Emily Wheeler of the Friends of the Public Bank of Oakland writes: A thriving local economy is something we all want to see—no controversy there. But we’ve been too quick to accept the prevailing notion that there is a trade-off between that and providing ourselves with adequate housing, health care, or education programs. It’s time to align our fiscal practices with our social ideals. It’s time for the Public Bank of Oakland.

Oakland, like several other cities around the country, is currently studying the feasibility of establishing a public bank. This type of banking offers enormous benefits for our local economy. We should move ahead with founding the Public Bank of Oakland as rapidly as possible. On February 9, the City of Oakland hosted a public forum on the potential of the Public Bank of Oakland.

Read More | A Public Bank for Oakland: An Idea Whose Time is Coming | A Forum on Creating a Public Bank for Oakland | FriendsofPublicBankofOakland.org