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Cogitans
12 years ago

Great observation on devolution Jack. It sounds like that, assuming the stars align and if there are enough constitutionalists in the country, that this decentralization would simply return the United States to the conditions that existed with the founding of our union and a Federal government concerned with only a few items of real nation interest, such as defense. As for secession, I have noticed the increased talk about it, but my observation of history, and the geographics and geopolitical realities of America would make me very pessimistic about secessionist movements happening peacefully or resulting in a society that is any better than what we have now. I desperately hope that former, and not the later, happens.

jandg
jandg
12 years ago

Regarding the Chinese buying up California.

This kind of colonization differs only from what they’ve done in Tibet in that the colonists are carrying government cash instead of akms. I’m sure that they’re also paying top dollars for investment properties and businesses. The effect will be to crowd out American buyers. To get a sense of what living under Chinese colonization is like, just take a look at how they’ve treated the Tibetans.

Cogitans
12 years ago
Reply to  jandg

I’m personally not to worried about what is going on. China is far, far weaker than we think. Peak under the hood and you see that shiney sports care is a clunker. Their economy is not really capitalistic, it’s a sleight of hand, the chinese government has a major stake in every major company and every major industry. Without massive government subsidy many of their companies would be unprofitable and corruption is pervasive at every level. I could list a litany of reasons: energy reserves too small for their population base, food production, lack of natural infrastructure like the US mississippi river basin, demographic suicide, and lack of freedom, so on and so forth, why China is in far worse position than the US. But one thing I don’t think we should forget. China has 3 trillion dollars in reserves, yes, but over half of those reserves are in US treasuries. The Chinese are buying gold because they are realizing that half of their reserves could eventually end up being worthless, and they need every Yuan they can get. And in the end, who is hurt worse. The debtee that doesn’t have to worry about paying, the Chinese can’t force us, or the debtor who just lost half of their savings?

As for Chinese investment. China has a history of going trough major periods of major instability or major oppression. The last period of major oppression was the great leap forward and the last major period of instability was when the Nationalist government started to collapse. The PRC is undergoing a leadership transition, and two seperate groups are secretly duking it out for power. I believe the arrest and conviction of Bo Xilai is an example of the beginnings of this struggle. Many wealthy, and politically connected chinese, pay attention to their nation’s history, and want to be somewhere other than China once everything goes down.

Cogitans
12 years ago

Jack,

Im not disagreeing with you at all that the US is in big trouble or that our economy remotely resembles how things actually are. It am 100% in agreement with you.

But I think many China alarmists are ignoring the many, many fundemental issues that show how in trouble China is in the long term. Demographics far below replacement? How about a massive malinvestment in both infrastructure and real estate? How about an economy that is still incredibly inefficient and heavily reliant on two major markets? What about the Hokou system? Just like our economy, there is a lot of their economy that isn’t real or grounded in sustainable development. They also have the added burden of alot of people who are still piss poor and an incredibly illiberal society.

And you are right about how much a nation has relative to others, but that is my point. The US has for more natural resources both absoutely, and relative to it’s population, than does China. Purchasing stakes overseas is a poor second, as your hold on that stake is dependent on a third party or your ability to enforce your contract. China can’t project any major force overseas yet, they don’t even have a functioning career group yet and the development of a functional career group will take them decades to develop and master the logistics that are required. In short, like how you often say about bullion: if you don’t hold gold or silver, you don’t really own gold or silver.

I don’t commment very often, but I have been listener for the last few months and have used a lot of what I have heard on here to alter my lifestyle. I’m not anywhere near prepared, but I have made steps in the right direction.

Mike
Mike
12 years ago
Reply to  Cogitans

You may be correct. The Japanese did this in the 80’s and everyone was worried. I knew things would drop and they would sell at a loss. This will probably happen to the Chinese. I lived there for 3 yrs. They have alot of cash from exporting but their focus is Taiwan, not the US. When we crash, they will slide right on into Taiwan, unopposed. They will have a tough time moving beyond that since our market will have dried up.
A few years ago, some toy had cadmium and Matel was importing it. they stopped importing and 20,000 small factories disappeared. Leaving a lot of angry workers. Many of the owners of the factories slipped out during the night with what was left of the cash.
Seems like globalists are winning as if one falls, we all fall.
Don’t forget they still have real slave labor and 70,000 riots every year……

Shawn
Shawn
12 years ago
Reply to  Mike

This is VERY different that what the Japanese did! While they went around and bought a bunch of landmark buildings and golf courses on credit (borrowed money). The Chinese are buying up LARGE tracts of farmland in CA (have a large client here and have first hand knowledge) and the grain belt. Also…go to Africa…they have been able to make in-roads where no one else ever has. They now “co-operate ” on vast tracts of various natural resources that country has to bear. Jack is right…it is as if they have sat back over the past 100 years and watched the rest of the world mess things up…just binding their time. (Their culture has a very different view of what “long term” is). Visit a college in CA….it is the beginning of the foothold

Cordovil
Cordovil
12 years ago
Reply to  Cogitans

Cogitans,

Looking at things over the long term, I tend to agree with you regarding China’s problems. There is also the India factor — in my opinion probably the most important geopolitical variable for the next 100 years.

That said, in the short term, China has all the makings of a psychopathic nation state:

– a fascist government (let’s call it what it is);

– a culture with strong racist tendencies, subtly (for now) encouraged by the state (master race, anyone?);

– a long and ancient history of being “center of the world” and considering that their rightful place in the order of things, combined with a massive chip on their collective shoulder for having to take a backseat to the West for the past few hundred years, not to mention the drubbing Japan gave them;

– a large gender imbalance in a massive population (I’ll take “Ways For a Fascist State to Rid Itself of Millions of Restless, Unmarriageable, Surplus Young Males” for $500, Alex);

– they are a nuclear power, so that pretty much neutralizes that factor;

With a nod to that old Chinese proverb, I think we, and our children even more so, are in for some interesting times, indeed.

NWbowhunter
NWbowhunter
12 years ago

My worst states are:

NY
California
Hawaiia
Illinois
District of Columbia
Maryland

Uncle BLAZER
Uncle BLAZER
12 years ago

Ok….Now that I am scared shitless. Happy Tuesday to you to Jack. LOL

Mike
Mike
12 years ago

@ Jack – when I heard you mention Hawaii has the most restrictive gun laws in the U.S., it reminded me how Wayne Lapierre, Alex Jones & the like have been pushing the line that, “places with the most restrictive the gun laws have the higher the gun murder rates.” So I looked up Hawaii’s murder rate, expecting it to be at the top of the list. However, I found that it has the LOWEST gun murder rate in the United States.

Since we know that neither Wayne nor Alex would mislead us for political purposes, I figure that the Bad Guys just haven’t figured out there is an entire island of unarmed people, ripe for criminal exploitation. Boy, I’d hate to be in Hawaii when they finally figure that out.

http://www.statemaster.com/graph/cri_mur_wit_fir-death-rate-per-100-000

Mike
Mike
12 years ago

I understand what you’re saying, but I think it’s a bit of a stretch in the face of that report to just ignore the increased death tolls in states with lax gun laws – for Pete’s sake, after Hawaii you’ve got Massachusetts, a state most of your listeners have on their “list” with the 50th lowest gun murder rate…& who’s that at number 46? It’s none other than Sergeant Kone’s New York! – pretty damn good rate for the home state of the world’s largest metropolis… I’m sure the bulk of New Yorkers would just as soon keep their gun laws & send Sergeant Kone & his views packing to a state with a higher murder rate.

Consider that 2 of the 3 states with the top gun murder rates are Alaska & Wyoming – it doesn’t get much more right-wing & rural than that – I can only assume their gun laws reflect those politics. Moreover, unlike NY & Mass, neither state has a major urban area which naturally have high murder rates due to the close proximity of rich & poor.

Any unbiased source analyzing this data would have to conclude that stricter gun laws tend to produce lower gun murder rates. This data flies in the face of the argument that “criminals will find guns anyway.” There are plenty of good arguments to make for the second amendment, but trying to spin the data to make it look like more guns = less death just makes us look foolish. I realize that’s not YOUR argument, but it is the strategy of many who represent & speak for our cause. If that’s the only card we have to play, we will lose.

DebinMass
DebinMass
12 years ago

California
Illinois
Massachusetts

Chris Fox
Chris Fox
12 years ago

Came across this a few years ago.

http://mercatus.org/freedom-50-states-2011

David T.
David T.
12 years ago
Reply to  Chris Fox

Glad I re-read through these posts. I was just about to post that same link. Its a good one if you haven’t checked it out guys.

steve
steve
12 years ago

You said that if enough people, like minded to you, move to Texas, maybe some of the hippies in Austen might decide to move. I like the hippies in Austen. It is one of the things that make it such a vibrant city. Austin is one of the music capitals of the US. Cant you scale down the idea of a republic and let the people of Austin choose what type of community they want and the people in your community choose what it wants?

I agree with you on a lot, but if the idea of a Republic means crowding out hippies, I am against that. Cant one city be different from other cities in the same state and we respect all?

Am I misunderstanding your view and hopes for this project?

steve
steve
12 years ago

Here is something you might like. Her letter is in the link. I posted the senator’s response.

http://www.kgwn.tv/story/21088461/state-representative-under-fire-for-letter

Rev. Fulbright,

I’ll be blunt. If you don’t like the political atmosphere of Wyoming, then by all means, leave. We, who have been here a very long time (I am proudly 4th generation) are quite proud of our independent heritage. I don’t expect a “mass exodus” from our state just because we’re standing up for our rights. As to your comments on fracking, I would point out that you’re basing your statement on “dangers” that have not been scientifically founded or proved as of yet.

It offends me to no end when liberal out-of-staters such as yourself move into Wyoming, trying to get away from where they came from, and then pompously demand that Wyoming conform to their way of thinking. We are, and will continue to be, a state which stands a head above the rest in terms of economic security. Our ability to do that is, in large part, to our “live and let live” mentality when it comes to allowing economic development, and limiting government oversight. So, to conclude, if you’re so worried about what our legislature is working on, then go back home.

Sincerely,

Hans Hunt

Representative Hans Hunt

jandg
jandg
12 years ago
Reply to  steve

Hey Steve, I like the hippies am just surprised that they’re calling themselves that again.

That’s always the rub with “revolutions” of any type – you’re just not sure that you won’t end up with something just as bad. Frankly, my biggest fear is patriotic movements around strict religious orthodoxy and ideology (kinda like this all started at Plymouth, etc.). For me, it’s a tough call between godless (meaning the spiritual life) liberalism and our version of the Spanish Inquisition.

If you think I’m totally full of crap. Visit some of the other prominent prepper sites such as Survival Blog.com. Boy howdy, there is some religious elitism and isolationism (is that a word?) on many of these.

Desert Dog
Desert Dog
12 years ago

I couldn’t agree more, and what a neat idea. I would suggest a max of 5 location ‘naughty’ list, better to focus on the worst offenders of Liberty.

1). Hawaii
2). New York
3). California
4). Illinois
5). Mass.

Currently an Oklahoma Refugee in New Mexico looking to get back to the Mid-West.

Ryan L
12 years ago

Anyone who thinks that secession can’t happen here should watch this video and think about how much borders change over the course of time:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nq0KNfS_M44

We’re no different.

Max
Max
12 years ago

Bad list
California
New York
New Jersey
Maryland
Connecticut
Michigan
Illinois

Good list
New Hampshire
Texas
Ohio
Arizona
Alaska
Montana

Sean
Sean
12 years ago
Reply to  Max

Why is AZ bad?

Water, lack of / Heat / proximity to Mexico?

Max
Max
12 years ago
Reply to  Sean

Read it again. Their are two lists. One bad and one good

WildBill
WildBill
12 years ago

Most oppressive states

California
Illinois
New York
Massachusetts
Connecticut
New Jersey

Good

New Hampshire
Texas
Carolinas
Alaska

kristi
kristi
12 years ago

Bad List – Illinois, California, new York, new Jersey, Massachusetts

Good List – Texas, Idaho, Wyoming, New Hampshire, Montana
I live in Chicago and am already planning my move to Texas.

snakeman
snakeman
12 years ago

Bad List Good List
NY TX Alaska
Ca Tenn Montana
IL Ga Arizona
NJ FL NH
MD Ohio WV
Oregon
DC
(tho not a state)

Brent Eamer
Brent Eamer
12 years ago
John75
John75
12 years ago

Least free states:

Illinois
Rhode Island
Maryland
Connecticut
New York
Massachusetts
New Jersey
California

BlackGunDad
BlackGunDad
12 years ago

This resource would be a huge asset to the TSP community…GREAT idea. Ten feels like the right number…there is probably no hope the the bottom 5 ( worst states) will ever be changed (Como is insane!) but there might be hope for 6-10….maybe this would be a start in the right direction.
Bottom 10:
CA
IL
NY
NJ
MA
DC(not really a state I guess)
CT
MD
MI
CO

Very excited about this…hope it takes off. Now is the time.

TheMidwesterner
TheMidwesterner
12 years ago

Naughty:
1. New York
2. California
3. New Jersey
4. Rhode Island
5. Maryland
6. Illinois
7. Hawaii
8. Connecticut
9. Massachusetts
10. Delaware

Nice:
1. Wyoming
2. Alaska
3. Nevada
4. South Dakota
5. Montana
6. New Hampshire

rex
rex
12 years ago

Can someone fact check China’s control of the canal? That looks like a false rumor that has been spread for years.

I live in Houston & would love that to be true, but for a short time like Jack said.

matt
matt
12 years ago

Bad List:
Illinois (lived there)
New York
New Jersey
Massachusetts

Norcal Mike
Norcal Mike
12 years ago

Jack, thanks for your words about sportsmen in the naughty states – we exist, we’re armed, and we have like-minded friends. Fleeing the five worst states is not realistic, or a good idea. Look at the red-blue map by county and see how CA has very distinct areas. Most of the farmland is inland and that ground should not be surrendered lightly. When the two-party paradigm shifts it will take a national effort to drive it home, including decent folks in the most populated, obnoxious states.

Gump
Gump
12 years ago

California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Hawaii, Maryland, New Jersey

Gump
Gump
12 years ago

Above was for bad list….. duh

Bill
Bill
12 years ago

I live in NY… and am a new listener- I appreciate you remembering that there are some good people here who are liberty minded… I’ve actually wanted to go to NH for several years now with the FSP, (due to family ties I haven’t committed) when the time comes that I sign up, I intend to go.

I dont however think moving all the “good people” to “good states” is a wise idea–at least not unless we face the fact that republic is otherwise doomed.

Don’t you think some people need to be “behind enemy lines” to try to sow the seeds of liberty in the minds of these idiots who have minds filled with propaganda and .gov dependance? If we all lived together we will just preach to the choir. Yes, it would be a much less stressful life, but tyranny would grow exponentially in our absence as much as liberty would grow exponentially in states where we gather.

Maybe it just depends on the individual.

Bad states: NY,CA,IL,MA,NJ
Good states: AK,NH,VT,TX,OK

Aaron
Aaron
12 years ago

New York
New Jersey
Massachusetts
California
Ilinois

I have family living in NJ and MA and the laws there are terriable after moving to Texas from Ma I am now able to own rifle and handguns without jumping through government hoops.

Aaron
Aaron
12 years ago

Naughty:
1. New York
2. New York
3. New York
4. California
5. New Jersey
6. Rhode Island
7. Maryland
8. Illinois
9. Hawaii

Nice:
1. Texas
2. New Hampshire
3. Alabama
4. Alaska
5. Montana

Yep.. Im really pissed off at NY and am planning on leaving.

JB
JB
12 years ago

Hey Jack i love the walking to freedom idea. i think it would be great to have a checklist to identify the key freedom indicators and how each state ranks in those area. for example “Second amendment – Freedom, good, average, poor, Oppressive” anyways here is my list

Bad list:
California
New York
New Jersey
Michigan
Illinois

keep up the good work,
JB ATX

Brian
Brian
12 years ago

Bad:
Illinois
California
New York
New Jersey
Massachusetts

Good:
New Hampshire
Texas
Alaska
Idaho
Wyoming
South Dakota
North Dakota

I’m really curious about moving from MN to WI.

Christopher de Vidal
Christopher de Vidal
12 years ago

Smart idea — but I don’t like it — teasing us, telling us you won’t let on the secret why working at the state level is our only choice right now. LOL now I have to keep listening. 😉

Christopher de Vidal
Christopher de Vidal
12 years ago

Groovy. I was going to keep listening anyway 😉

Jason
Jason
12 years ago

My bad list:

California
Massachusetts
New York
New Jersey
Illinois
Hawaii
Maryland
Connecticut

Good list:
Texas
Oklahoma
Kansas
Idaho
Montana
New Hampshire
Vermont
Indiana
Kentucky
Tennessee
Wyoming

Jack, thanks for the show. I’ve been listening for about a month and a half. Get up the good work.

SusanG
SusanG
12 years ago

Here’s another point to consider whether a state is free or not – the existence of right to work laws (vs forced union membership):

http://www.nrtw.org/rtws.htm

Odd that the Mercatus Center Freedom Index seems to leave that out.

Donald
Donald
12 years ago

My Naughty List:
California (My current home state)
Illinois
New York
Maryland
Pennsylvania
New Jersey

My Nice List:
Idaho
Texas
Arizona
Montana
Wyoming

I am looking forward to this new forum since I am actively investigating where to move. I visited 18 states last summer and am trying to figure out what state to spend two weeks coming up soon. So far, Texas and Idaho are on the top of my list to investigate. I am a nurse and plan to teach nursing so I don’t think getting a job will be too difficult. It is everything else I have to consider.

Jeff NH
12 years ago

Best/Worst state thoughts.
Recommending a cut-off of 13 states (as opposed to the 5, 8, 10 numbers considered in the show)

1) My first though was an arbitrary 25% cutoff on each side which would round up to 13 states total
2) Hey 13 skills
3) 13 Original colonies

So, my 13 good states (not really in any particular order other than my personal bias of putting NH first )

New Hampshire
Oregon
Nevada
Indiana
Missouri
Colorado
Idaho
Texas
Florida
Kansas
North Carolina
Utah
Wyoming

As for the 13 bad states. As I said this is harder. I’d like some input/scrubbing on this list. I suspect that if we decide to drop from 13 it will be because there are a few too many states that make it on the list and as a community, we won’t be able to agree on the importance of a particular criteria.

New York
New Jersey
California
Hawaii
Massachusetts
Rhode Island
Maryland
Ohio
Illinois
Washington
Delaware
Connecticut
Tennessee

So, there it is. 13 ‘bad’ states was a little hard to come up with. Interested in the thoughts of others.

AngusBangus
12 years ago

Naughty:
1 through 5 are places I would not even consider moving. If asked in my current job to move to New York or Massachusetts (two possibilities), I would decline a major promotion. 6 through 8 include places I’ve lived or spent time and I just feel like they’re too much in your shorts for my taste.
1. New York
2. California
3. New Jersey (I’ll pump my owwn gas, thanks)
4. Massachusetts
5. Illinois

6. Maryland – never moving back… nosy yankees. I hate I have to still visit family there. 🙂 NW and Eastern Shore MD are both beautiful, rural, and relatively liberty minded but are both unfortunately within 100 miles of and affected by the huge populations of Baltimore/DC.
7. Hawaii – Many of the population of HI don’t want me there, so I’ll oblige. Having been accosted as a “howly” by some guys who could’ve made it a bad day for me, I find it hard on Oahu to follow the Fortress Defense advice “Stay away from places with stupid people doing stupid things”.
8. Virginia – Northern VA (DC suburbs) is beginning to have the same effect here that NYC/CHI have on NY/IL. It’s too bad really, beautiful state with so much history of liberty and freedom.

SusanG
SusanG
12 years ago
Reply to  AngusBangus

AngusBangus says:

8. Virginia – Northern VA (DC suburbs) is beginning to have the same effect here that NYC/CHI have on NY/IL. It’s too bad really, beautiful state with so much history of liberty and freedom.

I remember entering Virginia on a road trip several years ago. The visitor was greeted by billboards telling you what all was illegal in the state of Virginia – radar detectors is the thing I remember in particular because we had one. (We hid ours in the trunk for the duration of our time there but IIRC it was illegal even to possess it, not just use it.) No “welcome to Virginia, enjoy our state” or anything like that. It was a long time ago, but I remember the unfriendliness made us want to turn around and leave. I was disappointed because I had looked forward to all of the history there, and the border experience sort of tainted our stay.

AngusBangus
12 years ago
Reply to  SusanG

While living there, I was often reminded by people riding with me that using my radar detector was illegal. I reminded them with this… “so is driving 80, but you aren’t complaining about that.”

Matthew N Gooseneck
Matthew N Gooseneck
12 years ago

Those cheap green housez sound like my chicken tractors. I make them out of two cattle panels and 2x4s. I was going to use one for a green house this year. Instead im going to use one as a trellis for mouse melons. Maybe put ahade cloth on it.

Bad states:
New york
Illinois
California
New Jersey

Watch list:
Maryland
Hawaii
Washington
Oregon
Colorado

Awesome states
Florida
Montana
Georgia
Idaho
Texas
Wyoming
Oklahoma
Alaska

Erik
Erik
12 years ago

since the idea is to flee “corrupt” or bad states to better ones, I’d suggest weighting to accordingly..

Top 10 worst “less free, most regulated”
to the
Top 5 best “most free, least freedom infringed”

this way we can concentrate the efforts of improvement and repair of our once great non-fascist republic

Cash Olsen
Cash Olsen
12 years ago

In my opinion, I think this concept of voting with your feet is just wrong. I absolutely support the freedom to move but think that it is akin to white flight and will lead to the problems found in very many of the inner cities, but you are advocating it on a state wide scale.

Instead why don’t we make our stand and fight (politically) and force them to flee.

AngusBangus
12 years ago
Reply to  Cash Olsen

Jack, I was reading up from the bottom and saw your reply first, so I was expecting the comment to be worse. In Cash’s defense, I think he was really talking about the PROBLEMS caused for those left behind in the inner city once “white flight” (the commonly accepted term for the phenomenon) happens rather than making it about RACE. I would note that “white flight” is actually flight of the upper middle class rainbow of fruit flavors these days – doctors and lawyers break out of a rising-crime urban area to the peaceful burbs regardless of what color they may be.

I agree with him that people should fight for what they believe as long as they ARE staying. That said, I don’t agree that someone should stay a minute longer than they have to in an oppressive situation. Those “left behind” can pick up and start over elsewhere, too. Their welfare is not the responsibility of the oppressed who wants to leave.

robertdseals
robertdseals
12 years ago

IL, CA, HI, NY and I hate to say it….CO

Patrick Barron
12 years ago

Thanks for the plug. I hope everyone checks it out and begins to see the clearly how the process within congress is corrupted. Makes perfect sense when you understand it. Hopefully I’ll be a guest soon and can elaborate. Thanks for all the great work everyone is doing!

Brian W/NorIDhunter
Brian W/NorIDhunter
12 years ago

Idaho lawmaker just introduced a bill to make all adult State citizens a member of the state militia, regardless of age or gender.
http://www.kivitv.com/news/local/193693511.html
Baaad Idaho, bad. bad. (wink) 🙂

Ashaldaron
Ashaldaron
12 years ago

Naughty states:

California
New York
Illinois
Connecticut
Michigan
Hawaii
New Jersey
Massachusetts

Those are the states I would never live in.

jandg
jandg
12 years ago

“Idaho lawmaker just introduced a bill to make all adult State citizens a member of the state militia, regardless of age or gender.”

A big boo ya for Representative Rice. The more I think about it, the more genius I see in it. This could really give the feds fits.

Livin’ large in southwest Idaho.

Brian W/NorIDhunter
Brian W/NorIDhunter
12 years ago
Reply to  jandg

@ jandg – Are you on TSP forum? If so, could you please PM me at “NorIDhunter”? Thanks!

Head Farm Steward
12 years ago

Illinois:
On the plus side, there are very few restrictions on homeschooling in Illinois. We also get about a yard of rain and have some of the best soil in the world.

On the minus side, that good land I live on will probably be taxed out from under me when my parent’s generation retires and starts collecting their pension.

Skip ONeill
12 years ago

Naughty Top 5 States:
OREGON
California
New York
Illinois
Connecticut

Cutlass
Cutlass
12 years ago

Just getting to this episode now, but I have to praise Jack for the Walking to Freedom plan.

As for the list, sure, I’m biased, but there’s no way to argue with California. It’s a special achievement to bankrupt a state so rich in beauty, natural resources and private innovation. This is a place that has so much going for it that people are willing to put up with a lot of crap to remain here. But they just keep on pushing. The idiots here just inexplicably voted to the gas tax. These people are insane. I suppose this is supposed to bully me onto the Caltrain, which is not only more expensive than driving, overcrowded and since I don’t work for the government when the train is late it costs me about week’s worth of gas is lost wages anyway. Madness.

Unfortunately I’m not in a position to move right now, so my revenge is to scope out every BS government program I can and see how much of my money I can milk back out of the system via handouts. Whatever money I can leech from the state I’ll put aside in a “Move to Texas Fund.”

Man, that would make a delicious fuc…er…farewell letter.

Erik
Erik
12 years ago

MSN just had a blurb top 10 worst states for taxes

http://money.msn.com/taxes/c_galleryregular.aspx?cp-documentid=250574718

Ed Raasch
Ed Raasch
12 years ago

Can’t help but notice that the three states that Jack mentions the most as being on the ‘bad’ list (California, New York, Illinois) account for 25% all economic activity in the entire country. It must be mentioned that Texas is also an economic powerhouse, but nonetheless it seems foolish to hope that these ‘bad’ states will be pushed over the edge into some kind of economic abyss by some sort of exodus, because as they go, so the country will go.

Insidious
Insidious
12 years ago
Reply to  Ed Raasch

Leaches and parasites attach themselves to the richest vein they can get access to.

On bankruptcy..

The US median family income is $45,000.
Every year they spend all of it, and slap another $13,500 on the credit cards
(This is the US ‘budget deficit’)

And they don’t bother to put aside the $90,000 they need to fund their retirement
(This is the increase in 2011 SS, Medicare & Fed retirement liability for 2011. $7 Trillion)

So, how long do you think this family can remain solvent?

Spending + Accrued Liabilities = 230% of income

Insidious
Insidious
12 years ago
Reply to  Insidious

sry should have been 330% of income

Ed Raasch
Ed Raasch
12 years ago
Reply to  Ed Raasch

Many good points, Jack.

As usual, I’ve learned a lot from you. Fortunately, and mostly thanks to you, my family and I are prepared for the inevitable worldwide depression that awaits us, though I tend to believe we face a long, grinding, economic contraction, caused mostly by our bumping up against resource restraints (water and oil come to mind), and that in fact this contraction is already well underway and will continue into the forseeable future.
Your scenario of one last boom followed by a really wicked downturn is certainly possible, but it has always seemed to me that you are sticking your neck out pretty far with that prediction. Don’t forget that the U.S. doesn’t exist in a vacuum and some unforeseen event on the other side of the planet could cause an economic collapse at any time….and people have been predicting ‘the big one’ since the 70’s and surely even before that.

TNDadx4
TNDadx4
12 years ago

Bad:
Illinois
California
New York
New Jersey
Massachusetts
Florida

Good:
New Hampshire
Texas
Alaska
Tennessee

Curtis Rock
Curtis Rock
12 years ago

I built one of these greenhouses this weekend. I made it 3 panels long and used Husky 6 mil translucent poly painters plastic for the sheeting. Since it was longer, I added a 2×4 across the bottom middle to remove the bowing in the base stringers. That 2×4 was also used as the base for a counter top support added at the halfway point, which allowed me to add one row of counter top along both sides.

I really like the result and consider it very cost effective both in terms of materials and labor.