Cafe Society will meet at Ron’s Barber Shop on Friday, December 10
From Rogue Valley residents turn to bartering by Damian Mann
“Bartering is taking off in Jackson County, helping local residents pay the bills. Even struggling business owners barter as a way to help residents who can’t pay for services, and to get name recognition. Robert Allen is a plumber, and many of his clients have fallen on hard times. The first time he bartered was with a woman who offered her kitchen table because she couldn’t pay for plumbing work. He’s heard of dentists and other professional people bartering as a way to generate more business and to stay busy. ‘Generally, the people who want to barter are good people,’ he said. ‘It’s tough out there. You’ve got to do whatever you can to survive.’ “
Questions for consideration
How could a bartering system be implemented in a city as large as Chicago and would this be a useful practice? Why are more people turning to bartering to make ends meet? What kind of benefits are there to having a more closed loop economy where goods are produced, sold and exchanged within a local community? What are any drawbacks? How would an increase in bartering effect the economy?
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