Following CUNA's lead, the Michigan Credit Union League is reviving a new online advocacy tool, "Operation Grassroots," to bolster comment letters on legislative and regulatory issues.
The league said it has long had the elements of an action center on its website but the new "Operations Grassroots" pages will make the activities more visible and prominent.
"We hope that credit union leaders will use the action center to channel their anger, frustration and constructive input so that we can effect positive change on legislative and regulatory processes," said David Adams, league president/CEO.
The "Operation Grassroots" tool allows readers to go directly to web pages devoted to MCUL's legislative and regulatory grassroots action requests, Adams said, noting that CUs are already familiar with MCUL's alerts and comment calls.
The league said its online links represent its own version of CUNA's "Operation Comment" used by the national trade group to help generate comment letters to NCUA, the Federal Reserve and other agencies as a convenience mechanism for CU executives. "Operation Comment" has been operating for the last five years but as noted by the Michigan League is currently focused on the Fed's interchange proposal.
A Michigan League spokesman said there was no connection between "Operation Grassroots" and a recent petition circulated by a Grand Rapids CUSO sharply critical of NCUA policies and whose backers have accused national and state trade groups of lacking leadership to challenge NCUA management on assessments, corporate stabilization, salaries and a raft of issues.
The pre-Christmas petition drive was launched by managers of CU*Answers, a CUSO, but Adams and others in CUNA have since urged CEOs not to sign the petition and instead to work "within the existing lobbying system" to prevent disunity. The petition currently has more than 100 signatures of which 40 are anonymous.
