NJCA Year in Review 2000
Highlights and Victories |
January – February
- NJCA organized eight informational pickets at branches of Hudson United Bank (HUBCO), which refused to meet with community groups to discuss its poor lending record to minorities. A planned merger with Dime Savings Bank fell through, and NJ consumers were spared a larger version of this bank. Citizen Action is now working with HUBCO to improve its record.
- In an effort to break the Parson’s DMV contract, NJCA convened a People’s Panel that held hearings in Clifton and Neptune. Scores of concerned citizens, private garage owners and disaffected motorists testified about the connection between privatization and campaign finance reform. NJCA released a report detailing the campaign contributions from key Parsons executives and state Republican officials, which was posted on a special website.
- As part of a national effort in 37 states, NJCA collected more than 20 Elected Leadership Support Statements in favor of voluntary public financing for elections from state and local officials.
March – April
- NJCA helped pass the Open Public Records Act in the Assembly, to reform NJ’s restrictive laws governing access to public records. We testified at 3 hearings and worked to include voluntary mediation and lower costs for document reproduction in the bill. NJCA is still working to pass a stronger version of the bill in the Senate that includes our amendments. NJCA also helped form the NJ Foundation for Open Government, a technical support network for citizens who need assistance accessing public records.
- Congressman Rush Holt joined NJCA at a State House press conference to oppose the so-called "Fairness in Asbestos Compensation Act" (H.R. 1283). Along with environmental, health care, labor, senior and community groups nationwide, NJCA ended the asbestos industries’ fast track bill that would deny asbestos victims their legal rights.
May – June
- NJCA partnered with the National Institute on Money in State Politics and joined the national database www.followthemoney.org Together, NJCA and the Institute detailed campaign contributions to candidates in the 1999 Assembly races and issued a "Drug Money" study that showed the connection between key political leaders and major pharmaceutical companies.
- NJCA launched our campaign for a comprehensive Universal Service Fund for low-income customers, as part of the implementation of energy deregulation. NJCA testified at 5 hearings across the state and was joined by numerous allies, including the Paterson Task Force, Clearbrook Energy Committee, IFPTE Retirees Local 195, CURO, & the National Consumer Law Center. In the fall, Rev. Reginald Jackson of the Black Ministers Council, NJCA Board Co-chair Wayne Smith, Irvington City Council President called on the BPU to adopt a proposal for low-income assistance. Since the BPU has refused to act on this matter, NJCA continues to push for the expansion of the BPU to 5 members so that consumers and small business people are represented.
- NJCA drew attention to the problem of the uninsured and advocated for expansion of health care programs using the state’s tobacco settlement money. The FamilyCare Health Expansion Act now offer over 125,000 working poor adults affordable health care. In one of the largest expansions of the federal Child Health Insurance Program, parents with incomes of up to 200% of the poverty level are eligible, as are childless individuals up to 100% of the poverty level.
- With our allies, we launched a major initiative to expand paid family and medical leave through state unemployment and disability insurance programs. Most working families are unable to use the Family Leave law, because of a loss of income. The paid family leave bill pending in the Legislature is gaining momentum
- Partnering with the McAuley Institute, NJCA organized the greatest number of Women’s Housing Initiatives ever. Over 1,000 people attended seminars in Elizabeth, Newark, Asbury Park, West Orange and East Orange. The inspirational events encouraged the audience to enroll in Citizen Action’s loan counseling and credit repair program.
- NJCA helped over 900 families achieve first time homeownership through our loan-counseling program. Families get assistance with budgeting, credit, and Community Reinvestment Act mortgages. With 3500 families in mortgage and home improvement loan counseling, NJCA opened offices in Elizabeth and Newark.
- We began an innovative partnership with Prudential Property and Casualty (PruPAC) to offer up to a 37% discount to NJCA-counseled homebuyers for homeowners’ insurance, a first-in-the-nation pilot project.
- Over 40 community leaders and agency staff became lead poisoning prevention experts through NJCA’s Train-the-Trainer program.
- Despite the large price hikes in 2000, over 4,700 members saved as much as 17% on their annual heating costs through New Jersey Citizen Action Oil Group, which pools buying power to negotiate for lower oil prices.
- More than 60 homeowners attended NJCA’s "Lead Abatement Financing Forums" in Newark and East Orange, informing property owners of their responsibilities and of below-market rate loans available. NJCA continues to work with them to abate their lead hazards.
July – August
- NJCA initiated a campaign to ban predatory lending, organizing testimony at 3 public hearings conducted by the NJ Dept. of Banking and Insurance to investigate abusive lending practices. Wearing buttons professing, "There oughta be a law!" Citizen Action urged the state regulatory agencies and the Legislature to take strong action against predatory lenders. Bills based on the landmark law passed in North Carolina are being drafted.
- With our national organization, USAction, NJCA organized an Independence Day celebration, to free seniors from high prescription drug costs. More than 25 senior, labor and community activists spoke in front of Schering Plough’s headquarters about the need for a Medicare prescription drug benefit.
- A full-time organizer was hired to coordinate our "Fair And Clean Elections" campaign. Our effort to put a new FACE on NJ politics is now in full swing, with dozens of member and allied organizations working to introduce legislation based on the successful model of Clean Money reform in Maine, Arizona, Vermont and Massachusetts.
September – October
- NJCA opened the Financial Education in Downtown Newark. In addition to housing Citizen Action program and loan counseling staff, the Center will offer Money Smarts workshops to help residents better understand basic financial services, including basic banking, money management and consumer education topics.
- NJCA prepared for Election Day by organizing forums to educate voters and spell out the candidates’ positions on federal social and health security issues. NJCA sponsored candidates’ forums for the primary and general elections in the Seventh Congressional District, the Twelfth Congressional District; and also coordinated a Senior Issues Forum in Westfield
- After a year’s effort led by NJCA, the Health Department of the City of Newark agreed to adopt a "lead inspection on request" policy to prevent childhood lead poisonings. NJCA coordinated a coalition of Newark organizations in meetings with Council Members and made presentations to the Newark Council Health Committee.
- Working with the Long Term Care Campaign, NJCA identified candidates who committed to a comprehensive long term care solution. Candidates Connelly (D-7th), Corzine (D-Senate), Franks (R-Senate) and Holt (D-12th) signed the Long Term Care Pledge.
- NJCA testified at 2 Assembly Committee hearings on A-2399, the Lead Hazard Control Assistance Act, which passed both committees. Sponsored by Speaker Collins, the bill will help property owners pay for lead abatement.
- Community Health Care Assets Protection Act finally became law! NJCA worked for 4 years to see that the law establishes strong oversight when community hospitals change ownership, protects public accountability, quality of care, and millions of dollars of charitable health care dollars. Providing some of the strongest patient protections in the nation, the law prevents for-profit corporations from taking nonprofit dollars for private gain and stops hospital takeovers that would serve to harm community health care access to services.
November – December
- Playing an issue-based role in educating and mobilizing thousands of citizens to vote on social and health security issues, NJCA coordinated issue advocacy and voter education activities in the 7th and 12th districts, and held actions to raise our issues in the campaign. Over 75,000 get-the-vote-out pieces were mailed and distributed, including voter guides for the 7th district and U.S. Senate candidates. NJCA also conducted a door-to-door canvass operation in Maplewood on Election Day, and phone banked all those who had participated in our activities, reminding them to vote.
- NJCA filed a challenge protesting MetLife, Inc.’s application to become a financial and bank holding company and to acquire Grand Bank, a one-branch national bank. This is the first application of its kind since the 1999 Financial Modernization Act. NJCA applied for and won the right to receive more information on the business and community reinvestment plans for the new entity. The merger is pending this request for more information.
- Fleet Bank signed a Community Reinvestment Act Agreement with NJCA, committing $1.22 billion to NJ’s low and moderate-income consumers and small businesses in the next 4 years. In the Agreement, Fleet pledges neither to make nor purchase predatory loans, the first bank to do so. The agreement also addresses below-market rate loan products for New Jersey’s low and moderate income residents, community and economic development and grant funding; bank fees and branch closures.
- Organizing community opposition to Verizon’s proposal to double their rates, NJCA stopped their deregulation proposal. Hundreds of individuals and organizational leaders came to 3 public hearings to oppose the plan to double local phone rates. Verizon cited consumer opposition when it withdrew the proposal.
- In the face of rising natural gas prices and attempts to deregulate the gas industry further, NJCA publicized the impact of higher gas prices on working families and seniors, appearing in more than 25 news articles. NJCA also spoke out about rising rates in cable television service, which have gone up more than four times the rate of inflation since deregulation in 1996.
- NJCA significantly improved a bill to permit Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey to convert to a for-profit entity. The bill now prevents additional nonprofit money from going to private gain, and protects patients, ratepayers, and workers. After years of denial, Horizon BCBS acknowledged their debt of over 60 years of public investment. The company agreed to protect its full value, through an independent charitable foundation for community health purposes, as a condition of for-profit conversion.
Utility Consumer Education
- In 2000, NJCA conducted over 900 presentations to energy consumers about their rights and opportunities under deregulation. More than 41,000 people have received energy education information through NJCA’s outreach efforts.
- Following the success of the energy education campaign, NJCA started a Telecommunications Education effort. These presentations teach customers to understand their phone bills, make smart telecommunications decisions and prevent fraud.
