Press Room & Media
News
Supporters make case for public banking in Connecticut
By Sten Spinella, The Day – As Connecticut reckons with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, lawmakers and community organizers have returned to the idea of public banking as a possible saving grace. “We’re not trying to take over banks. We’re trying to give that support to our downtowns and keep the money in Connecticut.”
U.S. Chamber of Commerce warns of racial inequality for small businesses
Experts paint grim picture of New Mexico’s economy
By Robert Nott, Santa Fe New Mexican – A leading state economist told lawmakers Monday that New Mexico and the nation are in “a crisis like no other experience in our lifetime. It’s bleak … a debacle, if you will,” said Christopher Erickson, a professor and interim head of New Mexico State University’s College of Business. The villain? COVID-19.
Renewable Roadmap
By Kevin Robinson-Avila, Albuquerque Journal – The New Mexico-based North American Intelligent Manufacturing Initiative, is helping develop a “roadmap” that lays out the opportunities, challenges and concrete action that communities across the state can pursue to take advantage of clean energy technology and entrepreneurial initiatives.
Council, advocates push for a publicly-owned Bank of Rochester
By Gino Fanelli, Rochester City Newspaper – Well into a global pandemic that has contributed to one of the worst financial crises in history and further exposed the country’s gaping inequality, Rochester lawmakers and community groups are galvanizing behind the idea of the city opening its own public bank.
California needs a public bank to help economy recover from COVID-19
By Miguel Santiago, CalMatters – Assembly Bill 310, the Bank on California Act, is a bold plan to save California’s local communities. By establishing a public bank, it will provide immediate economic recovery loans to small businesses and local governments while providing long-term stability for state finances.
Could a State-Owned Bank Help Strengthen California’s Recovery Efforts?
By Oscar Perry Abello, Next City – The California Public Banking Alliance believes a state-owned bank could help meet a laundry list of public policy needs like affordable housing, homeownership, small business lending, or environmental sustainability. Rather than just negotiating with private banks to use their money-creation powers, they want a public bank that can utilize some of that money-creation power directly on behalf of the public itself.
‘Fast, simple, easy’: Bank of North Dakota boosts coronavirus business aid
By Jack Dura, Bismarck Tribune – A new small business in Bismarck, ND in danger of closing due to COVID-19 was steered by their bank toward assistance options, including a new Bank of North Dakota loan program. The nation’s only state-owned bank has approved loans for hundreds of North Dakota businesses under two new programs authorized in April by the state’s Industrial Commission.
How Equitable Access to Banking Improves Economic Conditions for Everyone
By Katherine Carter & Patrick Hain, National League of Cities – Large commercial banks are not typically available in Black, Indigenous, and Communities of Color (BIPoC) because of discriminatory redlining practices authorized by the Federal Housing Administration in partnership with state and local governments, and the private industry. Recently, more cities are looking at the creation of public banks as a potential solution.
CT forum to address public-owned banks, which offer low-interest loans
By Cassandra Day, The Middletown Press – Local CT stakeholders are hoping to enlighten people about the possibility of creating a public banking system which potentially could become a financial lifeline to struggling communities. Public banks have been shown to respond more rapidly, effectively and equitably to crises than privately-owned banks, according to California-based PBI, led by Ellen Brown, a world-renowned author and founding director.
Upcoming Events
Stakeholders from across New Mexico are invited to contribute to the formation of a Clean Energy Economy Roadmap as part of the virtual town hall. As a clean energy industry matures within the state, the associated commercial, educational, workforce, and entrepreneurial opportunities for rural and urban centers alike, are expanding. The town hall’s intent is to inform a Roadmap, designed to harness regional opportunities through regional stakeholder input, in support of a clean energy ecosystem in New Mexico. This free, half-day town hall meeting will be hosted with Zoom. Registered participants will receive the town hall Zoom link on Aug. 4 as part of a reminder email message. Registration closes Aug. 4 at 12 p.m. View agenda and speakers by following 
Bring your lunch and eat while we zoom! The League of Women Voters presents their monthly community event, Lunch with a Leader on August 18, at 11:45 a.m. This month will feature three women who have been working to extend knowledge about the establishment of a public bank. The zoom information is below the bios of our leaders. Be sure to click or cut and paste on the link to get your zoom info emailed to you.
California’s New Public Banking Option Opens Door for Real Community Investment
FAIR / Truthout.org
Economy & Labor
Oct 22, 2019
Janine Jackson interviews Public Bank LA’s Trinity Tran about public banking for the October 11, 2019, episode of “CounterSpin.”
Ellen Brown’s
2019 Book
Today most of our money is created, not by governments, but by banks when they make loans. This book takes the reader step by step through the sausage factory of modern money creation, explores improvements made possible by advances in digital technology, and proposes upgrades that could transform our outmoded nineteenth century system into one that is democratic, sustainable, and serves the needs of the twenty-first century.
“I had the good fortune to work on this initiative before Bernie kidnapped all my time. This is one of those no-brainer initiatives that only the 1% could oppose. It has the potential to save the state millions of dollars by vastly reducing the cost of its bonds to improve infrastructure funding. in a public bank, our state funds can be used to build our local economy and our local infrastructure.”
– Paul Gibson
Retake Our Democracy