Many years ago, I learned deceit doesn't pay. Not forme, at least. I'm a what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of person.That straightforward quality makes me a great reporter, but I'd bea lousy politician. I can't lie to save my life—just ask my mother,or all the traffic cops who have never once let me skate by with awarning.

As a result, I have a very low tolerance for folks who do lie,whether it's Wall Street bankers, warmongering presidents or CEOswho up and quit out of the blue, at the peak of their careers, inorder to spend more time with their families.

A skill set required of journalists is the ability to sniff outsituations that don't add up. Lately, everywhere I turn, I get awhiff of stink.

Let's start with Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union.President/CEO Kyle Markland stepped down Aug. 28 after 16 years onthe job. A Credit Union Times Trailblazer Award winner,Markland was at the top of his game. Affinity Plus has one of thehighest loan-to-share ratios in the industry, nearly 97% as of June30.

Net worth was 7.93%, which isn't high enough for the NCUA'scoming risk-based net worth requirements, but it is a number thathas been stable.

The reason Markland gave for his resignation—empty nestsyndrome—could be legit. Plenty of people have experienced definingmoments in their lives when they realized a major change wasinevitable. Sinners are reborn. Power players give up the jet setfor a hermit's life in a one-room cabin in the woods. It couldhappen.

But it doesn't seem very likely.

Markland's empty nest wasn't unexpected—he's known it was comingfor years. And even if he wants to take a sabbatical, as heallegedly told his employees, he can't expect to be welcomed backwith open arms into the credit union industry after leaving hislong-time employer so suddenly, putting the credit union in theawkward position of answering questions from truth-seekingjournalists like me.

According to Affinity Plus' financials, ROA tumbled from 1.45%as of June 2012 to just 0.57% one year later. And, as delinquenciesand charge offs have decreased slightly, loan loss provisions haveincreased.

Maybe Markland's departure has nothing to do with performance,but I smell something fishy.

Let's move on to U.S. foreign relations, a topic that isparticularly painful given today's publish date: Sept. 11. At presstime, President Obama was making his case for a strike againstSyria, because the nation's leader, Bashar al-Assad, used chemicalweapons. It appears that al-Assad did that, but do we really knowfor sure? I'm no fan of Vladamir Putin, but the way he's callingout John Kerry as a bald-faced liar doesn't look good. A lack ofsupport from key allies like England is also disconcerting.

And yet, our president, the same guy who said the governmentwasn't spying on citizens or foreign leaders until it was revealedotherwise, continues to ask for our trust.

We went to war in Iraq to seek justice for the victims of Sept.11. Or so we were told, with a side dish of “he gassed his ownpeople.” Same goes for Afghanistan—we were told it was to avengethe victims of Sept. 11. Even though we killed bin Laden, did wereally do the victims any justice? Is anybody better off as aresult? Was Sept. 11 and terrorism really the reason, or did ithave more to do with oil profits, military spending and efforts tokeep the Russia-Iran-China alliance in check? Will we ever know theanswer?

Then we have the investment banks fighting the NCUA's claimsthey committed securities fraud, not so much on the defense thatthey're innocent, but instead playing the statute of limitationscard. It's maddening. Credit unions are the ones paying the pricein the form of corporate assessments, a sluggish economy and moreradical threats to our country. The $52.6 billion dollar blackbudget and closed-door foreign policy strategies allow us tomaintain a standard of living that's higher than most of the world,but at what price?

In 2014 and 2016, I hope we vote these lying bastards from bothparties out of office. Don't be talked out of voting for a darkhorse because you feel an allegiance to the blue or red team.

And let's not allow industry leaders to have the last word withwell-crafted talking points nobody really believes.

Here at Credit Union Times, we will continue to keepdigging to bring you the truth. That's no lie.

Heather Anderson
Executive Editor
[email protected]