Should Hawaii print its own currency?

Source: Quarterly Cafe

As Gov. Lingle and lawmakers quarrel over the state budget, there may be another option to help Hawaii's economy: Aloha Dollars.

As many as 75 communities across the United States are cashing in on a Depression-era idea: printing their own currency.

In Detroit, where the jobless rate is 22.2 percent, a network of local business owners have started printing their own money, called Detroit Cheers, and more than a dozen merchants have agreed to accept it as real money, according to a story in USA Today.

The idea is to keep commerce in Detroit and keep business flowing locally, instead of the money leaving the state or ending up in some corporate headquarters in Tokyo.

Alternative currencies have a history that extends back to the 1930s. There are obvious financial implications here, but local currencies were also originally created to emphasize traditional small-town values by building up the local economy and promoting trade within a community.

Interesting. The Aloha! I give you 75 Alohas for this apple! Not sure how it would work though or what the exchange rate would be or how it would stimulate the economy.

Perhaps Canada should start running on Canadian Tire money :)