Press Room & Media
In the News
To Democratize Finance, We Must Take the Banks Away From the Bankers
By C.J. Polychroniou for Truthout | February 17, 2024 (Photo: LEONARDO MUNOZ / VIEWPRESS / GETTY IMAGES) Progressive economist Gerald Epstein explains how we can build a banking system that puts people over profit. Our current banking and financial system has...
A New Mexico public bank is no gamble
MY VIEW - ANGELA MERKERT — Santa Fe New Mexican | January 5, 2024 A recent Ringside Seat column by Milan Simonich (“Another $3.4 billion makes legislators dangerous,” Jan. 2) raised questions regarding legislator support for creating a state public bank...
Tlaib, AOC Revive Public Banking Act to Take on Wall Street
By Brett Wilkins for Common Dreams | December 13, 2023 Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) speaks while Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) looks on (Photo: Zach Gibson/Getty Images) "Wall Street-run banks are failing to serve many of my residents who are struggling to...
Shop Small, Save Money During New Mexico’s Small Business Saturday Gross Receipts Tax Holiday
Small Business Saturday is November 25, 2023 Santa Fe, N.M. – The New Mexico Departments of Economic Development, Tourism, and Taxation and Revenue encourage New Mexicans and visitors to shop at small businesses first during the holiday season. While shoppers may not...
Racial disparities in NY homeownership driven by higher interest rates, mortgage denials
By David Brand for Gothamist | November 1, 2023 (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images) New York Attorney General Letitia James is calling on state lawmakers to tackle unfair credit and lending practices that fuel a staggering racial gap in homeownership and force New...
AFLEP stands up to the Banking Bull at Legislative Panel
Photo of 'Charging Bull' & 'Fearless Girl' sculptures by Anthony Quintano On October 13, 2023, AFLEP again went before the Interim Economic & Rural Development & Policy Committee. Watch the full video here. AFLEP Executive Director Angela Merkert faced 4...
New Proposal for a NM State Public Bank
by Angela Merkert, Executive Director, AFLEP — Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity met recently with the Economic & Rural Development & Policy Committee, an interim committee of the state legislature. You can watch the video of the full hearing here....
San Francisco Green-Lights Nation’s First City-Run Public Bank
By Sydney Johnson for KQED | SEPTEMBER 8, 2023 Photo: A Muni bus passes by City Hall in San Francisco on Aug. 8, 2023. (Beth LaBerge/KQED) After years of pressure from financial equity advocates, San Francisco supervisors this week unanimously approved a plan for the...
After years of ups and downs, Los Angeles moves forward on creation of a public bank
By CHARLOTTE KRAMON for Los Angeles Times | JULY 6, 2023 Photo: Assemblyman Miguel Santiago, left, presents Assemblyman David Chi a sign after Chiu’s measure to let California cities create their own public banks was approved by the Assembly in 2019. (Rich Pedroncelli...
Public Banking Efforts Are Gaining Momentum And Clarity In California
By Oscar Perry Abello for NextCity | JUNE 27, 2023 — From Los Angeles to the East Bay, major public banking plans are emerging from California cities. Prince Osemwengie has been looking into every tool in the toolbox to help stem the tide of local businesses...
Access to Capital in New Mexico is Tightening
by Angela Merkert, Executive Director, AFLEP — With the challenges in the financial system—banks closing, fintech gaining market space, interest rates rising—lending for small businesses is decreasing. One recent business article reported that the U.S. loan approval...
The Movement To Stop Dollar Stores From Suffocating Black Communities
By AALLYAH WRIGHT for Capital B News | MAY 17, 2023 — Some say the stores—disproportionately found in low-income, rural, and Black areas—stifle economic growth and job creation and exacerbate food insecurity. For years, the Rev. Donald Perryman wondered why the...
SEED NM 2022 Symposium: Bob Mang on how business guilds can regenerate communities
SEED NM 2022 Symposium: Bob Mang on how business guilds can regenerate communities
Bob Mang, Re-Genesis Inc, Co-Founder (Retired) and AFLEP Board member, talks about rural economic development and how business guilds can regenerate communities.Jan 14, 2022
VIDEO Challenging Misinformation About a NM State Public Bank
Episode: Everyone deserves a public bank
“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
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