[CLUE-Talk] [OT] A Call to Action

[Richard Knechtel]

At 02:04 PM 7/12/02 -0600, you wrote:
>Hi, Folks--
>
>This doesn't necessarily have anything to do with Linux, but since I
>know many of you are concerned about the state of the economy, I thought
>it might be of some interest.



><SNIP>



>   * LETS or a local currency system
>
>     LETS stands for either Local Exchange Trading System or the word "let's,"
>     or something else, depending who you ask. It is a kind of virtual 
> currency
>     system, operated by and for people and businesses in a given 
> community. In
>     essence, LETS and other local currency systems increase people's buying
>     power by increasing the local money supply. Beginning in the mid-70s,
>     successful LETS systems and local currencies have been established in
>     dozens of communities throughout the industrialized world.

First : Printing your own currency is illegal if I remember correclty.
Second: "Technically" using the "Barter" system is still subject to Income 
Tax. - But as long as know one tells between the two parties doing the 
"Bartering" your safe.


>   * Community-supported Agriculture
>
>     CSA is a scheme where urban residents and other non-farmers make a
>     financial commitment to a particular farm, sharing in the risks, rewards,
>     and often the labor of growing food. I don't know how much there is
>     to discuss about this, since there are already several CSA farms in the
>     region, but maybe it would be worthwhile to promote the concept in some
>     way.

Better Yet:  have many people grow their own small gardens at their homes, 
each growing different things.  Then they "swap" back and forth. Cheaper 
than buying produce in the grocery store, and it takes SO much better. I 
can vouch for it. My wife grows lots of stuff in here garden.

Next: Eat more rabbit!  Grow your own rabbits (The big white ones are 
best). And slaughter them yourself and freeze the meat. Heck rabbit goes 
for $3.99/lb in the grocery store.  Also learn to hunt.  Get a deer or two 
or an Elk or whatever.  Cheap meat that way to. OR even do your own fishing 
and freeze the fish.  If you find some good butchers you can offer to trade 
meat as well. Trade some of your deer or elk or rabbit for say beef, pork 
or chicken.

Also another good thing to do with the "Barter system" is to trade work for 
work. If you know a plumber, offer to do some computer consulting work in 
trade for him doing some plumbing work. Or, whatever.