My previous experience with some of the umbrella Go Local groups was marked by an insistence that large local business alliances should fundamentally run the show. That may be an inevitable to some degree, but some sort of grassroots organizing within the general populace of any given community also seems like a worthy goal. In a sense it is of course more work to get true grassroots community movement going. But such a movement is more likely to affect a more fundamental change than a business only movement might.

updated by @matt-grantham: 10/24/16 06:29:00PM

After looking more closely at ABCD resources it seems there is a lot of emphasis on what I would consider true grassroots resource building in ideas like the local capacity listings which seem spot on. Yet there would seem to be a careful course to steer in terms of inviting in the large local businesses, or even public officials, who, maybe in spite of good intentions, will continue to perpetuate the top down type of organizing that created a system relatively devoid of grassroots involvement in the first place

Matt I agree, grassroots organizing gives that community it's only chance to survive and thrive. Business is and can be helpful in sustaining a community (Money is the answer to all things) but it is not the only answer. Business if not guided by the community can dictate who should and should not be in those community houses. Thus destroying the fabric of that community for a better economical base for business. Thus not helping the community just changing who lives within that community. This just moves people who aren't desirable to those businesses, to other areas that will soon need help.

However, grassroots organizations have more of a desire to sustain that community by helping everyone help him/her self, by a long lists of helps. Thus not just helping them economically but socially and maybe even health wise. This will in the long run help those same businesses, in a way that will be helpful to everyone.

Hi Sharon Thank you for replying, it is actually rather important to me to hear back that others see this phenomenon as well. I will try to post here again if I ever accomplish anything significant