Contact: Bruce Mirken, Greenlining Institute Media Relations Coordinator, 510-926-4022; 415-846-7758 (cell)

Committee Members Who Refused to Accept Bad Deal Deserve Applause, Greenlining Institute Says

WASHINGTON – Instead of hand-wringing over the supposed “failure” of the congressional deficit committee, ordinary Americans should applaud committee members who refused to make a bad deal, policy experts at The Greenlining Institute said today.

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Contact: Bruce Mirken, Greenlining Institute Media Relations Coordinator, 510-926-4022; 415-846-7758 (cell)

Goal Could Be Achieved Without Cutting Vital Programs; “No Deal Better Than a Bad Deal,” Greenlining Institute Says

WASHINGTON – Deadlock among members of the congressional “super committee,” indicated in several recent news reports, may actually be the best possible outcome, policy experts at The Greenlining Institute said today.

The committee, tasked with finding $1.2 trillion in deficit reductions over the next decade, has reportedly considered substantial cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and other vital programs but relatively little in the way of new tax revenues.

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Contact: Bruce Mirken, Greenlining Institute Media Relations Coordinator, 510-926-4022; 415-846-7758 (cell)

Health Benefit Exchange Board Must Aggressively Target Underserved Communities

BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA – Populations most in need of health insurance and critical to successful implementation of the Affordable Care Act could be left behind unless California’s Health Benefit Exchange board moves aggressively to reach them, The Greenlining Institute argues in a report to be released this Thursday and presented at the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ fall meeting on Friday.

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Contact: Bruce Mirken, Greenlining Institute Media Relations Coordinator, 510-926-4022; 415-846-7758 (cell)

Feds to Require Independent Investigations, Compensation For Losses Due to Wrongdoing

WASHINGTON – In a move that offers a chance for relief to potentially millions of foreclosure victims, the Federal Reserve Board and Office of Comptroller of the Currency announced this week that they will require independent reviews of foreclosures that may have been mishandled by two dozen leading mortgage servicers. Borrowers whose primary residence was in foreclosure during 2009 or 2010 and who suffered financially due to “errors, misrepresentations, or other deficiencies,” can receive compensation for their losses, whether or not a foreclosure was actually completed.

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Contact: Bruce Mirken, Greenlining Institute Media Relations Coordinator, 510-926-4022; 415-846-7758 (cell)

New Commissioners Could Reinvigorate Investigation Into Proposed Acquisition of T-Mobile

WASHINGTON –The announcement of President Obama’s two nominees to the Federal Communications Commission provides an opportunity to accelerate the FCC’s investigation of AT&T’s proposed acquisition of T-Mobile, the Greenlining Institute said today, urging the commission to look closely at claims made by AT&T regarding the deal’s impact on jobs.
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Contact: Greg Kato, Treasurer’s Office, 554-6888 (office)

Goals Include Improved Pricing, Services, and Socially Responsible Practices

SAN FRANCISCO – José Cisneros, the elected Treasurer of the City and County of San Francisco kicked off the process to request proposals for San Francisco’s banking services today.  San Francisco’s banking needs are commensurate with its size and complexity.  The City processes millions of transactions annually, from property taxes to Muni fares.  In recent years the growth of online, electronic, and other payment solutions has increased the complexity of the business.  The Treasurer is also using this procurement process to influence the banking practices of San Francisco’s banking vendors by including social responsibility goals in the response criteria.

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Contact:
Bruce Mirken, Greenlining Institute Media Relations Coordinator, 510-926-4022; 415-846-7758 (cell)
Raúl Arce-Contreras, Center for American Progress, 202-478-5318

WASHINGTON – On Tuesday, Oct. 18 Greenlining Institute executive director Orson Aguilar will join a panel of experts at the Center for American Progress to address the demographic earthquake that is profoundly transforming the U.S. Demographers project that by 2050, there will be no racial or ethnic majority in our nation.

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Contact: Bruce Mirken, Greenlining Institute Media Relations Coordinator, 510-926-4022; 415-846-7758 (cell)

Foreclosure Crisis Continues to Decimate Middle Class While Administration, Congress Do Little, Greenlining Institute Says

WASHINGTON – While the Obama administration deserves credit for a number of actions that have helped low-income communities, today’s White House report on these issues, “Creating Pathways to Opportunity,” glosses over some critical failings, policy experts at The Greenlining Institute said today.

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Contact: Bruce Mirken, Greenlining Institute Media Relations Coordinator, 510-926-4022; 415-846-7758 (cell);
Kristina Bedrossian, California Reinvestment Coalition, 415-864-3980; (818) 307-9730 (cell).

“What’s Preying On Your Wallet?”
Press Conference and Testimony at Fed Hearing in San Francisco Wednesday

SAN FRANCISCO –The Greenlining Institute, the California Reinvestment Coalition, and nearly 120 California community groups are urging the Federal Reserve Board to block the proposed merger of Capital One Bank and ING. The Fed will hold a hearing on the merger Wednesday at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, and advocates will hold a press conference inside the building at 10:30 a.m. Spanish language speakers will be available.

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Contact:
Bruce Mirken, Greenlining Institute Media Relations Coordinator, 510-926-4022; 415-846-7758 (cell)
Kristina Bedrossian, California Reinvestment Coalition, 415-864-3980; (818) 307-9730 (cell)

Telephone Press Briefing Tuesday 10/4, Press Conference and Testimony at Fed Hearing 10/5; Advocates Charge Capital One With Predatory Lending

SAN FRANCISCO –The Greenlining Institute, California Reinvestment Coalition and nearly 120 community groups will call on the Federal Reserve Board to block the proposed merger of Capital One Bank and ING at the Fed’s upcoming hearing in San Francisco. Capital One, one of the nation’s leading subprime and often predatory credit card companies, would become the nation’s fifth largest bank should the merger be approved.
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