Republican establishment turn on Romney

[Greg in LA]

Ilbegone, are you making any plans and preparation? If so what?

The MidWest and the North East United states has water, but if natural gas and petroleum prices spike they're vulnerable, because winters without heat can kill. I see your point though.

[Ayatollahgondola]

Originally Posted by Greg in LA

Ilbegone, are you making any plans and preparation? If so what?

The MidWest and the North East United states has water, but if natural gas and petroleum prices spike they're vulnerable, because winters without heat can kill. I see your point though.

There's always wood. We have heated with wood almost exclsively last year, and are heading to be the same this one. We're not at all alone either, as many people in the areas you mentioned use outside wood burners to boil water for heat.
And, no one ever dies when a firewood supply line ruptures

[Rim05]

My, how cheerful you guys are today.
I do not expect 2013 to be great however, I do think we can make some things better by doing what ever we can to help our country.
Right now all I hear is who is doing what to bring the entire US down. I am always trying to think of ways to make it better.

I know what people did during the depression but that will not work again. What was our population in the thirties? About maybe one third of what it is now.
If we all try to use wood, there are so many that even that will run out. Some one stronger will take from the weak. Food? How will you protect it?
Just now I was reading, if you are having your house termited, all the things to do so someone will not come in during that time and rip you off, even though the house is tented.
I can't say how I will fare but I always practice safety and save all I can. I do hope all is not as I am reading here.
I am staying where I am.

[ilbegone]

I'm not sure what I should plan to do.

Right now I'm hoping the nation survives another four years of Obama and that political California will be induced to see the see the error of their ways and convince their constituencies that things have to change. You can't keep raising taxes while wasting ever more money on boondoggles and people who haven't worked for generations. It might take a bankruptcy to get back on the right track.

It has to be realized that education is about 90% of the parent's attitude towards it and spend time with those who are becoming educated while preparing those who are too lazy to learn to either work in menial occupations or go hungry.

Those who came here for the welfare benefits need to go back to wherever they came from. In eastern Riverside county there are quite a number of welfare recipients who receive their benefits in California but LIVE IN ARIZONA. Those unemployable due to drugs and alcohol need to be subjected to random drug tests and rehabilitation or be driven out of the state if rehab fails. I've known more than a few genuinely poor people and marginally employed single mothers - not a one had late model vehicles in the driveway, new furniture, or the latest in home entertainment electronics - there are more than an insignificant few who practice welfare fraud while having some sort of under the table income. For decades there have been women who time their pregnancies (any random sperm donor will do) according to how it will affect their continuing eligibility for welfare. Those abuses need to end.

The politicians have to realize there is only so much blood to be squeezed out of the stone. "Making minority neighborhoods green" (installing roof top solar in the ghetto on the taxpayer dime) or building bullet trains to nowhere can't be done with our present financial condition, and maybe not even in good times.

Hard core gang bangers and other criminals have to be effectively dealt with, driven out of the state if necesary. No kid trying to get an education needs to be presented with the choice of either getting beat up all the time or joining a gang for protection. Any prisoner who murders another prisoner in jail needs to be taken out back and capped - get rid of the problem. Jails and lengthy sentences aren't going to solve criminality nor the social and monetary costs which comes with crime.

And, those who came here illegally as adults need to go or be sent back to wherever they came from while those who were brought here illegally as children do not belong to their parent's country and need to be afforded permanent legal status with all rights just short of citizenship, their children to be citizens under the 14th amendment. There is not room on the bus for everyone who wants to come here whether it's illegally or on H1B visas. Employers need to be "educated" out of hiring illegals. If it weren't for employers beating down wages with illegal hiring and H1B entrants there would be little illegal migration. And no more SBA loans to newcomers while affording native citizens little to nothing.

If the problems our state and nation are not effectively met, I fear the meltdown will occur.

[Ayatollahgondola]

Originally Posted by Rim05

My, how cheerful you guys are today.

We're not discussing a Bob Hope comedy re-run here RIM. Some subjects require the somber attitude. I; for one, have felt the end of this government's civil whip. That said, I've been one to encourage people to stand and fight, which it sounds like GreginLA is doing, but just picking a proper base of operations right here in California

[Greg in LA]

I'm not leaving, I just bought a house (I have no mortgage) and I love it. I can't pull my kids out of school either, it would be bad for them. Plus where would I go? What would I do?
I Moved to California from Chicago, and I'm not going back to Illinois, Property taxes in Illinois are sky high, and most people I know are not working.

For me the entertainment industry is really tanking, Lots of people including myself are out of work,which is really strange for December.

California is really going to get difficult, and if it suffers we're probably going to suffer with it. What scares me is as California's tax revenues drop Sacramento keeps coming after us for more money, and they keep grabbing power as more and more people get on some form of aid. I feel trapped as this happens.

I know the state and National debts will continue, it's unstoppable until things finally collapse. We'll all just have to live through this instability as the State and National debts skyrocket, and as the government grabs more and more to protect it's self, and then have to survive the aftermath of the collapse as well.

We've already been living through 4 years of recession and I don't see any end to it.

I feel trapped as this accident unfolds, I want to escape it, but escape to where? North Dakota or Montana?

[Ayatollahgondola]

Originally Posted by Greg in LA

I'm not leaving, I just bought a house (I have no mortgage) and I love it. I can't pull my kids out of school either, it would be bad for them. Plus where would I go? What would I do?
I Moved to California from Chicago, and I'm not going back to Illinois, Property taxes in Illinois are sky high, and most people I know are not working.

For me the entertainment industry is really tanking, Lots of people including myself are out of work,which is really strange for December.

California is really going to get difficult, and if it suffers we're probably going to suffer with it. What scares me is as California's tax revenues drop Sacramento keeps coming after us for more money, and they keep grabbing power as more and more people get on some form of aid. I feel trapped as this happens.

I know the state and National debts will continue, it's unstoppable until things finally collapse. We'll all just have to live through this instability as the State and National debts skyrocket, and as the government grabs more and more to protect it's self, and then have to survive the aftermath of the collapse as well.

We've already been living through 4 years of recession and I don't see any end to it.

I feel trapped as this accident unfolds, I want to escape it, but escape to where? North Dakota or Montana?

The Dakotas are miserably cold, and Montana is only slightly better. There's no gettin' around a fight for your living standard here in the US. But you can start to learn how best to live in the area you are. Your goals will be set at a level of livability as opposed to a raging success. Just plan for 6 months of living off the grid, and keep that gomonths ahead of you at all times. You'll get better at it as you go, and soon you won't notice it. Some of the fear will subside then.
when you say "entertainment industry" what is that?

[Greg in LA]

I fabricate custom props, costumes and scenery for Ads. movies and theme parks. 85% of this industry works freelance, job to Job, It's almost like being self employed.
Ayatollah what are "gomonths" ?

I've been self employed and "freelance" all my adult life, I'm use to feast and famine cycles. I am quite good "hoarding" during the feast cycle to compensate for the famine cycle. It's just that the last 5 years the "feast" has become a discount buffet with lots of jello and noodle choices instead of the prime rib.

[Greg in LA]

Originally Posted by Ayatollahgondola

There's no gettin' around a fight for your living standard here in the US.

That's the truth. As much as I would like to run away from the problems we have in California, Someone's got to stay here and show some resistance.