Fund Raising for a Viable Future (standard:Creative non-fiction, 1120 words)
Author: GXD	Added: Nov 07 2008	Views/Reads: 3357/2019	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
The needs of a global society cannot be met by taxation alone. For many essentials it will take honorable and respected fund-raisers to generate the revenue needed for enhanced human welfare -- instead of galloping inflationary profits.

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really (in the end) a blueprint for civilization. 

In countries like the U.S., where concepts of wealth are distorted by
conflicting concepts of value, we are faced with the same problem as 
many developing nations.  To this end curricula must be designed to 
breed and educate fund raisers for the century ahead -- they will be 
more in demand than attorneys and doctors.  It means that (like the 
beggars of Luxembourg who are in demand at every wedding), dreamers and 
performers and non-doers of many kinds, artists and artisans, homeless 
wanderers, disabled and disadvantaged and physically and mentally 
impaired people, children, the elderly .... will finally be assured of 
resources for sustenance and companionship in their societies, without 
tying up costly Governments.  They will have instead, an Internet index 
of Professional Fund raisers to locate funding for them -- at no cost 
to the individual. 

In a certain way, this structure already exists.  The manner in which
people view such nonprofits will be conditioned by new words: they may 
be called "Self-Sustaining Organizations" and provide virtually every 
kind of service that is needed for a low- or zero-income population.  I 
visualize a food store accepting service-hours vouchers from willing 
volunteers, who will be needed in much greater quantities.  I even 
visualize them issuing an electronic credit memo for the change (which 
they already do at many stores). 

Service-hour vouchers are a basis for generating the "Parallel Economy"
that makes up the real structure of most countries on earth.  The 
Central Credit Bank in Omaha will credit reported vouchers for an 
amount equal to the median wage actually paid for that index period 
(usually one month), to workers in comparable services who are not 
volunteers.  Thus, money is literally created at the check-out counter! 
That's how the economy continues to flow. 

Since the structure of a money economy is complicated by tax obligations
and costly reporting requirements, the structure of the parallel 
economy for volunteer services has got to be infinitely simpler.  A 
voucher has a simple magnetic strip.  It holds all pertinent permanent 
I.D. and reports hours and tenths worked for a given service class.  
Valet service at hospitals may have a different value from waste 
collection or guard duty. 

If you can gear your thinking to the most likely scenario in 15 to 30
years, it will give you a better picture of the way in which you need 
to act most effectively. 

Seattle, December 11, 1995 - Gerald X. Diamond - All Rights Reserved 


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