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HOUR Questions
Answered
Is everybody's hour of work worth the same?
We have been taught to think that teachers should be paid less than
bankers, that psychiatrists should be paid more than shoestore clerks,
that muscle work is valued less than mental work, that male work is
valued more than female work, that black labor is valued less than
white labor, that office labor is valued more than home labor.
But we all need each other to make Ithaca function.
Everyone's honest hour of labor has the same dignity.
Most hours of labor are worth ONE HOUR, but some people have rare
skills and might want 1.5, 2, 3, 4 or 5 HOURS for their hour of
work. Eventually the Ithaca HOUR list could bring so many
skills into the local market that rare skills become less rare, and
more affordable. Even so, a dentist must collect several
HOURS each work hour because the dentist and receptionist and assistant
are working together, using equipment and materials which they must pay
for with dollars. And someone might want more than an HOUR
for one hour of tough ditch-digging.
Ask for what you think you deserve, then give good service.
America is discovering that poor people don't fall through the cracks
and disappear. They come back with guns. This
nation cannot buy enough police and prisons to control the frustration
of people who are unable honorably to feed their families.
The HOUR is fair pay that repairs society.
What
gives HOURS their value?
All money gets its value from agreement to give it value.
Since 1991 we've very gradually and carefully expanded the number of
HOURS circulating, so that tens of thousands of trades with HOURS have
proven their usefulness.
Can we
use dollars and HOURS together?
Yes. For example, for a doll priced at $15.00 you might pay
ONE HOUR + $5.00, or a HALF HOUR plus $10.00.
Why do many businesses take HOURS for part of the price instead of full
price?
While most people accept HOURS for the full price of goods and
services, and 100 businesses also do, most of the 350 HOUR businesses
accept HOURS for part of the price because: |
*
they have many more customers-- especially grocery stores-- so they
need to spread their HOUR earnings among more people.
* they have high dollar overhead so need to accept HOURS well within
their profit margin.
*
they are new to the HOUR system and so need time to learn to spend
HOURS for business and personal needs. We have seen many
businesses
expand their HOUR acceptance rate as they discover that they can get
nearly everything they need with HOURS and that HOURS are a good
business promotion. As a customer, you can help them by
offering to
accept HOURS as change, by telling them what work you do for HOURS, and
offering to work for them.
How do I control how
many HOURS I earn?
You're always in full control of how many HOURS you accept per purchase,
and can change the rate at any time. The biggest purchases so
far have been 150 HOURS ($1,500) and 100 HOURS ($1,000) for carpentry
jobs, 90 HOURS ($900) for a computer, and so on. Call us and
we'll help you explore the list to find what you need.
Who signs the HOUR
notes?
HOURS have been signed by an historic preservationist, two credit union
employees, two grocery workers, a Methodist minister, a local DJ, the
director of a community center, a librarian, a union steward and a
peace activist.
How are they
protected against counterfeit?
Several of the notes use special handmade paper, two of the notes use
thermal ink which disappears briefly when touched or
photocopied. The Tompkins Count D.A. has said that
counterfeiting HOURS would be forgery of a financial instrument,
punishable by up to 7 years in jail.
Who decides how
HOURS are issued?
Policy is discussed both by the Advisory Board and the Barter
Potlucks. The Barter Potluck meets monthly and has final
decision-making authority. Anyone on the HOUR Town list can
vote! Presently, most HOURS are issued to those who sign up,
and renew listings. Eleven percent of HOURS are issued
through community organizations
(40 groups so far), plus 25% percent of the value of HOUR loans
repaid. Five percent of HOURS may be outstanding as
loans. Five percent of HOURS may be issued to the HOUR system
itself.
Where are records of
the HOUR system kept?
Records of disbursements of HOURS are kept both at the HOUR office, |
