A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT AND FOOD SUPPLY OVER MONEY
A market need currently NOT MET by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the long-term health and sustainability of the Air, Water, Soil, Forests, and Food Supply.
Just this morning, July 21, 2011, I made three significant
connections. The first connection was the pin with the Indian on it, the Massachusetts
State Seal, given to my eight year-old daughter, Abigail, by Martin Benison,
Comptroller for the Commonwealth, at the public hearing by the Commission to
study the feasibility of a state-owned bank in Plymouth, MA
on July19th. To me, the Indian signifies freedom and reverence for our
environment, on which we depend for our survival.
The second connection was the testimony of Alan Page, a certified forester who lives in western, MA; his testimony about the dying forests in Massachusetts got the attention of the Commission. He cannot get a bank to fund the necessary long-term health of the forests in Massachusetts to guarantee the necessary annual carbon sequestration for clean air and soil and water for the growing of food for all of the citizens of Massachusetts. He was compelled to testify in favor of the creation of a state-owned bank in order that the Commonwealth with its vast resources aid him in an endeavor to keep Massachusetts' forests healthy because he knows and has proof that they are dying.
The third connection was on the wall at the Unitarian Church
in Bedford, MA where we attended a meeting/lecture on
June 12, 2011 with Charles Ogletree, who spoke on "there is nothing false about
Hope." There I saw this quote by a Cree Indian: "Only when the last tree has died and the last river been poisoned and
the last fish caught will we realize we cannot EAT money."
Ladies and gentleman of the Commission to study the feasibility of a state-owned bank,
I urge you to report favorably on creating a state-owned
bank and support legislation to create a state bank/state partnership bank
modeled on the Bank of North Dakota with a mandate to partner with community
financial institutions in funding private and public initiatives that build
strong local economies, rebuild local food systems, advance conversion to green
energy, and create the energy efficient infrastructure essential to a 21st
century economy. The following could
be the Mission statement for the Commission to
Study the feasibility of a state-owned bank.
To secure funding for the highest possible quality Air, Land, Water, Forests and Food Supply for the citizens of the Commonwealth.
David Snieckus
99 Crescent Street
Newton, MA 02466
617-964-2951
