Monday, January 24, 2011

Washington State Joins the Movement for Public Banking

http://www.yesmagazine.org/new-economy/washington-state-joins-movement-for-public-banking

Oh look, common sense seems to be catching on.
Here's hoping it spreads like wildfire.
It's the only sane thing left to do to save "our" collective and individual selves.
Cut out the middle man



Bills were introduced on January 18 in both the House and Senate of the Washington State Legislature that add Washington to the growing number of states now actively moving to create public banking facilities.

The bills, House Bill 1320 and Senate Bill 5238, propose creation of a Washington Investment Trust (WIT) to “promote agriculture, education, community development, economic development, housing, and industry” by using “the resources of the people of Washington State within the state.”

Currently, all the state’s funds are deposited with Bank of America. HB 1320 proposes that, in the future, “all state funds be deposited in the Washington Investment Trust and be guaranteed by the state and used to promote the common good and public benefit of all the people and their businesses within [the] state.”

The legislation is similar to that now being studied or proposed in states including Illinois, Virginia, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, Florida, Michigan, Oregon, California and others.