Community Forum on Creating the Oregon State Bank

Feb 01, 2011 05:30 PM

New Song Community Church

The Oregonians for a State Bank coalition will hold a forum on the legislative proposal to create a publicly owned bank in the state of Oregon.

Speakers from the WFP, Oregon Action, and others will discuss the proposal, the need, and the campaign to establish the Oregon State Bank. 

Why a State Bank?

Currently the state of Oregon deposits literally billions of our tax dollars into the very same Wall Street Banks that crashed our economy.  This legislation would bring our money home to Oregon and put it to use creating jobs here in the state.  This bill is modeled after the successful state Bank of North Dakota, where a majority of the resident’s tax dollars and fees are not sent to the big banks but are instead deposited and reinvested in the state.

It’s time we educated ourselves on what we can do as an individual, as a community, as a state to achieve the financial sovereignty away from Big Banks on Wall Street and back to community banks on the Main Streets of Oregon.  Please join us as we discuss the efforts and the hurdles to creating a publicly-owned State Bank for Oregon.
 

What is Oregonians for a State Bank?

Over two years ago, 800 people gathered in Portland to develop unified responses to the financial melt down.  One of the ideas that emerged from that gathering was to pursue the creation of the Oregon State Bank.

Since then a coalition of business owners, community bankers, family farmers, and concerned individuals have joined together to form Oregonians for a State Bank.  We seek to answer our State’s need for financial independence from the big banks that failed to protect Oregonians like you and me.

List of Forum Co-sponsors Grows

(Updated 1/18/11)

    * AFSCME Council 75
    * Alliance for Democracy
    * Code Pink PDX Chapter
    * Communication Workers of America Local 7901
    * Economic Justice Action Group  - Unitarian Church
    * Enlace
    * National Association of Letter Carriers, Branch 82
    * National Lawyers Guild Portland Chapter
    * Oregon Action
    * Oregon Fair Trade Campaign
    * Oregon Renewable Energy Policy
    * Portland Alliance
    * Portland Jobs with Justice
    * PSU Faculty Association, AFT Local 3571
    * Real Wealth of Portland
    * Northwest Alliance for Alternative Media & Education
    * UFCW Local 555
    * Women's International League for Peace & Freedom