The buck stops here

There are two kinds of paper money floating around Bloomington these days.\nOne is U.S. currency. The other is not Monopoly money, although it does bear some resemblance. The currency is good at more than 40 area businesses.\nThe alternate money is called BloomingHours, with bills equivalent to $10, $5 and $2.50 in U.S. currency. The bills are measured in hours' worth of work. Bills can be purchased at dollar value at the Center for Sustainable Living, 116 1/2 S. College Ave, Suite 15.\nA single Hours bill is worth one hour, or $10. The center -- a communal environmental office -- estimates this is the average wage in Monroe County.\nThere is also a half Hour bill, worth $5, and a quarter Hour bill, worth $2.50. \nLocal businesses are recruited by volunteers at the center. Mike Englert, coordinator for BloomingHours, said businesses must trust the currency for it to work.\n"You have to build trust," Englert said. "With money, there has to be a lot of trust."\nTrust has been building for a year and a half, and the number of participating businesses has doubled.\nBut most businesses said they don't see many BloomingHours used at their stores.\n"We haven't had a big influx of them into the community. I've only had four or five customers use them," said Kerry Scott, owner of Plan 9 Video.\nRansom Haile, owner of External Design Tattoo Art, has had one customer pay with BloomingHours. \nEach business determines how many BloomingHours it will accept and how much cash the customer must use.\nFor Plan 9 Video, videos rental fees must be split.\n"If people rent $5 worth of videos, they can pay $2.50 in BloomingHours and $2.50 in regular money," Scott said.\nHaile said he is willing to accept full payment in BloomingHours at his tattoo parlor.\nThose involved in the BloomingHours program said they are enthusiastic about its principles. And that's what Englert said he wants to see.\n"We're trying to get people to interact more … to share their skills and talents with each other," he said. "We want to build a community."\nBuilding up BloomingHours has taken hard work. It is based on a similar system in Ithaca, N.Y., that has been running for nine years.\nEnglert said he is optimistic that in five to 10 years Bloomington's local currency will have expanded. And he's working overtime to make it happen.\nThe Center for Sustainable Living has also added a zero-interest loan program.\n"A BloomingHours loan is available to anyone experienced in spending or earning BloomingHours," he said. \nThe businesses pay in regular installments. There has been only one applicant so far, Englert said.\n"Right now we use 10 percent of the total number of BloomingHours circulating to loan out, which is about 800 BloomingHours," Englert said.\nFor Bloomington business owners such as Haile, the idea of supplemental income is the strongest argument in favor of BloomingHours.\n"Just to have a more independent economy, it's such a wonderful concept," he said. "I'm surprised more people aren't enthusiastic about it."\nBloomingHours are accepted at local restaurants, video stores, massage parlors and elementary schools such as Sunshine Montessori. For more information, contact the BloomingHours office at the Center for Sustainable Living at 332-8796 or blmghour@bloomington.in.us. BloomingHours can be purchased by appointment.