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Introduction
Thank you, Ms. Moore. On behalf of California’s diverse business community, it is my honor and pleasure to speak to you, Chairman Bradford, Chairman Padilla, Senator Price, Deputy Commissioner Shultz, and of course the Commission and President Peevey on the state of supplier diversity in California.
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Capital One is a credit card company masquerading as a bank and is now the largest subprime credit card lender in the US.

Californians do not need another large subprime lender. Capital One is notorious for targeting vulnerable borrowers, particularly within immigrant communities, with cards that have high interest rates and low credit limits. The moment consumers fall behind on their payments, Capital One piles on late fees and raises interest rates. As a result, cards that were meant to build credit end up destroying it.

Click here to read testimony for Capital One Hearing.

Senator Tim Johnson, Chairman
Sen. Committee on Banking, Housing &Urban Affairs
136 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Senator Richard C. Shelby, Ranking Member
Sen. Committee on Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs
304 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Urge Your Support for Richard Cordray as CFPB Director

Dear Senators Johnson and Shelby,

The Greenlining Institute strongly supports the confirmation of Richard Cordray as Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

As you already know, predatory lending devastated communities all across the country, but particularly so in communities of color.  This predatory lending led to the foreclosure crisis and the subsequent economic meltdown.  It is in all of our best interests to have a leader of the new CFPB who stands strong to protect consumers and to ensure that a crisis like this never occurs again.

As Attorney General of Ohio, Richard Cordray had a track record as a strong, but fair, enforcer who worked on a non-partisan basis to protect the people of Ohio. He has demonstrated that he can be fair to banks, but at the same time, never lose sight of the need to protect consumer interests.

The CFPB was created to finally protect consumers, the people of the United States. Amidst the tail end of the worst financial crisis in American history, we hope that our Senate leaders representing the public still have a vested interest in the well being of their constituents.

We urge you to vote to confirm Richard Cordray to direct the CFPB and to urge your colleagues to do the same.  Until you act, the new CFPB will not be able to exert its full authority to protect consumers and to ensure that all Americans have access to safe and fair financial products.

Sincerely,

Orson Aguilar                                                              Preeti Vissa
Executive Director                                                    Community Reinvestment Director

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I. Introduction

In accordance with Rule 14.3(a) of the California Public Utilities Commission’s (“CPUC” or “the Commission”) Rules of Practice and Procedure, the Greenlining Institute (“Greenlining”) submits these Opening Comments on both the Proposed Decision of ALJ Pulsifer Regarding Residential Rate Design (“PD”) and the Alternate Proposed Decision of Commissioner Peevey Regarding Residential Rate Design (“APD”).[1] The Commission should reject the APD completely and modify the PD to minimize the impact of multiple rate increases on California Alternate Rates for Energy (“CARE”) customers.

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The Greenlining Institute appreciates the Federal Reserve Board’s solicitation of public input for the proposed Regulation II regarding debit card interchange fees and routing.

In light of Greenlining’s mission to ensure safe and equitable access for all communities to the financial sector, we are especially concerned about any disproportionate impact the implementation of (or the failure to implement) this proposed rule could have for unbanked Americans.
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Dear Commissioners:

On Wednesday, January 12, 2011, the California Citizens Redistricting Commission will consider two important items that will lay the foundation for its work for the coming months; this includes a staffing plan and a community outreach plan.

Staffing Plan

In the final months leading to the final selection of all 14 Commissioners, the California Secretary of State’s office stepped into a self-appointed roll of determining staff positions, creating job descriptions, and circulating the job announcement among traditional employment networks.  We can all appreciate that the work of the inaugural and newly minted Commission is robust and highly integrated, however, Greenlining believes that the first key role of the Commission is to determine the best structure of the Redistricting California organization, this includes what positions need to be created and their duties.

The influence of another California department without the confirmed authority of the Commission may erode the public’s confidence that the 14 Commissioners are in fact leading the plan for an independent redistricting process. Furthermore, we would expect that the Commission draw from the lessons learned during the recruitment and selection process of the commissioners themselves, and would take all affirmative action to circulate the staff job announcements in such a way that would facilitate the recruitment of California’s best and brightest policy/legal/administrative professional and executive leaders, including those of ethnic and minority background.

We would urge the Commission to consider the following:

• Is the staffing structure currently outlined by the Secretary of State optimal? Are there positions and/or a structure assembled by other Redistricting Commissions that might be beneficial in California?
• Truly embarking on an affirmative effort to identify the best and brightest candidates, going beyond traditional outlets and networks. This is likely to require the retention of a minority-focused executive search firm with extensive networks throughout the state. (more…)

Orson Aguilar

Testimony of Orson Aguilar
Executive Director The Greenlining Institute
Hearing of the House Financial Services Committee:

September 16, 2009
“Proposals to Enhance the Community Reinvestment Act”

Introduction

The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) has helped expand economic opportunities for millions of Americans.  For many families, CRA has made the American Dream possible by ensuring that loans for homes, small businesses, and other opportunities for asset building are available and accessible to all communities.

Banks have also benefited from CRA.   Many banks have found new and profitable markets in communities that they might have otherwise overlooked.

In essence, CRA has led to win-win opportunities where banks, customers, and communities have benefited from increased bank investments in underserved communities.  CRA has worked best where true partnerships have formed between banks, community-based organizations, and government agencies.

Overall, CRA has advanced the principles of an ownership society by creating opportunities where people and families can create and own assets. Still, CRA is not perfect.  Despite CRA’s track record of success, more can and should be done to invest in America’s neighborhoods.

As we speak today, too many families are losing their homes and too many small businesses are shutting down.  Too many neighborhoods are decaying due to crime and abandonment.  While CRA is not a sole panacea for addressing these ills, a modernized CRA can do much to advance the economic growth that can alleviate problems at their source and improve life and opportunity in all communities.

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Click here to watch a video of this testimony (Windows Media Player)