The Bank of North Dakota: What a Bank Should Be

It’s been a heated election season. When the political dogfights get all the attention, it’s easy to forget that there good policies and institutions out there that receive bipartisan praise, are working well, and deserve to be built upon. The Bank of North Dakota is an important example. Founded in 1919 in response to aContinue reading “The Bank of North Dakota: What a Bank Should Be”

$75 Million: For the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, A Small Price to Pay for an Election

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has been all over the airwaves recently–and not just with its hefty ad buys targeting candidates in the fast approaching November elections. Last week, the Chamber earned a wave of critical press when the story broke that it was funneling donations from international corporations and overseas affiliates into the sameContinue reading “$75 Million: For the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, A Small Price to Pay for an Election”

Colorado Progressive Coalition Teams with Members of Congress To Educate Public On New Health Care Law

September 23rd will mark the six-month anniversary of the passage of Health Care Reform. As the anniversary approaches, members and leaders of the Colorado Progressive Coalition (CPC) have been partnering with members of Congress for a series of forums across the state that highlight what the new health care law will mean for Coloradans.

Looking Back, and Forward, at Post-Katrina Justice and Accountability

August 29, 2010, marks the five-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Even now, survivors still face devastation and daily reminders of the governmental system that failed them. Hurricane Katrina raises the opportunity for all of us to question the role of government in communities, especially black communities. It also provides an opportunity to evaluate the useContinue reading “Looking Back, and Forward, at Post-Katrina Justice and Accountability”

Main Street Alliance Leaders Plant Flag for Small Business Values in Washington, D.C.

In late July, small business owners from all across the country – from Maine to Montana, Louisiana to North Dakota – left their homes and their businesses on a mission: to carry a message about small business values direct from their Main Streets back home all the way to Washington, D.C. It was the “America’sContinue reading “Main Street Alliance Leaders Plant Flag for Small Business Values in Washington, D.C.”

Main Street Alliance of Washington Members Meet with President Obama

On Tuesday, August 17, all eyes were on Seattle’s Pioneer Square as President Obama was in town stumping for Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) in her critical primary race. Obama and Murray held a private meeting at a cafĂ© with three small business owners to discuss the economy, as well as what could be done toContinue reading “Main Street Alliance of Washington Members Meet with President Obama”

Congress Passes Financial Reform Bill!

On Thursday, July 15, Congress passed the strongest financial reform bill since the Great Depression, tightening restrictions on banks and Wall Street, cracking down on lending practices, and expanding consumer protections in order to prevent a repeat of the 2008 meltdown, the consequences from which we are still reeling. President Obama will sign the billContinue reading “Congress Passes Financial Reform Bill!”

Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is

In late May, seventy-five people from twelve different states gathered in Seattle for the inaugural two-day symposium of the Institute for Pragmatic Practice (IPP): “Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is: Building State Budgets that Reflect Our Values.”

Maine Small Business Owners Take on Big Insurance

Big Insurance and its Bag of Tricks The ink may have dried on the federal health care reform bill, but the health insurance industry isn’t packing up its bag of tricks and going quietly into the night. Instead, insurers actually appear to be stepping up their attempts to game the system, seeking to exploit theContinue reading “Maine Small Business Owners Take on Big Insurance”

Main Street Alliance Joins Small Business Majority on Amici Brief Opposing Lawsuit Against Health Reform in VA Court

This is a cross-post from the Main Street Alliance, a NWFCO-sponsored program that works with small business owners to bring their voices into important policy debates. Today, the Main Street Alliance joined Small Business Majority in filing a friend of the court brief in U.S. district court in Virginia. The brief registers small business oppositionContinue reading “Main Street Alliance Joins Small Business Majority on Amici Brief Opposing Lawsuit Against Health Reform in VA Court”