Valley Futures

VFN Monthly Meeting Minutes of 01/08/10

Attendees: Susan Klein, Rob Williams, Jared Cadwell, Stan Ward, Joshua Schwartz, Dan Holtz, Amy Todisco, David Hartshorn, Gregor Barnum, Peter Forbes, Ginny McGinn, Jen Higgins, David Dion, Tom Barefoot, Susan Johnson, Suzie Snow, Jill Arace, Geri Pocachinni???, Mike Dupee, Carmen Dupee, and John Donaldson

1) Time Bank –    Jen, Suzie and Geri from Rootswork described this project which the Rootswork board has approved as a pilot project. They anticipate that 2010 will be a slow but steady building year to get to a critical mass of participants. The Time Bank is an organized system to exchange services, using “Community Weaver” software provided by timebanks.org.  It will be similar to the Onion River Exchange in Montpelier (see http://www.orexchange.org/).  The Onion River Exchange has grown from 35 members to over 300 in 28 towns.

Jen is pulling a working group together and would like VFN participation to make it a collaborative effort.  Anyone interested in working on this should contact Jen.

2) Music Bank -  Mike Dupee presented this idea for bringing the Valley music community together.  It is still a work in progress.  The effort may kick off with an Open Mike night in February, perhaps to also help kick off the Time Bank.

3) Community Pot Luck -  The first potluck, organized by Jill Arace and Susan Klein will be held at the Waitsfield Church at 6 pm on January 24^th.  Posters made by Dan Holtz were distributed.  There may be music, but this will be done at the end so it doesn’t interfere with the social mixing.  People are encouraged to bring their own “plateware” in addition to a food item to share.  Help is needed to set up at 5:45.

4) Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants Update – Josh reported that 6 or the 7 local grant applicants made the first cut.  About $ 11 million was requested statewide for the $ 6 million that is available. More comprehensive applications are due February 2 and results will be announced in May.

5)   Update on Local Community Initiatives Class taught at UVM – Chip Sawyer reported that based on the resounding success of the recent class, another class will be given next fall and we should be thinking of projects for the students.  All information and output from the recent class is hosted on the Mad River Valley Planning District website (http://www.mrvpd.org/DocumentsLibrary.php).

6) Announcements –

1. Ad hoc agriculture group – Gregor announced the second meeting of this group will be February 15.  Hardwick representatives will be reporting on what they have done at this meeting.
2. Gross National Happiness International Conference – Tom Barefoot said the conference will take place in Burlington on June 1 – 4.  GNH is based on the premise that the calculation of “wealth” should consider other aspects besides economic development: the preservation of the environment and the quality of life of the people. (See http://gnhusa.org/).  Some background sessions will be held in February and the group is looking for volunteers to help test community measures to indicate progress.
3. Workshop – Susan Klein said Rob Williams is working with the MRV Chamber to lead a workshop on demystifying Facebook, Twitter, Blogger and other social media outlets. He will show how to use these Web 2.0 tools to further business and to work together through social media for general benefit of the MRV business community.  The workshop will be Tuesday, January 12 from 9am-noon at the Big Picture Theater. It is free to chamber members and $10 for all others.
4. New section on Mad River Valley.com website – see http://www.madrivervalley.com/vermont/directory/by_type.asp?catid=108 for a new section on Local Food Producers.
5. Another Karaoke Night -  organized by Dan Holtz will be held January 22 at the Big Picture.  Will Susan Klein give an encore performance of Harper Valley PTA?

Next meeting is Friday 2/12 at the Green Cup.

Submitted by John Donaldson

Tags: Announcements, Energy, Local Currency, VFN Monthly Minutes by Joshua Schwartz
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“We suffer from a fiscal cancer,” explains U.S. Comptroller General David Walker. “It is growing within us. And if we do not treat it, it will have catastrophic consequences for our country.”

So begins I.O.U.S.A. – one of the most disturbing documentaries of the past year.

The film spotlights our nation’s mounting fiscal crisis – providing both a contemporary lens and historical context for understanding how today’s “debt-driven society” emerged, and what we might do to resolve one of the most intractable difficulties of our time.

“The facts aren’t liberal or conservative,” as one of the film’s observers, explains, “The facts aren’t Democrat or Republican.”

This is an issue that affects us all.

Begin with a question: how high is the federal debt?

Millions?

Billions?

Try 8.7 trillion dollars.

Just how much money is that?

One way to wrap your mind around the enormity of this number is to compare it with the United States’ GDP.

The federal debt, as a percentage of GDP (Gross Domestic Product), is 64%.

Put another way, the U.S. government is now borrowing 22 cents of every dollar it spends.

The film’s heroes are Americans working tirelessly to educate the country’s citizens about the nature of the crisis: the Concord Coalition, a think tank focusing on the fiscal crisis, concerned young people, politicians like Paul Tsongas, Ross Perot and Ron Paul (no mention of Ralph Nader, oddly). The villains? Gutless government officials seem to bear the brunt of the film’s quiet outrage.

I.O.U.S.A. suggests that the 21st century United States faces four serious deficits at this particular moment.

1. A Budget Deficit

In 1789, the national debt was $70 million dollars – 40% of the federal budget. The Founders worked quickly, the film suggests, to pay this down. A series of wars – Civil, Great, World War II – brought cycles of financial hardship to the federal government. During the last thirty years, the U.S. government has seen more than 30 annual budget deficits, and only five surpluses. But it was the Reagan years, oddly enough, given the “Morning in America- Government is Bad” rhetoric, that saw the federal budget deficit skyrocket, with a moment of sanity during the Clinton/Bob Rubin “go go” 1990s.

2. A Savings Deficit

This section opens with the brilliant “Saturday Night Live” skit mocking “saved money” (Steve Martin at his best – “Shouldn’t I buy stuff before I have the money”?) and focuses on Americans’ propensity to spend cash they don’t have. Citizens’ savings rate is the lowest it has been in decades, a result of our “live for today, easy credit, consumption-oriented” attitude. Is this a result of personal choice? The film suggests that a variety of forces are at play here: the collapse of a “sound money” supply and the Federal Reserve’s tendency to encourage enthusiastic paper money printing and debt-driven spending in the name of fighting inflation. The film channels Texas republican and maverick Ron Paul here, the champion of a strict/hard money policy, taking on Alan “irrational exuberance” Greenspan, the Federal Reserve chairman, in Congressional hearings.

3. A Balance of Payment/Trade Deficit

The U.S. is dead last among all nations if the world in terms of a “trade deficit.” Which is to say – the United States is buying more than we are selling, with foreign creditors carrying much of our borrowed debt. China, the country (along with Saudi Arabia and Israel) with whom the U.S. has a special relationship, is the second largest holder of U.S. T-Bills, and makes all of our stuff in their factories, saving us the trouble of doing little more than buying their manufactured goods. Need I say more?

4. A Leadership Deficit

So – we owe roughly $70,000 per American family in debt, according to Seymour Hersh’s “National Debt Clock.” And, while the deficit doubled on Mr. Bush’s watch (such as it was), it is too easy to blame one party or another for a systemic and long-term problem that has a variety of roots: see the very heart of our national banking system, for example, and our own personal predilections.

As this crisis’ “toxic mix” deepens – entering 2009, we’re staring a $10 trillion federal debt in the face – what can we do?

As individuals, we can pay down our own personal debts, stop spending money we don’t have, SAVE money (huh?), do more with less, explore local currencies, support local and employee-owned businesses, and explore other financial alternatives to the current status quo, including living within our means. Easier said than done, of course.

At the national level? Full disclosure: I’m a secessionist who believes that the U.S. Empire is too deeply broken to fix. The Roman Empire fell, the film suggests, for three reasons: moral decay, imperial overstretch, and domestic financial collapse. No easy answers here, especially because elite lending classes (read: the rich and powerful) have figured out how to game the system to their best advantage, leaving the rest of us poor slobs holding the “debt bag” and wondering: what the heck is going on?

I.O.U.S.A. helps to answer this very important question.

Tags: Arts and Media, Land Bank, Local Currency by Rob Williams
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Onion River Exchange, Central Vermont’s bustling local currency system, is hosting a New Member Orientation on Thursday, Dec. 11 from 6:30 to 8:00 in Montpelier City Hall. Explore the ORE website (http://www.orexchange.org/)or attend the informational meeting if you are interested in sharing services such as transportation, tutoring, cooking, sewing, yard work, computer help, dance lessons, proofreading and editing, childcare, business services, personal finances, car repair, pet care, carpentry, yoga and wellness, music lessons, entertainment for parties, sports, word processing, graphic design, phone calls, providing food for potlucks…

Tags: Announcements, Local Currency by Joshua Schwartz
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If you’d like to learn more about local currencies, please read the VT Commons article by Amy Kirschner of VT Sustainable Exchange here.

Enjoy~

Kate

Tags: Local Currency by Kate Plummer
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VFN generously supported the Onion River Exchange Harvest Party on 11.08.08, at the Moretown Town Hall.  It was a lovely, friendly event, with delicious potluck food, and a fun, family-oriented contra dance with music by Knotty Pine, along with a silent auction and raffle.  The turnout was lower than we’d hoped, probably due to many other events happening the same night (as usual), but it was fun.

If you haven’t joined ORE yet, I encourage you to do so.  It may seem a bit complex at the very beginning, but once you get signed up and oriented, and have done your first exchange, you’ll think: why didn’t I do this sooner???  I personally have benefitted from having my lawn mowed and raked, and I’ve earned time (called “Community Credits”) by helping at local events, giving career counseling, and mending worn mittens!  And I’ve met good new people in the process.  

If you’re on Facebook, you can become an Onion River friend.

Next Local Currency workgroup meeting:  Friday, December 5th, 8am at the Big Picture Theater.  I hope to start planning for ORE information sessions in the Valley.  Please come, at least for donuts and coffee!

Cheers~Kate

Tags: Local Currency by Kate Plummer
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Tags: Local Currency by Rob Williams
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Q. How long have you lived in the Valley?

A. 5 1/2 years in Moretown.

Q. What do you most love about the Valley?

A. The river, the farms, and the great elementary school here in Moretown!

Q. How did you get involved in the Valley Futures Network?

A. I am interested in local currency projects, and joined the Onion River Exchange (ORE) timebank which is based in Montpelier last spring. But, I wanted to see if there was a way to make that sort of thing happen in the valley. I just happened to see a VFN ad in the Valley Reporter, checked out the website, and, lo and behold!–there was a Local Currency workgroup! I was really excited, emailed the contact person, and within a week had attended my first meeting as well as the June VFN retreat at Knoll Farm.

Q. What do you see as the Valley’s biggest challenges as a community looking ahead over the next several years?

A. I think that the biggest challenge will be whether we allow the changes that are happening right now, in the country and in the world, to separate us or to unite us. I believe that the only way to be a successful community into the future is by strengthening our connections to each other, across individual differences like financial status or how we choose to recreate or have fun.

Q. For anyone interested in the Valley Futures Network, do you have any advice?

A. Don’t think you have to know everybody, or anybody for that matter! Just come to a VFN meeting and start sharing your hopes and ideas and energy. I didn’t know anybody in the group at first, but they’ve been friendly and welcoming and respectful, which is great.

Note: We invite any Valley resident of good will to visit our web site at www.valleyfutures.net, sign on to support our vision statement, and join our working groups and list serves online. Please direct your questions and ideas to VFN facilitator Rob Williams at rob.williams@madriver.com or call 802.279.3364, or contact any of the working group chairs for more information.

Tags: Local Currency, Meet Our VFN Citizens Network, Uncategorized by Rob Williams
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Greetings Valley Futures Network supporters!Local Currency action group members Steve Robbins and I met with the Onion River Exchange’s Joanna Dillon over a VG lunch last week. What follows are the highlights of our conversation, transcribed by Steve (thanks, Steve!). We are strongly considering piloting a “time bank” project for two months this July and August – if anyone is interested in being a part of it, please contact us at rob.williams@madriver.com and Steve at steve@daviddion.com.

Time Banks are an exciting way to build support for a local currency!

Meeting Minutes April 23, 2008

VFN- “Time Bankers”

Present: Rob Williams, Steve Robbins, Joanna Dillion of Onion River Exchange (ORE)

Joanna described her position as coordinator of the ORE. She began last August on a one-year program supported via Americorps. She hopes to extend for another year.

She described the concept of time-sharing as an alternative to traditional currency and related the experience of the ORE to date.

The ORE began in January, 2008 after a short demonstration / experimental period in the fall of 2007.

Joanna described software currently employed called “Community Weaver” that tracks member activities.

She related that they have found some bugs or holes in the software and from her experience, the program is not intuitive.

However, it may be the most cost-effective software currently available.

Cost to the organization is $500 / year.

Amy Kirschner of Vermont Sustainable Exchange, working on similar projects in Burlington area, is developing new software catered to the needs of time banks.

To date, the ORE has:

• 50 current members
• 120 hopeful new members
• 400 total hours exchanged

This includes several members from the Plainfield area, representing a pocket of interest or a node of exchange within the greater umbrella of ORE.

Joanna said one of the most common questions or concerns is the perception that some hours are worth more than other hours (e.g. medical services vs. yard work). She points out that the concept works best when all exchanged services are valued equally; one hour = one hour.

Further, she points out that one need not only offer services in one’s chosen profession. A Lawyer could offer legal services as well as a ride to the airport.

One of the critical, underlying premises that make a time exchange thrive is that folks must actively participate by both providing and using services. Joanna said the goal is to have an “active” balance of zero so that people are not hoarding too many hours nor owed to many.

For starters, her suggestion for folks in our area (VFN) is:

• Join ORE www.onionriverexchange.org
• $25 / person or $40 / household (or 2 hours invested?)
• Run an experiment of our own:
• 20 – 30 people participate
• 2 month duration test period
• Each person should pay in one hour and collect one hour.

Tags: Local Currency by Rob Williams
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Good news for those interested in local currency in Vermont! Montpelier is taking steps to create a time bank driven by the concept of “community credits.” This is a project we could replicate in Mad River Valley with enough interest. It is easy, fun, and all about building community. Read more about ORE by clicking on their web site on our blogroll – to the right of this post.

Tags: Local Currency by Rob Williams
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