Help Your Self! Help Oakland – Support Local Currency
Oakland Community Action Network (Oakland C.A.N.) needs you to call your Council Member and to endorse the ACORN!
ACORN: Alternative Currency for Oakland Residents and Neighbors. The seed for the Oak tree is called an acorn.
Here are the responsibilities and benefits for participants:
Workers, Residents, & Students:
*purchase ID/currency card for $10 – $15
*receive ACORN currency on the card worth $50 – $60 to start
*receive banking account associated with the card
*get discounts for the use of the card with merchants and the City
*manage the account by cell phone or over the internet
*load card at Point of Sale devices
*get 50% reduction in the cost of sending remittances to other countries
*freely convert US$ to ACORN
*receive part of pay in ACORN
*get official public ID recognized by the Police Department, banks, and other agencies
Merchants:
*accept the ACORN
*negotiate to partially pay employees in ACORN
*give discounts for customers that use the ACORN
*get discounts for all fees and costs to the City when business pays with ACORN
*become eligible for 0% merchants loans in both ACORNs and US$
*receive advertising and promotion from the marketing of the City to attract ACORN customers
City of Oakland:
*sanction official ID/currency card
*contract with Credit Union or other financial institution to mange the card and associated accounts
*make agreements with vendors and other agencies like the Peralta College District and the Oakland Public School District
*give discounts for all City fees and charges if paid in ACORN
*negotiate with unions and partially pay City employees in ACORN
*spend income (part of the 1.75% industry standard for use of electronic cards) from the use of the card on major publicity/marketing of the participating businesses and promote getting the card to residents, students, and neighbors
Financial Institution:
*become financial institution of record, take jurisdiction over ACORN accounts
*contract with electronic (debit) card service
*charge a flat fee, NOT interest, for loans of US$ that were converted to ACORN to participating merchants
*charge a “parking fee” on ACORN spending accounts to encourage ACORN currency circulation rather than hoarding
*receive additional accounts from participant individuals and merchants because of the convenience
*make 0% loans to participants in US $ or ACORN
Call your Council Member; tell them you want the ACORN local currency! Council Members:
Jane Brunner, 510-238-7001, jbrunner@Oaklandnet.com
Patricia Kernighan, 510-238-7002, pkernighan@Oaklandnet.com
*Jean Quan, 510-238-7004, jquan@oaklandnet.com
Nancy Nadel, 510-238-7003, nnadel@Oaklandnet.com
Desley Brooks, 510-238-7006, dbrooks@oaklandnet.com
*Rebecca Kaplan, 510-238-7008, kaplanforoakland@gmail.com
Larry Reid, 510-238-700, lreid@oaklandnet.com
*Ignacio de la Fuente, 510-238-7005, idelafuente@oaklandnet.com
* thank these supporters
Also email wriles@pacbell.net or ojocan@gmail.com and join Oakland CAN
