Access To Resources
Each citizen in our world is entitled to those goods and services he reasonably requires so long as he participates in society as our laws dictate. The individual who performs his required hours of work should never hunger, live in substandard housing, be denied medical treatment, or have any restriction of travel, utilities, or personal freedom. We have enough resources to provide for each man, women, and child on the planet.
With this in mind, any citizen can walk into a Grocery Supply Store and grab a bag of chips and a cold soda at will. He can go grocery shopping and take home needed supplies. As mentioned earlier, items which somewhat scarce are generally available to qualified consumers after background search and availability testing. Highly scarce goods are made available by a fair lottery system.
Suppose that an individual is planning a party for a dozen guests. She would go to the Grocery Supply Store and select her supplies, and check out. Unless her database records indicate higher than typical levels of consumption, she will have no difficulty. If the computer algorithm indicates that her use pattern is exceptional she may be required to get an override from the Store's manager. Continued exceptional use may prompt a Social Services referral to evaluate her situation. If she was planning to serve her guests lobster, she would need to make the request in advance and if approved, depending on availability and her previous history of lobster use, the lobsters would be reserved for her.
One citizen suddenly started ordering mineral water by the caseful. Each week for a month he ordered two cases of two liter bottles of French mineral water. Living alone, his exceptional use triggered an inquiry visit by Social Services. At the time of the initial visit he was found to be a pleasant sixty-seven year old man who stated that he had developed a great liking for the beverage. The social worker was concerned, but after counseling him about the over-use, closed the inquiry. A few months later he started ordering the mineral water again. This time he stated that he had developed a compulsion to bathe in mineral water. He underwent a psychological evaluation and counseling, but really did not seem to be abnormal. Later, he called the therapist and admitted that he had been lonely ever since his wife had passed away, and started his bizarre pattern of consumption to get attention. The problem was solved by involving the gentleman in several community activities where he formed friendships and involvement.
Most all citizens have individual interests; hobbies, art, crafts, pets, collections, electronic projects, religion, music; the list is endless. The need to find fulfillment in these ways is universal and essential to the continued development of Mankind. For this reason, our society strives to make, within reason, the resources necessary for these pursuits available to all people.
Mary Williams has always enjoyed crafts. In one area of her home she has a craft workshop where she enjoys basket weaving, tin punch work, and folk art painting on rustic wooden boards. She proudly displays many of her works, and has given a number of projects to her friends and family as presents. At one point she became interested in leather work, and acquired a set of tools at the Artisan Supply Store, where she currently obtains many of her other art supplies. After experimenting with this craft off and on over a years time, she decided she really did not enjoy leather work, and returned the unneeded tools to the Store for redistribution.
Mike Shaw is a woodworker. While some craftsmen build small projects in their home, he prefers to design and build furniture. He has been learning this amateur trade for a number of years. His neighborhood, like many others, has a communal workshop that is equipped with the tools and space necessary for a wide variety of projects and repairs. There are two other wood workers in his neighborhood, and they have submitted over the years requests for a number of high quality wood working tools including a cabinet saw with a three horsepower motor, a shaper table with a power feed, and a twenty inch planer to name a few. Mike orders wood through the Internet, and it is delivered to the shop for his use. Periodically the productivity and efficiency of the shop is reviewed, as well as its safety and repair records.
A few years ago, there was a woodturner in Mike's neighborhood who used the shop. He was forever leaving a mess of wood chips, and he failed to sharpen his tools. He was counseled by the Neighborhood Chief repeatedly, until ultimately his privileges to use the neighborhood shop were suspended for one year.
Those who enjoy pastimes that require highly specialized equipment will often choose to live in or near a community where such resources are readily available. For example, an amateur potter could easily find a map on the Internet showing the geographical locations of all the kilns in his region, or the location of other amateur potters. If a family enjoys swimming but their community lacks a pool and there is insufficient room or interest to build a pool in their community, they could find the location of nearby community pools, their capacity, and statistics about average use.
Mr and Mrs Saunders thought it might be nice to have a hot tub. They both enjoy jogging and imagined relaxing in the tub after a hard run. Two years ago when they requested one, they were told that hot tubs due to the balance of labor and goods needed, they could not be granted a tub. This year, there was a relative surplus of labor and lower demand for hot tubs. This was taken into consideration, along with the information that they live in a rural area where there is no access to a community pool or hot tub.
Some resources are readily available for public use but are rarely available for private use. For example, many lakes have marinas with a reasonable supply of fishing boats with electric motors, day sailboats, and water toys. Larger lakes and seaport marinas keep larger yachts. These vessels are often assigned to a small group of users, who are responsible for maintaining the boat in good condition and requesting repairs. Although they do not own the boat, they have a relatively private experience with the boat. If their use of the craft drops off, other users may be assigned to the boat as well. Likewise if a user is irresponsible or discourteous, he may be reported to the Harbor Master and his privileges may be suspended.
Jenny Jones does not like to cook. She lives in a fairly urban area, and she eats out often. Her kitchen reflects her habits. She has a simple stove with basic cookware, a crock pot, and her pantry has a fair amount of processed foods. Her friend, Julie, loves to bake bread. She has a restaurant style oven, a good mixer, bread pans, and all the supplies needed for her passion. Jenny tends to drop by Julie's home at around four thirty just as the bread is coming out of the oven...
Mark Anderson is an avid hiker. He traveled the entire length of the Appalachian Trail during a sabbatical last year, and takes 3-5 day hikes at least eight times a year. He has a fair amount of gear, which he takes good care of. He has a well designed light weight tent, which he ordered last year. In the old world, such a tent would have been very costly; primarily due to its unique design features and the profit that would have been associated with the brand name. Today, his tent is easily produced at very little expense to society.