Re: Spending Extra Money
From: ken (gebserspeakeasy.net)
Date: Mon, 29 May 2006 09:54:32 -0700 (PDT)
I didn't know there was such a thing as "extra money"....  :)

Here's an idea I read from somebody at Twin Oaks and am adapting to your
issue.

Advocates for different budget items set up booths with information and
pitches.  Members of the community are given play money and go around to
the booths, pick the budget items they support by handing over however
much play cash they deem appropriate.  This sort of decision scheme
would provide a lot more granularity to each member's decision than
simply giving each budget item an up-or-down vote.

Of course there really doesn't need to be actual, physical "booths" and
a specified date/time and place for everyone to partake.  A properly
constructed web application would accomplish the same purpose and allow
all members to distribute their play cash electronically whenever and
from wherever there's a net-connected pee-see.

phenomenology wrangler and net app gooroo,
ken

bschaller [at] theriver.com wrote:
> At various times I've seen discussion of how to decide how to spend extra
> money.   I know this can be a very emotional topic and I think it can be
> helpful to have a variety of processes from which a community might
> choose.  Here is a process that I've recently thought of.
> 
> The whole community agrees on certain categories of spending.  These might
> be related to the various committees which are already functioning in the
> community.    Additionally, the whole community agrees to the amount to be
> spent in each category.   Then each committee is given the responsibility
> and the authority of deciding how that amount of money will be spent.
> Perhaps the community would decide to have special committee meetings for
> these decisions and perhaps not.
> 
> The main advantage to this idea is that like items would be competing with
> similarly like items.  For example, some people might think that a
> particular expense is desired for long term maintenance and others may
> prefer to spend the money on something that would promote more  enjoyable
> community building activities.   It might help to think of this as similar
> to meal planning.  We might ask, Do we want to have macoroni and cheese or
> a casserole?  Or, "Do we want to have cake or cookies?"  Or "Carrots or
> corn?"  But we usually don't ask,  "Which of the following  are we going
> to choose:  macaroni and cheese, a casserole, cake, cookies, carrots, or
> corn?  We think in terms of general categories and I think it would be
> helpful to think first in general categories when deciding how to spend
> extra money.
> 
> I would be interested to know if anyone thinks this idea might be helpful
> to their community or if you think the idea is filled with problems.
> 
> Becky Schaller
> 
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