Are you worried about the cuts to our health clinics?  Are you concerned about city council's cuts to swimming pools and recreation centers?  Join CUFA on Thursday, August 11 to tell them to INVEST IN US!  The meeting will be at 5:30 at Mother of Christ Church, 5301 Winneste, Winton Hills.

On May 16, over thirty members of Communities United for Action traveled to Columbus to tell JPMorgan Chase shareholders, board members, and CEO that working families would no longer pay for the financial crisis created by Chase and other big banks. CUFA joined National People’s Action and other community groups and unions to build a vocal protest of 1,000 demonstrators outside Chase’s annual shareholders meeting. The rally commanded the attention of shareholders and media with towering 20ft banners and giant wooden puppets of Chase CEO Jamie Dimon. In a daring attempt to “steal from the rich, and give to the poor”, a group of demonstrators dressed as Robin Hood used a plywood bridge to cross a moat-like pond that surrounded the office building. Both county and city police armed with guard dogs and mace stopped the group as soon as they crossed onto the property.

In addition to the energetic display outside of the shareholders meeting, CUFA board member Mae Richardson and CUFA president Roger Davis addressed shareholders inside the meeting. The pair urged the company to make crucial changes to foreclosure and lending practices. Richardson told shareholders that Chase foreclosed on her family’s home and then abandoned the property without transferring ownership records. With her family still in legal possession of the house, Richardson was stuck with bills and fines from the city associated with the property that Chase had taken from her and then let fall into disrepair. Roger Davis also addressed shareholders during the meeting. Citing Chase’s foreclosure on 1,280 homes in Hamilton County since 2005, Davis said the foreclosures in Cincinnati made “ghost towns” out of neighborhoods. He urged bank leaders to modify mortgages and keep families in their homes. The Huffington Post interviewed both Richardson and Davis about their comments.

JPMorgan Chase and the Financial Meltdown

JPMorgan Chase directly contributed to the subprime mortgage scandal and the 2008 financial crisis that soon followed. JPMorgan Chase played a significant role by providing financing to the nation's two largest subprime lenders, Countrywide and Ameriquest; they gave the companies the capital needed to originate subprime mortgages. JPMorgan Chase was also heavily involved in buying and selling derivatives. Derivatives are a financial product that allows companies and consumers to bet on stocks, contracts, and importantly, subprime mortgages. The derivatives traded by JPMorgan Chase helped to spread and intensify the impact of the housing market collapse they financed. After the market collapse, JPMorgan Chase accepted taxpayer bailouts and backstops totaling $94.7 billion. Despite this, the company recovered fast, posting $17.4 billion in profits in 2010 and awarding its top executives almost $8.7 billion in bonuses.

JPMorgan Chase: Still Hurting Working Families

Unfortunately, JPMorgan Chase is not interested in investing its wealth back into the public. JPMorgan Chase has contributed to the “credit crunch” by decreasing their lending to small businesses. The company’s lending to small businesses fell by two-thirds between 2007 and 2009. JPMorgan Chase has also made it difficult for families to restructure their mortgages and avoid foreclosure. The bank started trial mortgage modifications for only 25% of its 417,341 borrowers who are eligible for the Obama Administration's Making Home Affordable Program. Chase has also been notorious for collecting payments during long trial modifications and then foreclosing on the property even in cases where the borrower makes all payments on time. This practice has made JPMorgan Chase the target of at least one lawsuit in San Francisco.

Instead of helping families avoid foreclosure or investing in small business, JPMorgan Chase has spent its taxpayer bailout lobbying against financial reform. The company has lobbied against the Consumer Overdraft Protection Fair Practices Act, the Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act, the Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights Act of 2009, the Helping Families Save Their Homes in Bankruptcy Act, the Derivatives Trading Integrity Act, the Compensation Fairness Act, and financial services regulation in general. JPMorgan Chase is also part of the Financial Services Round Table, which worked to defeat the Employee Free Choice Act. The Employee Free Choice Act supports collective bargaining rights by ensuring that workers can exercise a free choice to form a union without interference or intimidation from management.

CUFA will continue to fight for fair lending practices and loan modifications through a new community action group called Invest in People. Invest in People is working to find new ways to balance the city and state budget without cutting funding to vital services such as mortgage counseling programs, health clinics, and recreation centers. To get involved, come to the Invest in People committee meeting on June 9th at 5:30pm at Mother of Christ Church in Winton Hills, or call CUFA’s office at 513-853-3947.

See below for more information from several different national news sources.

 

Study Shows Which Areas Have Highest Mortality Rates

Preventable Illness Among Leading Causes Of Death

 

 

A new report gives some perspective to the quality of life in various parts of Cincinnati.

 

Areas such as Price Hill and Avondale have higher mortality rates than areas such as Mount Adams and Hyde Park, according to the study conducted by the Cincinnati Health Department.

 

"If I'm living in Price Hill, then, yes, Price Hill is not doing that well in terms of mortality," said Dr. Noble Maseru, Cincinnati health commissioner. "The numbers are what they are."

 

Neighborhood advocates such as Marilyn Evans, of Communities United for Action, said they've been calling for a study like this one to underscore neighborhood disparities.

 

"We work in low- and moderate-income communities where the epidemic seems to be in great proportion and nobody listens," Evans said.

 

The two-year study looked at mortality rates between 2001 and 2007 in the city's neighborhoods, as well as the causes of death for each area.

 

The leading causes of death across the city were heart disease, cancer, stroke, lower respiratory disease and diabetes.

CUFA was the first organization to ask the Health Department for this study. Read the full story at  http://www.wlwt.com/health/27375618/detail.html

 

Frankie Ferguson, a long time activist and CUFA member, passed away on Saturday, March 26, 2011.  Frankie devoted her life to her community and was a fierce advocate for tenant's rights, environmental justice, and youth.  Frankie was a fixture in the community of Millvale, where she had been the President of the Tenant Council for years.  Frankie's dedication to the youth in Millvale found her tirelessly lobbying to expand their access to education, employment, and gang prevention/reduction programs.  Frankie was a leading proponent of expanding services and social programs aimed at gang prevention to younger age groups. 

Frankie had been a leader with Communities United for Action since the 90's, chairing the tenant committee, serving on the Executive Board, and training new community leaders.  Frankie's spirit, dedication, and kindness are irreplaceable to those who knew her. She will be greatly missed.

Services for Ms. Frankie will be held at Little Abraham's Church in Evanston with a viewing at 10:00am and funeral services beginning at 11:00am.

 

 

March 5th through the 7th, community leaders from Communities United For Action attended the National People's Action leadership conference in Washington D.C.  CUFA leaders took action on issues involving financial reform, immigration, and foreclosure.

Pictures are available here.

Check out the website http://makewallstreetpay.org/ to learn more about NPA's campaign to hold banks accountable!

Call Your Attorney General and Tell Them “Bank Crime Shouldn’t Pay!”

If you missed the National Call-in Day on February 3, there is still time to call your Attorney General!

Are you sick of the big banks continuing to reap big profits from the damage they caused to our homes, families and communities? If so, join with thousands of people and call your state Attorney General to demand a strong and meaningful settlement against the big banks.

The nation’s 50 state Attorneys General are currently investigating the fraudulent mortgage practices of the big banks. The big banks are pressing for a quick settlement that will let them off the hook for their crimes and keep the process behind closed doors. We need to fight back and keep the pressure on.

Just a few minutes of your time will send a message to the Attorneys General that we’re watching their work closely and we won’t settle for anything less than deep penalties for the big banks and justice for millions of homeowners.

Attorney General Call-in Instructions

Call your Attorney General and tell them you want a strong settlement with big banks who committed fraud. Sample PHONE SCRIPT below:

“I am a resident of [STATE] and I am watching the foreclosure fraud investigation very closely. I want to make sure that the Attorney General reaches as strong a settlement as possible with the banks. The settlement must include principal reduction for millions of homeowners and imposes criminal penalties on those who broke the law.”

For more information and a full list of Attorney Generals and their contact information, visit www.crimeshouldntpay.com

Duke Energy is partnering with CUFA on a program that gives you up to 12 FREE energy efficient light bulbs and other energy saving tips.

11% of your electric bill is spent on lighting and compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) save you money on your electric costs.

If you want to participate in this great program - call CUFA at 513-853-3947 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Currently this program is serving the 45216, 45223, 45224, 45225, and 45232 zip codes.  It will be expanding to other zip codes in the future.