Of the many afflictions that plague those who either move to or spend too much time in Washington is the dreaded-and surprisingly difficult to treat- InsideTheBeltwayitis. Perhaps the best thing that can be said about the disease, whose onset is quick among those who never see any of the country or world beyond the circle freeway around the capital, is that it's bipartisan; the worst is that its symptoms torment tens of millions of others far more than the carriers themselves.
Bringing all this to mind is CUNA's Little Guy, the updated take on the "Little Man" character that was credit union symbol during much of the first half of the 20th century. Earlier this year CUNA unveiled a 21st century version and in keeping with the times has him spreading the word via YouTube (in this case, perhaps CU-Tube). He's been seen a lot on Capitol Hill and around Congress. Now, before he also falls prey to InsideTheBeltwayitis himself, it's time for the Little Guy to get out of town. America needs him-all three or four feet of him.
You may have read in this publication and others a story or 10 that have been reported on the "credit crisis" in the country. In large part this is primarily a reference to the front door slamming on the subprime mortgage market, but lenders far and wide have been tightening credit standards as well. There is a strong opportunity for credit unions right now to accomplish two of their often-discussed goals: raise awareness of what they do and how they do it, and help lower and middle-income borrowers who are feeling the pinch.
As noted, the national and local media have even set aside their Paris Hilton coverage for the time being to focus on folks who can't afford to go to Paris, or even stay at a Hilton for that matter. In every local market credit unions should be reaching out to media with the message that they are there for the Little Guy. CU reps should be spending some time on blogs (more on that below) spreading the word. And in newsletters and other communications to members every credit union should be alerting members that they are there if the member is feeling a personal credit crisis. After all, while it's been the "union" part getting a lot of the headlines the past few years, "credit" remains the first name.
* On Bainbridge Island, across Puget Sound from Seattle, a few weeks ago, a new group of credit union development educators were in the process of becoming the newest graduates of the week-long program. The DEs, as they're known, were meeting at a bucolic old-forest facility called IslandWood. In remarks before the group, Washington CU League President John Annaloro noted that representatives of the Defense CU Council were simultaneously meeting on the other side of the state in Spokane. "So we've got the credit union hawks meeting over there and the credit union doves meeting here," he joked. Annaloro, himself a DE, seemed a fitting person to address the group-the Washington league was originally known as the Edward A. Filene league.
By the way, if you're a credit union in the Northwest looking for a beautiful, peaceful facility at which to hold an offsite, you might want to consider IslandWood, which bills itself as a 255-acre outdoor learning center. It is designed in part for non-profits. For info: www.islandwood.org.
* As part of a presentation I was putting together for a Harland meeting this week I searched a blog search engine for the phrase, "I hate my bank." That brought more than 34,000 matches (keep in mind all that means is the words I, hate, my and bank appear in the blog entry). But before you start crowing too loudly, I also searched "I hate my credit union." That brought 14,000-plus matches. The optimists out there are likely already crafting a new slogan: "Credit Unions: Hated By Nearly 60% Fewer Bloggers."
As part of that search I did come across this entertaining entry, below. Here's an excerpt from one woman's blog about dealing with her CU: "Actually, hate is a strong word. I dislike visiting my chosen financial institution intensely. There, that's better.
"So, I do most of the banking stuff online. But once in awhile, I actually have to go there and deposit a check or something. Mandatory-at least 15, 20 people in front of you, and they NEVER NEVER NEVER open more than two tellers. One of the tellers is always being clogged up by some old lady asking, 'How can I only have $1,599 in checking? How much is in savings?' At least 10 to 15 minutes for her to understand how the numbers work, and take out all her daily frustration on the teller that drew the short straw and couldn't escape to lunch.
"On top of all this, they've invested handsomely in a flat screen TV, that flashes news bits and amusing anecdotes-while you rot away in line for weeks. Why don't they just put more tellers in the windows? Was it actually cheaper to install the flat screen and cheery messages? Plus there's a PC and a working station that says "FOR COMPUTER BANKING"-again, I have a hard time understanding the convenience of internet banking if you have to drive to the bank to do it. Again, why not invest in more tellers? Any of our readers that works/worked at a bank, please explain this phenomenon. Ever consider that the bank robbers are really just people tired of waiting to get their own money back?"
Frank J. Diekmann can be reached at fdiekmann
