[Durham INC] putting our bailout $$ where they might count

[Pat Carstensen]

I am forwarding this for folks who are interested in affordable housing,  pat

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            Dear friends,



Yesterday the News & Observer ran an editorial (attached) that I co-wrote with Pat McCoy,of ACORN on 2 local banks that received $67 in federal bailout funds, and plan to spend much of it on -- yes, you guessed it -- housing developments -- (for Capital bank, of Raleigh, only high end houses built on speculation will be eligible).



We had a list of signers from the academy and public interest/community groups, but the paper would not run names nor a descriptive line about them. UNC Anthropologist Don Nonini, Bob Hall, of Democracy NC, and John Parker, of Good Work (formerly with Self-Help), helped us craft the critique and

recommendations in the article, which call for the banks to make a portion of the funds available for lending that would serve the public good.



We are planning a meeting next Tues morning at 10 or 11 am, place not yet set, to strategize on a Triangle-wide campaign that will call on the banks to create such a fund for lending, which could support affordable housing, investments in energy efficiency and renewables, green job training, etc. We're talking about a lot of dough here, and this is tax dollars, so if ever there was a moment to exert moral pressure on corporations, this is it.



Chris Kromm, of the Institute for Southern Studies, has offered to help w/ research, and we are trying to get the ISS conference room for the meeting -- John Parker will call in (he'll be out of town), and I invited an NC PIRG person (they put out an appeal for public action on the national bailout situation). Also, will reach out to Paul Luebke for support. The Indy will assign a reporter to cover this.



We need backing from the a wide range of community groups in getting these messages to the public, and making a strong case for corporate responsibility. If you can come to the strategy session Tuesday, please let me know.  We should also hold teach-ins on campuses and at churches. Please let me know if you can work with us.



Sandy (and Don Nonini)



Sandy Smith-Nonini, PhD

Adjunct Assistant Professor

Dept. of Anthropology

University of North Carolina

Chapel Hill, NC 27599



Research Associate

American Board of Pediatrics



http://snonini.wordpress.com

http://yikeslink.blogspot.com

Ph: 919-286-7396; c: 358-6341

Address: 2030 Englewood Ave.

         Durham. NC 27705


      

    
    
 

	


	
	
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