Public Banks – The What, the Why and the How
Session 2

2022-05-18 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Henry George School of Social Science
Phone:(212) 889-8020
Address: 149 East 38th Street, New York, NY 10016

PUBLIC BANKS – THE WHAT, THE WHY AND THE HOW

Are public banks a better alternative to our existing private banking model?

This 5-session course will discuss the public bank model, comparing and contrasting it to private banks to highlight marked differences between them and their implications for the community. The course will also look into past and present experiments in public banking in the United States and showcase their profound effect in our history. The Bank of North Dakota’s stellar performance during the 2008 financial crisis will be analyzed.

Instructors

Earl Staelin – Earl is a lawyer and the chair of the Rocky Mountain Public Banking Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, whose mission is to educate Coloradans, legislators, and other public officials on the many advantages of a state-owned and local public banks, for a strong, stable, and just economy. He has done extensive legal and financial research and writing on public banking and drafted legislation to establish a state and local public banks. He also worked with public banking advocates to advance public banking in the United States.

Alec Tsoucatos, PhD, was born of Greek parents in Alexandria, Egypt, a day before Pearl Harbor in 1941. He attended primary school at a British institution in Alexandria and finished Junior High and High School in Athens, Greece. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from UC Berkeley and his PhD from CU Boulder under the tutelage of Kenneth Boulding. His main interests are in new economics, integrative medicine, positive psychology and progressive mystical Christianity.

Dates: Wednesdays: 5/11, 5/18, 5/25, 6/01, 6/08; from 6:30PM to 8:00PM EDT

Note: This is an online event. Access information will be made available after registration.

REGISTER NOW

A link to join the online course will be provided via email before the start of the first session.

Related upcoming events

  • 2025-09-22 6:30 pm - 2025-09-22 7:30 pm

    Prosperity Without Tariffs

    Henry George’s Protection or Free Trade was subtitled “with Special Regard to the Interests of Labor.” Yet this book and his free trade stance alienated both the unions and the Irish immigrant workers who had been his core supporters. Today, the book is popular with conservatives and Neo-libertarians as a defense of conventional free-trade policies. While both get him wrong, George’s bold stance on Free Trade, controversial as it is, may hold the key to securing prosperity without tariffs.

    In this two-part lecture series, Dan Sullivan will present the background context and lead a discussion of the book, beginning with Chapter 26 (True Free Trade), and then proceed through all the subsequent chapters, from Chapter 19 onward, to establish labor’s interests.

    Those who are interested in getting ahead of the discussion can look at the following links:

    Terence Powderly asks to focus on land value tax and take on protectionism only after the land tax victory is won.

    http://www.savingcommunities.org/docs/powderly.terence/30years08.html#cure-all

    Maria Mazzenga and Dan Sullivan on the interactions between Henry George, Terence Powderly, Father Edward McGlynn (video). https://vimeo.com/48893598

    Protection or Free Trade, chapter 26, “True Free Trade.” https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/1652#lf0448_head_027

    InstructorDan Sullivan

    Dates: Part 1: Mondays: 9/08, 9/15, 9/22, 9/29, 10/06; Part 2: Mondays – 10/20, 10/27, 11/03, 11/10, 11/17

    Time: 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM ET

    Location: Online via Zoom

    Note: This is an online event. After registration, the Zoom link, along with the Meeting ID and Passcode, will be provided via email the day of each session.

    REGISTER NOW

  • 2025-09-24 6:30 pm - 2025-09-24 7:30 pm

    Rentier Capitalism

    Using Brett Christopher’s Rentier Capitalism as reference, this course explores the inordinate power and wealth of large corporations to monopolize and monopsonize markets in order to maximize and extract economic rent.

    Though the course material focuses on rentierism in the UK … still reeling from Thatcherite privatizations of state-owned enterprises in the 80s to present day, common to all this is the giveaway and privatization of billions of dollars-worth of economic rent prevalent in Western economies today. The course underscores the importance that George gave to the control of monopolies, beyond simple land value taxation.

    Recommended text available at https://www.amazon.com/Rentier-Capitalism-Owns-Economy-Pays/dp/1788739728

    InstructorDr. Marty Rowland

    Dates: Part 1: Wednesdays – 9/03, 9/10, 9/17, 9/24, 10/01; Part 2: Wednesdays – 10/08, 10/15, 10/22, 10/29

    Time: 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM ET

    Location: Online via Zoom

    Note: This is an online event. After registration, the Zoom link, along with the Meeting ID and Passcode, will be provided via email the day of each session.

    REGISTER NOW

  • 2025-09-29 6:30 pm - 2025-09-29 7:30 pm

    Prosperity Without Tariffs

    Henry George’s Protection or Free Trade was subtitled “with Special Regard to the Interests of Labor.” Yet this book and his free trade stance alienated both the unions and the Irish immigrant workers who had been his core supporters. Today, the book is popular with conservatives and Neo-libertarians as a defense of conventional free-trade policies. While both get him wrong, George’s bold stance on Free Trade, controversial as it is, may hold the key to securing prosperity without tariffs.

    In this two-part lecture series, Dan Sullivan will present the background context and lead a discussion of the book, beginning with Chapter 26 (True Free Trade), and then proceed through all the subsequent chapters, from Chapter 19 onward, to establish labor’s interests.

    Those who are interested in getting ahead of the discussion can look at the following links:

    Terence Powderly asks to focus on land value tax and take on protectionism only after the land tax victory is won.

    http://www.savingcommunities.org/docs/powderly.terence/30years08.html#cure-all

    Maria Mazzenga and Dan Sullivan on the interactions between Henry George, Terence Powderly, Father Edward McGlynn (video). https://vimeo.com/48893598

    Protection or Free Trade, chapter 26, “True Free Trade.” https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/1652#lf0448_head_027

    InstructorDan Sullivan

    Dates: Part 1: Mondays: 9/08, 9/15, 9/22, 9/29, 10/06; Part 2: Mondays – 10/20, 10/27, 11/03, 11/10, 11/17

    Time: 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM ET

    Location: Online via Zoom

    Note: This is an online event. After registration, the Zoom link, along with the Meeting ID and Passcode, will be provided via email the day of each session.

    REGISTER NOW

  • 2025-10-01 6:30 pm - 2025-10-01 7:30 pm

    Rentier Capitalism

    Using Brett Christopher’s Rentier Capitalism as reference, this course explores the inordinate power and wealth of large corporations to monopolize and monopsonize markets in order to maximize and extract economic rent.

    Though the course material focuses on rentierism in the UK … still reeling from Thatcherite privatizations of state-owned enterprises in the 80s to present day, common to all this is the giveaway and privatization of billions of dollars-worth of economic rent prevalent in Western economies today. The course underscores the importance that George gave to the control of monopolies, beyond simple land value taxation.

    Recommended text available at https://www.amazon.com/Rentier-Capitalism-Owns-Economy-Pays/dp/1788739728

    InstructorDr. Marty Rowland

    Dates: Part 1: Wednesdays – 9/03, 9/10, 9/17, 9/24, 10/01; Part 2: Wednesdays – 10/08, 10/15, 10/22, 10/29

    Time: 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM ET

    Location: Online via Zoom

    Note: This is an online event. After registration, the Zoom link, along with the Meeting ID and Passcode, will be provided via email the day of each session.

    REGISTER NOW

  • 2025-10-06 6:30 pm - 2025-10-06 7:30 pm

    Prosperity Without Tariffs

    Henry George’s Protection or Free Trade was subtitled “with Special Regard to the Interests of Labor.” Yet this book and his free trade stance alienated both the unions and the Irish immigrant workers who had been his core supporters. Today, the book is popular with conservatives and Neo-libertarians as a defense of conventional free-trade policies. While both get him wrong, George’s bold stance on Free Trade, controversial as it is, may hold the key to securing prosperity without tariffs.

    In this two-part lecture series, Dan Sullivan will present the background context and lead a discussion of the book, beginning with Chapter 26 (True Free Trade), and then proceed through all the subsequent chapters, from Chapter 19 onward, to establish labor’s interests.

    Those who are interested in getting ahead of the discussion can look at the following links:

    Terence Powderly asks to focus on land value tax and take on protectionism only after the land tax victory is won.

    http://www.savingcommunities.org/docs/powderly.terence/30years08.html#cure-all

    Maria Mazzenga and Dan Sullivan on the interactions between Henry George, Terence Powderly, Father Edward McGlynn (video). https://vimeo.com/48893598

    Protection or Free Trade, chapter 26, “True Free Trade.” https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/1652#lf0448_head_027

    InstructorDan Sullivan

    Dates: Part 1: Mondays: 9/08, 9/15, 9/22, 9/29, 10/06; Part 2: Mondays – 10/20, 10/27, 11/03, 11/10, 11/17

    Time: 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM ET

    Location: Online via Zoom

    Note: This is an online event. After registration, the Zoom link, along with the Meeting ID and Passcode, will be provided via email the day of each session.

    REGISTER NOW

  • 2025-10-08 6:30 pm - 2025-10-08 7:30 pm

    Rentier Capitalism

    Using Brett Christopher’s Rentier Capitalism as reference, this course explores the inordinate power and wealth of large corporations to monopolize and monopsonize markets in order to maximize and extract economic rent.

    Though the course material focuses on rentierism in the UK … still reeling from Thatcherite privatizations of state-owned enterprises in the 80s to present day, common to all this is the giveaway and privatization of billions of dollars-worth of economic rent prevalent in Western economies today. The course underscores the importance that George gave to the control of monopolies, beyond simple land value taxation.

    Recommended text available at https://www.amazon.com/Rentier-Capitalism-Owns-Economy-Pays/dp/1788739728

    InstructorDr. Marty Rowland

    Dates: Part 1: Wednesdays – 9/03, 9/10, 9/17, 9/24, 10/01; Part 2: Wednesdays – 10/08, 10/15, 10/22, 10/29

    Time: 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM ET

    Location: Online via Zoom

    Note: This is an online event. After registration, the Zoom link, along with the Meeting ID and Passcode, will be provided via email the day of each session.

    REGISTER NOW

  • 2025-10-15 6:30 pm - 2025-10-15 7:30 pm

    Rentier Capitalism

    Using Brett Christopher’s Rentier Capitalism as reference, this course explores the inordinate power and wealth of large corporations to monopolize and monopsonize markets in order to maximize and extract economic rent.

    Though the course material focuses on rentierism in the UK … still reeling from Thatcherite privatizations of state-owned enterprises in the 80s to present day, common to all this is the giveaway and privatization of billions of dollars-worth of economic rent prevalent in Western economies today. The course underscores the importance that George gave to the control of monopolies, beyond simple land value taxation.

    Recommended text available at https://www.amazon.com/Rentier-Capitalism-Owns-Economy-Pays/dp/1788739728

    InstructorDr. Marty Rowland

    Dates: Part 1: Wednesdays – 9/03, 9/10, 9/17, 9/24, 10/01; Part 2: Wednesdays – 10/08, 10/15, 10/22, 10/29

    Time: 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM ET

    Location: Online via Zoom

    Note: This is an online event. After registration, the Zoom link, along with the Meeting ID and Passcode, will be provided via email the day of each session.

    REGISTER NOW

  • 2025-10-20 6:30 pm - 2025-10-20 7:30 pm

    Prosperity Without Tariffs

    Henry George’s Protection or Free Trade was subtitled “with Special Regard to the Interests of Labor.” Yet this book and his free trade stance alienated both the unions and the Irish immigrant workers who had been his core supporters. Today, the book is popular with conservatives and Neo-libertarians as a defense of conventional free-trade policies. While both get him wrong, George’s bold stance on Free Trade, controversial as it is, may hold the key to securing prosperity without tariffs.

    In this two-part lecture series, Dan Sullivan will present the background context and lead a discussion of the book, beginning with Chapter 26 (True Free Trade), and then proceed through all the subsequent chapters, from Chapter 19 onward, to establish labor’s interests.

    Those who are interested in getting ahead of the discussion can look at the following links:

    Terence Powderly asks to focus on land value tax and take on protectionism only after the land tax victory is won.

    http://www.savingcommunities.org/docs/powderly.terence/30years08.html#cure-all

    Maria Mazzenga and Dan Sullivan on the interactions between Henry George, Terence Powderly, Father Edward McGlynn (video). https://vimeo.com/48893598

    Protection or Free Trade, chapter 26, “True Free Trade.” https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/1652#lf0448_head_027

    InstructorDan Sullivan

    Dates: Part 1: Mondays: 9/08, 9/15, 9/22, 9/29, 10/06; Part 2: Mondays – 10/20, 10/27, 11/03, 11/10, 11/17

    Time: 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM ET

    Location: Online via Zoom

    Note: This is an online event. After registration, the Zoom link, along with the Meeting ID and Passcode, will be provided via email the day of each session.

    REGISTER NOW

  • 2025-10-22 6:30 pm - 2025-10-22 7:30 pm

    Rentier Capitalism

    Using Brett Christopher’s Rentier Capitalism as reference, this course explores the inordinate power and wealth of large corporations to monopolize and monopsonize markets in order to maximize and extract economic rent.

    Though the course material focuses on rentierism in the UK … still reeling from Thatcherite privatizations of state-owned enterprises in the 80s to present day, common to all this is the giveaway and privatization of billions of dollars-worth of economic rent prevalent in Western economies today. The course underscores the importance that George gave to the control of monopolies, beyond simple land value taxation.

    Recommended text available at https://www.amazon.com/Rentier-Capitalism-Owns-Economy-Pays/dp/1788739728

    InstructorDr. Marty Rowland

    Dates: Part 1: Wednesdays – 9/03, 9/10, 9/17, 9/24, 10/01; Part 2: Wednesdays – 10/08, 10/15, 10/22, 10/29

    Time: 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM ET

    Location: Online via Zoom

    Note: This is an online event. After registration, the Zoom link, along with the Meeting ID and Passcode, will be provided via email the day of each session.

    REGISTER NOW

  • 2025-10-27 6:30 pm - 2025-10-27 7:30 pm

    Prosperity Without Tariffs

    Henry George’s Protection or Free Trade was subtitled “with Special Regard to the Interests of Labor.” Yet this book and his free trade stance alienated both the unions and the Irish immigrant workers who had been his core supporters. Today, the book is popular with conservatives and Neo-libertarians as a defense of conventional free-trade policies. While both get him wrong, George’s bold stance on Free Trade, controversial as it is, may hold the key to securing prosperity without tariffs.

    In this two-part lecture series, Dan Sullivan will present the background context and lead a discussion of the book, beginning with Chapter 26 (True Free Trade), and then proceed through all the subsequent chapters, from Chapter 19 onward, to establish labor’s interests.

    Those who are interested in getting ahead of the discussion can look at the following links:

    Terence Powderly asks to focus on land value tax and take on protectionism only after the land tax victory is won.

    http://www.savingcommunities.org/docs/powderly.terence/30years08.html#cure-all

    Maria Mazzenga and Dan Sullivan on the interactions between Henry George, Terence Powderly, Father Edward McGlynn (video). https://vimeo.com/48893598

    Protection or Free Trade, chapter 26, “True Free Trade.” https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/1652#lf0448_head_027

    InstructorDan Sullivan

    Dates: Part 1: Mondays: 9/08, 9/15, 9/22, 9/29, 10/06; Part 2: Mondays – 10/20, 10/27, 11/03, 11/10, 11/17

    Time: 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM ET

    Location: Online via Zoom

    Note: This is an online event. After registration, the Zoom link, along with the Meeting ID and Passcode, will be provided via email the day of each session.

    REGISTER NOW

  • 2025-10-29 6:30 pm - 2025-10-29 7:30 pm

    Rentier Capitalism

    Using Brett Christopher’s Rentier Capitalism as reference, this course explores the inordinate power and wealth of large corporations to monopolize and monopsonize markets in order to maximize and extract economic rent.

    Though the course material focuses on rentierism in the UK … still reeling from Thatcherite privatizations of state-owned enterprises in the 80s to present day, common to all this is the giveaway and privatization of billions of dollars-worth of economic rent prevalent in Western economies today. The course underscores the importance that George gave to the control of monopolies, beyond simple land value taxation.

    Recommended text available at https://www.amazon.com/Rentier-Capitalism-Owns-Economy-Pays/dp/1788739728

    InstructorDr. Marty Rowland

    Dates: Part 1: Wednesdays – 9/03, 9/10, 9/17, 9/24, 10/01; Part 2: Wednesdays – 10/08, 10/15, 10/22, 10/29

    Time: 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM ET

    Location: Online via Zoom

    Note: This is an online event. After registration, the Zoom link, along with the Meeting ID and Passcode, will be provided via email the day of each session.

    REGISTER NOW

  • 2025-11-03 6:30 pm - 2025-11-03 7:30 pm

    Prosperity Without Tariffs

    Henry George’s Protection or Free Trade was subtitled “with Special Regard to the Interests of Labor.” Yet this book and his free trade stance alienated both the unions and the Irish immigrant workers who had been his core supporters. Today, the book is popular with conservatives and Neo-libertarians as a defense of conventional free-trade policies. While both get him wrong, George’s bold stance on Free Trade, controversial as it is, may hold the key to securing prosperity without tariffs.

    In this two-part lecture series, Dan Sullivan will present the background context and lead a discussion of the book, beginning with Chapter 26 (True Free Trade), and then proceed through all the subsequent chapters, from Chapter 19 onward, to establish labor’s interests.

    Those who are interested in getting ahead of the discussion can look at the following links:

    Terence Powderly asks to focus on land value tax and take on protectionism only after the land tax victory is won.

    http://www.savingcommunities.org/docs/powderly.terence/30years08.html#cure-all

    Maria Mazzenga and Dan Sullivan on the interactions between Henry George, Terence Powderly, Father Edward McGlynn (video). https://vimeo.com/48893598

    Protection or Free Trade, chapter 26, “True Free Trade.” https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/1652#lf0448_head_027

    InstructorDan Sullivan

    Dates: Part 1: Mondays: 9/08, 9/15, 9/22, 9/29, 10/06; Part 2: Mondays – 10/20, 10/27, 11/03, 11/10, 11/17

    Time: 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM ET

    Location: Online via Zoom

    Note: This is an online event. After registration, the Zoom link, along with the Meeting ID and Passcode, will be provided via email the day of each session.

    REGISTER NOW

  • 2025-11-10 6:30 pm - 2025-11-10 7:30 pm

    Prosperity Without Tariffs

    Henry George’s Protection or Free Trade was subtitled “with Special Regard to the Interests of Labor.” Yet this book and his free trade stance alienated both the unions and the Irish immigrant workers who had been his core supporters. Today, the book is popular with conservatives and Neo-libertarians as a defense of conventional free-trade policies. While both get him wrong, George’s bold stance on Free Trade, controversial as it is, may hold the key to securing prosperity without tariffs.

    In this two-part lecture series, Dan Sullivan will present the background context and lead a discussion of the book, beginning with Chapter 26 (True Free Trade), and then proceed through all the subsequent chapters, from Chapter 19 onward, to establish labor’s interests.

    Those who are interested in getting ahead of the discussion can look at the following links:

    Terence Powderly asks to focus on land value tax and take on protectionism only after the land tax victory is won.

    http://www.savingcommunities.org/docs/powderly.terence/30years08.html#cure-all

    Maria Mazzenga and Dan Sullivan on the interactions between Henry George, Terence Powderly, Father Edward McGlynn (video). https://vimeo.com/48893598

    Protection or Free Trade, chapter 26, “True Free Trade.” https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/1652#lf0448_head_027

    InstructorDan Sullivan

    Dates: Part 1: Mondays: 9/08, 9/15, 9/22, 9/29, 10/06; Part 2: Mondays – 10/20, 10/27, 11/03, 11/10, 11/17

    Time: 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM ET

    Location: Online via Zoom

    Note: This is an online event. After registration, the Zoom link, along with the Meeting ID and Passcode, will be provided via email the day of each session.

    REGISTER NOW

  • 2025-11-17 6:30 pm - 2025-11-17 7:30 pm

    Prosperity Without Tariffs

    Henry George’s Protection or Free Trade was subtitled “with Special Regard to the Interests of Labor.” Yet this book and his free trade stance alienated both the unions and the Irish immigrant workers who had been his core supporters. Today, the book is popular with conservatives and Neo-libertarians as a defense of conventional free-trade policies. While both get him wrong, George’s bold stance on Free Trade, controversial as it is, may hold the key to securing prosperity without tariffs.

    In this two-part lecture series, Dan Sullivan will present the background context and lead a discussion of the book, beginning with Chapter 26 (True Free Trade), and then proceed through all the subsequent chapters, from Chapter 19 onward, to establish labor’s interests.

    Those who are interested in getting ahead of the discussion can look at the following links:

    Terence Powderly asks to focus on land value tax and take on protectionism only after the land tax victory is won.

    http://www.savingcommunities.org/docs/powderly.terence/30years08.html#cure-all

    Maria Mazzenga and Dan Sullivan on the interactions between Henry George, Terence Powderly, Father Edward McGlynn (video). https://vimeo.com/48893598

    Protection or Free Trade, chapter 26, “True Free Trade.” https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/1652#lf0448_head_027

    InstructorDan Sullivan

    Dates: Part 1: Mondays: 9/08, 9/15, 9/22, 9/29, 10/06; Part 2: Mondays – 10/20, 10/27, 11/03, 11/10, 11/17

    Time: 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM ET

    Location: Online via Zoom

    Note: This is an online event. After registration, the Zoom link, along with the Meeting ID and Passcode, will be provided via email the day of each session.

    REGISTER NOW