The bill to establish a public bank, Senate bill 5464, is scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Committee on Financial Institutions on Tuesday, February 7 2017 at 8:00 am in Olympia. Here is a link to this bill: http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2017-18/Pdf/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5464.pdf If you cannot attend this hearing, here is a link to submit comments in […]
Banks
Why a public bank would save money
Passed by the Washington State Progressive Caucus: RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT A STATE BANK OWNED BY AND FOR THE PEOPLE OF WASHINGTON STATE AND A POSSIBLE INITIATIVE TO THE PEOPLE IN THE 2017 GENERAL ELECTIONS WHEREAS, the taxpayers of Washington state have demanded greater accountability and wiser use of the taxes they pay to benefit Washingtonians, […]
Close loophole and college can be affordable
If you had a child at the University of Washington at the beginning of the Great Recession, you may have been set back by the tuition. In the 2008-09 academic year it was $7,254 (in today’s dollars), almost one-fifth of a full time job paid at the median wage. You may have thought that was […]
Support Senate Bill 5553 to create a state bank and support vital infrastructure
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Create the Washington State Investment Trust, Support Vital Infrastructure Get SB 5553 a Public Hearing – Call the Committee Members ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We need creative solutions to spur investment in Washington State to support infrastructure for schools, stimulate economic development, put more Washingtonians to work and make projects like Solutionary Rail closer to becoming a […]
David Stockman on the corruption of capitalism and the GOP
I’m reading David Stockman’s book The Great Deformation — the Corruption of Capitalism in America. Stockman was Reagan’s Director of the Office of Management and Budget. He criticizes the GOP for its militarism and its whoring for the rich. He says there was no need to bail out Wall Street. The speculators who would have […]
Seattle Public Municipal Bank Forum, Dec 10
Join Seattle City Councilman Nick Licata, State Senator Bob Hasegawa, Gwen Hallsmith of the Public Banking Institute, the Seattle Public Bank Coalition, and experts in public banking for a public forum on A Municipal Bank for Seattle Dec 10 at 7pm University Methodist Church, 1415 NE 43rd St, Seattle More information at http://seattlepublicbankcoalition.org/ Seattle could […]
Time for the Washington State Treasurer to Stop Gambling on Wall Street…and Start Supporting the Safety of Public Banking
According to the Washington State Treasurer, Jim McIntire, economic recovery is just around the corner. Herbert Hoover said exactly the same thing in 1932 – just months before nearly every private bank in America went broke due to their excessive gambling on Wall Street. As State Treasurer, Jim manages about $70 billion in pension funds […]
Testimony on establishing a state bank for the cannibas industry
I testified today in support of Bob Hasegawa‘s S.B. 5955 which would establish a State Bank to create a financing infrastructure for the cannabis industry. My testimony begins at time mark 29:15 in the linked video. The audience enjoyed my characterization of Wall Street banksters as the real criminals that we should be worried about. […]
Questions for Rep. Larsen about his votes on the Dodd Frank act
Rick Larsen asked those who could not make his call-in Town Hall to submit questions on his Facebook Page. So I did, and here it is. I’m sure he is drafting his response right now…. I will let everyone know when I hear from him. By the way I have not heard anyone say they […]