Minutes of Economics Working Group – Monday February 20th 2012 5pm

Present: Peter, Tim, Elena, Anesu, Dave, Mike, Chris F-D, Clara, Janos, Mattia, Schrapp, Alexander

1. Banking Campaign

Now that the three main thrusts of the banking campaign have been decided, it was agreed we need to produce a strategy document to take back to the GA.
Chris F-D is also going to the next Outreach WG meeting to possibly link up with them.
We then came up with activities to promote this initiative. We already have the RBS Teach-out and the Move-your-money Campaign. Dave suggested liaising with other Economics Working Groups, via International Outreach. Chris F-D was keen on using flyers/stickers. Tim also suggested:

- Writing on Banknotes
- Occupy a Tax Haven
- Getting involved with the Criminal Investigations Unit’s RBS prosecution
- A viral campaign publicising theft by banking of the nation
- Getting involved in the Tax Justice Network’s anti-tax haven campaign
- Use the ‘Walk Around the Boroughs’ initiative
- Expand the Canary Wharf and Mayfair tours to do a City of London one too
- A human ring around the city (would need approx 3500 people)
- Link up with UK-uncut
- Get a slot on Resonance FM
- Get involved with the EEE Working Group’s Direct Action training day
- Link up with Climate Justice

Other members of the Economics Working Group are encouraged to come up with more ideas.

2 Waltham Forest Trades Council

This meeting is going ahead on March 2nd. Dave to E-Mail ‘Move your Money’ details to Mike.

3. Land Value Tax Session – Rob to organise

4. Jubilee Debt Campaign – this apparently is being expanded to include Corporate and Foreign Debt.

5. Strategy Meeting

Taking place at the School of Ideas Sunday 26th 2-7pm with a ½ hour break. The agenda to include:

Aims of the EWG
Our relationship with the GA
What Are We?
Short Term vs Long Term Strategies
Membership
Relationship to On-Line Forum
What We Know, What We Need To Know, What We Can Agree On (possibly set up as a database)
Deployment of our human Skills/Resources
Explore Economics vs Politics and Our Personal backgrounds

It is recommended that before the meeting everyone a) Does the on-line degree b) Reads the ’38 points’ document and c) Reads the NEF document (Tim to circulate the link for that)

6. One-Off Wealth Tax

Tim said his idea for this had evolved so that it may now be a graduated wealth tax, set up in trust form, the money from which is spent either to pay off the national debt, or to counteract austerity measures.

7. Mike said in his view the only way to effect change was to make it impossible for the government to govern.

Next Meeting

Friday 25th at 5pm in the Tent City University if available, otherwise Café Nero.