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Town mints own money to fight austerity

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1 of 3. Mayor Luca Sellari displays Filettino's own bank currency, the ''Fiorito'', at his office in Filettino, east of Rome, August 29, 2011. Filettino, a small town in central Italy, is trying to go independent and mint its own money in protest against government austerity cuts. The town is rebelling against a proposal to merge the governments of towns with fewer than 1,000 inhabitants to save money. Filettino has only around 550 people, but instead of merging with neighbouring Trevi, Sellari is trying to go it alone and set up a ''principality'' along the lines of the famous republic of San Marino to the north.

Credit: Reuters/Alessia Pierdomenico

ROME | Mon Aug 29, 2011 1:45pm EDT

ROME (Reuters) - A small town in central Italy is trying to go independent and mint its own money in protest at government austerity cuts.

Filettino, set in rugged hill country around 100 km (65 miles) east of Rome, is rebelling against a proposal to merge the governments of towns with fewer than 1,000 inhabitants to save money.

Filettino has only around 550 people, but instead of merging with neighboring Trevi, mayor Luca Sellari is trying to go it alone and set up a "principality" along the lines of the famous republic of San Marino to the north.

He has started minting Filettino's own bank currency, the "Fiorito," with his photo on the back, which he says is already being used by the townsfolk.

"We aim to achieve real autonomy from Italy and we have the financial resources to do it," Sellari said in an interview on the town's website www.principatodifilettino.com

There was no immediate comment from the central government in Rome.

Mayors from all over Italy are up in arms about proposals to cut local government funding and merge small towns as part of a 45.5 billion euro ($65.3 billion) austerity plan to balance the country's budget by 2013.

Mayors plan a protest in Milan Monday although media reports say the government is preparing significant changes to the budget, including a substantial dilution of the proposals on local government.

(Editing by Barry Moody)
Oddly Enough
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Comments (5)
Eideard wrote:
Why not pass this idea along to the Kool Aid Party, Ron Paul and the truly nutty Republicans who think this would fit their definitions of libertarianism?

All they need to do is to return to printing bills from the Confederacy. It’s where the heart of their ideology resides.

Aug 29, 2011 6:41pm EDT  --  Report as abuse
stilldazed wrote:
Actually, Ron Paul would rather use silver and gold.

Aug 30, 2011 4:31am EDT  --  Report as abuse
McBob08 wrote:
Actually, Ron Paul would rather use farts and rainbows.

Aug 30, 2011 7:25am EDT  --  Report as abuse
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