Jim Blaine, the president of State Employees Credit Union and a frequent columnist in The Credit Union Journal, will square off with the chairman of the American Bankers Association in a debate over credit union issues during CUNA's upcoming GAC.
Blaine will debate ABA chairman Ken Fergeson, chairman of the $270-million NBanC, in Altus, Okla., on issues that divide the two groups. Earlier this year Fergeson said credit unions remain the "No. 1 issue" of concern to community banks. "Credit unions have the image of apple pie, but that's a total misconception," he said. Very large credit unions, in particular, he said, are in essence "nontaxed banks."
"The bankers are not going away next year-far from it," said CUNA President and CEO Dan Mica. "We think this session at the GAC between two prominent practitioners from the bank and credit union worlds will shine more light for our members on the bankers' thinking and what we're up against."
