Perhaps a new way to encourage shopping locally

Alaskans like to say they don’t give a damn how they do it Outside. But sometimes it doesn’t hurt to at least take a look at different ways of doing things.

A Denver Post article in Friday’s paper discusses how two mountain towns have printed their own money to encourage locals to spend locally.

I’s not really money, it’s called scrip.

The basics go like this. The towns kicked in $10,000 and printed 50,000 Butte Bucks. What that means is that consumers can buy a Butte Buck for 80 cents, but it spends like a dollar at participating merchants. The merchants like it because that dollar can’t be spent anywhere else: Anchorage?

The cities like it because when consumers spend more locally, that means more taxes to fill city coffers. The consumers like it because they get 20 percent off everything they buy. And some merchants enhance the deal by offering Butte Buck specials.

The Post reports that several towns in Colorado have tried similar programs with scattered results, so the program isn’t perfect.

On the other hand, printing scrip isn’t new. Notes were issued during the Civil War when people were hoarding gold and silver. During the Great Depression, scrip was printed at time when banks were failing and the economy was in the tank.

Let’s face it, lots of people are trying all kinds of things to improve the economy globally, nationally and locally.

If it works, the local governments will see a return on their investments. The investment by merchants is minimal, so they should also see a return. Shoppers have nothing to lose as long as the program is honored.

The program can start small and see how it works. The Colorado effort started at $10,000. That would be $3,300 or so from the three Valley municipalities.

Perhaps the big box stores won’t be able to participate due to corporate rules, but maybe that’s not so bad. Maybe an influx of Mat-Su Money would direct shoppers to some of the Valley’s smaller shops.

It would be foolhardy to think scrip can replace dollars in the Valley, but if merchants and the local chambers of commerce really want to encourage local shopping, and they do, then maybe they should give scrip some research.

For those interested in seeing the Denver Post piece, go to www.denverpost.com/ci_13219440.