Public Banks

1. Presenters: Taking our economy back from Wall Street and moving it local to Main Street Public Banks

2. Owned by a country, state, county or city • Depository for that institution’s funds and revenues, keeping them local • Transparency required by law • Directed to serve the public good • Bank invests in the community • Does not need to maximize profits w/ no CEO bonuses attached to making those profits What are public banks?

3. Keeps community owned funds (government’s deposits) in the community with increased security of those funds • Mandated to provide affordable loans to the community • Partner – not competitor to community banks • Increased revenue for the community without raising taxes • Strengthens local economy • Can respond quickly/effectively to local needs such as disaster relief • Keeps credit flowing, thus supporting local businesses and creates local jobs Benefits of public banks?

4. Disaster relief • Farm loans • Student loans • Renewable energy, energy conservation, etc. loans to homeowners * • Business startup and expansion • Business operating capital • Development loans • Can “buy down” interest rates Mandated to provide affordable loans

5. Closed-Loop Banking • Money is invested locally • Saves project financing costs Does this without increasing taxes! Keeps community funds in the community

6. Provides needed credit • Provides lower interest loans • Invests where Wall Street banks won’t, and community banks wish they could • Supports community banks through loan partnering and stock purchase loans • Stronger local economy increases tax and fee revenue to the county A revenue stream without increased taxes! Strengthens the local economy

7. A key reason for our slow economy is that consumers and businesses have not been able to get credit. Our economy needs credit

8. North Dakota is the exception. North Dakota has a public bank – the Bank of North Dakota (BND) North Dakota is exception

9. The Bank of North Dakota (BND) is currently the only public bank in the United States. The Bank of north dakota • Depository for state, county, and municipality funds, tax and fee collections • It pays a competitive (or better) interest rate and annual “dividend” • It serves as a “banker’s” bank • It serves as a partner to N. Dakota community banks • It is nota retail bank – it does not compete with community banks • It enables N. Dakota community banks to compete with large Wall St. banks • It supports the health and growth of the N. Dakota banking system by making shareholder loans to investors in those banks, strengthening their capital base

10. The Bank of North Dakota is a vital contributor to the state’s economy and banking sector. BND – outcomes

11. While BND is currently the only public bank in the United States, they are common throughout the world. Many countries have public banks. Among them are: • Germany • Japan • China • India • Russia • Brazil • New Zealand • Costa Rica • Chile Public banking around the world

12. Homeowners can get more favorable loans • Local businesses get better access to more, lower cost credit • Help fill empty storefronts, generate jobs • Can help address foreclosure, improve property values • Support students attending Grass Valley Sierra College • Retirees offered secure investment options that are locally managed and invested • Improve county services without tax increases A stronger local economy benefits us all…plus: We won’t be supporting too-big-to-fail “Casino” banks Proposal for a Nevada county public bank

13. Deposits as of May 20121 = $155,889,167 • Annual receipts 2011 (forecast) 1 = $406,572,498 • CAFR funds • Pension funds Based on “healthy” banking financial ratios, a Nevada County public bank could loan as much as $160 million dollars. The question becomes: “How much credit is actually needed?” 1 - June 2012 Treasury Report Can Nevada county afford a public bank?

14. What you can do? • Help survey credit needs of county businesses • Contact your supervisor • Let your network know • “Letters to the Editor” • Join the public bank working group: Economic Liberty for Main Street

15. public bank Q& A Taking our economy back from Wall Street, Our democracy back from K Street, and moving them local to Main Street. www.mainstreetforumnc.org Taking our economy back from Wall Street, Our democracy back from K Street, and moving them local to Main Street.