Above Average....

"NCUA Ranked as a "Top Performer" by OPM"

- NCUA Press Release (Nov. 21, 2012)

Go Team! But remember...

"Only the mediocre are always at their best."

True To Our Heritage ?

King (Street) of Beasts...

The Sages of Alexandria have just closed out the indulgence period, during which their credit union serfs stakeholders were allowed to comment on payday advance loans i.e., "PALs" ( pretty cute, heh!).  The question of particular import was whether or not credit union serfs members should be dinged with rates and fees on PALs even higher than the 36% currently permitted.  With the economy so strong and savings rates rising so rapidly, this inquiry clearly makes good sense.

One commenter on the regulatory proposal was Roy F. Bergengren who, with Edward Filene, helped create the credit union movement in the U.S.  Here's what he had to say:

From The Field...

" The branch decided last month to prepare a dinner for the folks at the Family House.  In preparation of the meal, my staff learned something important about me - that I can't cook!  Not that I don't cook, that I can't cook!  `
  

And yes, it is possible to ruin a box of 

mac & cheese..."

(Well, at least there is dessert...)

The Real Fiscal Crisis....

Enough already!! Congress really  needs to step up to the task, before we go over that cliff!  We need more jobs, growth, an expansive economy! And, Congress has one of the best opportunities since the bailout of GM to save manufacturing jobs and to help increase the size of the American workforce.

How do you trigger a broad, wide, growth spurt among American workers...

CAMEL-flage...

"Secrecy and a free, democratic government don't mix."

- President Harry S. Truman

Pearl...

"Is it love that brings you here or love that brings you life ?"

( Yes !)

Happy Thanksgiving....

"One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing is what we do for others."

- Lewis Carroll

Alice in Wonderland

From The Field...

" In preparation for the holiday season, we have set up an Angel Tree and have contacted the Food Bank for containers. With colder weather on the way, we are also working with the local school system on a "Give-A-Kid-A-Goat" campaign..."

(Hope that's Coat, but with a kid involved who can say...?)

Three Strikes And You're ... Triumphant ??

Well, reckon we should look once again into the world of the CAMEL. Can feel you cringing all the way from here! But, I've heard (sp.?) of a couple of new varieties since we last talked. Do you know what they call a camel with no humps?  Humphrey.  How about a camel with three humps? That's right, a triumph!

I know, pretty bad jokes.  But  they seem to fit very well with an NCUA CAMEL monitoring system , which bankrupted the NCUSIF, which led an embarrassed CU movement begging - hat-in-hand - to the U. S. Treasury, and which cost credit unions and individual credit union members over $15 billion!  Now that really is a bad joke - or, perhaps, a "Benghazian" regulatory lapse? 

The NCUA CAMEL system despite all sensibilities and financial logic continues to step off, wrong-footed with an antiquated and dangerous "C" - the capital measurement. The capital-to-asset ratio as computed by NCUA is inappropriate in a deregulated environment and intentionally misleads the credit union movement, Congress, and the public. "High" capital-to-asset ratios are touted by NCUA as prima facie evidence that credit unions are safe and sound.  Maybe, probably, perhaps, could be, but who knows for sure?  NCUA? (See the topic "Corporates", if you answered "yes".)  As with NCUA's capital measurements, the Captain of the Titanic... 


                                                                               ... also probably used similar, simplistic estimates to determine how small an iceberg he was approaching.

About That Budget....

From:

CUNA NEWS NOW

(Friday, Nov. 16, 2012)

"CUNA Outraged By NCUA's Proposed 2013 Budget."

A brief summary of the article would be...
 "YADA, YADA, YADA!"

... suspect the actual results will be little more than CUNA CEO Bill Cheney will write NCUA yet another letter "of outrage"....

Pearl....

"It takes less time to do something right than it does to explain why you did it wrong."

(You said that wright !)

New Supervisory Manual...

The following guidelines have been alleged to be part of the redacted sections of the new NCUA Supervisory Manual:

EXAMINER TENETS

"THE TEN COMMANDMENTS"

1. Six months of training always trumps 25 years of actual Credit Union experience.
2. What was said in the last exam has nothing to do with the current exam.
3. It's OK to hold a grudge; documentation is not required, nor recommended.
4. You are not there to offer assistance, but to find fault.  
5. Remember everyone is hiding something.
6. Always draw on your past experience in running a credit union when giving advice.
7. Don't be deterred by the recent record of performance by the Agency. Our record is not what is being examined.
8. You are not liable, nor will you be held accountable, for erroneous advice.
9. Although we know it's difficult, try to appear humble around these people.
10. Act like you're listening. 

Veterans' Day

THANK YOU !!!

What have you and I done for our Country lately?

Post Election...

"Beautify our Country, take down a campaign sign."

(Amen!)

From The Field...

"Gather 'round people..."

" I got  married last month to John Jacob Williamson, III ! We are expecting our second child in January !"


("The times they are a-changin'... !")

"O-o-o-h, O-o-o-h That Smell !! Can't Ya' Smell That Smell ? ...

In Ohio,

Which Gives Off The Worst Stench ?

A)

B)

(Phew, hard to say right now isn't it !!)

Undecided Voter...

Well, today is decision time.  You probably wouldn't have suspected it, but I have been one of those much rumored and hotly sought after undecided voters.


The thinking has been that, in fairness, the responsible thing to do was to listen to all the arguments and to take the time to study carefully the statements of each candidate. After all, a political campaign is often compared to a horse race and it seems clear to me that the longer you wait in the race the easier it is to pick the best horse. So, I've pursued that strategy in earnest.


Studied all the position papers, watched the Conventions, followed all the ads, and particularly listened hard to how each candidate critiqued his opponent.  All of us want leaders who tell the truth. Who better to profile the character, leadership ability, and values of a person than an adversary (- or a spouse!)

Having done my homework on both National and State races, I'm now more than ready to correctly mark that ballot!  Only concern after listening to all the comments is that it will take a long, long, long time to vote today.

Why ? Because it's going to take quite a while to...

How Biz-Czar...!!!!

Nicholas II
Czar of Russia

Can you pick the imperial leader, 

who mis-ruled
by "divine right", over millions
                            of people...

Mr. Herb Yolles
Here's the official contact info:

Pearl...

 
"None but ourselves can free our minds."

- Bob Marley

From The Field...

"The outage has been restored."

 

(H-m-m, gonna have to think about that one...)

"Don't Give Up The Ship"......'Cause....

"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you,
 then you win."

-Mahatma Ghandi

(... and then "they" change or disappear.)

"Don't Give Up The Ship",... But ....

A balanced NCUA view...

Believe Commodore Perry FCU should know, heading into its appeal hearing, that NCUA takes a very liberal, "Indiana View" toward any allegation of sexual harassment by examiners from female credit union employees.  When you weigh the word of four females against one male NCUA examiner....

There generally can be just two choices for NCUA findings ....