Local Living Economy

We thought this was an interesting article from the Business Alliance for Local Living Economics. And we think it's very fitting for not only Ogallala and rural Nebraska, but for communities all over the country.

"A Local Living Economy

The primary purpose of a true market economy is not to make money for the rich and powerful. When Adam Smith conceptualized the idea of the market economy in his classic The Wealth of Nations, he had in mind economies that allocate human and material resources justly and sustainably to meet the self-defined needs of people and community.

When enterprises are locally rooted, human-scale, owned by stakeholders, and held accountable to the rule of law by democratically elected governments, there is a natural incentive for all concerned to take human and community needs and interests into account. When income and ownership are equitably distributed, justice is served and political democracy is strong. When needs are met locally by locally owned enterprises, people have greater control over their lives, money is recycled in the community rather than leaking off into the global financial casino, jobs are more secure, economies are more stable, and there are the means and the incentives to protect the environment and to build the relationships of mutual trust and responsibility that are the foundation of community."

read the full article

Strengthening local businesses and the community as a whole is the primary purpose of Do It Local Ogallala. Get involved, or find out more by visiting us on Facebook or emailing us.

A prize-winning author and broadcaster, Studs Terkel, once said – “Heroes are not giant statues framed against a red sky. They are people who say: This is my community, and it is my responsibility to make it better.”