1% vs. 99%

A message from Richard Cordray, Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Tell the CFPB your story at consumerfinance.gov

Transcript:

Hello. I'm Richard Cordray. As the new Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and as someone who has been helping to build the Bureau for some time, I want to tell you that it's an extraordinary privilege for me to work on behalf of American consumers. Consumers like you. Our team at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has been answering calls and reading stories from hundreds of American consumers every week. Their stories illustrate the kinds of issues people are dealing with around the country. You can tell us your story at consumerfinance.gov. We've heard from people like Rebecca from North Carolina. She told us she missed a mortgage payment nine months after her husband lost his job. In the two years since then, her mortgage servicer has increased her payments even though she entered a trial modification in an effort to lower her monthly payments. The servicer has charged her monthly fees for services that she never asked for and she believes have never occurred, all while repeatedly threatening her with foreclosure unless she shells out more money in unexplained fees. Rebecca has frantically complied with all of these demands because she is afraid of losing her home and so is doing whatever she can to stay in her home. The stakes are high. Consumers need to be able to fully understand the costs and risks of borrowing and they need to be able to comparison shop for the best deal. Consumers deserve to have someone who will stand on their side, who will protect them against fraud, and who will ensure they are treated fairly. The new Consumer Bureau was created to make sure that these things are achieved for all Americans. The good news is that we have already gotten started. Over time, we'll judge the success of our efforts by whether consumers are being treated more fairly and with more clarity and candor in the financial marketplace. The financial marketplace can be an arena that helps people find and seize opportunity, not condemn them to bewildering failure. By working every day to protect consumers, we will help to fashion a more resilient economy and a stronger country. Join us; work with us; help us make it so. Visit consumerfinance.gov, and tell us your story today.

Up With Chris Hayes: Josh Kosman: The Buyout of America & Romney’s Real Jobs Record

2012-01-08T22:10:00.000-08:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Up With Chris Hayes: What is the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau?

2012-01-08T21:38:00.000-08:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The Buddy Roemer Solution for Campaign Reform

2012-01-08T21:26:00.000-08:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Bernie Sanders Talks with Stephen Colbert AboutThe Saving American Democracy Amendment

2012-01-04T23:09:00.000-08:00

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Bernie Sanders

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor & Satire Blog

Video Archive

Please sign Bernie Sanders’ Petition to Support the Saving American Democracy Amendment http://shar.es/oRbGm

Lawrence Lessig Supports Plan to Get Money Out of Politicsas States Take on Citizens United

2012-01-04T22:41:00.000-08:00

Restore the American Dream for the 99% Act

2012-01-04T17:33:00.000-08:00

For more details about what the 99% Act will do for America go here.

The Last Dying Breath of Reaganomics

2011-12-29T14:31:00.000-08:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

How Republicans Get People to Vote Against Their Own Self Interests

2011-12-28T16:58:00.000-08:00

Teddy Roosevelt’s Warning to the Republican Party

2011-12-27T22:06:00.000-08:00

"The Republican party is now facing a great crisis. It is to decide whether it will be, as in the days of Lincoln, the party of the plain people, the party of progress, the party of social and industrial justice, or whether it will be the party of privilege and of special interests, the heir to those who were Lincoln’s most bitter opponents, the party that represents the great interests within and without the Wall Street which desire, through their control over the servants of the of the public, to be kept immune from punishment when they do wrong, and to be given privileges to which they are not entitled."

~Teddy Roosevelt, April 1912

The Seven Prime Objectives of 1v99:

2011-12-27T21:18:00.000-08:00

The purpose of 1v99 is to provide access to factual information that can be used
in the battle to restore democracy in America. We focus our attention on
seven primary objectives we hope our efforts will help accomplish:

1. Override the Supreme Court Decision in Citizens United vs. FEC (Federal Elections Commission):

We believe that the best way to do that is through Bernie Sanders’s proposal for a Constitutional Amendment establishing that fact that corporations are not people and money is not free speech. (sanders.senate.gov) http://shar.es/W2NUh

2. Real Campaign Finance Reform:

We believe that as long as money is the primary component of our electoral process, the system favors a select few. We support the “Get Money Out” effort as a good starting point. www.getmoneyout.com

3. Comprehensive Reform of Special Interests Lobbying and Other Forms of Political Influence:

Throughout the history of the United States, so-called “lobbying reform legislation’ has done little to reform much of anything. While the original intent may have been good, by the time a bill is passed, special interests have all had their say in the matter. As a result, most bills are so watered down they become a mere mockery of themselves.

The challenge is how to advance a strong bill through both the legislative and executive branches that won’t get diluted, and will hold up against a Supreme Court that has repeatedly proven their favoritism towardsspecial interests.

As for now, there is no one singular reform attempt that we find strong enough to lend our support to. Hopefully this will change soon.

4. Increased Protection For All Americans:

Throughout the history of the United States, special interests groups have fought against almost every piece of legislation designed to protect the American citizenry. From seat belts to clean drinking water to selling cigarettes to minors, big business has spend billions to deregulate everything that they perceive as detrimental to profitability.

The recent attacks against the formation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the appointment of a director nomination, exemplify the ongoing injustice in a nutshell. We are in strong support of Richard Cordray’s appointment to head the CFPB and the election of Elizabeth Warren to the Senate of the United States. www.ElizabethWarren.com

5. Creation of a Fair and Sustainable Distribution of Wealth & Taxation in America:

Facts prove there has long been an escalating shift of wealth to the top. This redistribution of wealth to the upper 1% has rapidly increased in the last 30 years and needs to stop. We believe the redistribution needs to be reversed to a more equitable and sustainable position.

As for tax reform, we are strong supporters of efforts led by Citizens for Tax Justice. www.ctj.org

As for the redistribution of wealth in America, we support a variety of efforts designed to create equal access and opportunity for all citizens, not just the privileged elite.

6. Stop the Systematic Destruction of the Middle & Working Class:

Two primary issues come into play here. One is the systematic destruction of union rights. The other is the deliberate attempt to suppress voter rights, especially among the poor and disenfranchised. While there are many other issues related to the systematic destruction, these two are the most visible and garner much of our attention.

We support the efforts of our nation’s great unions and the American Dream Movement. www.rebuildthedream.com

7. Elect Politicians That Are Most Likely to Help in Meeting Our Objectives:

We support Obama and a Democratic controlled Congress even though we are well aware that Obama, and many other Democratic leaders, are funded by corporate interests and have a long history of favoring special interests. We expect it will be easier to meet our objectives with them in office than it would be if Republicans were in control.

We also support all efforts to overcome the onslaught of voter suppression including the works of Project Vote: www.projectvote.org

Income Disparity: The Charts You Need to Know

2011-12-23T10:36:00.000-08:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Fox News Viewers Are The Most Uninformed

2011-12-23T10:18:00.000-08:00

The 2011 Farleigh Dickinson University media study shows that Fox News viewers are less informed than people who watch no news at all. For example, self-proclaimed Fox News viewers are less likely to know Egyptians overthrew Mubarak than those who are not regular news watchers.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Big Corporations Want It Both Ways: Personhood Without Responsibility

2011-12-22T17:19:00.000-08:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

For-Profit Colleges Lobby Congress to Protect Their Profits

2011-12-22T16:58:00.000-08:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Nick Penniman: Fighting the Corrupting Influence of Money

2011-12-22T16:38:00.000-08:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Carne Ross: Pursuing a Better Way of Banking

2011-12-22T16:00:00.000-08:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy