County switching banks over immigration issue: Bank of America Boycott
Posted on Saturday, April 14 @ 13:06:25 EDT
Topic: Boycott Bank of America
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 County switching banks over immigration issue: Bank of America Boycott
by Kevin Ellis - author's blog
April 13, 2007
Gazette City Editor
Some Gaston County commissioners say they don’t want county government
doing business with Bank of America because they believe a credit card
marketing strategy favors illegal aliens.
A spokeswoman with the Charlotte-based banking giant said commissioners are making an uninformed decision.
On Thursday, commissioners failed to approve a staff recommendation to
give an account to Bank of America because of a pilot program that
allows those only in the Los Angeles area to obtain secured credit
without having a Social Security number.
“From what I’m hearing it’s not going to be Bank of America,” said
Commissioner Tom Keigher. “It’s going to be anyone but (Bank of
America).”
For Gaston County and the bank the decision has financial ramifications.
The county had an average daily cash balance of $10 million in that
account in the past year, said county Finance Officer Bill Bradley. The
next best bid to Bank of America could cost the county about $31,000
more per year, Bradley said.
Critics of the bank’s policy, which include U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick of
Charlotte, say the pilot program allows undocumented workers to obtain
credit. Myrick recently took her personal accounts to Wachovia in
protest.
Topics: Illegal Immigrants, Illegal Immigration, Illegal Aliens,
Gaston County, Bank of America Boycott,Rep. Sue Myrick, Commissioner
Jack Brown
The controversy prompted Bank of America CEO Ken
Lewis to defend the pilot program in an opinion piece he authored in
The Wall Street Journal.
“First, the program is not about illegal immigrants, and never was,”
Lewis wrote in the Feb. 22 edition of The Wall Street Journal. “It is
designed to help Bank of America customers build a credit history.
Second, we believe we have an obligation to serve all those in our
country who are legally eligible to receive services. To do less would
be discriminatory and unfair.”
Bank of America spokeswoman Betsy Weinberger said Gaston County
commissioners do not have a clear understanding of the pilot program.
For example, several Gaston commissioners said the bank offers the
program nationwide, but in fact Bank of America limits it to 51 banking
centers in Los Angeles County, Weinberger said.
“This is not targeted toward illegal immigrants,” Weinberger said.
“It’s unfortunate that any decision would be made without a clear understanding of all the facts,” she added.
Commissioners have taken a stance against illegal immigration before.
In November, a 5-1 majority voted in support of a resolution to limit
the county’s spending on discretionary services going to illegal
immigrants.
“We’ve already made a statement,” said Keigher, “and we’re standing on a principle.”
Commissioner Jack Brown pulled the item from the commissioners’ consent
agenda, he said, because of the bank’s program in California.
A majority of commissioners spoke in favor of passing on Bank of America’s offer because of the program.
“We’re not supporting a system that supports illegal immigrants,” Commissioner John Torbett said after the meeting.
Commissioners asked county staff Thursday to investigate other banks to
make sure they don’t have a program similar to Bank of America’s pilot
program. Commissioners could choose a bank at their April 26 meeting.
The issue put the county finance department in uncharted territory, Bradley said.
“I will do whatever research they ask me to do,” he said afterward. “How successful I am I do not know yet.”
You can reach Kevin Ellis at (704) 869-1823.
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