Jan 21, 2015.
While public banking advocates in the United States have been busy in New Mexico, Washington, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Vermont, and several other states, activists north of the border are doing their work as well. This Saturday, they will hold a free public seminar in Toronto to discuss money, economic justice, and the public bank solution.
“Money, Tax and Poverty” is the title of the event, which will take place from 12:00 noon to 5:00 PM in Council Chambers at Toronto City Hall, 100 Queen Street West. Admission is free.
The sponsors of the event are the Canadian chapter of the Public Banking Institute, the Committee on Monetary and Economic Reform (COMER), and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.
Representatives from each of those sponsoring organizations will deliver remarks at the seminar. Alan Blanes will represent the Canadian chapter of the Public Banking Institute, while Mike Palecek will speak on behalf of the Postal Workers’ union. COMER president Ann Emmett will deliver the keynote address just after opening remarks by Toronto City Councillor and noted public banking advocate Kristyn Wong-Tam (pictured above).
Last March, Wong-Tam signed the Detroit Statement, a document written by PBI members in solidarity with the people of Detroit. The Statement called for public banks as a means of restoring the social contract between industry and working people, and pointed out that models of alternative, egalitarian banking have occurred throughout history.
Investigative accountant Al Rosen will speak on “Stock Market Swindlers” at the seminar. Author Tony Crawford, who published Contaging and created the game Tax2Debt, will also speak. The seminar will end with questions and comments from the audience.