Empty storefronts not only exist in Newton, Massachusetts' 13 villages as VILLAGE VACANCIES, an article by Deirdre Fernandes points out today in the Boston Globe.
But all over the United States this scene must be playing out in various communities. Why? IMHO vacancies exist because of reduced spending or empty pockets of villagers and not from the lack of industrious entrepreneurs. I believe there is not enough exchange money, pocket change, in circulation for small businesses and their customers.
Money is being dramatically sucked out of circulation by the crippling disease of unjust usury. Usury eventually creates toxic money producing the need for more borrowing for more spending on wars, plutocracy and crime. Any quick study of the history of money will show that nearly all religions banned usury, the interest on money borrowed for its use, because of the inevitable bankruptcies, foreclosures, underemployment and austerity programs we see today...right in our own back yards. Exchange Money, that everyday buying and selling local money, is needed in sufficient quantities to enable all to buy and sell all the goods and services offered so the stores stay open, are prosperous and the people feel productive. Honest, transparent and interest free money is needed for this to happen.
Debt payments, principal and interest, reduce the amount of money people have to spend because they feel morally obligated to first pay the debt which is mathematically impossible for everyone to pay".that is, unless the lenders and the borrowers CONTINUALLY create more and more loans"which of course, creates more debt with interest, creating more debt with interest"ad infinitum. Many are forced out of business by this unjust, predatory, toxic system because of the hopelessness to pay the ever increasing debt. Through no fault of their own various entrepreneurs go out of business because of the unsustainable debt that increases.
Debt in the past was always forgiven to avoid empty storefronts. (See A Way Forward HERE where debt forgiveness can solve the debt and austerity problems.
Public banking is another idea to consider for putting more money into circulation. A public bank can extend the credit of a community and loan out more money at very low interest rates because it would be backed by the full faith and credit of the people in the community. Available upon request: A Case for a Massachusetts state-owned bank: July 19, 2011; prepared for The Commission to Study the Feasibility of Establishing a Bank Owned by the Commonwealth) Any interest/curiosity on being educated in this possibility for the City of Newton? Or your community?
For more on this issue please contact me.
