Matinees that Matter Follow-Up Resources
MARCH'S FILM: I.O.U.S.A.
I.O.U.S.A. has been richly debated as to the slant on the information presented. We invite you to read a variety of reviews on the film, and use the resources below to draw your own conclusions. Note: The views expressed in every film do not necessarily represent the views of Sustainable Bainbridge. We do our best to bring films that will engage the public in a positive way and therefore strengthen our community's ability to be sustainable.
- IOUSA: Failed Scare Flick of the Decade
- Stop What You are Doing. Go See this Movie! I.O.U.S.A.
- I.O.U.S.A. - Fury at (GOP) Fiscal Fiasco
- I.O.U.S.A.: Right on Time
- An Interview with I.O.U.S.A. Director Patrick Creadon
- www.thenation.com/doc/20090302/greider
- www.ruthlessreviews.com/reviews.cfm/id/1580/page/i_o_u_s_a_.html
Worried about the economy ?
HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE....
Watch the RFK short video produced by the Glaser Progress Foundation!
Support Our Local Economy
By making a modest change in the way you spend your money, you can help build a vibrant, resilient community – even in the face of an economic crisis.
Action Tips...
- Commit to purchasing at least 10% of all your goods and services on Bainbridge. Visit www.10percentshift.org to learn the economic facts of spending locally.
- Donate to a local nonprofit organization through One Call For All.
- Bank with a local bank or credit union such as American Marine Bank or Kitsap Credit Union.
- Buy a share of a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Visit Sound Food for current information.
- Support local farmers and artists at the 2009 Farmer’s Market opening April 11 at the Town Square at City Hall Park.
- Attend the next SFM on April 6, 7 PM, at The Commons. The theme is "Strengthening our Local Economy!”
Organizations...
- Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) - Creates, strengthens and connects local business networks dedicated to building strong local living economies.
- Bainbridge Downtown Association- Committed to building community through a vibrant downtown.
- B.I. Chamber of Commerce- Now working on the "The Bainbridge Clipper", a buy local coupon book.
Books...
- Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World, by Diane MacEachern, from Kitsap Regional Library
Articles...
- Legalize Localization: Post-Meltdown Thoughts, By Michael Shuman
"As the global financial system destroys decades' worth of Americans' savings, the relative calm and stability surrounding community-based financial institutions is striking. Locally owned banks and credit unions, which rarely got involved with predatory loans or resold their loans on global markets, are faring remarkably well." Read more.
- Table for Six Billion, Please, By Judy Wicks in The Sun
"A lot of people feel that the stock market is going to crash and that the US infrastructure is falling apart, partly because we're spending all our money on war instead of things like bridges and a healthcare system for all. And I think when the crash comes, there's going to be a panic. What we're doing now in the local movement is building the infrastructure before the panic, whether it's caused by the collapse of our economy or by global warming." Read more.
Adopt a more Sustainable Standard of Living
Spend less, reduce your ecological footprint and build connections with others in your community!
Action Tips...
- Become a member of Freecycle - give and get free goods from fellow islanders.
- Barter goods and services through Craigs List or join IslandMoms.
- Create a tool, toy, or book coop in your neighborhood. Get more ideas at Green America.
- Save emissions and money by reducing your Carbon Footprint.
- Arrange carpooling to classes, events and more. Use Goose Networks for an easy- to-use online solution.
- New American Dream- Helping Americans consume responsibly to protect the environment, enhance quality of life, and promote social justice.
- Green America- Mission is to harness economic power—the strength of consumers, investors, businesses, and the marketplace—to create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society.
Books...
- Simple Prosperity: Finding Real Wealth in a Sustainable Lifestyle, by David Wann, from Kitsap Regional Library
- Not Buying It: My Year without Shopping, by Judith Levine, from Eagle Harbor Book Company
- Most Good, Least Harm: A Simple Principle for a Better World and Meaningful Life, by Zoe Weil, from Eagle Harbor Book Company
Support a Green Economy
President Obama has made the creation of a green economy a top priority in his stimulus plan. Why not make it your priority too?
Action Tips...
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Defend Washington’s clean energy law by contacting your state representative to make sure the State House defeats SB 5840.
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Learn more about the new American Recovery and Reinvestment Act which includes $500 million for green jobs training!
- Support Green Energy through Puget Sound Energy’s Green Power Program.
- Purchase green and fair traded goods: Use the National Green Pages to make as many of your purchases as possible from the green economy.
- Support “Clean Energy Victory Bonds.” Modeled after victory bonds in World War II, Americans would buy these bonds from the federal government to invest in large-scale deployment of green energy projects.
- New Voice of Business- Promotes economic, social and environmental sustainability in the United States by developing a unified, new voice of business to advocate for a sustainable economy and encourage triple bottom line business practices. Focus in 2009 is is an energy policy that meets the challenge of global warming while promoting innovation, entrepreneurship and economic growth.
- Bainbridge Graduate Institute- A leaderin sustainable business education.
- Green For All: Green For All is a national organization dedicated to building an inclusive green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty.
- Kitsap SEED- Kitsap SEED (Sustainable Energy & Economic Development) Project is a planned sustainable business park and center for leadership in the new energy economy.
- The Washington State University (WSU) Extension Energy Program is engaged in several
workforce-related research projects, policy discussions and initiatives that address the growth of a
green economy and job creation.
- Apollo Alliance- The Apollo Alliance is a coalition of business, labor, environmental, and community leaders working to catalyze a clean energy revolution in America to reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign oil, cut the carbon emissions that are destabilizing our climate, and expand opportunities for American businesses and workers.
Books...
- Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems, by Van Jones, from Kitsap Regional Library
- The Ecology of Commerce, by Paul Hawken, from Kitsap Regional Library
- Green Jobs: A Guide to Eco-Friendly Employment, by A. Bronwyn Llewllyn, James Hendrix, and KC Golden, from Eagle Harbor Book Company
Articles...
- Memo analyzing Green-Collar Jobs Created by the Senate Stimulus Plan, from the Apollo Alliance
Increase your Financial Knowledge on a Personal Level
What does national, state and local debt have in common with your personal finances? There’s no better time to make the case for financial literacy than right now!
Action Tips...
- Are you financially literate? Take the test!
- Learn the basics of financial literacy (all ages).
- Try an online service for tracking expenses--. Visit http://budgettracker.com for free and low cost services.
- Teach young people the importance of planning, saving, and budgeting. Link here for great activities, games, challenges, and quizzes.
Books...
- The Complete Idiot's Guide to Socially Responsible Investing, by Ken Little, from Eagle Harbor Book Company.
- Safe Money in Tough Times: Everything You Need to Know to Survive the Financial Crisis, by Jonathan Pond, from Kitsap Regional Library.
Stay Informed about Natonal, State, & Local Budget Issues
Action Tips...
- Stay informed about our state’s budget. Visit the WA. State Office of Financial Management.
- Experience the hard choices of balancing the WA. State budget. Play the You Budget game!
- Stay informed about our City of Bainbridge Island financial challenges.
- Learn more about fiscal and tax policy. Visit the Treasury Office of Tax Policy.
Organizations...
- National Debt Clock- Live!
- Redefining Progress- The nation’s leading public policy think tank dedicated to smart economics. We find solutions that ensure a sustainable and equitable world for future generations.
- The Economic Policy Institute- A nonprofit Washington D.C. think tank, was created in 1986 to broaden the discussion about economic policy to include the interests of low- and middle-income workers.
- Center on Budget and Policy Priorities- The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is one of the nation’s premier policy organizations working at the federal and state levels on fiscal policy and public programs that affect low- and moderate-income families and individuals.
Federal Government Websites
• Congressional Budget Office
• Government Accountability Office
• House Budget Committee
• Joint Committee on Taxation
• Office of Management & Budget
• Senate Budget Committee
• Treasury Office of Tax Policy
Books...
- Agenda for a New Economy: From Phantom Wealth to Real Wealth, By David Korten from Eagle Harbor Book Company
- The Foreclosure of America: The Inside Story of the Rise and Fall of Countrywide Home Loans, the Mortgage Crsis, and the Default of the American Dream, by Adam Michaelson, from Kitsap Regional Library
- Confessions of a Subprime Lender: An Insider's Tale of Greed, Fraud, and Ignorance, by Richard Bitner, from Kitsap Regional Library
- Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World, by David M. Smick, from Kitsap Regional Library
- Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism, by Muhammad Yunus, from Kitsap Regional Library
- House of Cards: A Tale of Hubris and Wretched Excess on Wall Street, by William D. Cohan, from Kitsap Regional Library
- Panic: The Story of Modern Financial Insanity, by Michael Lewis, from Kitsap Regional Library
- Mindful Economics, by Joel Magnuson, from Eagle Harbor Book Company
Articles...
- Path to a New Economy/YES! Magazine- Any economic rescue program must result in systemic change that doesn’t replicate the current mistakes. These YES! articles point the way to the kind of economy that will truly serve people and communities.
- Taxation in the United States- Article from Wikipedia.
- The Economic Crisis and the Fiscal Crisis: 2009 and Beyond, By Alan J. Auerbach and William G. Gale