[SustainableTompkins] The Political Economy of Relocalization

[senecajean at aol.com]

That Gramsci slogan is a good one; it certainly defines?dealing with climate change (among other things.)

I too was very ionterested reading about the struggles of the IHA.

Jeanne?


-----Original Message-----
From: Margaret McCasland <mmccasla at twcny.rr.com>
To: Sustainable Tompkins County listserv <sustainabletompkins at lists.mutualaid.org>
Sent: Tue, 28 Aug 2007 12:02 am
Subject: Re: [SustainableTompkins] The Political Economy of Relocalization



I did agree with and support the ways that the Health Fund responded 
to the NYSID "boom lowering."

One of the points I wanted to make but didn't articulate is just what 
Bethany did articulate well:  that we must not be naive about the 
context in which our local efforts exist.

I suspect Paul Glover may have wanted to challenge the very 
limitations that the NYSID regs imposed, rather than naively assuming 
that limitations didn't exist.  However, even if Paul wasn't being 
naive, I think it's still important that the rest of us aren't naive 
in our various efforts.

I still get inspired by Gramsci's slogan, "Pessimism of the 
intellect, optimism of the will."  And I enjoy working with all the 
optimists in our community!

Margaret


>On 8/27/07, Bethany Schroeder <nidus at pinax.com> wrote:
>>
>>  The Ithaca Health Fund problems that occurred almost 3 years ago may not
>>  be the best example of a large body walloping a small one. Whereas the
>>  NYS insurance department (NYSID) did come down hard on the
>>  program, to be fair, lowering the boom was the only choice
>>  NYSID had, given NYS regulations. The Ithaca Health Fund made some
>>  well-meaning but naive decisions, which have now been redressed.
>>
>>  The amount of trouble the NYSID fight cost the members and volunteers of
>>  the Fund is regrettable, but getting through the struggle helped to map
>>  the organization's direction, now fully articulated in the body of the
>>  Ithaca Health Alliance (IHA). The corrective plan of action, as it's
>>  called in health care, also helped to attract some local talent that has
>>  since gone on to open and run the Free Clinic, develop community
>>  outreach in the form of a newsletter and other educational products,
>>  create new cooperation between the schools and conventional and
>>  complementary health providers, employ three staff, and manage the whole
>>  enterprise with a relatively small pool of volunteers. In short, the
>>  services the IHA now offers are better than ever and, I am happy to say,
>>    are sustainable.
>>
>>  Not bad for a little local group.
>>
>>  Bethany
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>  Margaret McCasland wrote:
>>
>>  > I also agree with Karl that aspects of local self-reliance that have
>>  > been sufficiently "successful" have been severely dealt with by "the
>>  > powers that be." Two examples I know of off the top of my head are a
>>  > local/regional currency in Argentina (the "truc"), and the original
>>  > form of the Ithaca Health Fund (which the NYS insurance regulators
>>  > came down on hard).
>>  >
>>  > I look forward to hearing from more people.    Margaret
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>--
>As our circle of knowledge expands, so does the circumference of darkness
>surrounding it.
>Albert Einstein
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