What If Your Town Printed Its Own Money — And It Actually Worked?

In 1991, as the U.S. economy stumbled through recession, a community organizer in Ithaca, New York did something radical: he printed money. Not counterfeit dollars — something more interesting. A labor-backed local currency called Ithaca HOURS, where one note equaled one hour of work, equaled ten dollars, and could only be spent right here in town.

For more than two decades, it worked.

In this episode, Dia sits down with Steve Burke, former president and board member of Ithaca HOURS, for an honest, detailed account of what happened.

The Problem Ithaca HOURS Was Built to Solve

Ithaca in the early 1990s was a town of wage struggle and economic anxiety. Workers were paid too little. Dollars flowed in, then immediately fl ...