STATUS OF ATM SURCHARGE BAN
PROPOSAL IN NEW YORK CITY

The year 1999 saw a resurgence of efforts to ban unfair ATM surcharges that has continued in 2000. The attached chart (located at the very end of this report) summarizes the status of ATM surcharge ban efforts by cities, states, the Congress and the Pentagon.

In New York City, on Wednesday, January 19, 2000, the Speaker of the New York City Council, the Honorable Peter F. Vallone, introduced a "Fair ATM Fees" bill - Intro. 680 - that, if passed, will ban extra ATM fees in New York City. A diverse coalition of student, senior, consumer and community organizations in New York City has formed to work with Speaker Vallone and the 34 other Council Members who support the legislation to make it law. These groups and concerned others are working together to convince a large majority of the New York City Council and Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani to side with public interest over big bank greed.

The numerous big banks, headquartered in New York City, are making millions of dollars from the extra ATM fees. They can be expected to lobby hard to pressure the Council Members and the Mayor to block Intro. 680.

New Yorkers and organizations that support fair ATM fees will urge the New York City Council and the Mayor to support Intro. 680. The coalition is working to educate and convince the Council and the Mayor to adopt this bill to protect the people of New York from the big banks and their unfair fees.

NYC Coalition Members (list still in formation): Brooklyn-wide Interagency Council of the Aging, Canaan Senior Center, Central Brooklyn Partnership, Community Board 12-Manhattan, Community Food Resource Center, Cypress Hills LDC, East Harlem Coalition for Fair Banking, Fifth Avenue Committee, Harlem Consumer Education Council, Harlem Interagency Council for the Aging, Joint Public Affairs Committee for Older Adults (JPAC), Just Food, National Caucus and Center for Black Aged, Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project (NEDAP), New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG), Richmond Terrace Senior Center and the Urban Justice Center.

Council Members who support Intro.680 (list includes 35 of the 51 NYC Council Members):
Bronx Supporters - Adolfo Carrion, Jr., June M. Eisland, Pedro G. Espada, Wendell Foster, Madeline Provenzano, Jose Rivera, Lawrence A. Warden;
Brooklyn Supporters - Herbert E. Berman, Una Clarke, Noach Dear, Stephen DiBrienza, Howard L. Lasher, Martin Malave-Dilan, Michael C. Nelson, Mary Pinkett, Annette M. Robinson, Victor L. Robles, Angel Rodriguez;
Manhattan Supporters - Ronnie M. Eldridge, Kathryn E. Freed, Guillermo Linares, Margarita Lopez, Stanley E. Michels, Bill Perkins, Christine Quinn, Philip Reed;
Queens Supporters - Speaker Peter F. Vallone (lead sponsor), Julia Harrison, Karen Koslowitz, Helen M. Marshall, Walter L. McCaffrey, Morton Povman, John D. Sabini, Archie Spigner;
Staten Island Supporter - Jerome X. O'Donovan.

Next Section: An Analysis of the Unfairness of the Surcharge and an Examination of the Flawed Bank Arguments in Support of the Surcharge

Table of Contents