Q and A Meeting with Gwen, Mike, and Eli from VNE

Overview:

Gwen & Michael – Board members: Grassroots economic issues i.e. got 10% temporary legislation

5 pillars: ownership, money, markets, management, metrics,

Eli - intern

started as coalition

Feb 8^th event in cedar creek room – press conference

May 6^th/7^th event à public banking system à example (North Dakota)

à not linked to oil and fracking companies ?    (500 million coming through public banking revenue)

Only states running in the “black”

Public banking not a partisan issue (tea party libertarian repubs in NH, prog dems in VT

Owners – coops, worker owned

Money – pub. Banking, comm currencies (sovereign money)

Markets – how are they working/rigged/ working for gen pop? à

Mgmt. – what companies can do to institute working environment health

Metrics – mgmt. economic progress -> Gund, gross happiness

*credit unions – non-profit, benefits go to customers – don’t get taxed like banks do

illegal for treasurer to deposit money into credit unions

Q/A:

1. What specific policy changes are you working on during this legislative term in order to help small businesses grow and be more sustainable?

-Time bank – trading for time – trading services (“everybody’s time has the same value since we all have the same amount of time per day”)

-Public Banking (Brian Cina, Andy Pallito) to build a commission to figure out with Germans…

study done with Gund institute – Public bank would create 3500 jobs, 340millions from a state bank revenue

-        10% temp legislation -

2. The title "New Economy" seems like a complete change from the system that we have now. Is the organization mainly trying to enact new policies to help businesses and communities or trying to alter existing policies and regulations so that coincide with the ideals of the organization?

(See Question 1)

3. Are you working more with banks and larger organizations to address the problems or focussing on the small businesses and working from the bottom up?

-TD Bank only bank big enough

4. Are there disagreements with what you’re doing with any major group or organization in Vermont?

5. While working towards fostering a "New Economy", what steps are the organizations in the coalition taking to protect jobs/employers that are already here so that job creators remain able to attract new investment?

- Vermont leading country in new economy areas… ex. Gardner Supply Co. Implemented program to worker owned business

- Co-op

- Vermont laying out path that supports people and planet

-lots of creativity

6. What ideas does the VNE coalition have to aggressively market Vermont as not only a premier destination for tourism and recreation, but also as an investment and business-friendly state?

-areas of growth: organic food sector, alternative healing practice, affordable housing, generators/maker space

-more concerned with structure of

7. Thoughts/strategies to address Vermont's crisis?

- eco village in Cabot, community land trust/condominium

- Burlington: Lake Champlain community housing trust

- Creating housing and keeping it affordable à public banks can help this

8. What are some key organizational characteristics? What is the “feel” of Vermonters for a New Economy?

-Priorities: People, planet, health à looking to get students involved

-10% impacted VSAC

9. What do you hope to get out of new communication materials? Is there a certain target audience we are trying to reach?

Student, business, legislatures

-positive money UK

-

10. Is it more important to attract new members or promote current members with our communication pieces?

-Looking to rebrand

-“Infrastructure bank”