Notes
Toast
Hi everyone,
These are the notes from time banking meeting 05. They're available here or attached as a .doc
Toast
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Time banking Meeting #05
Monday August 1st, 2011
6:30 pm, 1st Ave
Member count: 5
Members present: Cat, Toast, Will, Jeff, Sally
Notetaker: Toast
Next meeting:
Monday, August 15th, 2011
6pm at 4227 Ibis Road (Mission Hills)
Jeff & Sally’s house
Discussion Points:
Other time banking systems
Case Study: EcoPark, LA
Goods, Spaces, and Services
Groups: individual unions, co-ops, and businesses
Decentralized vs Centralized pros and cons
Types of credit
Software
Homework
Contacts & Resources
> Other timebanking systems
Cat constructed a google spreadsheet crossing collected TB systems with interest points from the last meeting. We presented the information available – mainly found TBs and their locations. We then added timebanks to the list, and decided to research them. A column was added to the spreadsheet for contact information. See Homework section for sign ups.
Other TB systems
LETS (Local Exchange Trading System)
Our Timebank
EcoPark (LA neighborhood)
Arroyo (LA neighborhood)
Long Beach TB
Davis Community TB
North County TB
> Case study: EcoPark
Sally was familiar with the set-up of a TB in LA, known as EcoPark. She encouraged us to watch an introductory youtube video to learn more. The video explained their philosophy behind timebanking, which we then added to afterward. These reasons included:
Reducing the need to spend, and thus the need to earn, profiting in time for self and family
Appreciating that which may not have value in the corporate world
Valuing things we don’t normally put a pricetag on
New & old – it’s a new economy from that which we’re used to, but also a return to old ways of living
Making a cooperate effort toward building community
Next step bartering: making use of a large pool of people
Finding self-empowerment in skill listing
Creating a trust based economy, in self and others
Reclaim basic skills
EcoPark requires two letters of recommendation for membership, as well as residency in the area
An event co-ordinator organizes get togethers (potlucks) for everyone on Saturdays. These are used to meet people face to face, establish community and trust, and help each person figure out the individuals they would like to invite into their home.
They also do skillshares, in which each person “spends” an hour. We believe the teacher is paid in hours.
Ø Goods, Spaces, and Services
SDTB has so far discussed trades of services only. Since this is a burgeoning timebanking chapter it is easiest to keep it simple in the beginning, however there is a want present for shared goods and spaces as well.
Objects would include things like electronics, lawnmowers, tools, etc. They would not include objects that could conflict with insurance, like borrowing a car (however driving while offering a car could be acceptable).
A concern was brought up that in this system ownership of items permits an imbalanced gain – once you have bought a device it continually rewards you. Counterpoints were made, including: at one point a person’s labor went toward buying the device, that it is an upfront cost in national currency others will not have to spend, that it is a utility to the group to have the item communally available, and that there is liability in presenting it as a community tool, in that in might break.
In terms of space, space is wanted for parties and meetings. Conflict arises in how points are awarded, to individuals of groups. This will be discussed further in the next section.
It was concluded that that these systems are complex, and at this point SDTB needs to focus. SDTB should focus on the establishment of basic structural elements and a system based on service since these may be more simple to construct, keeping in mind that there is demand for goods and spaces once the building blocks have been established.
> Groups: individual unions, co-ops, and businesses
When we conceptualized time banks we thought of individuals coming together in cooperative harmony to create a community. We then challenged the concept of “individual” contributions with the fact that for some tasks you need more than one person (moving furniture), that some tasks are more fun with more than one person, and that single parents are likely to bring children.
We talked about “amusement assistance” – the fact that people doing a job will likely bring a friend along for simple services (dog walking, getting groceries). These are encouraged, with the caveat that there are likely situations when this is not appropriate (house sitting) which should be discussed between members. We decided that service points should only go to the member(s) who signed up for the job – ie one person/group, not amusement accomplices. This allows for people to bring their friends or children and have fun without an undue burden on the person requesting the service.
We also discussed how some tasks will be needed by a group of members and may be more easily “paid” to a group (cleaning a house to which multiple members belong). In this situation we discussed if one person from the house should take on paying/being paid for the house, but this was countered by the amount of responsibility this would place on one person, for their labor and others, as well as the level of honesty involved. If we are creating a non-hierarchical system, there isn’t a need for a representative when each person can represent themselves in a group. We declined to vote formally in order to pass this idea to the larger group for discussion.
Proposal: Individuals who have personal accounts can join together to form a group account which is separate. Use of a group account requires consent of all the group’s members.
This allows for joint work and joint payment. For example, Jeff could have an account, Sally could have an account, and Jeff & Sally could have a joint account. In this system Jeff could walk a dog on his personal account, or Jeff & Sally could go to someone’s house to weed their garden and get paid on their group account. Accountability is added to the system in first requiring commitment to an individual account for those who wish to join a group.
Payment for group services would be determined by the number of people present when completing a service, limited by the number required for the job. Ex one: a member requests as many members as possible to weed their garden. If five from a group stay one hour, then five hours of service will be credited to their group account. Ex two: a member requests one person to walk a dog for an hour. If five from a group show up, one hour will be awarded.
This model will likely be used most by roommates, families, and co-ops.
For-profit businesses were again discussed, mostly to the tune of legalities concerning them. FPBs include most professional work, which is likely to be sought and offered (mechanics, legal services, etc.).
Two problems are forseen. 1) For an FPB to get work completed, grey area includes if TB is seen as volunteer work or unpaid labor. 2) For an FPB to give work, there are issues of taxation. A percent of the total cost of labor goes toward the government.
In response, 1) The argument could be made that people are getting paid in local currency, and thus are neither volunteering nor being exploited for their labor. 2) When making trades, national currency typically is not recorded or reported by FPBs because there is no adequate way to measure the trade. This should be run through legal, but SDTB could cover itself on these points in its user agreement, stating that these matters are subject to the member’s discretion.
Ø Decentralized vs. Centralized pros and cons
In EcoPark’s TB model, an appointed coordinator schedules events, trades, and handles TB applications
This is a centralized model, with all points flowing through the center
SDTB supports a unified community that is non-hierarchical and currently very decentralized
With an average turn out of five, the idea of walking people through a sign up process, handling conflicts, and organizing events with the current level of organization and commitment looks daunting
How do we progress while keeping in line with our core values?
Decentralized: Everyone has different ways of doing things. This is good in that it brings diverse tactics, but can make admin confusing
Centralized: Admin is simple, cut and dry, but if responsibility is on one person, they could flake, move, etc. and others may not be represented well.
A medium between these is a Web model: to have consensed admin methods that require training. Instead of being appointed, any member may be able to administer the methods, but they must have full knowledge of previous debates before they do so. This model takes ideas from both centralized and decentralized systems, integrating reliable administrative methods with the ability to influence them through consensus and open responsibility.
Ø Types of Credit
SDTB has been previously discussed “credit hours”
What if services are not done in hour increments – 15 minutes, 1.5 hours, etc
In the future, what will conversion rates be for goods and spaces?
Other timebanks function on credits instead of hours, usually tied to time
One credit = 10 minutes may be a way to make increments easier to handle
Etymology
“Credit” is a concept associated with nation currency and debt. Since spending, debt, and credit are natural happenings in a thriving economic system, SDTB wants to remove the stigma associated with them and other power dynamics behind the signifiers we use. The easiest way to do take these first steps to separates ourselves from the national system is to reorient ourselves with name changes. This issue came up after talking about “time banking dollars,” with everyone definitely voting against dubbing these units “dollars.” So begins our name quest: what does ten minutes of service equal? One Laurel? One Dubloon? Suggest your own creations.
Ø Software
What are the benefits of Community Weaver software?
It is preestablished and formatted
Complaints include:
It seems limited, overdense, requires national currency with over 20 members
In an effort to simplify, find a simple software
Google docs and spreadsheet is widely accessible, easy to modify for group needs
We can add names, contact info, requests, offers, points, experience, etc
GD/S can be viewed by all and modified by those who have been trained in how to use it
Ø Homework: sign up for time bank to research and fill in the google spread sheet
Sign ups:
Will: LETS
Jeff: Arroyo
Sally: EcoPark
Toast: Notes
> Contacts and Resources
Sally Tinker Smith
Jeff Smith
Timebanks.org
Moocards.com
Next meeting:
Monday, August 15, 2011
6 pm at Jeff & Sally’s
4227 Ibis Rd, Mission Hills
On north side of Canyon
jeff smith
| Hi Toast, The meeting at our house is on Tuesday the 16th. It's listed on Facebook correctly. Thanks, Jeff and Sally --- On Tue, 8/9/11, Toast <ebdra...@gmail.com> wrote: |
|
Mariah SDFNL
Thanks, Mariah
Sally Tinker Smith
Jeff and I have a rehearsal that Monday evening, so we suggested Tuesday for gathering at our house. If Monday is better for most, and someone else can host, we can meetup with the group down the road.
Be well,
Sally
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