Several panel discussions followed including Economics of Sprawl and Sustainable Growth,
Fighting for Justice, and Fighting for Democracy.
On Sunday, New College Professor David Brain facilitated a small group panel/discussion on
Moving Beyond Protest Politics...Creating the World We Want. This led to several breakout sessions on issues that attendees wished to work on locally. Animated discussions ensued.
One group discussed how we might circumvent the massive cable companies and create our own community cable. Seattle and Chattanooga are communities that have done just this.
Another group deliberated on what could be done locally to increase community-based financing and credit unions, especially in underserved communities. They decided to approach Achieva Credit Union about setting up a Newtown location.
Another group looked at the potential for cooperative approaches to child and adult day care. They realized that Sarasota and Manatee Counties already have a tool that might prove very helpful - The Common Wealth Time Bank.
A large group met to examine whether the City of Sarasota is ready for participatory budgeting or something along the lines of the People's Budget Review in St. Petersburg, which has been going strong since 2012. There was firm consensus that Sarasotans would be interested in deciding how much we want to spend on public safety vs. parks vs. the arts, etc.
The 2017 Critical Times Conference was exceptionally energizing. Participants found others who were troubled by the same things and walked away ready to tackle those issues together.
