently read stories of the dead submitted through the Names of the Dead site on the House floor.

Linda Robertson

On a September 2009 Alex Jones Show segment, Grayson criticized Federal Reserve Chair Bernanke's senior adviser Linda Robertson, saying "Here I am the only member of Congress who actually worked as an economist, this lobbyist, this K-Street whore, is trying to teach me about economics!" Robertson had previously worked as a lobbyist for Enron. and Grayson apologized.

Glenn Beck rally

During an appearance on The Stephanie Miller Show on September 2, 2010, Grayson referred to people attending Glenn Beck's "Restoring Honor" rally the previous weekend by saying “These are people who were wearing sheets over their heads 25 years ago.” He also said: “You only have three friends in life: God, your mama, and the Democratic Party.”

Political campaigns

Grayson is the second Democrat to represent this district since its formation after the 1970 census (it was the 5th District from 1973 to 1993 and has been the 8th District since 1993). The only other Democrat to represent this district, Bill Gunter, gave it up after only one term to run for the United States Senate in 1974.

2006

In 2006, Grayson first entered into electoral politics, losing the 2006 Democratic primary for Florida's 8th Congressional District to Charlie Stuart, a prominent local businessman and center-right Democrat. Stuart went on to lose the general election to incumbent Republican Congressman Ric Keller. In late 2007, Grayson announced that he would run again for the 8th District seat, and again faced Stuart in the primary. During the primary, his campaign retained the services of Bill Hillsman.

2008

In the August 26, 2008 Democratic primary, Grayson prevailed, receiving 48.5% of the vote. Stuart trailed with 27.5%, with three other candidates splitting the remaining 24%. During the general election campaign, Grayson maintained a consistent lead over Keller, who had barely eked out renomination in the Republican primary over attorney Todd Long. On Election Day, Grayson received 172,854 votes, or 52%, to Keller's 159,490 votes, or 48%. Although Keller won three out of four counties in the district, Grayson won by a margin of 55% to 45% in Orange County, home to Orlando and by far the largest county in the district. Grayson was also helped by a massive voter registration drive by the Democratic Party in the 8th District that gave Democrats a slight edge in registered voters.

2010

Grayson was challenged by Republican nominee Daniel Webster, Florida TEA Party nominee Peg Dunmire, Independent candidate George Metcalfe, and write-in Florida Whig Party candidate Steve Gerritzen.

Grayson ran a September 2010, commercial calling Webster a "draft-dodger," (Webster had received student deferments and a draft classification as medically unfit for service), and a later 30-second commercial calling Webster "Taliban Dan" and warning viewers that "Religious fanatics try to take away our freedom, in Afghanistan, in Iran and right here in Central Florida." Grayson's ads were criticized for editing video mid-sentence to make Webster appear to be saying things he did not say. Grayson released a toned-down version without the edited video or Taliban references in early October.

Grayson was targeted by conservatives and conservative groups in commercials and the media, and on the Internet. On Glenn Beck's radio show, Sarah Palin agreed with a co-host's remark, "It’s okay if the Republicans lose every seat in the Senate and the House except for one. As long as that one is Alan Grayson losing." Conservative Newsweek columnist George Will called Grayson "America's worst politician." Grayson was also heavily targeted in attack ads funded by groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the 60 Plus Association. The Chamber of Commerce ads were in turn criticized by Grayson and his supporters as "deeply dishonest".

Grayson was endorsed by 8th District resident, former Congresswoman Patricia Schroeder (D-CO), who characterized Webster as having "13th-century views" on women's issues. Former DNC Chair and Vermont governor Howard Dean called Grayson a "healthcare hero." Grayson received more votes for "progressive hero" from Democracy for America than any other candidate in the country. Moveon.org, in an appeal to its members, termed Grayson "a populist hero who's never afraid to call out the pernicious corporate influence in Washington." The week before the election, Vice-President Joe Biden visited the 8th District on Grayson's behalf.

Grayson conceded the race on the evening of November 2 after Webster showed a clear lead.

Personal life

Grayson was ranked as the 11th-wealthiest member of Congress in 2010, based on financial disclosure forms with a minimum net worth of $31.41 million, according to Roll Call. Grayson disclosed his attorney fees and costs for the war contractor case exceeded $4 million.

While pursuing the whistleblower cases, Grayson worked from a home office in Orlando, where he lives with his wife and five children.

References

External links

Alan Grayson for U.S. Congress official campaign site

Alan Grayson: "Bipartisanship Has Become Code Word for Appeasement" - video report by Democracy Now!

Category:1958 births Category:American businesspeople Category:Bronx High School of Science alumni Category:Florida Democrats Category:Florida lawyers Category:Harvard Law School alumni Category:Jewish members of the United States House of Representatives Category:John F. Kennedy School of Government alumni Category:Living people Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from Florida Category:People from the Bronx Category:Whistleblowing Category:American health activists