E2M

E2M is a sustainable, free market, economic model of community capitalism that enables local communities to create the citizen controlled wealth necessary to address their socioeconomic and environmental problems and create global opportunities for all peoples. Our current economic system is unsustainable because it is exists to produce maximum profits and ever increasing growth for a minority of investors on a planet with limited resources. Growth is driven by consumer purchases which result in ever increasing debt on the populace, ever decreasing resources, unending production of waste, and excessive industrial activity that leads to global warming.

E2M can exist with zero growth and break even profits while providing educational programs to teach people, especially children, that unending and rampant consumerism is not necessary to achieve a balanced and fulfilling life. This is contrary to the current system which spends hundreds of billions of dollars to convince the populace that life is most fulfilled by accumulating as much as possible by maximizing purchases and consumption.

Capitalism, as envisioned by Adam Smith in 1749, was to be an economic model that could create a viable distribution of wealth to be shared by landowners, entrepreneurs, peasants, and governments. In the agrarian society of the times most human labor achieved self-sufficiency with little surplus value. However the Industrial Revolution greatly increased the amount of surplus value from human labor yet those profits went into the hands of entrepreneurs rather than peasants. During the 150 years since then, rather than achieving Smith's goals, capitalism has benefited the few much more than the many, created inequitable distributions of wealth, caused excessive use of natural resources, and contributed to climate change such that the survival of not only corporate capitalism, but also the planet is in question.

E2M an innovative form of community capitalism which can achieve Smith's original intent, was first described as an epiphany by Michael Garjian, a farm boy, who became an inventor and manufacturer of products and technologies and which he and his 400 employees manufactured and distributed internationally.

Under the E2M model, regional communities share in the equity of corporations which are then patronized by community members, thus creating income streams to the E2M Regional Economic Councils (E2M-REC) which act in the best interests of the regional community. Wealth earned by the community under E2M is then invested in additional business start-ups in which the E2M-RECs own even more equity. E2M.org is the organization that charters the E2M Regional Economic Councils. These councils are independent of E2M.org and each other, yet may collaborate to develop broader initiatives where necessary to address national and international issues. As the community wealth held by the E2M-RECs grows, investments in businesses increase as well as social investments which can include, but are not limited to mortgages of 50 year terms and 1 percent interest rates, purchases of commercial and residential real estate to be rented at stable rates over decades, and other investments based on the goal of achieving adequate profits and sustainable growth for the common good. This counterbalances the traditional investment goal of maximum profits and maximum growth for the private investor which is an unsustainable investment criteria that endangers the planet and those who inhabit it.

The economic model

E2M, a community conscious economic model, enables local communities to create the wealth necessary to address their socioeconomic and environmental problems.

The E2M.org economic model consists of three main groups:

1. The E2M Regional Economic Council (E2M-REC) - a 24 member body composed of community representatives, tasked with managing the funds to serve the best interests of the regional community.
2. The Community - the geographically defined economic community
3. E2M Certified Businesses - companies that sign an agreement with their local E2M-REC, which outlines their economic commitment to the E2M-REC and what benefits they can expect from E2M certification.

Background

E2M.org was founded on January 1, 2000 by Michael Garjian, an entrepreneur from western Massachusetts.

Board of directors

The E2M.org board includes:

• Michael Garjian, founder, E2M.org
• Steve Rogers, president, Rogers Management
• Benjamin Swan, MA state representative, 12th Hampden District
• Mary Jane Bacon, senior legislative aide, MA State Senator Stan Rosenberg
• Julie Graham, professor of economic geography, University of Massachusetts Amherst
• Jason Garand, regional council organizer, Springfield Office, New England Regional Council of Carpenters
• David Bisson, treasurer, E2M.org
• Mary Westervelt, director of marketing, CAIA Association

Ex officio and congressional liaison

• Jon Niedzielski, district director, Office of Congressman John Olver

References

• Gibson-Graham, J.K. (2006). A Postcapitalist Politics. University of Minnesota Press. pp. xx. ISBN 0816648042.

• Contrada, Fred (2005-04-17). "Regional effort seeks to redistribute wealth". Sunday Republican. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

• Krause, Elizabeth L (February 2005). Michelle Bigenho and Daniel Goldenstein (ed.). "In Search of Community Conscious Capitalism" (PDF). Association for Political and Legal Anthropology.

• Staff Writer (2004-12-06). "Campus Notes". The Republican (Springfield, MA). {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

External links

• http://e2m.org