The year 2020 has been a challenging year! We have in front of us, however, two great opportunities. Please forward this message to your contacts, you never know who needs to hear this message of hope.
1) PUBLIC BANKING has a lot of momentum right now.
It’s a root solution that helps all other solutions and OUR economy, not Wall Street’s economy — from healthcare and COVID-19 to a real Green New Deal. Right now the COVID-19 pandemic provides an opportunity for states and localities to use emergency powers to establish Public Banks.
Here are three exciting quotes from a letter sent by the Public Banking Institute to state Governors and Treasurers:
• “Use your emergency powers to set up a state-owned public bank.“
• “The Federal Reserve has stepped up to the plate by relaxing some of its rules and dropping interest rates to zero, but only for banks. The state could take advantage of this opportunity by having its own bank, something that could be done quickly by Executive Order.”
• “We are told by our banking advisors that the basic mechanisms for a bank could be set up in a matter of a month.”
See the entire letter, which includes other steps to take: “How State Officials Can Save Main Street in the Face of COVID-19.” To see how to help bring in Public Banks where you live, see the Public Banking Institute’s website.
While we’re taking control of our economy, let’s make sure things people did in the past are still helping us now!
2) PROP 13 is wonderful, but…
People clutch their hearts and say, “Prop 13 kept me in my home!” However, Prop 13 also had a terrible result. The entire United States was affected by California’s vote in 1978, when Prop 13 was approved in order to flatten property tax and keep people in their homes.
Voters did NOT intend to give the biggest benefits to the biggest corporations, and yet that’s what happened. The totals paid in property tax have dramatically shifted from commercial property to residential property. Today homeowners pay 72% of property taxes while commercial properties only pay 28%.
The whole country will benefit by California’s YES to the reform of Prop 13 in November 2020. If you are not a California voter, tell your friends who are, to vote YES on Prop 13 reform, and tell everyone that this proposition does not affect residential property at all — NOT renters, NOT homeowners, NOT second homes or vacation homes, NOT even huge luxury complexes owned by huge corporations.
It simply makes corporations start paying their fair share. Unless you are a billionaire or someone who wants to keep power and wealth in very few people’s hands, vote YES in November to reform Prop 13.
To help this needed tax reform pass — against the onslaught of lies and big business propaganda — consider donating to either of two great organizations working on the reform. They are often staffed by young people organizing the many volunteers, so your donation helps the next generations in more ways than one, especially during these times of the coronavirus: Evolve and Schools and Communities First.
Speaking of lies and viruses, let’s do all we can to become immune to both.
Let’s face it, “free speech” that can reach the ears of millions of people is “expensive speech!” The misrepresentations, omissions, and downright lies cost billions. Ironically, Prop 13 has helped corporations and the billionaires amass the kind of money it takes to use every available medium to convince us to vote against ourselves and our kids. They fund focus groups to identify the exact phrases that will sway — or scare — people into voting in ways that serve Big Money, not regular people. A pretty good rule of thumb when deciding on initiatives is to “Follow the money — and vote the other way!”
This year — 2020 — we can implement Public Banks, AND reform taxes to make them more fair! Please feel free to forward.
Another world is possible,
Laura
LauraWells.org
@LauraWellsCA
P.S. I recently did an interview about Public Banks on the “Women’s Spaces” radio show. The segment runs from minute 21 to minute 41, here.