This is a letter I submitted to the Cumberland Times News, my local newspaper, on October 5th, 2017 via email.

I have neither heard back from them nor seen this in print unless I have overlooked something.

I find it critically important to share this idea that I find as a very Progressive solution two the Possibility of financial issues in the future.

If you want to have success in the future then you invest today !!!

There has never been growth in any Marketplace like the record-setting growth of crypto currencies and if we had invested earlier this year at a little over $600 a piece, today we would own Bitcoins with a value each of roughly $4000 to $5,000 +, and quickly increasing. In fact, John McAfee, of the very famous McAfee Antivirus company and other fame, thinks that his statement that Bitcoin will reach $500,000 per each Bitcoin in 10 years or less is an absolute under estimate.

Cryptocurrencies will eliminate banking as we know it today completely !!!

You do not have to listen to a single thing I have to write hear about crypto-currencies cuz you can read all about it here from the original document.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf&ved=0ahUKEwjstpylmf7WAhVC4SYKHZtzA0gQFggmMAA&usg=AOvVaw05-4mYD7EyyKjwcHh8i0Vw

[PDF] Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System - Bitcoin.org
Bitcoin.org › bitcoin

Don't be ignorant !!!

Do your due diligence and understand that this is a critical move our city can make that can set a precedence across the world so that other municipalities, counties, jurisdictions, Etc can plan on making an Investment Portfolio that will Garner dividends in the future to offset shortfalls in the budget at a minimum.

We consistently pay tens of thousands of dollars for studies that tell us stuff that we already know about our area. We pay these tens of thousands of dollars in studies so that we will have directives on paper to do the things you would think we should already know to be doing.

Too often I see these types of reports to be just complete waste of money where the real money that could be the security and the further Rebirth of the city.

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I am a city resident here in Cumberland, Maryland and have been since 2001 where I own my own home.

I believe the city should invest a minimum consideration of $10,000 in Crypto Currency, if not substantially more!!! I believe we should sell public investment savings bonds, or some type of public bond we design to legal specifics, to our residents and county residents, as well as Maryland residents and anybody else who wants to buy them.

We can have a 10-year investment plan, or so, maybe one for 5 and one for 10 years, for crypto currency investment, where it's kept under lock and key until we say it's mature in 10 years and we then want to use some of those funds towards the cities expenditures and more importantly future Investments as we build foundations with vision.

You have to think about what I'm going to say below and who I got permission from as well as what John McAfee says and what he thinks one single Bitcoin will be worth (soon...not tomorrow), which is a half million dollars EACH... and today one Bitcoin as roughly $4,200. John says that's actually an underestimate. At the beginning of the year the price was just $620 per Bitcoin.

Nothing has ever displayed such incredible growth in investing history!!! Nothing is ever displayed so much potential for future growth either and it is incredible to watch and equally nor such volatility. We cannot forget every coin has two sides as well as an edge which can later cut like a knife, not to ever be overlooked of course... and this is where and why some form of diversity must be considered.

I went to school with Michael Novogratz in high school... Just look up Galaxy Investment Partners. You may do your own due diligence to see who he is and that he highly recommends crypto currencies, and that he would not do this without certain knowledge. I'm not claiming Mr. Novogratz as a close personal friend, however a definite acquaintance and alumni of the same high school with similar upbringings, we wrestled together and, most recently, just several years ago, he read some of my poetry at a rather large group.

https://www.coinspeaker.com/2017/09/28/fortress-former-cio-michael-novogratz-establishes-worlds-biggest-crypto-hedge-fund/amp/

Mathematically $10,000 over 10 years will look insignificant as an investment and may garner this city several million, tens of millions, maybe even hundreds of millions of dollars in the coming decade when it matures !!!

If indeed we could ever coordinate something like this, which always seems to be the biggest problem… “the inability to act swiftly with efficiency and without division”... well... maybe... we would indeed have an ace in the hole !!!

Otherwise,...

this might be our very epitaph as an incorporated city !

John Stephen Swygert
Steve Swygert

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Addition:

The truth is I lied in my article above. I believe we should invest a million but the shock value of a million dollars to all of the taxpayers here would just blow the entire idea up before those that are ignorant would do their own due diligence to understand what crypto currency even is for to study the growth That it is on.

I have studied these and depth and I am continuing to study crypto currencies and this is absolutely the most and credible investment opportunity that we will see for the rest of our lifetimes !

This will give Cumberland any type of future we desire to construct together if we make the investment and if we don't it might just be the end!

We have a county that suggest giving up our city Charter. I have a boat that suggests that we have better representation that instead of slinging absolutely despicable remarks, would instead suggest a solution as I have!

http://www.times-news.com/news/local_news/county-declines-to-fund-cumberland-s-requests/article_11c1392b-138c-5471-8d33-09b4592f4a69.html

I believe in thinking outside of the box so I can stay out of the box a little bit longer!

Here are some more facts.

I am the one who coined this expression, "Be Bold, Embrace Change". #BeBold

I offered my expression to be utilized but I did not know what it would be utilized for.

Far before the rolling Mills project came to fruition I suggested personally face-to-face to our mayor that the most Progressive cities in the country, and indeed in the world today, invest in themselves and they buy entire city blocks two remove old Urban Decay so that there will be renewal. If the city will not invest in itself who will believe in that city?

I understand this critically, and I also understand the criticalities of those in the Rolling Hills subdivision that did not want to leave their homes !

Personally, I would give my home up if I was made completely whole and offered another home in the city where I want to live. However what makes one completely whole versus another person complete a hole is two entirely different sets of Standards most often and of course we are now at this critical juncture where the city needs to decide if they want to use eminent domain to remove the remaining residents or to build around as you can read for yourself in this article and I don't want to get into these details as this has not been something I have ever been involved with other than my original suggestion, which I am not taking credit for the overall idea however it very well could be mine as you see my slogan is attached to the entire idea that was executed by the Cumberland Economic Development Commission.

I'm not trying to make a penny off of anything, I am simply suggesting progressive solutions so that our area can indeed have a future and that future needs to be built upon solid foundations today and we are going to need finances for this solid foundations and right now we have crumbling infrastructure !!!

Currently, via a leak of unknown origin, it's estimated that the sewage system in the city is leaking about 80,000 gallons of raw sewage into Wills Creek, for example, because we cannot find the leak.

80000 gallons of raw sewage a day into a creek EVERY DAY !!!

http://www.times-news.com/news/local_news/city-leak-spewing-gallons-of-sewage-daily-into-wills-creek/article_3f54c6b4-6958-5651-93cf-2465bee413ba.html

We consistently have to repair water mains because they break in the next one down the line which is of least resistance brakes or they break between the mains but typically at the mains and we continue to throw money at these things when what really needs to be done is the complete removal and replacement of entire systems of which it has been said there are no records of as they have been... well who knows what !!!

I am frustrated and I'm sure some of that shines through here and I am sorry for that little edge of anger however again I am simply looking for Solutions and I am only looking towards Visionary plans that will guarantee in a sure that there will be a great future here in Cumberland because the people here deserve that !!!

Perhaps for each person in the rolling Mills subdivision $5,000 in the Bitcoin can be invested and held for 10 years so that they can each be made whole as well (possibly as nothing is without risk) and I mean each and every single person displaced from that entire community. That means the deals already done and the deals that need to be done still.

Imagine if after the fact the city gave gifts to the willing citizens that were made to make a very tough decision. I personally appreciate your bold choices to move forward and therefore let our city move forward too.