The Arroyo S.E.C.O. Network of Time Banks is proud to present the debut of the documentary Time as Money made by talented members Lenore and Mark Eklund! Made entirely with Time Credits. Get an insider's view of Time Banking in practice.

When: Sunday, September 29th. Potluck at 5PM Screening at 6PM
Where: Armory Center for the Arts 145 North Raymond Ave Pasadena, CA
91103
Details: Bring a dish to share and your own plate, cup and utensil. Everyone welcome. Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/events/750430184971601/

"Empathy, democracy and the economy" by Dr. Edgar Cahn founder of Time Banks USA. Published on Open Democracy on September 10th, 2013
http://www.opendemocracy.net/transformation/edgar-cahn/empathy-democracy-and-economy

Democracy is lost unless we re-structure our economies, and re-structuring our economies requires a new system based on different values. This is the sixth article in our series on empathy and transformation.

When one-tenth of the US population controls 80 per cent of national wealth there can be only one conclusion: democracy is on life support in America. Democracy means nothing if money can buy elections, pay lobbyists to buy officials, and disable public institutions through cronyism and corruption. Whatever birthright we enjoy as citizens is expropriated when delegated to people whose decision-making authority is on sale to the highest bidder.

The finance industry is thriving once again while disparities in income and opportunity have grown exponentially. Over one-fifth of all children in the United States now live below the poverty line. Manufacturing jobs have been replaced by service sector jobs that rarely pay a living wage. Decades of regressive economic policies have stymied the middle class. Organized labor - historically a crucial way for the working class to mobilize - has steadily declined.  Speech may still be free, but money talks even louder in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision on Citizens United. The political system rests on an economy that concentrates wealth and power. It’s a gloomy picture, for sure, but what does it have to do with the subject of empathy?