Neighborhood Prints Own Money

[ToyBoat]

Milwaukee neighborhoods could print own money

2 neighborhoods consider printing own currency for exclusive use in local stores

By Erika Slife | Tribune reporter
December 3, 2008

They may be talking funny money, but it's not funny business.

Residents from the Milwaukee neighborhoods of Riverwest and East Side are scheduled to meet Wednesday to discuss printing their own money. The idea is that the local cash could be used at neighborhood stores and businesses, thus encouraging local spending. The result, supporters hope, would be a bustling local economy, even as the rest of the nation deals with a recession.

"You have all these people who have local currency, and they're going to spend it at local stores," said Sura Faraj, a community organizer who is helping spearhead the plan. "They can't spend it at the Wal-Mart or the Home Depot, but they can spend it at their local hardware store or their local grocery store."

Incentives could be used to entice consumers into using the new money. For example, perhaps they could trade $100 U.S. for $110 local, essentially netting them a 10 percent discount at participating stores.

It's not a new concept—experts estimate there are at least 2,000 local currencies all over the world—but it is a practice that tends to burgeon during economic downturns. During the Great Depression, scores of communities relied on their own currencies.

And it's completely legal.

As long as communities don't create coins, or print bills that resemble federal dollars, organizations are free to produce their own greenbacks—and they'd don't even have to be green.

In Wisconsin, could that mean dough that looks like cheese?
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-talk_moneydec03,0,2902061.story

[itshappening]

The Feds will prosecute them....

[RevolutionSD]

The Feds will prosecute them....

yes and that's why we need to keep doing civil disobedience like this until there's nothing they can do.

[gilliganscorner]

This is simply Ithaca Hours (http://gilliganscorner.wordpress.com/2008/07/15/ithaca-hours/).

They can use any form of currency they want, as long as all extortion (taxes) are calculated and paid in Federal Reserve Points to pay tribute to the State so that you can lose in both taxation and inflation.

Failure to do so will result in bad guys wearing clown suits sent to homes and businesses with shiny badges and brandishing guns to waterboard the participants into compliance.

[newyearsrevolution08]

We should all push for this, I think this is a great idea and if cities start putting this in front of the city council enough times they might have to do it OR find elected officials who will listen to the public.

So how do we get in touch with the people who are trying this out? I want to get more information so I can see if they have looked into the legal side of things as well as anything else that might be needed to duplicate their efforts.

I think ALL the local businesses would back this, I could sell the hell out of the idea here in Fresno. Imagine the advertising to these local businesses.

Sick of all your businesses going to places like walmart and home depot? Then support prop 1234 to implement a local currency.

Imagine pitching it to the council and mayors as well,

"A local currency would make it so the businesses right here in YOUR city will generate more revenue because once you put our new currency into use the tax revenue generated will be ENORMOUS."

This might be a great way to break off from the fed reserve PLUS we can push for the local currency to FIRST be backed by something "sound" so they don't duplicate our same mistakes but at a local level.

PM me if anyone knows how to contact these people

[gilliganscorner]

The issue of printing "neighborhood" money is the same as the Federal Reserve Points. Who issues it under what mechanisms in what amounts?

My suggestion to you is this. Use gold or silver coins for the same reason they make good money historically:

1) It isn't fiat.
2) It is valued based on weight and purity and easily verifiable at point of sale via a Fisch instrument.
3) It is liquid where you can convert it to FRNs if needed.
4) You can use it to trade with people outside the taxation/inflation system you currently are enslaved to. 50% of your productivity is stolen via taxation, and the government/banking cartel steals it secretly through inflation as some of you well (or should) know.

Cheers

[Kludge]

I believe the point is to keep wealth in the community. Chinese can't do a damn thing with paper accepted only in a city thousands of miles away.

[gilliganscorner]

I believe the point is to keep wealth in the community. Chinese can't do a damn thing with paper accepted only in a city thousands of miles away.

I have no problem with that concept, but it comes down to:

1) Who issues it?
2) In what proportions?
3) Backed by what? Debt or State violence? (Legal Tender Laws, demanding taxes be paid in that form of money, nullifying contracts if paid in alternate money?)

If you want a real municipal unit of currency, what you may want to consider is petitioning (begging or pleading) with them that they allow property taxes (even better - demand ) be paid in the "neighborhood" currency. That will create the demand for the notes AND keep them local.

Oh wait. Scratch that. The Federal government already has a monopoly on the monetary printing press. Only they may counterfeit money.

Using gold and silver coin IS a local thing for local businesses. Create networks and trustworthy trading partners outside of the "red market" that takes the fruits of our labor through taxation and inflation. All you need is 4-5 trading partners to kick it off part-time. Believe me, once you have a local group of trading partners working 20% of their time in this network without paying protection money to the State, they will stick around to grow it.

Hope I've made sense.

[newyearsrevolution08]

I believe the point is to keep wealth in the community. Chinese can't do a damn thing with paper accepted only in a city thousands of miles away.

Yes indeed and also instead of worrying about 1 currency that prints it out like nothing it would be easier to keep a local currency in check and IF one goes crazy that would not do anything to any other currency around them. It would allow local economies to grow as they should with free market leading the way versus a "economic standard" of growth sometimes tossed on cities.

I think it is a great idea and will add it to my list of things to setup.

[newyearsrevolution08]

I have no problem with that concept, but it comes down to:

1) Who issues it?
2) In what proportions?
3) Backed by what? Debt or State violence? (Legal Tender Laws, demanding taxes be paid in that form of money, nullifying contracts if paid in alternate money?)

If you want a real municipal unit of currency, what you may want to consider is petitioning (begging or pleading) with them that they allow property taxes (even better - demand ) be paid in the "neighborhood" currency. That will create the demand for the notes AND keep them local.

Oh wait. Scratch that. The Federal government already has a monopoly on the monetary printing press. Only they may counterfeit money.

Using gold and silver coin IS a local thing for local businesses. Create networks and trustworthy trading partners outside of the "red market" that takes the fruits of our labor through taxation and inflation. All you need is 4-5 trading partners to kick it off part-time. Believe me, once you have a local group of trading partners working 20% of their time in this network without paying protection money to the State, they will stick around to grow it.

Hope I've made sense.

I am actually thinking of this strategy myself.

1. Debit Card System
2. Backed By Precious Metals
3. Local Banks Store The Gold That Gets Audited Every X Month(s)
4. No Need To Print Paper Anything Or Make Coins
5. Easier To Freeze An Account For Fraud Attempts Than Paper Money
6. There Are Already Online Options To Setup Something Like This, With A Paypal Type Of Payment Processor For Instance.
7. Adding A New Option On Credit Card Readers And Writers Would Simply Be A Module Or Code Update

[newyearsrevolution08]

anymore info?