People Report On The Working Prototype Of The LETSystem (1985)

NOTE: These testimonials about the LETSystem from 1985 are as relevant now as they were when written.

 

Citizens of the world must demand to know why governments at every level, municipal, provincial and federal continue to peddle creative fraud by borrowing fiat from fractional-reserve, private counterfeit producers at usurious rates of interest (usury) rather than creating usuryfree currency backed by “units of labour.”

 

Readers are invited to share the article titled: “The Innovative Proposal” with their local politicians.

 

The LETSystem is a creative medium of exchange that permits participating members to trade with an alternative currency that is “usuryfree.” SDI (Self Directed Income) entrepreneurs have an advantage over wage earners in this new, usuryfree, economic, exchange system for they have access to products or they provide services or use their talents in a creative way and therefore, they have something to offer to others. Wage earners are urged to quickly establish a part-time enterprise so that they too can reap maximum benefits with a usuryfree currency.

 

Testimonials from 1985:

 

1. “I am a single mother with three pre-schoolers. My monthly income is from social assistance. The LETSystem has made my existence quite a bit easier. I can fit my skills and time of working around my busy schedule. A lot of the traditionally “male” jobs I need done about my house (car maintenance, wood gathering, carpentry) I am able to get for greendollars. Or I could learn myself, as lessons in all of those are available as well.

 

Without this system our Christmas would have been very bleak. The children were given handcrafted toys and other family was given pottery and jewelry and candles. All of mine and my children’s clothing now comes through LETS. We get some of our food through LETS.

 

I feel that I am valued in the community for the work that I provide, I like the exposure of my small children to this alternative monetary system. They now check out if goods are available for greendollars or federal dollars. I have met new people through the LETSystem and feel that our sense of community in the Comox Valley has greatly increased. I also have found that people have skills that they haven’t used or thought about in years, and it is all being drawn out and interest re-kindled. People have started to value themselves differently and come alive.” - Joy Dryburgh

 

2. “LETS is a very welcome addition to the economy of the Comox Valley and region. It reflects people’s ability to meet each other’s needs regardless of the current state of the economy, Its value lies in its separation from the monetary system. We, as a family, have found employment and “purchased” goods and services of a wide variety. Employment being readily available when there was none locally and we were able to make “purchases” that would have not been possible for a cash outlay. The LETSystem is a very positive addition to the area and its further expansion opens up unlimited possibilities.” – Barbara Hopkinsonm B.A., M.A. Town & Reg, Planning, Univ, of Sheffield, England

 

3. “The LETSystem has been a great help to me, enabling me to purchase things I would not otherwise rent to have been able to afford. I have used the system for everything from paying rent to furnishing a house. I have not had a lot of employment in the past year, so LETS has really helped to subsidize my income. I have used it to purchase food also for my winter’s supply of firewood.

 

I have no trouble making greendollars in the system. I am a carpenter by trade and find that people who couldn’t otherwise afford to have work done are glad to employ me for greendollars. One employer who couldn’t afford to pahy me my usual hourly rate was able to pay me part greendollars and part federal dollars.

 

I think the system is great and would really encourage people to participate.” – Charles Turner, an active LETS member

 

4. “Living on a tight budget I’ve always felt I had to do everything by myself or it would have to go undone. I was especially pressed every spring when our fishermen’s spouses went off for the summer season leaving a large yard, garden, house, and 2 young pre-schoolers in my charge. Last spring should have been the worst ever – a new excavation leaving the backyard a riot of disturbed rocks and clay. By joining LETS I was able to hire one person to dig the garden and two persons to landscape the backyard – what fun it was for me to work with others. I solved a problem, met and interacted with new people and felt a new sense of wholeness and community.

 

The quality and variety of work LETS’ members offer to do is inspirational. I’ve bought down mittens, edible mushrooms, lamp shades made to order, firewood; had the windows washed, children cared for, haircuts; been on a field trip identifying local, edible plants and take T’ai Chi lessons to mention a few.

 

To hold up my end of the account, I hosted a LETS garage sale, paid $25/month federal towards office rent, cared for children and made frozen casseroles to order. My husband traded some of his salmon catch.

 

To feel active in a creatively interacting community has been a wonderful experience. My image of self-worth has increased – trust and respect of others growing accordingly. The biggest gift of all has been the relief of the realization that even though the general economy is in a recession, my family is alive and functioning with a flair. – Margaret Pattison

 

5. “I joined the LETSystem in December 1983 and, for one month was totally inactive. I was genuinely afraid of committing myself to spending greendollars without “having” any first. And as a mother of two young children, I doubted my ability to generate any. What could I do? I talked to may members of the LETSystem during this time and gradually realized that myself and my family have all that is required to operate successfully – we have “spare” time which we were wasting on TV abd we have “spare” things which are going unused.

 

Once I realized that, the trading began. We danced, received help through family couselling (my husband’s teenage daughter came to live with us and we all are making adjustments to each other). We ate perogies. At the same time I traded off a lot of baby equipment (which is so dear to buy new, but difficult to resell).

 

Most importantly, I began to do some writing for the LETSystem – in those quiet moments during children’s naps or after supper. This restored in me the realization that I am a capable and creative person, and that I do have the ability to contribute to my community. This is beyond any dollar value.” – Paulette

 

NOTE: This article was originally published in the May-June 1985 issue of the LEADS Newsletter.