PETITION TO CONSIDER PUBLIC BANKING IN RHODE ISLAND Why Would Public Banking Benefit Our Rhode Island Economy? Rhode Island can solve its budget crisis – Own a Bank! Restoring credit to the local economy must happen at the state level. The Fed is not the answer. Many states are taking the initiative with legislation aimed at establishing state-owned banks based on the successful model of the 93 year old Bank of North Dakota. Generates new revenue for states, directly through annual bank dividend payments, and indirectly by creating jobs and spurring local economic growth. Lowers debt costs for local governments. Public banks can get access to low-cost funds from the regional Federal Home Loan Banks. The banks can pass savings on to local governments when they buy debt for infrastructure investments. The banks can also provide Letters of Credit for tax-exempt bonds at lower interest rates, or help a city or the state itself issue a new bond at an interest rate lower than it could otherwise get in the open market, or buy bonds already issued and traded on the bond market, with interest payments simply diverted to the state. Builds up small business. In markets increasingly dominated by large corporations and the banks that fund them, public banks would increase lending capabilities at the smaller banks that provide the majority of small business loans in America. Does not compete with community banks. Rather, it partners with and supports them in making loans. The BND serves the role of a mini-Fed, providing correspondent banking services to virtually every financial institution in North Dakota, including a Federal Funds program with daily volume of $330 million, check clearing, cash management services, and automated clearing house services. Does not compete for loans or commercial deposits. Virtually all of the BND’s deposits come from the state. The BND does not take municipal government deposits; instead, these funds remain in local community banks, which are able to use them for loans because the BND provides letters of credit guaranteeing them. Remains independent of private banking interests. Although the BND is an online member of the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank, it is insured by the “full faith and credit” of North Dakota, not the FDIC. This helps avoid risk and unnecessary expense, since the BND’s chief depositor is the state, and the state has far more to deposit than $250,000, the maximum covered by FDIC insurance. FDIC insurance is not only expensive, but subjects the state to interference by a semi-private national banking association. Supported by local independent banks. The North Dakota Bankers’ Association endorses the BND. When partnering with local banks, the BND does not solicit customers, unlike the large commercial banks. North Dakota has the most local banks per capita and the lowest default rate of any state. Provides accountability, transparency and prudent risk management and operates according to a charter that promotes the public interest. By partnering with local banks, the BND actually shields itself from risk, since the local bank determines the credit worthiness of the borrower and takes the initial loss in the event of default. A public bank is run by professional bankers who are public employees, operating transparently, audited publicly by state regulators, and not incentivized to speculate in derivatives and risky subprime loans. Creates new jobs and spurs economic growth. According to studies by the Center for State Innovation, if Washington State had a fully-operational publicly owned bank capitalized at $100 million during the present recession, it would have supported $2.6 billion in new lending and helped to create 8,212 new small business jobs. Likewise, a proposed Oregon bank would help community banks expand lending by $1.3 billion and help small business create 5,391 new Oregon jobs in its first three to five years. Is self-funding and self-sustaining. The BND keeps federally-guaranteed funds in the state and uses the profits on these to build a capital surplus from which loans are made to local businesses. The BND has a return on equity of 25-26% and has contributed over $300 million to the state (its only shareholder) in the past decade—a notable achievement for a state with a population of approximately 670,000. Partners with community banks by leveraging state funds into credit for local purposes, funds that would otherwise leave the state via Wall Street banks and be leveraged abroad, drawing away jobs that could go to locals. Further, infrastructure projects can be funded through a state bank at substantially less cost, since the state owns the bank and gets the interest back. Studies have shown that interest states now pay, composes 30-50% of public projects. Strengthens local banks, even out credit cycles, and preserve real competition in local credit markets. There have been no bank failures in North Dakota during the financial cr...

California has a chance to be the national leader on this important health issue. Please help spread the word and win public support for The California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act on the Nov. 6, 2012 ballot.

Olney, Stryker, Fortine and Trego, Montana, are currently "dead" zones for cell service. We need cell service due to safety concerns.

We need to urge the President to veto the National Defense Authorization Act, which authorizes indefinite detention of civilians, including Americans, without charge or trial anywhere in the world. This is a huge affront to civil rights and democracy and needs to be halted before it is too late.

Stop the sequestration all together. This is for all Americans not the ones that can fly and be inconvenienced. Really.

Due to the failure of the Federal government and NY Attorney General Cyrus Vance to reinvestingate events suggesting "U.S. Executive (Bush) and DoD complicity in the attacks of September 11, 2001, the State of California shall open full reinvestingations into case involving deaths and injuries to California victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, Pentagon and Flight 93.

For the past several years, the TAPS department at UC Santa Cruz has been deteriorating under the direction of Director Larry Pageler. The Director has made little to no effort to improve the department, only needlessly beefing up middle-management while leaving the department understaffed and overworked. Now, the TAPS department is planning to raise the parking fees by 12% on July 1st when our members are scheduled to receive their modest 3% pay increase. These planned fee hikes are on top of the recent tuition hikes and crippling low wages at UCSC. The result is university employees not being able to afford to come to work. This must end! UCSC cannot continue to be a catalyst for poverty. We call on you Chancellor Blumenthal to stop further penalizing students and workers at UCSC with parking fee increases. Put an end to the parking fee hikes!

Corporal Chester Nez (January 23, 1921 – June 4, 2014) of the United States Marine Corps is America's last Navajo Code Talker from World War II. His service along with his 28 comrades who volunteered for this highly secretive mission was one of grave danger. He is deserving of a day of honor by the Government from whom he protected and served faithfully and honorably. Additionally, he is deserving of a United States Postal Service Stamp. I humbly and respectfully submit this petition for Chester Nez Day, and a U.S. postal stamp honoring his life.

Rupert Murdoch, please stop your news organizations from lying about climate change. Have Fox News and the Wall street Journal Op Ed pages print corrections for all the misleading information they have put out, and commit to future accuracy.

Rupert Murdoch, please stop your news organizations from lying about climate change. Have Fox News and the Wall street Journal Op Ed pages print corrections for all the misleading information they have put out, and commit to future accuracy.