[jamestnz]

> Each dollar that goes horizontally between the "lower class" gets to work one step harder within the "lower class" to go before being sucked away by the wealthy

This is an interesting point, and reminds me in a way of the Bristol Pound (and other "community currencies") which are essentially the same as regular Pounds Sterling, but are only accepted by locally-owned businesses within a local geographical area (more specifically: anyone can accept them, but only locals can ever exchange them back to Pounds Sterling, at a pegged 1:1 rate). Local branches of mutli-national corporations, and public (listed) companies, cannot participate.

Local residents can open an account in Bristol Pounds, and pay their local taxes in them. Some locals can be paid their salary in them.

The stated goal (and this has apparently worked quite well) is a localised economic stimulus, by encouraging residents to spend at local small businesses, and those businesses in turn to seek local suppliers, etc. This sees the money doing a few more rounds locally before being sucked away to a multinational.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jun/07/the-innovat...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Pound