A New Way Forward

Why hold these meetings?

Teach-in, forum, assembly, town hall meeting –- whatever we call it -– let’s get people together to learn, talk and take action. This is an important time to engage about the rapidly changing economy. The banks are probably the most influential lobbying group in Washington, but no lobbying effort can compete with an organized, educated public. This is a key moment to press our leaders to go further to break up the “too big to fail” banks.
The bailouts of Wall Street corporations have touched a popular nerve and people are eager to learn more about the causes of the economic crisis and how to advance a program that helps our communities.
The objectives of local forums could include:
* Deepening public understanding of the causes of the economic crisis (deregulation, predatory lending, etc.).
* Coordinating local efforts to help those hurt by the crisis.
* Considering alternatives banking models that could provide benefits to your community. Are they feasible? Do they already exist?
* Putting the U.S. financial crisis and solutions in a global, historic context.
* Engaging grassroots leaders, members and the public in the process of re-envisioning how the economy should be organized.
* Mobilizing support for the “unfinished agenda” to Congress. Some components include: nationalize and decentralize insolvent banks, provide financial aid to cities and states, rein in corporate excess, regulate the casino aspects of the financial markets, assist households facing foreclosure, and require that Wall Street speculators pay to clean up the mess they created.
* Holding Congressional members accountable for implementing the “unfinished agenda” to address the economic crisis.
* Local media coverage.

Establishing Goals of Your Local Program

Accountability Sessions - Members of Congress, including newly elected members, need to hear form us. This is a key time to hold an accountability meeting with them and ask them directly to support our agenda.
Town Hall Meeting This is a strategic time to enlist state and local elected officials to press for changes at the federal level. If your local mayor or city council is willing to convene and offer space, the event might have a “town meeting” quality.
Educational Forum or Teach-In - The primary purpose being to educate and engage people with speakers and even break-out workshops. These kinds of gatherings are great for fostering discussion and could produce new ideas for working towards an economy that serves the public.

Sample Program

What follows are some elements of what could be involved in a local forum, town hall meeting or teach-in, depending on your goals and whether elected officials will attend.
* Welcome by Organizers
* An Economic Overview. A speaker who can explain in accessible terms the domestic and international causes of the economic crisis including: the roots of the housing bubble, speculation, and underlying wage and wealth inequalities that contributed to economic instability.
* Subprime Crisis. A speaker on the Subprime Mortgage Crisis that can explain, ideally from a local perspective, the story of predatory lending, foreclosures, personal impacts.
* Local Human Impact. How is this touching the lives of people in your community? Find a speaker from the local government, labor or human services community that can dramatically explain the impact of foreclosure, job cuts, human services cuts, etc. Could include speakers that have experience foreclosure, job loss, personal stories.
* Transforming the Economy. Identify a speaker who can re-envision an economy that works for everyone, not just the wealthy and address the question of what should be done with the “too big to fail” banking sector. The economic and ecological unsustainablity of our current system requires fundamental change, not a cosmetic change.
* Action. A speaker that can review state and federal actions –and is in touch with state and national coalitions working to respond.

Finding Speakers and Resources

Economic Overview Speakers: There are several organizations that might be able to identify economists in your region that would be good speakers about the global and U.S. dimensions of the economic crisis. Contact:
* Center for Popular Economics Contact: Emily Kawano 413-545-0743 Email: ekawano@populareconomics.org
* Dollars and Sense Magazine Contact: Linda Pinkow 617-447-2177, ext. 204 Email: linda@dollarsandsense.org
Speakers on the Subprime Mortgage Crisis. Find a local organization that has been working with first time homebuyers and victims of foreclosure who tell the local story. National resource organizations include the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (www.ncrc.org)
Speakers on Local Human Impact. Identify a local organization or speaker who has worked on issues of poverty and inequality. Several national resource organizations for finding a local speaker include: Coalition for Human Needs (http://www.chn.org) and Children’s Defense Fund (www.childrensdefense.org)
Speakers on the Action Program. A local activist or a member of your organizing committee could review some of the actions and pass out postcards, fact sheets or whatever timely action makes most sense for your region/district.

Educational Resources

Get the most pertinent articles and information materials.

Need Help?

See the resources of the “Forum Organizing Project” at www.forumorganizing.org.
These are for communities and congregations interested in setting up community film and lecture series, but there are some useful tips, including a free downloadable “Forum Organizing Guide.” http://www.forumorganizing.org/organize-forum
Contact:
* Karen Dolan, Institute for Policy Studies-Washington, DC Email: kdolan@igc.org Telephone: 202.234.9382 x228
* Andree Zaleska, Forum Organizing Project, Institute for Policy Studies, Northeast Office: Andree Zaleska: Email: ForumOrganizing@gmail.com

Subject: Time to push the bankers out of Congress

We need to talk about the government's handling of the banking crisis, Sec. Geithner is failing. 94% of Americans don't agree with the bailouts, more than 50% support nationalization of the banks. It's time to take the economics conversation into our own hands and demand that the government get us out of this crisis and answer to us, not just the bankers. On June 10, across the country, we're holding national educational forums on "Why are bankers sitting on the bailout money? What is nationalization? What went wrong?" to help demand we build a sound economy from here.

I am not going to stand by and let the administration continue to succumb to the power of the bankers and pretend they don't know what is going on. I want an end to rewards for bank CEO's, and learn about new policies that protect the economy from things like this from happening again.

On April 11, thousands of people across the country protested against the collusion of Wall Street and regulators. Now, we need to help answer people's questions and fears about how to get rid of the toxic assets and how to stop bankers from sitting on the bailout money. In the same way that the banking industry has been pushing politicians to act in their favor, these forums can help all of us push for policies that protect us and rebuild the economy. Help start a forum in your town or go to one here:

www.anewwayforward.org

This website, called "A New Way Forward," is hosting these forums, but individuals are organizing them for their home states. The forums are being built from the ground up, driven by a drive for learning and a shared anger over the corruption and greed fueling the current Geithner policies. People are pitching in different ways - the forums could use your help too.

Please come because the concessions Democrats made on the stimulus are unacceptable, the banks and their lobbyists are winning in Congress, and the Obama administration needs to see that there is real political viability to policies that put the public first.

Is there anyone you can ask to come? Ask them.