Sustainable Saratoga: Local Economic Literacy 101

Just passing along info on Sustainable Saratoga's upcoming monthly educational speaker event on Local Economic Literacy 101

Local Economic Literacy 101 Community Meeting March 22, 2011 7-9 pm Lillian’s Restaurant
Sustainable Saratoga, a volunteer organization encouraging efforts to improve the quality of life in Saratoga while conserving the vitality and diversity of regional resources, invites all interested to attend the group’s monthly community meeting on Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011 from 7-9 p.m. in the upstairs dining room of Lillian’s Restaurant located at 408 Broadway in Saratoga Springs..

The event, dubbed “Economic Literacy 101,” will feature former Saratoga Springs Finance Commissioner and local businessman Matthew McCabe, who will discuss the underpinnings of the municipal budget for the City. He will expand on sources of the City’s revenue, including the City’s unique application of the County’s Sales Tax Formula, as well as the various expenses incurred and services provided by the City. Mr. McCabe served as Finance Commissioner on the City Council from 2004 through 2007. He will discuss policies that might build a more resilient local economy, and what steps our community could take to encourage more local ownership of businesses, provide more local manufacturing, and generate more local purchasing and procurement. Mr. McCabe will also entertain questions from the audience.

The event will also include a participatory game illustrating the funding of public goods/services, an introduction to an demographic and economic atlas of the Upper Hudson River region, and the presentation of some preliminary findings from a personal spending accounting exercise undertaken by Local Economy Committee Co-Chair Jim Zack. Audience members can expect to leave the meeting with a clearer understanding of the principles of Localism in general, as well as the economic conditions and challenges of the region.

The event is free of charge and open to the public. Dinner can be ordered off the menu upstairs from 5:30 to 6:30. Please join us to learn more about how your local economy works and why it is important to you!

Sustainable Saratoga is a volunteer organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in Saratoga while conserving the vitality and diversity of regional natural, human and built resources.

For more information on Sustainable Saratoga go to www.SustainableSaratoga.com