. .
,
,
,
...
ACCORDING TO Brinkley, the
bank's own HMDA data (Home
Mortgage Discloure Act Data)
shows that in 1990, out of th 1,892
conventional mortgage loans made
by Come rica in the Detroit
metropolitan area, only 71 of those
were made in the city of Detroit -
less than five percent. Of tho e loans
made within the City, mo t were
clustered in the more affluent
Northwest and Northeast area of the
city.
On March 10 ACO N filed a for­
mal challenge of the proposed
merger of the two banks, asking the
Federal Board to deny the merger
until sUCh time that the banks make a
commitment to improve their lend­
ing practices in low, moderate and
minority communities. Under CRA,
federal banki ng la wallow com.
munity groups to challenge bank
mergers.
In the statement filed with the
Federal Board, ACORN indicated
T
individ not ble to
live in th locationo th irchoice and
hom 0 ne re unable to maintain
t ir h m in tand rd condition or
th equi ty in th ir home to
10 nee th ir children' education or
for other worthwhile purpose .
According to ACORN, in 1990
Com rica rejected 50.5 percent of all
applications for property loca d in
cens trac wh re minoritie com­
prised more th n 80 percent of the
population, 44 percent in tract
where minorities compri ed 20-80
per ent of th population. and 19.
p rcent wh re minoriti compri ed
le than 20 percent of the popula­
tion.
Al 0, Manufacture Bank
mortgage lending in the City of
o rrondecreasedrrom tc 9tol990.
Mortgage loans went from 70 to 62,
a deere e of 11.4 percent.
Spoke persons from Comerica
could not be reached for comment to
ACORN's charges.
ACORN is requesting a public
forum in order to provide an ade­
quate opportunity for repre entatives
from the various community group
that compri Michigan ACORN to
pre ent testimony and additional
evidence bearing directly on the p r­
forman e of th banks in serving th
need of low. and moderate income
and minority persons.
TH PUBLIC meeting would
al 0 permit representatives to pre ent
orally additional evidence in the
form of fir t hand per onal ex­
perience with these lending institu­
tions.
Comerica's shareholders recently
voted to approve the merger of the
two banks. The Federal Board will
render the final decison after review
the charge submitted by ACORN.
U T fight
world hunger
By LEAH SAMUEL
Staff Writer
"We have the resources to insure
that no person in the world goes
hungry," said BryanCallahan, "We
just lack the' political will to utilize
them."
Callahan is a volunteer for
RESULTS, a grass-roots citizen's
lobbying group that attempts to end
world hunger and poverty by
influencing legislation.
The ll-year-old organization,
-whose initials stand for
Responsibility for Ending Starvation
Using Legislation, Trimtabbing and
Support, believes that if enough
citizens become knowledgeable of
their ability to effect changes in local,
they can eliminate food shortages and
the other problems that lead to
hunger. RESULTS bases its work on
expert reports which show that "the
world became self-sufficient with
food" in 1945, and that since then,
only the lack of effort has keep the
hunger problem from being solved.
It THE mING holding hunger on
this earth is not a lack' of food or
money but sufficient political will to
end it,: said Callahan."We haven't
ended hunger because we haven't
made it a priority. Members of
RESULTS want to generate the
political will and also break through
the idea t1)at people can't 'make a
difference. "
Callahan aid that the group 100
for trimtabs-legi lator or
media-that can generate support for
, ,
anti-hunger legislation by influencing
the public as well as lawmakers. They
also teach private citizens to be
lobbyists.
Last year,· RESULTS was
successful in lobbying for an increase
in funds for the national Head Start
and WIC (Women, Infants and
Children) programs.
According to. Callahan, bringing
about this kind 'of change is easiest
because most people are in favor of
eliminating starvation.
"You can't find anybody who's
not for ending hunger," he said. "We
just have to show them how to take
action to make it come about.
"We learn about the current issues
surrounding hunger, then we teach
people to speak intelligently on the
issues. We show them how to get their
elected officials, or presidential
candidates to act by writing to them
and setting up appointments with
them."
IN RECENT YEARS, the public
has developed a "real disaffection"
with the laws and lawmakers, and as
a result have abdicated "participatory
government" said Callahan.
"It' a little hard to teach them to
do it, but people can utilize their
power to bring about change. "
Lynn ' . Walker-McMullen,
RESULTS national manager, will
speak at Wayne State University
Saturday, March 28 at 2 p.m. in the
Engineering Building. For more
mfcrmation, call (313)544-8190. ,
•
Wh r th
teener a ar
,
•
COMERICAI
CO ERICA
MORTGAGE CORP.
Total ortgag •• : 141
Cony ntlonal: 71
FHA/YHA/F HA: 70
19 0
or gage
loan
apprcved
byComerla
and
Manufactures
inthe
City of
Detroit
· ,
,
,
,
· ,
,
•
I
• I
'/
Total Mortgage : 82
Cony ntlonal: 51
FHA/YHA/FMHA: 11
o
y
-,
-Sourc : ACORN
Who will run against
Reigle in 1994?
By JOE KOEING
Cap'''' New. Service
LANS1NG - AI though the 1992 election
campaign is just beginning to �ke shape,
many high-profile names are being toss,ed
around by political experts as potential
candidates to run against U.S. Sen. Don
Riegle in 1994.
Some have speculated that Gov. John
Engler, U.S:- Rep. Paul Henry, R-Grand
Rapids, and Grand Rapids business executive
Dick Devos are considering a possible run
against Riegle, who migh� be �ln�rable �ue
to his role in the "Keating FIve banking
controversy.
"The current scuttlebutt is that Engler is
going to run," said William Sederburg, vice
president of your options available as !o.ng as
you possibly can. He would be an idiot to
have made up his mind already."
The governor has repeatedly denied he is
planning to run agianst Riegle. Engler
spokesperson John Truscott said "absolutely
not," when asked if. the governor would
consider running against Riegle if he is
recruited by state Republican.
Sederburg said the Republicans will have
a good shot at the Senate in 1994, because
Riegle has been damaged by the savings and
loan controversy.
POLITICAL ANAL Y T speculate that'
Riegle could be un eate� due t� his
involvement with Charles Keating an Arizona
nate
a
investor who controlled the Lincoln Savings
and Loan. Keating was indicted in 1991 by
federal regulators for fraudulent claims made
to depositors on investments.
Keating arranged for $1.3 million in
contributions to five senators, including
Riegle, who then met with regulators ab�ut
their plans to shut down the floundering
Lincoln. Lincoln stayed open and cost
taxpayers more than $1.5 billion in bailout
funds.
After the contributions were disclosed,
Riegle returned the $78,250 that was donat�d
to his campaign, saying he wanted to aVOId
"even the appearance of impropriety."
Riegle, chairman of the Senate Banking
Committee, was later found innocent by the
Senate Ethics Committee of wrongdoing.
Michigan Republicans will not let the
"Keating Five" debacle rest and see it as a
great opportunity to unseat Riegle. The
controversy has left political analysts
theorizing on who might run against Riegle
and what is considered a "hot seat" by state
Republicans.
done on the federal level," Sederberg said.
"Some of the bodies the governor has left
behind with political wounds night even agree
with him that some of.the same things need to
be done nationally."
If the state's economy improves and people
see the state as being able to afford more in
human services during pro perous economic
times, Engler could face a tough battle for
re-election to another term as governor,
Sederburg said.
"MY ADVICE to John would be if you get
a chance to run for the U.S. Senate, go for it,"
Se derburg said. "Because just as Jim
Blanchard' found out in eight years the public
grows tired of you. "
William Ballenger, editor of Inside
Michigan Politics, said it is too early to tell at
this point who will run for the Republlcans.
He said Riegle looks more vulnerable than at
any time since he first ran for senate in 1976.
"For Engler to just give up after one
four-year term. doesn't make much sense,"
Ballenger said. "He might be better to
concentrate on what he has done as governor."
Ballen er said it is unusual for a sitting
Michigan governor to run for the Senate.
Stephen Ward, pre secretary for Henry,
said the four-term congres man i
concentrating on his bid for a fifth term. in
the U.S. Congress .. Only after the election will
he 100 ahead,"it is not an issue right now,"
said Ward, of speculation Henry is planning.
to run for the Senate.
Ward added that Henry has not made up his
inind on whether he would consider running
against Riegle.
MIKE CASEY, pre s secretary for Riegle,
said the senator will definitely run for
re-election.
Sederburg said that Engler could consider
it a good move to run in 1994 because the
federal govern men t has t�e s�me kind of
problems Engler is currently trying to tackle,
social services "gone amuck" and a high
deficit. That could help Engler, who is gaining
tature on the national level, if he decided to
run, Sederburg aid.
"Engler can walk in and say the same kind
of things he ha done in Michigan need to be
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