California Public Banking Alliance

09/10/2026

San Francisco’s housing crisis needs more than the same old tools. As Thomas Marois lays out, Prop B would create the foundations of a municipal public bank that lends for the public good instead of maximum profit. That means low-cost loans for affordable housing that private banks keep passing over. Finland’s public bank puts nearly half its long-term lending into nonprofit housing. California cities can do this too! McMaster University SF Public Bank

https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/public-bank-prop-b-san-francisco-22456327.php

30/09/2026

San Francisco voters will decide this November whether the city should lay the groundwork to create the nation's first municipal SF Public Bank! Proposition B would allow SF to set up a Municipal Finance Corporation that would transition into a fully regulated public bank, keeping local tax dollars in the city to fund things like affordable housing and small businesses. This means the city could use its own revenue to back local priorities directly, all without raising taxes.

San Francisco voters will be asked in November if the city should be allowed to set up a public bank and become the first in the nation to do so.

25/09/2026

Trinity Tran, 2026 TED Fellows and CPBA's Executive Director, breaks down why public banking matters and what it takes to build a financial system that actually serves communities.

Watch the full-length 5-minute TED Film:
https://www.ted.com/talks/trinity_tran_who_controls_your_city_s_money

Help us spread the word and push past 300k views! Genuinely helpful if you're new to this work!

To get a deeper dive into the public banking movement, also check out "Who Controls Your City’s Money," a TED Talks Daily podcast ft. an interview with Trinity and TED Fellows Director Lily James Old. 🎤 https://open.spotify.com/episode/42yH48wLfzVNKc9Y3dytw4

15/09/2026

Take 5 minutes to watch Trinity Tran, 2026 TED Fellows and the Executive Director of the California Public Banking Alliance, break down why public banking is critical in building a community-led financial ecosystem. With visuals that amplify her message, Trinity presents an overview of public banking that educates and provides public banking advocates with tools to bring public banks to life.

https://www.ted.com/talks/trinity_tran_who_controls_your_city_s_money

It's already at 200,000+ views, help us spread the word and push past 300,000!

Also tune in to Trinity's TED Talks Daily podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/42yH48wLfzVNKc9Y3dytw4

What if your city could borrow money from its own bank instead of private lenders? TED Fellow Trinity Tran is leading the push for public banks — which are owned by the people through their local governments — and shows how this model could ensure your local tax dollars stay in your community.

09/09/2026

We're heartbroken to share that David Cobb passed away on Labor Day. His heart gave way while on his usual beach walk, one of his favorite ways to clear his head and take in the world he fought so hard for.

David gave over 30 years to social justice and to the fight for democracy. He was more than a core part of this Alliance. He was our Onboarding Director and North Coast Regional Rep, our comrade since 2019, and his fingerprints are on so much of what we've built. We saw him just last Monday on our coalition Zoom call and had a planned webinar in the next few weeks.

Throughout his career as an activist, movement builder, and People's Attorney, David worked with orgs across the movement, from The Democracy Collaborative, where he served as special advisor and recently as a fellow, to the Green Party, where he ran as a presidential candidate in 2004, to the US Solidarity Economy Network. He was a force to be reckoned with, inspiring us all with his post-capitalist ideals.

David's longtime friend Jim Reed wrote the tribute below, "An Ode to David Cobb." David's partner, Ruthi Engelke, asked that it be shared with our community. We're passing it along as written.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My best friend, hero, and soul brother, spent the last 30 years fighting tirelessly for social justice and the embodiment of democracy we were promised as children. He gave his heart fully, until it gave way.

So in the spirit of my friend, I'm going to tell the ending of his story in the manner I choose that best fits the man.

David took his routine walk along the beach last Labor Day, his favorite holiday that recognizes the achievements of the Socialist movement in this country that brought us the 5 day work week, safety and environmental standards, health care benefits, and Social Security.

Along this walk, taking in the sea air and mist and the view of the endless horizon, his heart finally gave way. It had carried a heavy load and burning fire for so long, and being mortal as much like a Greek god he was to me, came to its natural limits.

David fell to his knee, rolled over, and made his final exhale, in that moment realizing the sound of the ocean was also a sound of returning to the womb.

Be well on your journey my friend. Words cannot capture how much I will miss you.

— Jim Reed, September 2026

04/09/2026

Hella Bees, a Black-owned restaurant and bar in Oakland, was buzzing Thursday evening when community members from the East Bay and San Francisco converged to discuss how public banking can improve their lives. Four small groups of 8-10 mostly people of color explored the financial challenges they face and how regional public banks would improve their lives.

Jointly organized by End Poverty in California, SF Public Bank, Public Bank East Bay, and the California Public Banking Alliance, this roundtable showed how organizations can collaborate to make positive change. Many people new to public banking asked how they can get involved in public banking ballot measures this November in Berkeley (Measure Z) and San Francisco (Proposition B).

Special thanks to Michael Tubbs, EPIC's Founder for joining the listening session, CPBA's Rick Girling, and to Reina Tello with PODER (SF) for facilitating.

📸: End Poverty in California

31/08/2026

Measure B!

The Yes on B Prop B campaign for Public Bank kickoff was a huge success!!

Thank you to everyone who came out today to help get the word out and everyone whose diligent work over the decade it took to get here.

The people of San Francisco will be voting this November on a bank that they own, and puts their money to work for them.

Thank you to Jackie Fielder Chyanne Chen Bilal Mahmood 馬百樂 SF Labor Council for rallying the volunteers.

Join the movement!

26/08/2026

Public banking is on the ballot in Berkeley! Measure Z would institute a six-year parcel tax, starting at 6 cents per square foot for homes and 9 cents per square foot for other buildings, to capitalize and deposit into Public Bank East Bay. Projected to raise over $9 million in its first year, it would be the largest single investment in a long-discussed regional bank.

Measure Z, a parcel tax to fund a regional public bank, is on the November’ ballot. Proponents say it will invest in worthy local causes.

21/08/2026

This November, San Francisco voters decide on a public bank, a city-owned institution that could manage public funds and issue loans for affordable housing, green energy, and small businesses that commercial banks often pass on. If it passes, SF becomes the first city in the US to operate one.

Tune in as they break down what it is, how it could work, and what's at stake!

🎙️ Guests: Misha Steier (SF Public Bank), Alyce McFadden (San Francisco Chronicle)

We'll dive into what a public bank is and how it might work in San Francisco.

06/08/2026

Rick Girling, Vice Chair of the California Public Banking Alliance and member of the SF Public Bank, wrote this letter to the Editor of the San Francisco Chronicle in response to an op-ed they published. Setting up a public bank in SF make perfect sense as it will provide a means to fund affordable housing, climate mitigation and small businesses that are struggling to survive. Full text below:

Public bank makes sense

Regarding “Why the case for an S.F. public bank makes no sense,” (Opinion/Open Forum, SFChronicle.com, July 18): Evidently, author Prasad Krishnamurthy believes that there is plenty of affordable housing in San Francisco and there is no need to find funds to finance climate crisis actions or get small businesses back on their feet. He claims there are plenty of ways that the city can finance these needs, so why hasn't the mayor utilized all of his terrific ideas?

It is exactly in these situations where a public bank can come to the rescue. There is a reason why Bank of America and Citibank have such huge profits ($30.5 billion and $14.3 billion in 2025). Banking is a very profitable business.

California’s Public Banking Act, authored by then-Assemblymember and current S.F. City Attorney David Chiu, authorizes local governments such as San Francisco to establish public banks, subject to state and federal regulatory approval. Such a bank would enable San Franciscans to invest in our city for affordable housing, climate mitigation, and small business support and to return its profits to S.F. rather than shipping that money away to finance fossil fuel expansion and reward overpaid executives.

Rick Girling, San Francisco

https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/letterstotheeditor/article/ai-student-school-college-essay-22356081.php

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Chronicle readers comment on AI use in college application essays, public banking, affordable housing and moving Ruth Asawa School of the Arts into vacant mall.