We need your help again! Santa Clara County will vote to study a public bank tomorrow!

More exciting, well-deserved, news from our hard work pushing for public banking here in Santa Clara County. We will be on the County Board of Supervisor's Agenda next Tuesday! Apr, 23rd @10am – 70 West Hedding Street, 1st Floor, San Jose, CA in the main Chambers.

We are item 10 on the agenda and we need people to email, call and to show up for public comment. Pick your favorite, but showing up in person is definitely the most powerful!

A big thank you to Supervisor's Chavez and Cortese for pushing this forward! This is great timing as AB857 will be heard in Banking and Finance Committee in Sacramento on Apr, 22nd!

Thank you all for your support - Jake Tonkel

Here is the email example, but make it your own if it moves you!

Please cc: jacobrtonkel@hotmail.com

to: Dave Cortese <dave.cortese@bos.sccgov.org>; Cindy Chavez <cindy.chavez@bos.sccgov.org>; Mike Wasserman <mike.wasserman@bos.sccgov.org>; Susan Ellenberg <supervisor.ellenberg@bos.sccgov.org>; Joe Simitian <joe.simitian@bos.sccgov.org>; County Clerk <ClerkRecorder@rec.sccgov.org>;  

Honorable Board of Supervisors,

I wanted to write to you to express my excitement that the County of Santa Clara is going to look at how a Public Bank will allow us to create sound investments that will save money and invest the public deposits in fiscally, socially and environmentally responsible activities. Public banks can save taxpayer funds that are currently going to big banks to instead finance affordable housing, student loans, renewable energy, rebuilding after natural disasters, and local infrastructure including roads, parks and schools. In partnership with local banks and credit unions, a public bank could provide affordable loans and lines of credit to local small businesses, nonprofits and even help people get out from under the thumb of payday lenders.

From wage theft to illegal foreclosures, big banks have been taking advantage of our friends, family and neighbors for too long and have been using our tax dollars to make their profits. When for so long, we have been trying to hold these institutions accountable and they continue to decide not to play fair, we need to take the responsibility into our own hands.

Let's leverage the public deposits that hold our communities tax dollars for the benefit of our community. It's our money and we need to make sure it is used to create new opportunities here in Santa Clara County.

Please vote in favor of the recommendation to explore the legal, fiscal and policy implications of a Public Bank and support AB857.

Sincerely,

[Name]

[Address]
__________________________________________________________

Dave Cortese Phone: (408) 299-5030
Cindy Chavez Phone: (408) 299-5020 
Mike Wasserman Phone: 408-299-5010
Susan Ellenberg Phone: (408) 299-5040 
Joe Simitian Phone: (408) 299-5050 
County Clerk Phone:  (408) 299-5001 

Call Script:

Hi. My name is _______ and I wanted to urge Supervisor __________ to vote in favor of having Administration and County Counsel to report to FGOC with options for consideration relating to the legal, fiscal, and policy implications around municipal public banking and to take a county wide position on AB857, the assembly bill that will help clarify the process for a local government to establish a public bank.

Thank you.