I never said credit card applications ask about race. They don't. And, PM, I don't "think" there are SS#'s that could be somehow traced by race.

Where the legality comes in is this: In the new compliance laws, proof of "being legal" now falls on the Vendor. This could be a loan officer at a bank, at a car dealership, at a mortgage broker, a credit card company, or even a stock broker.

With the new compliance laws ... Spiff, Let's pretend you are a loan officer at a bank. You look at two applicants for a loan. One is white, and one is Green. You approve the White applicant and deny the Green applicant. IF the Green applicant now goes to the FCC and lodges a complaint on you, he no longer has to prove you DID discriminate. YOU have to prove you didn't. Proving this can be REALLY costly.

These laws are about 12 years old now, and when they passed, the penalties in them were set to become tougher over time. Spin forward from 1993 to 2005, and what has happened ?

One of the easiest ways to prove your total non-discrimination in the credit card world ... approve any adult.

And guys, just LET a credit card company announce that they will no longer give cards to people below a certain credit score, and WATCH the lawsuits flow in. IF it turned out, in this instance more Green people per 100,000 were below that arbritary Credit score than were White people, The leaders of the Green coalition would be on CNN airing a press conference.

And just LET a congressman propose legislation stating NOONE with a Credit score below, say, 600 can get a new card. He would be lynched in the press.