If You Like the Difference, Then Make a Difference
Every credit union member has his or her own reason for belonging: the ties to a workplace, the convenience of direct deposit, the better rates on fees and savings or the friendly staff. You may not even think about the difference between belonging to a credit union rather than keeping an account in a different kind of financial institution very often.
But banks think all the time about the fact that you, and millions of other consumers, belong to credit unions. Banks wish that credit unions would cease to offer consumers an alternative. If there were no credit unions, banks could charge whatever they wanted for services and there would be no competition to force them to lower fees.
So the banks have sought to change the laws that enable credit unions to serve their communities, to serve you. Banks, although the have 97% of the market, have brought lawsuit after lawsuit, claiming unfair competition from credit unions.
So far, credit unions have been successful in fending off these attacks. But bankers have deep pockets and their political spending in Washington and Albany has a profound affect on credit unions.
Without the ability to counter these lobbying efforts by banks, the credit union movement’s future would be in doubt. We must encourage credit union-friendly candidates by providing an important political resource: campaign funds and grassroots campaign support. For credit unions, this is done through the Credit Union Political Action Committee (CUPAC).
You, and every member of this credit union, can make a big difference with just a very small effort. Credit unions, such as Sisters Hospital Employees Federal Credit Union, are prohibited by law from making political contributions. So we are asking you, the member, to make a contribution to CUPAC.
You can play an important role in supporting the credit union movement through the “Deduct-A-Buck” program. This is an easy, affordable method for you to show your support for credit unions and those who have championed them in Congress. You can arrange to contribute one dollar a quarter, that is only four dollars a year.
“Deduct-A-Buck” is a simple, cooperative idea, just like credit unions themselves. Its success hinges ion the involvement of you and many of this credit union’s other members to produce the amount of money needed to raise our voices about the din in Washington, DC.
You can arrange to participate the next time you are at the credit union, or click HERE to print and fill out the “Deduct-A-Buck” form, and return it to us at Sisters Hospital Employees Federal Credit Union. You’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that your contribution-added to those made by your friends and neighbors-will go a long way toward making your voice heard where it counts.
