Posted on 04/08/2009 2:39:37 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
You've probably heard critics claiming Uncle Sam is printing money like it's going out of style. Now, as CBS 2's Derrick Blakley reports, some towns are getting into the act since their communities were granted a license to print money.
At a time when money's tighter than ever in Ithaca, New York, they're now printing they're own.
They call their funny money "Ithaca Hours."
In Pittsboro, North Carolina, it's much the same. Local businesses are distributing their own bizzaro dinero called, "The Plenty."
"Bring nine dollars to the bank and you get 10 Plenty's. You're increasing your local purchasing power right there," said Pittsboro merchant Mary Demare.
Jerry Roper from Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, thinks the idea is something Chicago should consider.
"The appeal is you do get a 10 percent discount, or a 15 percent discount and for the shop owner, the restaurant, retail people, it's keeping traffic moving, keeping staffs working," said Roper.
The concept isn't a new one. During the Depression, Chicago businesses often paid their workers in privately printed money called Scrip.
Scrip was also used to pay workers who dug the Chicago, Illinois and Michigan Canal, but its use declined because workers rebelled.
"Eventually people became very angry at this and felt like it was another way to control their lives," said Peter Alter, the Chicago History Museum's curator.
Now, it's an attempt to take control as the economy slips and slides.
"Do you complain about it, wait for politicians to solve the problem or do you say if you don't have enough money, why don't we make our own," asked one shop owner.
Closer to home, business groups in Milwaukee and South Bend are considering printing their own local currency, but Uncle Sam stipulates that any form of local cash can't resemble federal money or be promoted as legal tender.
Ithaca is the town of evil. I think that has been established before on FR.
This story sounds familiar from about 6 years ago. I forgot the cities that made their own funny money at that time.
I heard from some in the last year visitors to Cali and back home here in the tight PNW that travelors recieved too many $5 and $10 fake bills.
Folks on the road come home and civil wise complain and get a whole so what fill out 40 pages and see if anyone cares?
I give it 4 months and cash will be worthless.
You will need your debit/credit bank or on the side card plus your ID or no purchase.
Let me bet cha. (or not as this is a jmo )
One is the town of Worgl in Germany in the early 1930s... they had a local currency, started by the mayor. Every month, the currency would expire unless you had it stamped at town hall and paid a 1% fee. The net result was that the velocity of money increased greatly, circulating 14 times more than average. It seemed to be successful but then the German central bank shut all alt-currencies down.
Great! I can then print my own and not have to worry about silly laws about counterfeiting...
Click on the link to see a photo of the reporter...
FIRST thing that caught my eye...
It bought me Park Place and a couple of hotels to go with it.
So how does the IRS tax transactions in this goofy lucre?
Last time we saw this was the Great Depression. Local scrips and coins were issued
I’m kind of LOLing at this. A sign of the times
I'll pay my power bill with chickens.
Bloomington, Indiana also issues “hours”; similar to Ithaca.
Great if you can find someone who wants to pay his chicken bill with power.
What’s the exchange rate between the Ithaca and Pittsboro currencies?
And will Ithaca take Pitsboro bills for goods and services and vice versa?
How about futures and hedging? Can I short Pittsboro and go long on Ithaca?
I don't think the IRS will be real happy to be paid in some cities funny money as tax on goods and services rendered...
Playing with a whole lot of stupidity...
Save your confederate money.........
This stuff is all IOUs anyhow. Sad when the IOU of a city is solider than the IOU of the USA.
“Ithaca is the City of Evil” ping!
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