I talked to John Sagasta and he inspired me. I wrote this article: "When people care". I hope you like it: http://Tips.WiseCareerMove.com. There are many job search tips there as well. There are many non-profit organizations willing to assist those in need. Keep in mind that the choice is always yours, you don't have to get the bux or visit the store, however I think you will at least want to meet these business owners. Think Positive!

http://johnturmel.com/ariz97.htm is the July 19 1997 Arizona Republic article by Paul Brinkley-Rogers titled "The World's Richest Pauper" where he wrote: "Turmel is spreading the notion of "local employment-trading systems in the Valley. We do not neede money but, he says, instead would do better with a new system of vouchers issued for labor, interest-free loans that could end poverty and hunger. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Casino chips and coins have a lot in common except that chips never lose their value but money does." Jct: As the ship of state finances sink, it's nice to see another new community currency lifeboat starting up, especially in Phoenix. But best of all, when the local currency is pegged to the Time Standard of Money (how many dollars/hour child labor) Hours earned locally can be intertraded with other timebanks globally! In 1999, I paid for 39/40 nights in Europe with an IOU for a night back in Canada worth 5 Hours. If you want to come stay in Canada, it will cost you 5 hours worth of your Phoenix Bux. But we'll take them in hundreds of Canadian LETS and SEL (Quebec) and timebanks. U.N. Millennium Declaration UNILETS Resolution C6 to governments is for a time-based currency to restructure the global financial architecture. See my banking systems engineering analysis at http://youtube.com/kingofthepaupers So sure, right now, you've only got 23 businesses and but imagine the day when all businesses are taking advantage of interest-free financing too.

If this is just for local mom and pop businesses in the Phx downtown center, they won't help me at all. Is this going to be citywide to use in local chain stores? However, if you are are low income, every dollar in real currency counts. What if you are stuck with 10 tokens when you could really use that 10 Bux to pay for gas or groceries at a nationally known food store chain, or pay your phone bill? I'm not sure I get the point. You can use real currency anywhere on anything.

I am not sure why people find this stupid and pointless. I frequent a few of these places, and the coins would be incentive for me try the others on this list, thus supporting the local small businesses and our community. I quite think it is a nice idea.

Hey Superdave--to clarify: The businesses and investing community members actually payed $1.00 each for these coins to be produced. If people forget/keep/lose them, that value goes to waste if they are removed from circulation. If they/we are counting on anything, it is open-minded people. Many businesses are actually offering goods and services worth MORE than the one dollar exchange value of the coin if you use the coin instead of cash. The only real "catch" to anything is that people spreading ignorant opinions to others can lead to viruses that are hard to shake and infect everyone with misinformation and can destroy anything exciting and positive that creators of culture are trying to give to our city and its inhabitants. I dare you all to go out into your communities and talk to the people who have put their money down on this and learn more about it before you safely sit behind a computer and sling mud. -Peace

The businesses are counting on people forgeting about, loosing and not using their dopey a$$ coins and they make it rich. Thge same is true for rebates as most do not follow through. There is a catch to everything. Barter system has worked for me for many years.

I like the barter system.Anyone need security consultation,serious firearm training or AK gunsmithing?

Well if you look back to the day when in WWII the days of the coupon it help keep families heads above water in the hard time. some time we as American half to look back to move forward and if you think stupid and pointless I guess we all will see you in the check out line holding your food stamp card.

If the government can create value out of thin air, why can't we? Oh, and then they can produce more and more money so our dollars continue to be worth less and less. Why must we only exchange US dollars to receive goods and services? What if the currency we traded with each other was our time? What if our communities strived to emphasize mutual aid and mutual benefit from our shared skills and resources? These coins are a challenge to the common way of thinking that we must all be wage slaves, spending hours of our LIVES to earn arbitrary dollar amounts that can never add up to be worth the actual time and energy we have lost. These coins show that money is meaningless, and dare us to think outside of the box, to think locally and support each other...to encourage us to shake hands with other people and businesses in our communities perhaps we haven't met yet, and initiate a discourse about ways to combat economic hardship many of us are facing right now. Together we can make PHX BUX worth whatever we want them to be. To me, the coins that I have invested in are worth a new hope unlike any Obama rhetoric could give, and are a small steps toward unifying more and more people downtown to continue to put Phoenix on the map as a new city full of creative people willing to take risks, challenge the norm, and build communities of locally-minded people.

That's some creepy-looking currency. What's that supposed to symbolize? It looks like an amputated hand caught in some sort of trap. Nice.