“If they are unwilling to negotiate a sale of the loans, which we want them to do, then we will consider using eminent domain as another option to purchase these loans at fair market value,” said Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin.
More @ CBS
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Richmond, CA Threatens Eminent Domain To Address Foreclosure Crisis
Via III Percent Patriots
Richmond city leaders were moving ahead with a plan to head off the foreclosure crisis, a plan that is not without controversy.
The city has offered to buy more than 600 underwater mortgages at below the homes’ current value.
“If they are unwilling to negotiate a sale of the loans, which we want them to do, then we will consider using eminent domain as another option to purchase these loans at fair market value,” said Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin.
“If they are unwilling to negotiate a sale of the loans, which we want them to do, then we will consider using eminent domain as another option to purchase these loans at fair market value,” said Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin.
Senate (Unfortunately) confirms Under Investigation-Jones to head ATF following Heitkamp delay on cloture
Via WRSA
Read every word, please.
B. Todd Jones has been confirmed by the Senate
as Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
this evening by a 53 to 42 vote. The confirmation follows a five-hour
delay on a cloture vote as the Senate waited for North Dakota Sen. Heidi
Heitkamp, reported recovering from an illness and flying in from North
Dakota, to arrive at the Capitol to cast the needed over-the-top vote
for ending debate on President Obama’s nomination. That procedural vote
started at 2 p.m. this afternoon, with the vote left hanging at 59 to
40, CSPAN televised, and cloture allowed the nomination of ATF’s Acting Director to move forward for the confirmation vote.
More @ Examiner
"Reason #52 why you should homeschool"
Via The Lonely Libertarian
Evidently the answer to that is yes, sweetie.:)
"Seriously? Are you that much of an idiot? Bitch, please."
Evidently the answer to that is yes, sweetie.:)
*********************************************
The Whiskey Rebellion
On 1 August 1794 the Whiskey Rebellion began in what was then the west of the United States, namely, western Pennsylvania. Washington's treasury secretary, Alexander Hamilton, wanted the federal government to assume the states' war debts (does this sound like there were speculators hiding in the woodwork somewhere?) and found a national debt, so he promoted an excise on distilled spirits. Western farmers, many of whom had fought in the Revolution, saw themselves right back in their pre-revolutionary position. It was worse because the only way they could convert their corn crop to something salable and transportable was to distill it.
In 1792 the protestors tarred and feathered a revenue collector. Other potential tax collectors took the hint, & the tax wasn't collected in 1791 and 1792. The rebellion spread to the western counties of the other Appalachian states, including Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Nobody would collect the tax in Kentucky or prosecute evaders. Things continued to escalate. Opposition grew. Even those who complied with the tax had trouble. On August 1, 7,000 people gathered near Pittsburg. *Radicals were talking of seceding. Goaded by Hamilton, Washington led a militia army of 12,950 to suppress the rebellion. In October 1794 the rebellion collapsed in the face of the invasion.
When Jefferson assumed office the hated whiskey tax was repealed, never to reappear until Lincoln needed to raise money to wage his genocide against the South. Since that time, whiskey-making has been a sort of avocation in many parts of the South, where the Whiskey Rebellion ain't over yet. (Y'all can find a splending Murray Rothbard article about the Whiskey rebellion at http://bit.ly/14JmX9k
*Washington, no different than Eisenhower and Patton who led the attack on the Bonus Army. Tyrants all.
How Will You Know When The Balloon Goes Up? Advice From Survival Experts…
Via WiscoDave
Posted by Survival Mom
A few weeks ago I had the oddest dream. In this dream, I was
at home when my husband walked in the door from work and said, “The
balloon’s gone up.” Immediately, my kids and I set about getting ready
to leave town. I remember feeling impressed because everyone seemed to
know exactly what to do.
Now, talk of balloons going up isn’t
part of my everyday vocabulary. I use it about as often as I scamper
from bush to bush, hiding from black helicopters. In fact, the first
time I heard the phrase, I had to look it up online.
“When
the balloon goes up” is a phrase used to imply impending trouble. This
relates to the use of observation balloons in the first World War. The
sight of such a balloon going up nearly always resulted in a barrage of
shells following soon after. The expression was reinforced during WW2
when the hoisting of barrage balloons was part of the preparations for
an air raid.
Often in survival type forums and blogs someone will use this phrase along with talk of, “getting out of Dodge.”
Obviously,
I’m in
favor of educating people to survive during all sorts of crises, but
sooner or later one has to wonder, “How will I know when, or if, it’s
time to gather my family together and get out of town?”
The answer?
“When the balloon goes up!”
And
that gets us right back to where we started. When does one know when
that balloon has gone up? How do we know when events have taken an
irrevocable turn for the worst and the only way to survive is to get as
far away from our current location as possible?
I think that’s the $40,000 question, really. Not, “What do I keep in my bug out bag?”
Rather
than try to come up with The Definitive Answer myself, I turned to
numerous friends and acquaintances in the survival and preparedness
niche and
asked them for help.
I received so many outstanding responses
from experts such as Claire Wolfe, James Rawles, Rob Hanus, and so many
more that it will take more than one blog post to include them all. As
you read their thoughtful answers, consider how these events might
unfold in your own community.
So, in answer to the question,
“How will I know when the balloon has gone up?”, or your own version of
that question, here are a few of the responses, with more to follow.
From Brian and Daron Payne of the P2E Emergency Preparedness Expo.
1. Empty shelves in grocery & hardware stores
2. Unexpected bank holidays/Run on ATM’
3. Large groups of looters
4. Loss of life due to the police and emergency services being overloaded
From Timothy French of Americans Networking to Survive (A.N.T.S.)
A.N.T.S
has an emergency plan that members can download. It has a section in it
which talks about bugging in and when it is time to bug out.
It
lists three threat levels and the signs you should look for. They are
the same for all disasters because in the end, breakdowns in society are
caused by a loss of utilities and supplies.
The signs are:
Level 1 – No danger – utilities are out – people are getting along
- OPSEC is low - neighbors working together.
Level 2- Some danger – utilities are out - people are getting very worried.
- OPSEC is medium, should try to band with neighbors to block off your street.
Level 3 – Dangerous – utilities are out – people are desperate
and looking for supplies.
- OPSEC is high – You should bug out or hide in place
So as you can see, your neighbors reactions to an event are
your best indicator, and picking up on those little signs before things
get bad will give you the advantage. Bugging out before things really
get bad will be a judgment call that each of us will have to make.
From Selco of SHTF School
Here are 5 first signs of coming collapse how I experienced it before war started. I’m sure it will be very similar again.
Symptom 1: More violence in your area
Symptom 2: Group behavior changes, survival brings people closer and makes others less human
Symptom 3: Dead streets
Symptom 4: New leaders emerge
Symptom 5:
Nobody to trust anymore
From James Rawles of Survival Blog
Five signals of an imminent social collapse:
1. Failure of any of the three American power grids, with no subsequent restoration of power within 72 hours.
2. A stock market collapse of 30% of more of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) in less than 10 days.
3. Simultaneous rioting in three or more major American cities.
4. News of an easily-transmissible influenza pandemic with a high lethality rate, and an outbreak anywhere in the U.S.
5.
Outbreak of war, with one or more targets hit in the Continental United
States by a major nation state, or multiple targets hit by a terrorist
group. (This would include use of nuclear, chemical, or biological
weapons.
From Randy Augsberger of The Prepared Christian
1) Warning from the Government or other authority
This
one is a no-brainer. As much as I hate to admit it, the government will
give us warning in some situations. Think Katrina. It would be a good
idea to pay attention to what the talking heads are saying. Just run it
through your filter and don’t disengage your brain. These can include
natural disasters and health issues like potential pandemics.
2) GMO crop failure
One
of the biggest dangers of a global catastrophe I see is a famine
induced by some bug (natural or man-made) attacking GMO crops. This will
play out in the future as more and more of our food supply is
controlled by Monsanto/ Government.
3) Talk of
making precious metals illegal for private ownership
Don’t
think this couldn’t happen? It happen once already in this country. If
for some economic reason, real or perceived, the government declares
precious metals illegal to own, there will be absolutely no hard
currency other than barter (they will probably try to outlaw that also).
4) Martial law declared anywhere in the U.S.
This
one is an alarm bell. Again, be sure to not disengage your brain. If
you can see (for yourself) a good reason for it, fine. But if it looks
like a government power grab, be ready.
5) Widespread violent rioting
One
or two cities in flame are not enough to get me too worried (unless I
lived in those cities). But imagine the occupy movement if it was done
with weapons and violence. We would be on the verge if not embroiled in a
civil
war.
Never leave a young man behind: Photo of marine who slowed down to help a nine-year-old boy finish a 5k race goes viral
Via WiscoDave
Just wonderful.
Heartwarming: Lance Corporal Myles Kerr keeping nine-year-old Boden Fuchs motivated in the race
Just wonderful.
A marine who gallantly dropped back in a race to help a nine-year-old boy finish has become an internet sensation.
Lance
Corporal Myles Kerr was competing in the annual run while home on leave
in Charlevoix, Michigan when he spotted Boden Fuchs struggling to keep
up.
The boy reportedly asked 19-year-old Kerr: 'Sir, will you please run with me?', after losing the group he was running with.
More @ Daily Mail
Pennsylvania police chief suspended after video profanities
Via avordvet
A small-town police chief who appears in online videos using profanity and shooting automatic weapons has been suspended for 30 days without pay.
The borough council of Gilberton voted 5-1 at a meeting Wednesday night to suspend Chief Mark Kessler, saying he misused borough property. It said he used the weapons without permission.
Kessler has said he made the videos to draw attention to the erosion of the constitutional rights of free speech and to bear arms and he increasingly fears a government out of control.
He said after the meeting that he wouldn't apologize for making the videos and didn't regret having done so. He said he looked forward to getting back to work after the suspension.
A small-town police chief who appears in online videos using profanity and shooting automatic weapons has been suspended for 30 days without pay.
The borough council of Gilberton voted 5-1 at a meeting Wednesday night to suspend Chief Mark Kessler, saying he misused borough property. It said he used the weapons without permission.
Kessler has said he made the videos to draw attention to the erosion of the constitutional rights of free speech and to bear arms and he increasingly fears a government out of control.
He said after the meeting that he wouldn't apologize for making the videos and didn't regret having done so. He said he looked forward to getting back to work after the suspension.
More @ Fox
Democrat Switches Parties to Challenge Rahall
“West Virginia is under attack from Barack Obama and a Democratic Party that our parents and grandparents would not recognize,” Jenkins said in a news release.
*******************************************
West Virginia state Sen. Evan Jenkins will announce Wednesday morning that he changed his party affiliation from Democratic to Republican to challenge Rep. Nick J. Rahall II next year, according to national GOP operatives.
Republicans have indicated they want to target the 3rd District with a top candidate in 2014. But Jenkins might not be the only Republican in the race. The GOP’s 2012 nominee, former Del. Rick Snuffer, issued a statement on Jenkins’ move that indicated he might run again.
“Our campaign team fully understands the National Republican Congressional Committee’s enthusiasm for Evan’s party switch and their expressed desire for a candidate who could self-fund his race,” he wrote. “This is Evan’s day, as it should be.”
Snuffer indicated Jenkins’ candidacy would not preclude him from another bid.
“Our team is confident should we enter the race next year, we will be more than competitive,” he added.
More @ Roll Call
George Zimmerman stopped for speeding in Texas, has gun on him
The former neighborhood watch leader recently cleared of charges in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin was pulled over for speeding in north Texas on Sunday, reports TMZ and the CBS affiliate in Dallas/Forth Worth.
And he apparently had a gun - a legal firearm - on him when he was stopped, a fact he shared with the officer who pulled him over on Highway 80 east of Dallas.
More @ The Kansas City Star
McCain: We Might Drop Those 20,000 New Border Patrol Agents We Promised
He and Christie might as well join the Socialist Democrats.
As the House of Representatives prepares to take up the issue of illegal immigration, the Senate is already prepping for conference negotiations with John McCain taking the lead.
It turns out, some of the most crucial aspects of border enforcement already passed by the Senate, including the addition of 20,000 new Border Patrol agents, are likely to be negotiated away, proving once again that the Gang of 8 was a complete sham.
More @ Town Hall
Legislator to tea party: Get your guns ready for economic collapse
Via Billy
Washington state legislator Rep. Matt Shea (R) says preparation is crucial to get ready for what he calls "the inevitable collapse" of the US economy.
The Self-Reliance Rally event at an Idaho State Park had several speakers encouraging attendees to prepare by gathering arms and ammunition and considering forming militias.
"When it happens, we need to look at this as a opportunity, not a crisis," Shea said. "Who's job is liberty? That's our job."
Shea told the crowd to stock up on ammunition, stay in shape, practice shooting, learn self defense and special tactics.
Washington state legislator Rep. Matt Shea (R) says preparation is crucial to get ready for what he calls "the inevitable collapse" of the US economy.
The Self-Reliance Rally event at an Idaho State Park had several speakers encouraging attendees to prepare by gathering arms and ammunition and considering forming militias.
"When it happens, we need to look at this as a opportunity, not a crisis," Shea said. "Who's job is liberty? That's our job."
Shea told the crowd to stock up on ammunition, stay in shape, practice shooting, learn self defense and special tactics.
More @ AL
The greatest phony America's ever known: Ted Nugent notes stark irony of Obama using P-word to describe scandals
It is very difficult to ignore accusations of phoniness from the master of all things phony who has dedicated his entire life to one phony scam after another. But when this unprecedented level of criminal abuse of power is so flagrantly dictated from the most powerful man in the world, good Americans should be quivering in our boots.
No, Mr. President, those are not phony tears from Brian Terry’s mother. Those are real tears, unlike your constant phony blather about caring about the middle class as you continue your well-orchestrated kamikaze economic swan dive for the average American family.
More @ WND
Elizabeth City, North Carolina and the Civil War (Sic): A History of Battle and Occupation
Via Richard
..........touches on the occupation of Elizabeth City and the uneasy truce between the two sides. The residents didn't want them there, they didn't want to be there, etc.Great quote came out of there. "It's a bold mouse that nestles in a cats ear!"
Google 'Pressure Cookers' and 'Backpacks,' Get a Visit from the Cops
Via avordvet
Michele Catalano was looking for information online about pressure cookers. Her husband, in the same time frame, was Googling backpacks. Wednesday morning, six men from a joint terrorism task force showed up at their house to see if they were terrorists. Which prompts the question: How'd the government know what they were Googling?
Catalano (who is a professional writer) describes the tension of that visit.
Michele Catalano was looking for information online about pressure cookers. Her husband, in the same time frame, was Googling backpacks. Wednesday morning, six men from a joint terrorism task force showed up at their house to see if they were terrorists. Which prompts the question: How'd the government know what they were Googling?
Catalano (who is a professional writer) describes the tension of that visit.
[T]hey were peppering my husband with questions. Where is he from? Where are his parents from? They asked about me, where was I, where do I work, where do my parents live. Do you have any bombs, they asked. Do you own a pressure cooker? My husband said no, but we have a rice cooker. Can you make a bomb with that? My husband said no, my wife uses it to make quinoa. What the hell is quinoa, they asked. ...The men identified themselves as members of the "joint terrorism task force." The composition of such task forces depend on the region of the country, but, as we outlined after the Boston bombings, include a variety of federal agencies. Among them: the FBI and Homeland Security.
Have you ever looked up how to make a pressure cooker bomb? My husband, ever the oppositional kind, asked them if they themselves weren’t curious as to how a pressure cooker bomb works, if they ever looked it up. Two of them admitted they did.
More @ The Atlantic Wire
Armed agents raid animal shelter for baby deer (& kill it)
Via WiscoDave
WISN 12 News investigates an operation raising questions about the use of government resources and the state policy that meant a death sentence for a fawn.
"It was like a SWAT team," shelter employee Ray Schulze said.
Two weeks ago, Schulze was working in the barn at the Society of St. Francis on the Kenosha-Illinois border when a swarm of squad cars arrived and officers unloaded with a search warrant.
"(There were) nine DNR agents and four deputy sheriffs, and they were all armed to the teeth," Schulze said.
The focus of their search was a baby fawn brought there by an Illinois family worried she had been abandoned by her mother.
"When it made a little noise, it sounded like it was laughing," Schulze said.
WISN 12 News investigates an operation raising questions about the use of government resources and the state policy that meant a death sentence for a fawn.
"It was like a SWAT team," shelter employee Ray Schulze said.
Two weeks ago, Schulze was working in the barn at the Society of St. Francis on the Kenosha-Illinois border when a swarm of squad cars arrived and officers unloaded with a search warrant.
"(There were) nine DNR agents and four deputy sheriffs, and they were all armed to the teeth," Schulze said.
The focus of their search was a baby fawn brought there by an Illinois family worried she had been abandoned by her mother.
"When it made a little noise, it sounded like it was laughing," Schulze said.
More @ WISN
Edward Snowden leaves airport, gets refugee status in Russia
Fugitive former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden slipped quietly out of Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport this morning after Russia granted him temporary asylum, ending more than a month in limbo in the transit area.
A Russian lawyer who has been assisting Snowden said the American, who is wanted in the United States for leaking details of secret government intelligence programs, had gone to a secure location which would remain secret.
After weeks staying out of sight from hordes of reporters desperate for a glimpse of him, Snowdenmanaged to slip away in a taxi without being spotted. Grainy images of his passport showed he had been granted asylum for a year from July 31.
More @ Chicago Tribune