Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Reading the small print of the party platforms--Rogue Agency

About that rogue agency Obama created which advances big banks (supporting Hillary): it should be abolished regardless of which party takes the White House. . .  p. 3 Republican Platform

"Community  banks  are  essential  to  ensuring small  businesses  have  easy  and  affordable  access to the capital they need to grow and prosper. Community banks should be relieved of excessive
regulations. We support removing roadblocks and regulations that prevent access to capital.

The  worst  of  Dodd-Frank  is  the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, deliberately designed to be a rogue agency. It answers to neither Congress nor the executive, has its own guaranteed funding
outside  the  appropriations  process,  and  uses  its  slush fund to steer settlements to politically favored groups.

Its Director has dictatorial powers unique in the American  Republic.  Its  regulatory  harassment  of local and regional banks, the source of most home mortgages  and  small  business  loans,  advantages big banks and makes it harder for Americans to buy a home. Its one-size-fits-all approach to every issue threatens the diversity of the country’s financial system and would leave us with just a few enormous institutions, as in many European countries.

If the Bureau is not abolished, it should be subjected to congressional appropriation. In that way, consumer protection in the financial markets can be advanced through measures that are both effective and  constitutional.  Any  settlements  arising  from  statutory violations by financial institutions must be used  to  make  whole  the  harmed  consumers,  with any remaining proceeds given to the general Treasury.  Diversion  of  settlement  funds  to  politically connected parties should be a criminal offense."

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