WASHINGTON–During a “town hall” Q&A with CUNA CEO Jim Nussle and Chief of Staff Richard Meade during GAC, credit unions posed questions about presidential politics, the NCUA stabilization fund, and more. Below is a look at some of the questions posed and the answers provided.
Q: Which presidential candidate would be most beneficial to credit unions?
Nussle: We have never endorsed a specific candidate for president. What we’ve been trying to do is push out information about the middle class. A lot of the candidates, and not just those running for president, will say they are for the middle class. At this point in time we have no intention of endorsing a candidate for president.
Q: We have $2.7 million of member capital in the NCUA stabilization fund? Will you continue to elevate that issue with NCUA so we don’t forget that money is there and that it comes back.
Nussle: Yes, we will, and you should, too. You can say it in a different way—I tend to aggregate the numbers—but you can talk about it in a much more personal way.
Q: With the proposed bylaw change and the ability to belong to belong to CUNA but not the state association, should that go into effect, how will the organization look and operate in a few years?
Nussle: I think there are two sides to this. You could join CUNA without the league, but you could also join the league instead of CUNA, because they have a closer connection. There is confusion between CUNA and CUNA Mutual. And some people thought we were NCUA. That’s one reason we’re trying to elevate what we do. How is the organization going to look in the future? I want it to be your strongest advocate and your most responsive partner as a credit union. What we think we need to do is to do this interdependently with the league. One credit union said to me, “We want to join just CUNA.” I said, “I think that’s foolish.” The best example is the tax battle by the bankers—it has moved to the states. I think choice will raise everyone’s game. I don’t think it’s going to change anything; I think it’s going to cause the tide to lift all boats and be more effective in the future. But I’m very hopeful about the way this is transpiring.”