City changes and upkeep cost money. So how do you support the New City ideas? One idea is the CBA, Community Bank Account. CBA's are bank accounts that any investor can add money to and draw out interest. That includes individuals, both local and federal governments - business, charities, etc. The bank account is used to finance any community programs or projects that the community chooses to do. Here's how it works. The investors retain control of their capital and receive most of the interest on their capital. They allow the community to have the rest of the interest to support that community. Also a provision says that the banks can only lend that money to people or business in that community. It's a win-win-win situation. Investors receive a safe, though modest, return and retain control on all their capital, the community gets monthly cash that it can spend or re-invest into the account each and every month forever (the interest never stops). And the community has access to money from the hank in loans. The concept, though original, is based on the MICROLENDING idea developed in India, where poor women received small loans to start small businesses. It has worked dramatically well in empowering the poor, and ending poverty in a fair and dignified way. Here's a chart comparing CBA's with other ways of investment.
| STOCK MARKET | GOVERNMENT | CHARITY | CBA's | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Invest IN: | Businesses | Government & Gov. Welfare | Charity | Community |
| How to Invest | Buy Shares of Stock | Taxed | Gives Away Money | Community Bank Account |
| Risk | Gamble on Stock Prices | Loose all tax money | Loose all donated money | Zero risk of losing capital or interest |
| Return | Great, modest, or none | May receive benefits | Good feeling, no money | Interest plus empowers |
| Supports | Business and investors | Government & Welfare | Charity recipients | Investors, community and loan customers |
| Biggest negative: | Shifting market can wipe out investor; supports mostly the rich | Gov. bureaucracy soaks up money or money goes to wrong persons | Salaries, postage, etc. soak up most of the money; it doesn't reach needy | New idea may be hard to establish; modest returns may discourage investors; slow (but steady) |
| Miscellaneous: | Keeps almost all investments in big business | Turns government into bloated welfare system that doesn't work | Is often resented by recipients; degrades recipients | Empowers community to solve problems; capital is never spent; interest never stops. |