Latest Treason Lobby Scam: “Undocumented” = “Unbanked”

By Brenda Walker

We in Mexifornia live on the front lines of diversity. Every day politicians, business and the academy work to spread the doctrine of increasing inclusion, sometimes with the discovery of a new group of underprivileged foreigners who need our attention. Our political leaders in particular are highly attuned to any alleged discomfort on the part of Mexicans—or anyone else under the sun who can make their way here.

The latest attempt at heart-tuggery: the tribulation suffered by “The Unbanked”—as imagined by California’s illustrious Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and his compadre Bill Clinton in the prestigious Wall Street Journal [Beyond Payday Loans, Jan 24, 2008].

"The American dream is founded on the belief that people who work hard and play by the rules will be able to earn a good living, raise a family in comfort and retire with dignity.

“But that dream is harder to achieve for millions of Americans because they spend too much of their hard-earned money on fees to cash their paychecks or pay off high-priced loans meant to carry them over until they get paid at work.

Here is one initiative that can unite progressives and conservatives as well as business leaders and community activists: helping the ‘unbanked’ enter the financial mainstream by opening checking and savings accounts, and working collaboratively with financial institutions and community groups to develop and market products that work for this untapped market. This will put money in the pockets of individuals and grow the economy. And it won't cost taxpayers a dime."

On the surface, this underwhelming policy suggestion seems a harmless snoozer. Remember how Bill Clinton peppered his Presidency with insignificant programs that kept up the appearance of relevance and progress? In the policy area, the recommendation is that banks should offer more starter accounts with features designed for the Unbanked demographic.

But the op-ed does not identify honestly many of this proposal’s true beneficiaries—illegal aliens. The piece slyly combines groups to hide that fact, saying, "Approximately 11% of California households, including 25% of Latino and African-American households, do not have a checking account." The words "immigrant" or "alien" do not appear.