Post-D.C. Wrap-Up
Nearly six months after traveling to Washington, D.C. with my organization as part of the Coalition to Save Community Banking, my one year fellowship is complete. With a bit of downtime before I launch into my next position, I think it’s an apt time to follow-up on the work of the Coalition and reflect briefly on the remainder of my time with Bethel.
First, a few photos of the trip….
Leaving Chicago, at the start of one very long ride
Rallying the troops after arriving in D.C....circa 3 a.m.
The troops.
Neil and Jackie arriving on Capitol Hill
The hearing room in the U.S. House of Representatives
Counsel to Witness, one of the most unnerving seats I've ever taken
Following the Congressional Hearing, the coalition continued to advocate for meaningful policy reform in Washington. Simultaneously, the CSCB has been in ongoing negotiations with Park National Bank’s successor, U.S. Bank, to ensure that it operates in the community in a manner befitting the PNB legacy. In my final days with Bethel, there were numerous signs that the Coalition’s work was paying off. On Sunday, June 18th the New York Times ran a feature article in Sunday Business that covered the PNB story and the work of the Coalition following the bank’s seizure and sale. Such significant national media coverage not only reflects the relevancy of this story to communities across the country, but also the value of the Coalition’s work in organizing the community, gathering and publicizing research, and mobilizing local stakeholders, citizens, and elected officials. Read the story here: The Town That Loved Its Bank
The Coalition continues to negotiate the details of a Community Benefits Agreement with U.S. Bank, which sets expectations and standards for the Bank’s local operations, and is working with the bank to establish a multi-million dollar foreclosure mitigation fund for Westside communities. As in communities across the nation, the foreclosure crisis is epidemic on the Westside. Yet in these communities- already wracked by elevated unemployment, drug trade, and crime- vacant foreclosed buildings destabilize neighborhoods even further, attracting squatters, addicts, and other illicit activity. The fund proposed by the Coalition would support active foreclosure mitigation- such as homeowner counseling and home loan modifications- as well as property acquisition and rehab. Although the tentatively proposed figure of $25 million is hardly sufficient to address the thousands of existing and pending foreclosures across Westside communities, it is a critical step towards stabilizing neighborhoods and reverting a dangerous downward spiral.
Beyond working with the Coalition, the rest of my time with BNL this spring was productive and rewarding. BNL was initiating the planning for a comprehensive economic development strategy, allowing me to jump into interesting projects surrounding industrial attraction and retention, commercial corridor revitalization, and transit-oriented housing development. Finally, I was able to complete my own personal initiative- the project plan for pilot program to be implemented by BNL. But more on that to come, as the pilot gets up and running…
And so I’ll close Chapter 1 of my time in Chicago with the following post (see next). Though I wrote the piece in the winter of 2010, I think it still holds as a relevant reflection on my experience working on the Westside.
Me and a couple of stalwart organizers
An American City 