(5) Housing Discrimination
Racial profiling in the housing industry.

(5) Housing Discrimination
News Stories and Background

Clinton falsely announces $6.5 billion settlement in fair housing case (01/19/99)
          Capitalizing on the "glow of minority votes" surrounding Martin Luther King Day, Clinton gleefully announced a $6.5 billion settlement with a Columbia, Maryland bank over a housing discrimination case.   It turns out no such settlement exists, but Clinton and the Department of Housing and Urban Development insist that it did, and that they are responsible for a huge, imaginary victory against evil, racist bankers.

          According to Clinton's imaginary defendant, Columbia National Mortgage Company, the bank has never entered into any settlement with HUD.  However, Columbia does cite impressive minority lending statistics over the past several years (in the billions), and expressed shock over Clinton's wild assertion.

          Columbia's CEO, Dave Gallitano, said "The statements released yesterday by the White House and HUD are inaccurate and very misleading."  Gallitano went on to say "This might make good press on Martin Luther King Day, but is sure as hell is taking a club to our heads when we haven't done anything wrong."

          We presume that this is an example of the Clinton administration's vaunted use of the so-called "Alternative Dispute Resolution" (ADR) procedure.  Apparently the White House can say what it wants, and claim credit for a solution to a non-existent problem, and they call that Alternative Dispute Resolution.  (Various sources, 01/19/99, see links, below.)