Matt,
That's an interesting, well written and concise history of the evolution of the concept of time. As you seem to be, I've come at this discussion from the perspective of seeking the foundations on which our complex reality is based and it can be much more interesting and informative than just following the daily news, which can be very heavy, while not being very filling.
Out of this, one of my other primary interests is also "alternative economics." Here are some essays I've written on the topic;
http://www.exterminatingangel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=203&Itemid=118
http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/07/reverse-shock-doctrine/
This repeats some ideas of the previous, with some additional insight;
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/9/20/18219/4119?new=true
Here is the only author I've found thinking along the same terms of currency as a public utility, though she doesn't get into bottom up community banking, but just national banks:
http://webofdebt.wordpress.com/monetary-proposal/
It seems most alternative currency models are local currencies. This worked well when the economy was localized, but we have a long way to fall to get back to that stage. That's why the distinction between the monetary system and the banking system needs to be clarified, as we need a top down national currency, with a bottom up banking system.
Regards, John