As you know, Americans are enduring the worse period of economic decline since the Great Depression. Increasingly, the economic experts are singling out the nation’s banking system for its role in creating and then prolonging this economic disaster.

Now it’s time to tell the American Bankers Association—the largest group of banking executives in the nation—that enough is enough! Bankers should stop paying themselves billions of dollars in bonuses, when the rest of the nation is hurting; is just plain wrong! The ABA should stop using taxpayer’s funds—federal bailout dollars—to lobby against reforms that would promote an economic recovery for everyone.

That’s what we are planning to do during an October 27th demonstration and we would like an opportunity to talk about this event with your viewers/listeners.

We want to get the word out to students and here’s why: Tight credit has wrecked havoc on the nation’s economy and put millions of Americans out of work during a time when the federal government injected over a trillion dollars into the financial system. Students graduating in the coming years face more and more difficulties in securing jobs in their desired fields. Joblessness has sparked the biggest surge in home foreclosures since the 1930s and it’s taking a heavy toll across every segment of our society.

Now the banking system is up to its old tricks again. Let me give you two examples: Did you know banks will take in nearly $40 billion this year by hitting customers with overdraft fees that are higher than interest rates being charged at many notoriously unfair payday loan firms? The executives of Citigroup and Bank of America, just two of many such examples, paid themselves more than $8 billion on bonuses during a time when those these banks stood on the brink of collapse.

Our organization and thousands of people in the Chicagoland area are saying enough is enough. Thousands of people are committed to attending a rally to give our message to these bankers.

Please contact me if you are interested in covering this story! Also, feel free to pass along the message to any student groups who might be interested. My contact info is below. Thanks!
-Shelly

Shelly Ruzicka
Arise Chicago
773-937-1825
stopbankgreed@arisechicago.org

Good luck with HHC and everything this year!