Letter Re: Long Term Public Employee Pension Obligations

Sir:
Bob G. wrote on July 19th regarding pension obligations for retired government workers.  The implication seemed to be that they are excessively generous and should be cut.  I am a retired teacher and a taxpayer, so I have two dogs in this fight.  As a taxpayer, I want to hold the line on government spending.  As a retiree, I depend on the money I was promised for my livelihood.
Pensions are a contractual obligation backed by the ‘full faith and credit’ of government.  If government had properly funded the liability in the first place, the money to pay pensions would be there today.  That it is not cannot be laid at the feet of the retiree.  In Maine, at least, we paid in to our pension system with every check.  The state’s contribution must be considered as deferred income, money we earned but were not paid at the time.  I took a pay cut to become a teacher because I felt it was a job that needed doing.  I did so with the understanding that my retirement was secure.  After 25 years, I receive 50% of my pay before deductions for health care, taxes and so forth.

Many state and local governments spent the money they should have set aside for pensions on other things.  As a result, for example, retirees have lost our cost of living allowance (COLA).  As time goes by, this could become a serious problem for many of us. 

A contract is a contract.  People like me planned their lives around the promises that were made.  I can’t go back and get another career.  In this economy, I can’t even get a job!  The money I receive from my pension is money I earned over a lifetime of hard work.  Good teachers put in as much time outside of school as they do in the classroom: in my case, about 60 hours a week, twelve months a year. 
If spending cuts are necessary, negotiate different arrangements in future and ensure they are fully funded.  And maybe, just maybe, before you cut pensions we should take a look at benefits that are paid but not earned. – Randy in Maine

JWR Replies: I agree that contractual promises should be kept. Obviously, what needs to be implemented are two tier systems. Any new hires would be enrolled in a scaled-back retirement system. The key change would be that retirement payments would not begin until age 65.

Economics and Investing:

Reader M.E.W. suggested: The Federal Reserve Is Not Going To Save Us From The Great Depression That Is Coming

Default? U.S. Post Office Might Miss Retirees’ Payment. (Thanks to SurvivalBlog’s G.G. for the link.)

Items from The Economatrix:

Psychopaths Caused The Financial Crisis…And They Will Do It Again And Again Unless They Are Removed From Power

Beginning Sovereign Debt Crisis Endgame, Attack of the Zombie Banks and the New Religion of Europe

These 12 Hellholes are Examples of What the Rest of America Will Look Like Soon

Bad Economic Signs 2012s

Odds ‘n Sods:

G.G. sent us this piece from Virginia: Fowl Territory: Why Richmond should embrace backyard chickens.

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Join The Club, Your Honor: Trenton Mayor Tony Mack federal probe: FBI raids homes of mayor, brother, supporter. Any guesses on the illustrious “crime fighting” group that Mayor Mack belongs to?

The folks over at the If It Hits The Fan blog just passed the milestone of 500 posts. Congrats.

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Yet another conference… This one is in Tucson, on August 11, 2012: The Arizona Survivalist Show. (Thanks to Randy in Arizona for the link.)

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I just read that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un has been named Marshal of the Army. I suppose that they gave Kim Il-sung Jr. Jr. that position because of his many years of military experience playing Call of Duty and Halo. Just like his father, he has learned that it is ronery at the top. On a tangential note, I predict that he will be very, very angry on November 21st when the re-make of Red Dawn is released without his permission.

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Brandon Smith asks: Where Is The Line For Revolution?

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: [they were] judges in Beersheba.
And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.
Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,
And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.
And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.
Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.
And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king.
And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint [them] for himself, for his chariots, and [to be] his horsemen; and [some] shall run before his chariots.
And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and [will set them] to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.
And he will take your daughters [to be] confectionaries, and [to be] cooks, and [to be] bakers.
And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, [even] the best [of them], and give [them] to his servants.
And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.
And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put [them] to his work.
He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.
And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.” – 1 Samuel 8:1-18 (KJV)

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 41 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 41 ends on July 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Prepare to Share, by Mrs. T.J.

Growing up, we are taught to share.  Share our toys, share the chores, share our parents attention.  When we get to an age where we can earn some money, whether it be allowance for household jobs, or something like a paper route, our parents teach us to be sure to give God his 10%.  (Here is a little secret…it is ALL God’s, he just allows us to keep 90%, if only the government would be so generous).  Well, as we get even older, let us say, after high school or college, we get a ‘real’ job.  This is theoretically speaking of course, since there are so many who don’t have jobs, whether because there are  none available in their field of skills or because they just don’t want to work and would rather have someone else support them.   Now, saying we have this job, and we give 10% to God (via His church), we also have to give a share to Uncle Sam…he is the uncle we pay to stay away and leave us alone.  If you do not pay enough, he will come after more than his fair share.  So still, we share.

Let us take the master that gave to his servants talents, to test their abilities.  He gave to one servant five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent.  Well, you know the account, the servant with five talents used his abilities and increased his talents by five more.  The twp talent servant did likewise and increased his talents by two more, but the one talent servant just buried his talent, keeping it to himself, and when the master returned, the first two servants were given praise for their good work while the one talent servant was punished. (Matthew 25: 14-30).  The one talent was then given to the 10 talent servant and the master said, “For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance:  but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.” 

I would like to give a few examples of sharing.  In 1 Kings 17, Elijah was sent by God to give a message to Ahab, that there would be a drought in the land.  After delivering the message, Elijah was told to “hide by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.”  At the river, he was able to drink and God had ravens to bring him food for a while.  Then the brook  dried up, “because there had been no rain in the land.”  Elijah was then told to go to Zarephath and dwell there, where God had prepared a widow woman to sustain him.  He met the widow woman as she gathered sticks and asked her to give him something to drink.  As she was going to get the drink, he asked her to also get him something to eat.  “And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse:  and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.”  Well, she did make that cake for Elijah, and because she was willing to share, God made the meal and oil last so that she nor her son had to starve.  It was by sharing what she had that she was blessed.  

On another occasion, there was a different widow woman and her sons who were fearful of her late husband’s creditors. They were planning to take her sons as slaves for the debt her husband left behind when he died.  She cried to Elisha, the man of God, for help. “And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house?  And she said,  Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.”  So he told her to go to her neighbors and borrow vessels, and not just a few, but many vessels.  She was then told to go into a room with her sons and shut the door and pour out the oil into the vessels, which she did, until there was not another vessel to fill.  And still she had oil. “Then she came and told the man of God.  And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.”  Again we see how God took the little she had and made it last.  

When Jesus fed the multitudes with the fishes and loaves of bread, He could have just as easily spoke and produced food out of the air, as with the manna for the children of Israel and with the raven feeding Elijah, but He did not.  He took what they had and made it last until everyone present had been fed.  When the children of Israel left Egypt and were fed by the manna, they had to leave all they had known and trust in God.  Elijah had to leave town and hide, and trust in God.  The widow women also, used what they had left, and trusted in God.  On the one hand you have those who had to flee and on the other hand you have those that stayed, but had something, although sparse, to start with.  In all cases, the individuals involved had to trust in God completely to take care of their needs.  Likewise, we have to trust in God to provide our needs.  If we have goods, and share with our brethren, God can increase our goods as he sees fit.  If we have nothing and someone shares with us, that is a blessing to us as well as the person sharing their goods, and we should be sure to thank God for his blessings and ask blessings on the sharing party.

Jesus wants us to share and help the less fortunate.  That is not to say that we should provide total support for able bodied people who just do not want to work.  An old Chinese saying, “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.”   In helping others, we may need to teach them new skills so that they can help themselves. The Bible also teaches in Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians 3:10-15, “…that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.  Now them that are such we command and exhort by or Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.  But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.  And if any many obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.  Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.”  And also in 1 Timothy 5:8, “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.”  

We need to encourage others to prepare for hard times.  Even as our economy  is failing daily, some will not hear of making plans for the future, but live only for that day.   And while we are not promised tomorrow, and should live every day as if it were our last, we can plan for the future we hope to have if we live and if the Lord is willing.  And do not be afraid to help others in genuine need, (Hebrews 13:1-2) “Let brotherly love continue.  Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unaware.” And Jesus said in Matthew 25:34-46, “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat:  I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink:  I was a stranger, and ye took me in:  Naked and ye clothed me:  I was sick, and ye visited me:  I was in prison, and ye came unto me.  Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?  And the King shall answer and say unto thee, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”  We do need to share with the less fortunate that are trying to help themselves and do it willingly. “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully, Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity:  for God loveth a cheerful giver.” – 2 Corinthians 9:6-7.

Letter Re: Cinder Block Safety Concerns

JWR,
First of all thank you for your blog.  I have been reading it every day for the last year. J.D. in Texas offers some good information regarding Concrete Masonry Units(CMUs), however I may be able to share some more details.  I have also been in the concrete masonry business for about 22 years.  The first thing to consider when using concrete masonry is to avoid breathing any dust from the units, such as when a unit is cut, split, or ground.  At the very least use a N95 or N99 dust mask.  If you are cutting a CMU then use a wet saw if you can.  The concern of the previous article was with Fly Ash which is a product derived from the scrubbers from coal fired power plants.  It can contain some potentially dangerous chemicals such as mercury, antimony, barium, and strontium to name a few.  It is used as a partial replacement for regular cement to actually produce a better finished product.  Fly Ash can increase the long term strength, durability, freeze-thaw resistance, permeability, and road salt resistance.  Many State D.O.T.’s have requirements to use Fly Ash at certain concentrations to improve bridges and roadways. 

An important concept to understand about concrete is that it gets stronger with age due to a reaction with water called hydration.  Most concrete is considered cured at 28 days, Fly Ash concrete is generally considered cured at 56 days, although the curing process never truly ends.  One hundred year old concrete has been tested and it was found to still be curing.  The other important concept to know is that the ingredients of concrete are generally bound within the matrix (internal structure) of the concrete.  There is likely only one pound or less of Fly Ash in a typical 8”x 8”x 16” CMU, which would only contain a very small percentage of potentially toxic materials that will not likely be released from the concrete. 

Considering other building materials for a raised bed?  Pressure treated lumber contains toxic materials, Railroad ties? – don’t even think about it [because they are permeated with toxic creosote, copper naphthenate, and other chemicals] Brick? – Clay brick can also contain fly ash.  I would not hesitate to build a raised bed with concrete masonry units; in fact I have one in the works.  If you are concerned I would just allow a little extra distance between your plantings and the sides of the CMUs.  You could also paint the units with a low-volatile organic compounds (VOC) latex based paint to seal the units if you like.  Also not all units will necessarily contain Fly Ash; if you have concerns you need to express them to your local concrete masonry producer.  Some CMU manufactures use standard cement and or Slag Cement as a partial replacement for traditional cement and there are not any known contamination concerns with these products.  Slag cement is derived from steel production and has some of the same benefits to concrete as Fly Ash without the negatives. – M.L. in Kentucky

Economics and Investing:

The “well funded” Social Security myth: $20 trillion timebomb. (Thanks to G.G. for the link.)

Reader AmEx sent an article by Paul Farrell: How Bernanke will cause the next crash before 2014

Over at Alt-Market: Bad Economic Signs 2012

Ol’ Remus of The Woodpile Report alerted me to an article wherein Karl Denninger summarizes the enormity of the LIBOR scandal: So I Need To “Be An Adult” About Fraud Eh? Here is a key quote: “There are hundreds of trillions of dollars of interest-rate derivatives linked to LIBOR, directly and indirectly. A 1% move would be something like $3 trillion dollars. “

Items from The Economatrix:

Ambrose Evan-Pritchard:  Fed Fiddles While America Slides Back Into Recession

Refinancing Debt Into Prosperity

Authorities Give Gold Price Another Leg Up

This Major Fed Move is About to Create an Explosion in Gold

Odds ‘n Sods:

SurvivalBlog’s Editor At Large Michael Z. Williamson mentioned a new product: the Trucker’s Friend. (It is even American-made!)

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Yet another reason to avoid all social media: Facebook Monitors Your Chats for Criminal Activity. (Thanks to RBS for the link.)

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Sterile v. Clean In Survival Situations:  Doom & Bloom

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Some facts on firearms in the United States.

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Speaking of guns, read: Outrage After News Channel Helps Public Identify Gun Owners. In the warped minds of the gun grabbers, they perceive gun owners on a par with child molesters, so they think it is just dandy to publish names and addresses. (Thanks to H.L. for the latter link.)

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“…if the study of the Bible is to be excluded from all state schools; if the inculcation of the principles of Christianity is to have no place in the daily program; if the worship of God is to form no part of the general exercises of these public elementary schools; then the good of the state would be better served by restoring all schools to church control.” – National Education Association (NEA), 1892

Notes from JWR:

Today is coincidentally the birthday of both Samuel Colt and Gaston Glock. (Born July 19, 1814, and July 19, 1929, respectively.) It has been rightly said: “God may have made men, but Samuel Colt made them equal.” As for Gaston Glock, I predict that his lasting legacy will be recognized following a war of resistance in the near future, when his ubiquitous mass-produced pistols will have the Geheime Staats Polizei or Policía Secreta, or Police Secrète quaking in their boots. In my estimation both Colt and Glock’s designs are significant contributions to human liberty and equality, all around the world.

July 19th also marks the 37th anniversary of the death of Corporal John Alan Coey, the first American volunteer to die in the Rhodesian Bush War. Even the editors of Wikipedia (which I call LeftistAgendaPedia) recognized his selfless service.

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Today we present another two entries for Round 41 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. B.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and E.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 41 ends on July 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Food Storage on a Budget, by N.T.M. in Nevada

When it comes to food storage, people that I have talked with have almost always made the comment that they can barely afford to feed their family now much less afford to have food storage.  I am currently working with a few people and teaching them how to feed their family and still put food up for TEOTWAWKI.  There are three things that I tell people to always do, (1) gardening, (2) couponing, and (3) food co-ops.

(1) Gardening.  When TSHTF, you don’t want to be changing the way that your family eats because then you could be facing worse problems.  So the number 1 thing to do is to start a garden.  You are going to want to already know how to grow your own food to be able to replenish your food storage and maintain a constant supply of food.  I always tell people to both feed your family from your garden as well as preserve what you grow.  Start with heirloom seeds so that you can also learn how to save the seeds from what you grow.  Your startup will be more with getting the proper seeds and tools to do the work.  When you grow and preserve your own food storage, you have the ability to learn the art of gardening, seed saving, and know that your family will eat and already be adjusted to the foods that you grow as well as save money.  Fresh fruits and vegetables from your home garden are healthier for you because you are able to control the pesticides and environment that they are grown in.  Once you have all that fresh fruits and vegetables, you need to preserve them before they go bad.  You can dehydrate and can them.  Look at thrift stores and yard/garage sales for canning equipment including canning jars as well as dehydrators.  You would be surprised at what people get rid of, especially in the times that we are in.  Get creative with this, there are so many things that you can do with all those fruits and vegetables.  Tomato’s for examples, you can dehydrate them and then eat them as a snack or put through a blender for tomato powder.  When you can them, you can make spaghetti sauce, chili sauce, tomato sauce, ketchup, barbeque sauce, et cetera.

(2) Couponing.  There are so many coupons out there that no one uses.  Ask around and I’m sure you can find people that will give you theirs that they aren’t going to use.  Check the local library, they usually have a box for people to drop off coupons, and join a couponing group where you can swap ones you will not use for ones that you will.  I was just at the store and had been able to get a total of 28 Heinz Vinegar coupons for $1 off any one.  They were priced at Wal-Mart for $1.12, so after the coupon I only paid out of pocket 12 cents each.  You can get a lot of stuff for storage fast using your local stores sales and combining a coupon.  Not only can you get the coupons from the Sunday papers, but there are lots of sites online that you can print coupons as well such as coupons.com, as well as being able to download coupons on your store saving card.  Watch at the stores, there are always displays that have coupons attached to.  You can either use them then or save them for a sale.  I got some coupons in the Sunday paper for Ball or Kerr canning jars, when I went to the store and bought them, there was coupons on the side of the packages and inside were coupons for the lids, pectin, produce protector, and more.  There are also times when there are coupons put out for items that will give you an overage.  There was a $3 off any Bayer aspirin coupon and at Wal-Mart the regular price for the low dose is $2.22 resulting in a 78 cent per bottle overage.  I had 10 coupons so I bought 10 of them and all of them were free and I got a total of $7.80 off of my shopping trip.  There are times when you don’t have to wait for a sale, but for the most part you are going to want to hold on to your coupons to combine with a sale and if possible a store coupon.  Always remember to check your expiration dates, you don’t want to stock up on a bunch of items that will be expiring in a month. Coupons are everywhere you just have to keep your eyes open for them.

(3) Food co-ops.  My favorite is Bountiful Baskets.  Check their web site as see if they have a page for your state.  I go on and get my basket as well as being able to get fresh fruits and vegetables in bulk at discounted prices as an add on to bring home and preserve.  I have gotten wheat, fruits, and vegetables from there.  Co-ops also give you more of a variety of new things to try and see if your family likes or not.  You can also find food co-ops through any local farmers in your area.  When it comes to co-ops, the sky’s the limit.  My father-in-law has apple trees and my kids and I will go over there during harvest time and pick as many as we can hold.  My father-in-law provides his own canning jars and in exchange, when I am making apple butter, apple sauce, jelly, apple pie in a jar, etc., I can up extra jars for him and get my apples for free all it takes is my time.  Ask around to people that you know that fruit trees and see if you can come over when they are ripe and pick some, most of the time they will let you because they don’t want what they won’t use to go to waste.  I always offer to can some extra for them if they supply their own jars and lids.  It doesn’t take any longer to do up a couple more jars for them and then they will be happy that you are offering to do something for what you are wanting from them.  When people see that you are offering to do all of the work they are willing to let you take as much as you want.  Another place to look is your local farmer’s market.  You can find lots of good prices there as well as being able to get an idea on what items grow good in your area.  You don’t want to stock up on a bunch of seeds that will not grow in the region that you live in.

Go out and talk to people and see what they have and what they do.  Talked to the people that work at your local nurseries, they know what will grow and what not to waste your time on for the area that you live in.  A good rule of thumb is try it yourself.  Everyone told me that you couldn’t grow peanuts where I live and I decided to try it myself.  They are growing good in my garden, I just have to wait and see if they produce.  If they do, then I will be glad that I tried it out for myself.  Listen to what people have to say but also try it for yourself.  It is best to find out now then when it’s too late and you are counting on your garden to be able to feed yourself and family when there is no grocery store to go to.  You don’t have to tell them what you are doing, from my experience when I ask questions people seem to like to show off how much they know they don’t seem to ask to many questions.

If you have a group together that you will be with WTSHTF, working together as a group now will enable you to work together as a group better when it is really needed.  I concentrate more on food storage then I do anything, don’t get me wrong, anything can happen and it is always best to make sure that everyone in the group has everything that they will need to sustain life should you all not be able to make it to your suggested location, however, working as a team to find the best deals will enable you all to get a better variety of food storage then working alone and not as a team.  There are people that I know that know people that I don’t and have access to different fruit trees then I do and just by putting the work out there sometimes you can get more then if you worked by yourself.  A word of caution though, is be careful with whom you talk to.  I don’t go around announcing to people that I am a prepper, because there are too many people that do see a need for it, and those are the people that WTSHTF are going to be either knocking on your door for help or worse yet, trying to by force take what you have worked so hard to get.

Pay attention to all of the resources out there on how to get yourself your food storage and save money at the same time.  With using the techniques I have described, I have been able to not only feed my family, have a good variety of food storage, but also cut our grocery bill down by half each month.

Fight or Flight Decision Points, by R.P.

This most basic decision should be reviewed daily “in a crisis” and weekly in preparation for a TSHTF scenario. In order to make the correct call you must understand the situation that you are in.

One thing true for all situations: You must be prepared to defend what you have. Why? Because your life may depend on it (you and your loved ones). Whatever you have prepared can be lost in one single event. You may not get a second chance to do better next time.

Another thing that is important to consider is “time”. You must understand how much time you have before you reach the next decision point. If this is a natural disaster, will things get better in three days? One week? Mark this on your calendar or mark in your wallet/purse. Why? Because you can’t let a decision point pass you by without considering the basic question: Fight or Flight?

Military commanders, CEOs, everyone has “Decision Points” that come up and signal that you need to do something or face the consequences. Decision points give you time to think about the next step you are going to take. Going to take means “action”. If you don’t take some kind of action then the stress surrounding your circumstances will increase. Action under stress is a “reaction” or not a thought out decision. In any crisis situation it is best to have two or three courses of action that you can think through or discuss with your group.

Fight/ Stay. Let’s look at first part of this, “Fight” or Stay. A lot depends on how much preparation you have accomplished. To stand your ground, stay put, fight or defend means you have means to do that. Are you armed? Do you have supplies (food and water)? Are others there to help you or close by? If the answer to one or more of these is “No” then I would conclude that you are not in a Fight or Stay position. Based on your decision skip down to the Details below.

Flight/ Go. If you can’t fight or stay put then your action is to take Flight or Go (move on). This too can depend on preparation (are you seeing a theme here…prepare, prepare, prepare…) Do you know a place to flee to? Parents house, friends, relatives, retreat community, hideout, weekend house, cabin in the woods, or another country. If you don’t have a planned place to go then what are your options? Not good really. Worst case scenario is to a government run location, e.g. FEMA camp, Aid Station, Federal Assistance housing. No doubt your have read and seen the movies showing what these places might be like. It is never good to depend on the mercy of the government or someone that has become the local “warlord” of the area. Based on your decision skip down to the Details below.

Fight/ Stay Details.
Where are you at for shelter? From the low end to the top this would be: Public Space, Tent, Vehicle/RV, Abandoned housing, Apartment/Condo (Multi Unit Building(s)), Suburban Home, Country House with or w/o acreage, Retreat Community/Castle. As mentioned above, if you are not prepared to defend where you are at then the decision will be made for you to move on.

At any of these locations you must have supplies. You have to know how much food and water you have in terms of “Days of Supply”. Are you down to one month, one week or one day before you run out? If any of these locations runs out of water then you have about three days left to live. Unless you are extremely confident more water is coming or it will rain and fill your bottles/barrels then you have to move on. Looking around for water and returning to your current location sounds better than it really is. Is your family or group safe while you or others are out doing this? Doubtful under even the best of circumstances. Having no water is about as down as you can get. Having water and some food means you can ration supplies and stretch them out for a few weeks.

The decision to be armed will most likely already have been made. When the crisis hits is not the time to go buy a weapon even if they say they are available. You may be in a location where there are not guns or in a country where guns are not allowed. Anyone that thinks they are Chuck Norris and can fight off a gang of thugs is not thinking clearly. If you are not armed then you are dependent on the government to protect you…local police force, conscripted law enforcement or militias. From the Argentine and other crisis articles you can’t depend on timely help. By that I mean, if someone is pressuring you to get what you have then help may not arrive to save you or make them go away.

Keep in mind that the decision to give away some of your supplies will most likely lead to them taking it all (especially if you have no way of stopping them) or them telling others where you are swamped by the needy in the area or wandering in the area (think attack of the dead zombies…desperate people act like them).

Skilful use of “money” or bartering might prolong your Fight and Stay decision. I am amazed at the articles that say, “Carry $100 with you”. Okay, what do you think that is going to get you in a financial crisis. Think massive inflation…daily price changes. Think Weimar Republic and wheelbarrows of money. This of Zimbabwe 1 Billion dollar note not being able to buy anything. Or Russia chopping zeros off the currency. This makes your $100 now worth about one dollar. Rolls of quarters for the vending machines…how many of those were left after Katrina hit. Have two or three options to think about.

There are some early crisis scenarios where paper money might get you though it for the short term. If you are preparing then think pre-1964 silver coins, precious metal coins and bullion. Don’t rely just on one of these. How are you going to buy the few groceries the local store is letting you buy with a 1 oz. gold coin that is now worth way more or 100 times what the store is limited to letting you buy. Track what these coins mean in value for that day. Under no circumstances should you ever start to buy or negotiate something and have to calculate the value or ask someone else what the price is.

Flight/ Go Details.
I think this is the ultimate decision to flee found in the Book of Matthew 24:
17Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
18Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
19And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

Not sure what this person saw but it must have been bad…and heading their way fast. You can see a lot from up on top or your house. Maybe it was the Golden Horde of crazed looters headed toward your house or neighborhood. The decision to not go back in the house to retrieve anything means you flee with what is on your body. Hopefully this is after the crisis has started and you have your “Bug Out Bag” on you at all times. Not a bad idea if your decision time is this very short.

I have not seen one article about how to stay and fight or flee if you or your significant other is pregnant. Unless you or someone in your group is up to speed on child berth then you are most likely in a stay put mode. And you will be there until well after the child is born (give suck). Expecting a pregnant woman to walk any distance to the next town is crazy talk.

Weather is going to play a big part in your decision making process. Verse 20 (not shown) talks about Winter. Any military person that went through training or operations in winter conditions knows that what you carry goes way up. Going over 40 pounds starts to affect young men and puts old out of the question to carry this load to the next location. Know all the signs of trouble that weather can bring…Heat Exhaustion, Heat Stroke, Dehydration, Hypothermia, Sun blindness, Immersion foot and the list goes on. Still wonder why you see First Aid Kit on every list. Thinking about these may force you to stay put and reexamine the Fight/Stay options.
Vehicle options do seem to help you out at face value. The obstacle here is can the vehicle get you to where you are going? Will there be roadblocks, check points, terrain, “toll booths” or grid-lock traffic where you are unable to leave the road and/or turn around or select an alternate route. Have you driven this route before the crisis? Miscalculating this means you grab what is in the vehicle and you are now on foot. Have you thought about what you need to carry…have to carry…are able to carry?
Moving on foot is going to be your worst case scenario. Plenty of articles out there on what to take with you. All of them will overload a SEAL/Ranger person let alone your average male or female. What you carry may depend on resupply before you reach your destination. All military operations plan for resupply of food and water (and shelter). What is your plan? You have to figure that all locals along the way have done just what happened in your area…they bought or looted everything. If you plan to approach houses along your route then keep in mind this could get you shot. If where you are going is more than your food and water will last you…then don’t start this journey.

FIGHT OR FLIGHT FLASH CARD (Make your own to fit your PLAN or situation)
FIGHT (Stay) –
Improve shelter by:
Improve defense by:
Improve supplies by: F.A.K w/select medicines; food (cache site?); water (improve collection & storage methods); No. of DoS (Days of Supply)?

FLIGHT (Go) –
Recheck what to carry in Bug Out Bag/Backpack; Practice walking with that amount of weight on you.
Recheck what is in or will be in your vehicle.
Examine your “Flee” Courses of Action…What is the concept of how you will get to where you are going?

Letter Re: Long Term Public Employee Pension Obligations

James:
I just read Warren Buffett’s comments about municipal bankruptcies on the rise.  (See: Buffet Says Muni Bankruptcies are Set to Climb.) Much of the problem is the super generous retirement plans available to many state, federal and local government workers.  As always, a bit of common sense would help cushion the impact of this largess.

After 30 years of service workers are allowed to retire with a full pension.  Many retiring workers are still in their early fifties.  In many cases pensions are being paid out for 10-15 years before the workers are eligible for SS.  To put this into perspective, this results in pension payments (for this calculation I arbitrarily used $500 a month-still way too low) of between $60,000 to $90,000 in benefits paid before the workers goes on Social Security. If the present pensions were kept (still far too generous) and the workers required to begin receiving their pension benefits at age 65 (or whatever the Social Security retirement age is) it would cushion the impact of the insane pension costs.

An ex-government worker in my neighborhood is 82 years old and has been retired from his government job for 29 years.

BTW, I recently read that California’s pension plans are underfunded by $62 billion dollars.  There is no way that this deficit can be made up.  The most logical scenario is that, when the younger workers reach retirement age, there will be no pension for them. – Bob G.

Letter Re: Procedures for a Tourist Bringing a Pistol to South Africa

Dear JWR:
The family and I have a photo safari planned in South Africa this September. I have the paperwork to take my person carry pistol with me. This paperwork is from the South African Police force. I am wondering if anyone you know has done this before. I have friends who have taken the large caliber rifles with no problem. I have searched SurvivalBlog archives but the question of taking a pistol has not shown up.

My main question is this. Do I need BATF or commerce department import/export paperwork/permission to take the pistol out of the US and back into the country. We will be transiting JFK and I know not to take possession of my luggage in New York. Thanks, – C.A.

JWR Replies: You’ll have to abide by both U.S. law and South African law.

If “self defense” is not a normally-approved justification (by the South African government), then the first thing that comes to mind is enrolling in a one day handgun shooting course in South Africa, as part of your vacation trip.. With that course as justification, you could conceivably take one or even two handguns per person, as well as the requisite magazines, holsters, and ammunition. They would of course have to be transported in airline-approved locking cases. (To minimize the risk of theft, it is best to put those cases inside of your larger checked luggage.)

OBTW, most airline rules require that any ammunition must be in the original factory boxes, and furthermore they have fairly low limits on the number of cartridges that you can bring. (Typically 200 rounds.)