Cully Neighborhood Town Hall on the Economic Crisis

Jun 30, 2009 07:30 PM

St Charles Catholic Church

With rising unemployment, foreclosures, and unsustainable health care costs, a neighborhood town hall will be held to discuss the cause of this huge economic crisis and the opportunities that exist for making a better life. In addition to finding available resources and services, neighbors will share ideas for new solutions that will help working people and low income families.

Speakers: Robin Hahnel, economics professor at PSU and Alan Hipolito from the community group Verde will help us understand how this economic mess happened and will provide examples of an economy that works for ordinary people instead of corporate and bank CEOs. Break out groups will gather to discuss practical actions and solutions for the critical issues of jobs, foreclosures/renters’ rights, & health care.

WHEN: Tuesday, June 30, 2009, 7:00 – 8:30 pm. Doors open at 6:30 for refreshments and to browse resource tables on jobs programs/training, housing counseling, food banks, health clinics, and social services.

WHERE: St. Charles Catholic Church, 5310 NE 42nd Ave., Portland.
Call Jobs with Justice at  503-236-5573 to reserve free childcare or for information. Also see www.jwjpdx.org. Spanish translation available.

WHY: On January 31st Jobs with Justice, the Economic Justice Action Group of the First Unitarian Church, and over 55 other local organizations sponsored a Town Hall on the crisis, which drew over 800 people. A number of initiatives were started in part from the inspiration of that event. Taking the message to Portland neighborhoods that there is hope for more than a recovery, indeed, for a better life for everyone, is one such project.

Endorsed by: Jobs with Justice, St. Charles Catholic Church, Concordia Neighborhood Association, Central NE Neighbors, Verde, Redeemer Lutheran Church, Oregon Tradeswomen, Office of Neighborhood Involvement, St. Andrews Catholic Church, ACORN, NE Emergency Food Program at Luther Memorial Church, Coalition for a Livable Future, Geneva's Shear Perfection Barber and Salon, Transit Riders Union, Street Roots, Ainsworth United Church of Christ.

More on Robin Hanel: Robin is a Visiting Professor at PSU working with the Center for Sustainable Processes and Practices, and is an accessible, well traveled economist who co-created with Michael Albert an economic model known as "participatory economics," for which you can see an elaborate entry in Wikipedia. "It's mostly accurate," Robin says.

He is Professor Emeritus at American University in Washington DC where he taught for 30 years. He also taught at the University of Maryland College Park, Lewis & Clark College, and The Catholic University in Lima, Peru. Robin has 10 books on the global economy, green economy, and economic justice, plus many articles. A recent one in the Times of London discussed what demonstrators at the G-20 meeting in London want instead of more neoliberal economic policies.