Take Back Chicago!
It's time for big banks to pay U.S. back!
The banks who crashed the economy are getting rich while working and middle class families are losing their homes and jobs by the millions.
Wall Street and the big banks are out of touch with America. In their pursuit of fat bonuses and mega profits, they’ve lost sight of their role in our society -- help people buy and keep their homes, lend to small and growing businesses to create jobs, and help families build wealth to pass on to their children. After they crashed the economy, they no longer need strong working families and the middle class -- they’ve turned US into THEIR ATM machines. It’s time to turn the table and demand that the fix the mess they made of our housing market and economy.
Why the MBA
The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) is holding their annual conference in Chicago on October 9-12, 2011. The MBA is one of the most powerful lobbying organizations for the big banks and they represent the mortgage arms/tentacles of the BIG 4--Wells Fargo (who happens to be sponsoring the conference), Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup--as well as numerous independent mortgage companies that created the housing bubble and blew up the economy in 2008.
One of the MBA claim's to fame is defeating Judicial Loan Modifications - a piece of legislation that Congress was attempting to pass in order to help millions of homeowners who had fallen victim to the housing crisis. Under the current law, if you only have one home you can’t declare bankruptcy and have a judge renegotiate your debts. But if you own two homes, or a boat, you can. This is unfair and biased against working and middle class families that don’t have boats, airplanes and homes in the Hamptons. Chicago has been hardest hit by foreclosures, mostly due to the MBA blocking this legislation.
Join Us!
If you're fed up with big bank greed and Wall Street corrupting our democracy, join us on Monday, October 10 (Columbus Day).
Meet @ 4pm at The Hyatt Regency - 151 East Wacker Dr. - to protest the mortgage bankers association conference. March with us to a second mass rally at the Art Institute at 5pm.
Our allies at Take Back Chicago are leading high-energy marches from Daley Plaza (Washington & Dearborn) and Federal Plaza (Adams & Dearborn) at 4pm, to demand meaningful job creation.
Action coordinated by National People's Action, New Bottom Line, Northside POWER, Lakeview Action Coalition, Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation, Action Now, Albany Park Neighborhood Council, Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, Chicago Teachers Union, Chicago Jobs with Justice, Arise Chicago United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America, SEIU Stand Up!, Chicago Grassroots Collaborative, Illinois Hunger Coalition Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, Southside Together Organizing for Power (STOP).
