Ithaca Hours

= one of the better known Complementary Currency projects in the U.S., in Ithaca, Connecticut

URL = http://www.ithacahours.org

Status

Len Krimerman:

"Primary Solidarity Economics enterprises, those providing crucial economic products or services, are often on their own, unable to find allies, educational materials, business expertise/advice, or financial assistance. The result is that many disappear almost as quickly as they began.

This appears to be the case with local currencies, which require immense administrative, coordinative, and marketing efforts - frequently under- or uncompensated - to stay alive. Even Ithaca Hours, the grandmother of such projects in the USA, has lately suffered from severe attrition. (http://www.ithacahours.org/ <http://www.ithacahours.org/> ) After peaking at around 4000 individual and 400 business members in the later 1990s, this past decade has seen membership drop off to about 900. In that same period, most of the roughly 50 community barter systems encouraged by the Ithaca initiative have closed their doors. (http://www.jgpress.com/inbusiness/archives/_free/000636.html <http://www.jgpress.com/inbusiness/archives/_free/000636.html> )" ( source: http://www.zcommunications.org/znet/viewArticle/22092)