On 3/19/03 I filed my complaint in Phoenix.
Now I wonder why the anti war demonstrations are tomorrow, I definitely remember coming back from Phoenix that evening and then my Dad called and told me that the bombing had started. When I was writing my complaint I was just trying to get it done before the war started, and it certainly was distracting.
A year later, nothing got better. Not in Iraq, not in the US, and certainly not in the credit world.
The CRAs all decided to disclose even LESS information, soft inquiries completely disappeared from most consumer disclosures. The PEOPLE running the CRAs are evil greedy bastards. Of course the same is true for just about any major corporation, politician, well, most people.
It's been a rough year, quite enlightening, but in a very negative way.
I don't think I was particularly naive about the flaws in the "justice" system and the extent of corruption everywhere, but nothing's like experiencing the lies and deceit first hand.
Few organizations or people are sincere about CHANGING credit reporting and ending the exploitation of the poor and disadvantaged. I subscribe to the ACORN newsletter, and they simply refuse to take on the CRAs. ACORN is part of the system.
ACORN helps the slaves polish their chains instead of fighting slavery.
Their activities are not useful without first changing credit reporting and scoring. What is the point of a predatory lending settlement resulting in a few hundred dollar settlement while the CREDIT REPORTING of these accounts results in THOUSANDS of dollars in damages due to higher insurance and interest rates?
It's like spending tons of money on medical care for illnesses due to contaminated water and NOT providing clean water. People will always be sick. Without eliminating the cause of the problem, nothing will change.
It is ACORN's objective to pacify the disadvantaged and exploited, to keep them from going berserk, to make it look like everything's ok and all we have to do is stage a little protest and all is fine.
It ain't so. And the ACORN executives know that. They thrive in the current conditions, the disadvantaged and poor even send them donations! It's absurd.
While I didn't think much of the FTC and other regulators prior to my filing, it sure amazes me that there is NOTHING consumers can do to get them to enforce the FCRA.
Many "consumer advocate" attorneys are also part of this system. I've seen more people screwed by their own attorneys than I've seen helped. The poorer or sicker the consumer, the more likely it is that they'll see less than 10% of the settlement. The "working relationships" between corporate and consumer attorneys ensure the payment of legal fees to the attorneys and next to nothing for the consumers.
There are a few people who truly care, but not many.
I learned so much this last year, but what's the point?
c: Lisa Donner acorncampaign@acorn.org
Camellia Phillips acornnews@acorn.org