Private banks, both local and national, mostly benefit their shareholders. Publicly owned banks operate for the benefit of the public, and do so with far greater transparency and community input.

Credit unions typically operate as non-profits that are more accountable to their members than conventional banks, but Marc Armstrong, Executive Director of the Public Banking Institute, says they are limited in what they can do.

Marc ArmstrongOne of the most important aspects of a public bank, explains Armstrong, is the opportunity it affords for interested local citizens to observe and even participate in key business decision-making.

Some may fear that such a process would lead a public bank to make riskier loans or investments. In practice, Armstrong says, just the opposite has proven to be the case for the Bank of North Dakota.

Marc Armstrong will lead a discussion on public banking at the Share Exchange in downtown Santa Rosa on Wednesday evening, May 2, beginning at 6:30 pm.

You can see and hear a previous North Bay Report interview with Public Banking Institute founder Ellen Brown here. It was originally broadcast December 9, 2010.

 Dr. S.I. HayakawaDr. S.I. Hayakawa was a colorful and polarizing figure in California politics in the 1960s and 70s. But a new biography of the noted semanticist traces an unexpectedly complex history before that notoriety enveloped him.

Hayakawa's academic credentials were established early on, says his biographer, Gerland Haslam. But in the 1940s and '50s, Hayakawa's Japanese-American status stood in the way of his career advancement.

Hayakawa instead found a way to build his reputation through non-academic, popular media. It was those articles, explains Haslam, that sparked his interest in writing In Thought and Action: The Enigmatic Life of S.I. Hayakawa.

Gerald HaslamEven after Dr. Hayakawa attained a measure of academic accomplishment, eventually becoming president of San Francisco State University, he retained some deeply held enmity, which Haslam came to see as pivotal in Hayakawa's eventual political about face.

 Next Tuesday is International Workers Day, and the newest group to join in the annual Mayday march for immigrant rights and related issues locally is Occupy Santa Rosa.

 The origins of May first observations of International Workers Day reach back more than a century into American history, note Carl Patrick of Occupy Santa Rosa. And the renewed focus on labor and immigrant rights in recent years can be seen as a direct link back to those first May Day protests.

Colin RajahOfficially at least, US and California law distinguishes between immigrants who are in this country legally and those who are undocumented. But in practice, says Colin Rajah of the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, the experience of both groups tends to be pretty much the same—and unpleasant or worse for everyone.

As Occupy Santa Rosa prepares to again be a consistent and visible presence in the city's downtown, Carl Patrick says they are changing their approach to emphasize their message without provoking a negative response from city government or police.

Arlie Haig checks new growth in a community garden at Julliard ParkMore and more, people are turning to community gardens to grow their own fresh fruit and vegetables. And in Santa Rosa, that's just gotten a little bit easier.

In Julliard Park the community garden sits on former bocce ball courts. In other parks, some residents would like to replace under-used horseshoe courts with new gardens. That's not allowable under the new guidelines, explains Lisa Grant of Santa Rosas Recreation & Parks Department. After all, you never know if horseshoes, are set to make a big comeback in popularity.

iGrow is a local non-profit group, supported by Health Action, teaching and organizing community gardens in Sonoma County.