[Forum] Berkshares?

[Kurt Kolok]

There was actually an article in the NY Times last week about this 
(Berkshares has it on their own site 
http://www.berkshares.org/press/07feb26nyt.htm --even though it's not 
all rosy). 

Although it has some pluses there are definitely some drawbacks.  Some 
businesses using the Berkshares didn't feel right using them to pay 
other businesses for product or services, while others (aka Guido's) 
simply ate the 10% discount they gave to Berkshares customers by 
reducing their marketing budget/advertising.  Both of these examples 
hurt other area businesses.  Meanwhile...some people have been literally 
snubbing businesses that can't afford to take the 10% hit and one of the 
founders of the program seemed to shrug that off as the choice of each 
individual business.  It sounds like Berkshares is actually on track to 
cause more problems and divisions within the small business community 
than providing the support it claims.  As a local businessman I would 
definitely not jump on this band wagon.  Honestly we should want to 
support our local businesses (assuming they offer what we're looking 
for) knowing that healthy businesses promote a healthy community.

Quoting the article..."Ms. Witt makes no apologies for avoiding places 
that do not support the program. “It’s an economic choice,” she says".  
Yes...it is an economic choice--one that many small businesses cannot 
afford to make.






Joshua Field wrote:
> The current thread is an excellent discussion and I do not want to 
> sidetrack it, but just curious if any of the artists/organizations on 
> this list have considered participating in the Berkshares program. It 
> seems like just the sort of counterculture activity that would 
> interest a group of artists working to find economic alternatives and 
> new ways to reach audiences (this was recently featured on ABC World 
> News!):
>
> http://www.berkshares.org/index.htm
>
> If folks are interested (and this is an example of the interesting 
> exposure opportunities that come through simply coordinating), it 
> might make sense to join as a large group in order to make it 
> press-worthy.
>
> *What are BerkShares?*
>
> BerkShares are a local currency designed for use in the Southern 
> Berkshire region of Massachusetts with issue by BerkShares, Inc., a 
> non-profit organization working in collaboration with the Southern 
> Berkshire Chamber of Commerce, participating local banks, local 
> businesses, and local non-profit organizations.
>
> The purpose of a local currency is to function on a local scale the 
> same way that national currencies have functioned on a national 
> scale—building the local economy by maximizing circulation of trade 
> within a defined region. Widely used in the early 1900s, local 
> currencies are again being recognized as a tool for sustainable 
> economic development. The currency distinguishes the local businesses 
> that accept the currency from those that do not, building stronger 
> relationships and a greater affinity between the business community 
> and the citizens of a particular place.
>
> The people who choose to use the currency make a conscious commitment 
> to buy local first. They are taking personal responsibility for the 
> health and well-being of their community by laying the foundation of a 
> truly vibrant, thriving local economy.
>
> BerkShares will not, and are not intended to, replace federal 
> currency. Their use will help strengthen the regional economy, 
> favoring locally owned enterprises, local manufacturing, and local 
> jobs, and reducing the region's dependence on an unpredictable global 
> economy.
>