Local Community Currency Money - Stephanie Mills - 1 of 2

Running out of money? Many communities, businesses, families and individuals face this during hard times. Money seems to vanish, to dry up, and capital is not available. There are few jobs, little work, and things get very, very tight.

A local currency is a form of money that can help a community or group of people to continue to buy and sell things from each other. This has been done many times in the past, and is being done right now in hundreds of places around the world. Communities that create a local currency are able to increase business and economic activity within that community.

Listen as Local Future organizer Aaron Wissner talks with reknown bioregionalist author Stephanie Mills on the details of the creation of a new local currency in Traverse City, Michigan call the Bay Buck. Mills describes many of the challenges and successes of Bay Bucks and gives a number of tips for other communities interested in creating their very own local currency.

This is part 1 of 2 parts, the entire uncut and unedited video running approximately 18 minutes.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• local
• currency
• economics
• legal
• tender
• community
• economic
• banknotes
• scrip
• LETS
• time
• dollars
• dollar
• hour
• hours
• banking
• company
• cash
• emergency
• monetary
• WIR
• complementary
• medium
• exchange
• localism
• localization
• towns
• berkshares
• ithaca
• sustainability
• relocalization
• transition
• bioregionalism
• worgl
• michigan
• traverse
• city
• bay
• bucks
• baybucks
• stephanie
• mills
• aaron
• wissner

[jobyweeks]

silver and gold should be the only currency

[newculture]

That is easy to say for people that have access to silver and gold.

Precious metals are often the first thing brought up as what should be a currency. It is very easy to visualize, that the only money is these coins. It reminds us of the currencies of the Roman Empire and earlier. It has curb appeal.

But silver and gold have numerous fatal flaws as a permanent currency.

Excellent books on money are out there: Zarlenga, Mills, Leitaer, and most importantly Thomas Greco are places to start.

[ashtweth]

Make them out of HEMP paper

[MoneyIsSilver]

"Think bigger"??? Naw...It sounds like I have to by into your ponzi scheme currency to "think bigger"...I'll keep my silver, thank you.

[jum401]

the problem triggered by the monetary system reaches more (all...) aspects of our lives. The questions raised by our lives --if one bothers not to look the other way-- are big ones and demand redefining ourselves and our societies, if we r to form civilized communities.

Think bigger. Get creative. Wealth is created when more parties decide to engage in transactions sharing each others potential. Trading in goods is just one of the ways that, that sharing can be done.

[MoneyIsSilver]

you obviously were never taught the difference between shit and shine-ola.

[jum401]

silver huh? lol! no wonder u don't get it then!

moron? hmmm...

[MoneyIsSilver]

You can believe that if you want to. I think you have the wrong Bernard though. Check out Bernard von Nothaus if you want to know who the real monetary genius is. He created a currency that threatened the US gov't money enough for them to shut him down to enforce their monopoly.

[MoneyIsSilver]

The Federal Reserve is even older, its still a scam...and a good one apparently considering how many people have been duped by both the Fed and the Wir.

"stick with your bank debt money"

You're an absolute moron. I use silver, jackass! Notice the name much?? Your Wir notes are based on debts that are based on more debts. Stick to your debt money!

[jum401]

well... some consider it the reason for the proverbial resilience of swiss economy, u call it a giant scam. an 80 year old system, i might add...

stick with your bank debt money, your "free market - free bailout", if u prefer, and the american dream of a non slave labor capitalism. as george carlin put it: "that's why it's called a dream, cause you have to be asleep to believe it".

[MoneyIsSilver]

Tom Greco should read some history. Up until the Federal Reserve was created and for some years afterward, gold and silver were used as a medium of exchange for thousands of years. Today, it would be even easier to use with swipe cards backed by vaulted gold. Google "egold" and read how the gov't has stuck its nose into their business to eliminate competition and enforce their monopoly.

[jum401]

he was one of the designers of ecu (that later became euro), correct. and he *is* one of the leading thinkers on alternative currencies, i agree. and one of the few economists who think in systemic terms. did u see the video with his speech in european journalism centre ? check it out: watch?v=OfMbYllbN6c