Town Hall: Why Philadelphia Needs a Public Bank

Start: 2020-09-01 19:00:00 UTC Eastern Daylight Time (US & Canada) (GMT-04:00)

End: 2020-09-01 20:30:00 UTC Eastern Daylight Time (US & Canada) (GMT-04:00)

This is a virtual event

The Philadelphia Public Banking Coalition, led by Philly Neighborhood Networks, will hold a Town Hall on Tuesday, September 1st, at 7 PM on why public banking is an essential tool for community reinvestment of public funds and expanding opportunity for all in these times. After you register, you will receive an email with the zoom URL that you can click to join the Town Hall on Sept 1.

A Philly public bank would take the money the City now deposits into Wall St. banks and transfer it to an institution managed and operated by the City itself, subject to public input and oversight. Thus, the people would set priorities for investment of those funds rather than bank shareholders.

At this Town Hall, you will learn how a Philadelphia Public Bank could reinvest public funds to support community needs such as creating jobs; supporting small businesses, particularly in black and brown communities; and financing public education, housing, and environmental projects.

Speakers include: Walt McRee, Co-founder, Public Banking Institute; Councilmember Derek Green, advocate in City Hall; Britt Alston, Senior Research Analyst with the Action Center on Race and the Economy; Dr. Deborah Figart, author and professor in the Economics Dept at Stockton U; Maurice Sampson, Eastern Director, Clean Water Action; Jamila Medley, Ex Dir, Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance.

It’s time for Philadelphia to have its own public bank! Join us on September 1st to learn more, including how you can help make what is now a vision into reality.

This event is cosponsored by Philadelphia Neighborhood Networks, the Economic Dignity Team of POWER, Americans for Democratic Action, Southeast PA Chapter, Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance, RECLAIM Philadelphia, and a SMART Collaboration. (list in formation.)