Economic & Social Justice Meeting on March 3

PDA Tucson's Economic and Social Justice Issue Organizing Team will hold its next meeting on Saturday March 3, 2012 at 10 a.m. at the Ward 6 Council Office, 3201 E. First St.

For agenda and details, check out their page on this blog by clicking here.

Following Up Our Meeting with Rep. John Fillmore

Good Morning!

First of all, I want to thank everyone who came to last night's meeting for attending and especially participating. We certainly had a lively and productive session with Rep. Fillmore.

Secondly, Rep. Fillmore asked us to consider supporting his school district consolidation bill. Obviously, we need the text and a good discussion. The link to the bill is below:

http://www.azleg.gov/DocumentsForBill.asp?Bill_Number=HB2219&Session_ID=102

Feel free to discuss the bill as you will. We will certainly make it an agenda item at the next IOT meeting: Saturday, March 3, Ward 6 Council Office, 3201 E. First. St., 10 AM - noon.

Please join us then!

Information on the First Public Banking Conference

Here is the link to everything you need to learn about the first public banking conference sponsored by, of course, The Public Banking Institute:

http://www.publicbankinginamerica.org/

Pleas circulate this information!

Should the State of Arizona 'move its money' and create a state bank?

Should Arizona create a state bank? Yes! It makes good economic sense for the State of Arizona's monies to be held in a public bank.

What are the benefits of creating a bank that would hold the state's monies and handle all of its official transactions? Just think of the fees that the state is being charged for current transactions and the interest that the banks are making from the state's holdings.

Would a state bank compete with other banks? No. A state bank would complement the services of regular banks and credit unions-- not compete with them. For example, a state bank would not offer services like checking or savings accounts, credit cards, or car loans to individuals.

The Progressive Democrats of America, Tucson chapter (PDA Tucson) will be hosting an important and very interesting program on public banking in Arizona on Tuesday, February 21, 2012.

Our speaker will be Rep. John Fillmore, Rep., LD 23, which is most of Pinal County. Rep. Fillmore has been working on this issue for a long time and has recently attempted to introduce a bill into the current legislature to create the Bank of Arizona. PDA Tucson has had the opportunity to collaborate with Rep. Fillmore, and the experience has been a felicitous one for all concerned.

Although 15 states are looking into the creation of a state bank, North Dakota is the only one who has one. Here are two links about the Bank of North Dakota:
http://banknd.nd.gov/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_of_North_Dakota

At PDA Tucson, we believe that the creation of a public bank will give us the economic driver to help all sectors of the state and truly move us out of the economic doldrums.

We also believe that this is a non-partisan issue. We are not alone in this pursuit; red states like Idaho, Vermont, and New Hampshire are moving along in this area as are blue states like Washington and California.

PDA Tucson believes that this issue is of consummate importance and would like to involve you as well as members of your organizations.

So please join us on Tuesday, February 21, 2012, Ward 1 City Council
Office, 901 W. Alameda st., Tucson, AZ, at 6:30 PM.

Using the Bank for the Public Good: Short Film on Public Banking

Here is a very short video on public banking giving a Canadian perspective on the issue and on US!

Community Meeting on Public Banking of Arizona

We will be meeting with Rep. Fillmore (R., L. D. 23) on Tuesday, Feb. 21, at the Ward 1 Council Office, 901 W. Alameda St., from 6 PM on.  Rep. Fillmore needs to stay late at the legislature, so we may actually start around 6:30.  

Rep. Fillmore has introduced HB 2104 to create the Bank of Arizona.  He has collaborated graciously and successfully with PDA Tucson in writing this legislation.   

This meeting is for education and community dialogue.  Please join us and please invite your people in your personal circles. 

State Banking Bill to be Heard in Committee on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012

THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT!!!!!

HB 2104, a bill to establish the Bank of Arizona, will be heard in committee on Tuesday, Feb. 7th. 

In our IOT meeting on Saturday, we will discuss the bill and our next steps. 

MEANWHILE

it is imperative for us to send emails to the committee members. 

The legislators most emphatically do NOT want one letter sent by all concerned people, so I cannot offer you a text to cut and paste. 

What I can offer you is below.  In it you will see:

1. a directory of the Employment and Regulatory Committee

2. a list of their emails

3. a list of bullet points (running onto a second page).

Please choose 4 or 5 bullet points and/or anything else you want to say and compose your email letter. 

Then send a copy of your letter to each representative on the committee. 

I don't think this endeavor will take too much time and it should be well repaid. 

Many thanks in advance,

Richard

Employment and Regulatory Affairs
 House of Representatives Standing Committee
  Members Position
Eddie Farnsworth Member 
John Fillmore Vice-Chairman
Sally Ann Gonzales Member 
John Kavanagh Member 
Justin Olson Member
Lynne Pancrazi Member
 Daniel Patterson Member
  Bob Robson Chairman
  Kimberly Yee Member

Email Addresses:

Farnsworth = efarnsworth@azleg.gov  R
Fillmore = jfillmore@azleg.gov  R
Gonzales = sgonzales@asleg.gov  D
 Kavanagh = jkavanagh@azleg.gov  R
 Olson = jolson@azleg.gov   R
Pancrazi = lpancrazi@azleg.gov  Lead Democrat
Patterson = dpatterson@azleg.gov  D
Robson = brobson@azleg.gov  
R Yee = kyee@azleg.gov   R

Choose 4 or 5 points for your letter:

* A public bank is NOT socialism.  Socialism entails public ownership of all banks and thus the receipt of all profits.

* A public bank is wise, efficient stewardship of public resources.

* A public bank is the economic driver needed now because our financial situation is dire and received wisdom is not helping to ameliorate it.  

* A public bank can invest in the state, keeping capital within Arizona and assuring Arizona’s development.

* A public bank is more like a mini-Fed than a bank on the street corner.

* Public banking works best in partnership with private banks.  The Bank of North Dakota partners with over 100 local banks. 

* Capitalizing a public bank will NOT cost the taxpayer anything.

* A public bank can help individuals seeking small business loans, local governments, research for future state development such as alternative energy, agriculture, education, access to higher education, and even parks and Arizona heritage sites.

* Other states are considering creating public banks:  ID, VT, NH, and WA are making progress in this direction right now!

* Since 1945, the Bank of North Dakota has transferred $555 million in profits to the state general fund.  

Economic and Social Justice Issue Organizing Team Meeting: Dec. 10

IMPORTANT NOTICE: CHANGE OF MEETING DATE

The next Economic and Social Justice IOT meeting will take place on Saturday, December 10, from 10 AM – noon, at Revolutionary Grounds, 606 N. Fourth Ave.


At this time, I will be sharing some exciting developments from the PDA Tucson Steering Committee, and Jim Hannley and I will report on our meeting with Rep. Fillmore, the sponsor of the state banking bill.

Additionally, I'd really like to hear from you. Feel free to bring up any matters, but right now, I'd especially like to know:

1. Your reactions to the Nov. 10th Program
2. Input for a PDA Planning Workshop to be held in January to work out the road map for 2012.

Please join us on Saturday!