Thread: NC: County switching banks over immigration issue

http://www.gastongazette.com/showStory.aspx?id=1497

County switching banks over immigration issue
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.

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.

Excellent! We need more to do this!!

Sounds like the voice of Real Americans is alive and well in Tar Heel Country

I miss High Point

This is good news!!! I hope others take their lead!

Now the question is how many illegal alien accounts will it take to equal an average daily cash balance of $10 million?

Everyone who is able should send a personal letter to the CEO of B of A expressing how we feel about his actions to issue credit cards to illegals.

Kenneth D. Lewis
100 N. Tryon St., Bank of America Corporate Center
Charlotte, NC 28255

I just sent the good commissioners an email thanking them for their stand against BoA and illegal immigration.

http://www.co.gaston.nc.us/CountyCommis ... ctures.htm