Posted in Blog on Aug 14th, 2011
The Law of Unintended Consequences is, by definition, unpredictable. The abject failure of our current economic and political system to provide life’s basic necessities, while lavishing the wealthy with every conceivable bauble and privilege, eventually leads to a shift. We’re in for a doozie. This economic and social shift certainly feels Biblical in scope. By [...]
Cooperatively, we have the potential to relate with each other in a new and supportive ways by remedying the market’s utter failure to provide nourishing food, housing, health care and education, and the care of our most vulnerable populations: the young, the elderly, the disabled and veterans.
As people gather month after month, they will find others with whom they feel comfortable and alliances will naturally form. As people get to know each other, housing coaches will facilitate the process by spotting potential mismatches and other pitfalls.
I’ve looked and looked. Maybe it’s out there and I just haven’t seen it. Where is the short term housing that we desperately need? The safe, affordable, possibly short term, housing that gives people a breather. The number of people standing at the precipice of homelessness, and falling into it, numbs my mind! A lot [...]
When Janet’s marriage ended in divorce, her Nebraska house sold quickly, requiring that she relocate with two very young children within two weeks. She wisely turned to her friend, Kay, whose marriage had also recently ended. Janet and the children moved in with Kay and her four children and they both considered their options. Tax [...]
Posted in Blog on Jan 27th, 2010
In this grim economy, I cling to glimmers of generosity and optimism like a life raft. This week, two examples of confident children being themselves gave me hope. At church last Sunday, when a three-year old bumped her head, a fifth-grader jumped up, picked up the crying girl and comforted her. It looked as though [...]
Posted in Blog on Jan 27th, 2010
As the economy collapses before our eyes, incidents of people coming unglued are becoming more commonplace. Two men, not completely in their right minds on CTA buses last week, illustrate how some people are becoming unraveled. The first guy argued with the driver over his fare. When I realized that twenty cents was the difference [...]
Two couples, one twenty years older than the other, bought a large vintage home on Chicago’s south side, near the University of Chicago, in the 1970′s. Six adults combined resources and made a commitment to live graciously and harmoniously together. Sometimes the harmonious part was a stretch. Over dinner in March 2003, the owners described [...]
Posted in Blog on May 11th, 2009
Cooperatives meet the pressing problems we face today in a way that the private and non-profit sectors don’t. The University of Wisconsin’s Center for Cooperatives‘ Research on the Economic Impact of Cooperatives revealed startling conclusions: 30,000 cooperatives operate 73,000 places of business throughout the United States Cooperatives own over $3 trillion in assets Cooperatives account [...]