April 29, 2023 A new memo by Earl Staelin, attorney and Chair of the Rocky Mountain Public Banking Institute, argues that FDIC membership and the holding of 100% collateral generally required for a bank charter are “completely unnecessary for public banks that follow the Bank of North Dakota (BND) model and would substantially undermine their profitability and…
Japan has found a way to write off nearly half its national debt without creating inflation. We could do that too, according to PBI founder Ellen Brown. Let’s face it. There is no way the US government is ever going to pay back a $20 trillion federal debt. The taxpayers will just continue to pay…
When Arizonans for a New Economy gives talks about public banking and the Bank of North Dakota, invariably someone in the audience claims that North Dakota is prosperous because of the oil boom. We politely point out that the oil boom started in 2010 and that the Bank of North Dakota was profitable for before…
In the name of economic development, Rio Nuevo and Pima County are poised to dole out $70 million in corporate welfare to two big corporations– $50 million to Caterpillar and $20 million to World View. Ironically, one day before the Rio Nuevo Board announced the multi-million-dollar Caterpillar package for Tucson, I posted this article on…
For the second year in a row, Southern Arizona Senator Andrea Dalessandro’s task force bill to study creation of a state-owned passed the Arizona Senate’s Financial Institutions Committee. This year’s bipartisan vote was 6-1 with only Senator Gail Griffin, also from Southern Arizona, voting no. In the highly polarized Legislature where many bills sponsored by…
The Public Banking Institute (PBI) has initiated an educational project entitled “What Wall Street Costs America.” PBI and advocates around the country are learning to read Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (CAFRs). All governmental bodies must issue annual CAFRs– including the State of Arizona (here), the State Retirement System (here), Pima County (here), Tucson (here), and Tucson…
Here is a great article by Mike Kraus, one of the founding members of the Public Banking Institute and Chair of Pennsylvania’s Public Banking Project. This was originally published in the Bucks County Courier Times. By Mike Krauss Across the United States, states and municipal governments struggle to provide essential public services, such as schools,…
The surprise upset in yesterday’s Pima County election was the total defeat of the 99-project, $816 million, 27-year Pima County Bond Issue package. Tucson’s 1%, who bankrolled the Yes on Pima County Bonds campaign and who would have benefited from a win, lost big. They raised over $304,000 to convince citizens that the county could successfully…
In a month, Pima County voters will be asked to vote on a $816 million, seven-part bond issue that includes construction of multiple buildings and roads to benefit existing corporations or attract new businesses to Southern Arizona. Sprinkled amongst the corporate-giveaways are improvements or construction of libraries, community centers, parks, neighborhoods, and other perks that…
This week in New Hampshire, our Public Banking Institute colleagues are participating in the Bretton Woods IV Convocation on financial reform. There are four cornerstones to the conference: public banking, the North Country Resolution, local currencies, and Concordian economics. Here are some snippets from the conference website. I am blown away by the comprehensive and…
Arizonans for a New Economy 