Cooperative economics is powerful. There are so many things we could do to make our lives better if we are willing to work together for our mutual benefit.

For example: In the mid 1940s my aunt and uncle and 17 other families purchased an 18 unit apartment complex (three 6 unit buildings) on 42nd and Michigan. I believe what they had in common was that one member of each family was a veteran of World War II. They bought these buildings as a corporation, a cooperative, with each family having equal ownership and a right to an apartment. They worked together to maintain the buildings and my aunt enjoyed more than 60 years of economic and social benefits. At the time of her death in 2008 she was 90 years old. The building had no mortgage. She and the other owners were paying $300 per month for a two bedroom apartment with radiator heat included. The average rate of renting a comparable apartment in Chicago was $750. The apartments in the building that were not owner occupied, were rented for $425. Selfishness, separation and ignorance are destroying this perfect example of what people can accomplish together.

If you, me and many other people are willing to work together, we can create systems and tools we need to create social and economic opportunities and provide benefits for ourselves, our families, and others, as the people in my example did many years ago. We can share our knowledge and together we could learn how to avoid the mistakes people have made in the past. We can manipulate supply and demand to work in our favor. We can be an example to the world, showing them a way out of this socioeconomic mess, and help make life better for all. Let's stop complaining or asking people who don't really care, to give us relief. Let's do what needs to be done.

That's all the 'selling' of my proposal for 2011 (in red text above) I can do without writing another book for few people to read. If you can't see the value or potential of such a network of people, I will not be able to convince you. I have a plan that should work to help us come together and get organized but hope that everyone will contribute their knowledge and ideas to help us make this cooperative effort better.

When you are ready to get started, email me. Please include the information below (in green text). I will create a database of this information but will not share it with anyone. Include your name (as it would be on a contract). Mine is John G. Curry. That's not a secret. Ultimately we will organize ourselves in a legal way because we will need to put a small amount of money together. I have reasons for setting this amount at $33 but will wait for your comments before I ask you to send money to me. You will have a legal claim to this money. Include your email address in the text of the email so I can copy and paste it into my database. Also include the zip code where you live. This is important for many reasons. One reason: The efforts of this group will mostly benefit people who live or work in the Chicagoland area. It would make little sense to be part of a group with no benefits to you.

You can include any questions, comments, opinions or ideas you wish, but this information may be shared. It will not be shared in your name, only as information that other interested people may want to know. Remember we are trying to make this the best network it can be.

I hope you will invite your family, friends, coworkers and acquaintances to consider working with us and have them come to this website. I will do my best to bring this effort to the attention of as many people as I can. When we are 5,000 people who live in the Chicagoland area who are interested in working together to do as I proposed, I will email everyone. Then we will begin.