[asteram]

Some ideas to discuss:

Planned Community General Agreements (draft)

1. Each family or resident has their own space that they own free and clear. Once vested they cannot lose their space. There are no taxes to be paid or other obligations to be met to retain ownership of this space.

a. Space cannot be sold unless one is leaving the community.

b. Space may be traded with another if all neighbors (how close?) approve.

c. Space may only be sold to someone from outside with the approval of all members of the community.

Q: How does one "buy in" or become vested?

Q: Under what circumstances could a member lose their membership in the community?

2. The community has a common economic focus, i.e. the goods/services produced for sale or trade are those that the members are interested in producing. (Example: The economic focus of this community will be decorative arts and crafts and growing flowers and ornamental plants.)

Income from these activities will be used in this order of priority:

a. First priority is the payment of the common external debts and bills. (e.g. taxes)

b. Second priority is to maintain/improve community infrastructure (and buy food?).

c. Third priority is to distribute income to individual members based on their contribution to earning the income.

Each member is free to earn personal income as well, and to keep their earnings.

3. Qualifications for joining the community:

a. No psychopaths allowed. No one with a desire for power or control over others may ever be in a position of authority.

b. Psychological tests will be a part of qualifying. This is far more important than applying for a job, this is long-term commitment to living and working together towards common goals. There are some good tests out there, including emotional IQ tests.

c. Each prospective member must have a strong interest in the goals and economic activity of the community. Spouses and dependent children are excepted from this requirement.

d. Each member must have clearly defined skills and abilities that contribute to the goals and economic focus of the community.

e. Each member must be approved and accepted by all other members of the community.

4. Rules and obligations of community members:

a. Coercion is not allowed or tolerated, nor is freeloading or taking advantage of others.

b. Each member will have those duties and obligations that they have freely taken on. Their compensation in the way of money, goods, services, or privileges as reward for these duties and obligations will be clearly defined and understood. Failure to perform will result in the loss of these rewards.

c. No one is owed anything simply by virtue of being a community member.

d. All members may freely contract with other members of the community for any goods or services, including the performance of the person's community obligations. The responsibility for performance remains that of the person who originally agreed to perform the community obligations.