[methemom]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703686304575228582377071698.html

Not long ago you will remember the Chicago Pols who suggested getting the National Guard ready to police the streets and keep order. At the time I suggested that was a trial boat to get people used to the idea. IL will not be able to borrow all the money it needs and in essence has already defaulted by being behind up to a year in many of its payments for essential services.
By the end of the year I predict the companies serving IL unpaid will refuse to provide those services... I already see it in my disabled daughter's costly medications being absorbed by Walgreens when her records show the state has not paid. Thank God they do, but I know they will not do so forever. medicare, medicaid, family services, subsidized nursing homes, all the programs set up to serve the most needy of the population will be abandoned, as well as many school services, and many of the smaller branches of the state organization such as deptAg( which 50 years ago was one of the largest), conservation, fish and wildlife, parks and recreation. this article is my personal shtf notice since I live in the heart of it and have dependents who also recieve state aid.This one state goes and many more follow on her heels... not tinfoil speculation, I don't see how we (collectively as Americans) are gonna get out of this one as each of the other severely burdened states goes under. time to prep is getting down to months now, at longest. are you ready?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703686304575228582377071698.html

 

[Sapper6]

Well fortunately, we've managed to elect one of your former state senators as president, and scored another as his chief of staff. Hopefully they can do for the nation what they've done for Illinois.

Good luck brother.

Edit: Sorry. Good luck "sister".

 

[Grub]

Illinois resident here, and I agree we are headed for a major statewide SHTF. Even in my local towns(I live in rural Southern Illinois) police, fire, teachers, city workers ect are being laid off by the horde because of unpaid state grants, crappy local economies, and so on. In many ways IL is worse off than California because Cali has a much LARGER economy.

 

[OhioMan]

How shocking, they have ZERO political will to cut spending but they have discovered a bag full of new taxes to "help" the people out with.

Just as I predicted, as TS continues to HTF government(s) will look out for whom they really serve alive at any cost. Keep those fat pensions flowing, keep those over-paid, under worked bureacrats content and happy at ANY cost to those pesky people.

 

[Flex]

The sooner this house of cards collapses the faster we will rebuild. So just ripp it off already.

When are we going to learn that socialism doesn't work, no matter the brand? The end result is always - FAIL.

 

[UmaineGreg]

the writing on the wall

what is truly frustrating to me is that so many people still don't get it, including some on this forum. Our government/economy is in it's death throws, and barring a miracle is grinding to a stop. The media, owned by people with connections and sympathy's to the current admin in gov't, is doing its best job to run interference and keep the people focused on this hand while the other hand robs them blind. Wishing for it to fail sooner doesn't help because the longer it stays going the more time people have to prepare with the already worthless money we have. The government is artifically keeping the system going in hopes that it will correct itself, because that is the only play they have left. Mathematically, even if we cut spending to a bare minimum, things are going to destabilize. It saddens me to think of the sheeple out there that are hard working and play by the rules, for those are going to be the ones that get the stick in the end. I'm just glad that I have been able to prep for me and my own, and open the eyes of my sheeple family.

~Wolf in Sheep's wool/poly blend

 

[Mad in Maine]

UmaineGreg: We're no longer sheeple, we're "preeple". I've begun to prepare and I'm almost ready for anything.
Having the power out for 24 hours last week reminded me how vulnerable we are and dependent on others.
All I need now is a hand pump for the well and I'll be set for a few months. Working on a few years.
PS: I think we're headed down the same road that folks in Illinois are traveling.

 

[Randall Flagg]

agreed, i'm in chicago a couple times a year.

 

[Crash2]

I have some preps but not enough. I considered taking out our emergency money and buying a few more preps now.... Mostly food .Can't decide .

 

[IntrinsicNebulous]

Great post. It always amazes me that news like this goes virtually unreported. You need to log on to a forum to discuss 'actual' current affairs with people since the mainstream media is completely inept.

Every few hours I turn the news on just to make sure Greece hasn't self destructed and get an update on our current affairs. So far today I've learned that Lindsay Lohan is going to play a porn star in a movie and Tiger Woods has a sore neck. I didn't however hear one story about the local/state/fedral/world economy or how the social unrest in many of these affected regions is approaching the boiling point.

Oh well, at least we have the forum.

 

[Crash2]

Great post. It always amazes me that news like this goes virtually unreported. You need to log on to a forum to discuss 'actual' current affairs with people since the mainstream media is completely inept.

Every few hours I turn the news on just to make sure Greece hasn't self destructed and get an update on our current affairs. So far today I've learned that Lindsay Lohan is going to play a porn star in a movie and Tiger Woods has a sore neck. I didn't however hear one story about the local/state/fedral/world economy or how the social unrest in many of these affected regions is approaching the boiling point.

Oh well, at least we have the forum.

the general populace just won't believe the media until the financial disaster happens. It's about perception. Most people go to work..we can go to the mall...buy our luxuries...sip $5.00 coffee drinks and discuss how terrible the economy is but I still see some police are around. The Top Twenty songs are going strong...those new movies are hitt'n the theaters....did you see the music awards and what she wore....??? It's a perception problem because the governments not going to let anything really bad happen. If the media tried to warn us, they would likely be ridiculed, even after the housing and auto industry debacle. We're fine even though 4 of my neighbors are laid off.
God help us all and be thankful for this forum so we have a clue what's going on.

 

[sherrieallen]

Things are bad here in South Carolina also. All across the south. My sister traveled from SC to Alabama last week for a graduation and she said everywhere she went it took 30 minutes or longer to be waited on as restaurants have cut staff to the bare minimum trying to save money. People willing to work for minimum wage aren't finding work much less higher paying opportunities. Yet state government keeps on as usual. Letting go the last hired and keeping the ones longest on the job whether they are the best employees or not and shifting low performance employees to do nothing jobs rather than firing them and dealing with a labor complaint. That won't change until next year when even less taxes are brought in and reality slaps them in the face. More stories being told of companies not paying overtime and telling employees work for straight pay or we'll hire someone who will. Prices going higher, interest rates going up even for good paying customers and money is stretched to the limit. Seems to me S has started htf though some people aren't aware of it yet. As long as they can hold on they hold onto hope. They don't want to hear hope left some time ago. I'm not being negative. I'm trying to be realistic. Last summer people talked about vacations close to home. This year they talk about not taking a vacation at all. You can cut back only so much before you realize you are in over your head.

 

[Sierra Dave]

Two ways to go...

I have some preps but not enough. I considered taking out our emergency money and buying a few more preps now.... Mostly food .Can't decide .

I suggest going for more food. You can always eat it instead of buying fresher stuff. If something bad DOES happen, you'll be happy you prepped more. If nothing bad happens, you can always pass it to a church if it nears expiration.

And how much are we really talking in food? 20 lbs of rice is $11. Throw in a #2 bucket and lid for $2-3. So, 5 buckets or 100 lbs of rice is $75. Throw in 100 cans of miscellaneous veggies at a buck a piece average. Your set for a few months.

In a SHTF sitch, 3 meals a day is a luxury. It's all about surviving the great die off and chaos until the dust settles.


Sierra Dave

 

[Crash2]

I suggest going for more food. You can always eat it instead of buying fresher stuff. If something bad DOES happen, you'll be happy you prepped more. If nothing bad happens, you can always pass it to a church if it nears expiration.

And how much are we really talking in food? 20 lbs of rice is $11. Throw in a #2 bucket and lid for $2-3. So, 5 buckets or 100 lbs of rice is $75. Throw in 100 cans of miscellaneous veggies at a buck a piece average. Your set for a few months.

In a SHTF sitch, 3 meals a day is a luxury. It's all about surviving the great die off and chaos until the dust settles.


Sierra Dave

actually canned goods can last far beyond expiration dates if stored properly.

 

[Nimmer]

Things are bad here in South Carolina also. All across the south. My sister traveled from SC to Alabama last week for a graduation and she said everywhere she went it took 30 minutes or longer to be waited on as restaurants have cut staff to the bare minimum trying to save money. People willing to work for minimum wage aren't finding work much less higher paying opportunities. Yet state government keeps on as usual. Letting go the last hired and keeping the ones longest on the job whether they are the best employees or not and shifting low performance employees to do nothing jobs rather than firing them and dealing with a labor complaint. That won't change until next year when even less taxes are brought in and reality slaps them in the face. More stories being told of companies not paying overtime and telling employees work for straight pay or we'll hire someone who will. Prices going higher, interest rates going up even for good paying customers and money is stretched to the limit. Seems to me S has started htf though some people aren't aware of it yet. As long as they can hold on they hold onto hope. They don't want to hear hope left some time ago. I'm not being negative. I'm trying to be realistic. Last summer people talked about vacations close to home. This year they talk about not taking a vacation at all. You can cut back only so much before you realize you are in over your head.

I agree that they cannot sqeeze anymore out of the workforce to save more money.I was a operations manager and two years ago the company was at bare bones and things have been getting worse since then.It sucks but it is happening.

 

[lanahi]

Many state governments are as bloated as the federal budget. They could cut out government spending there too, but they probably won't. Look at New Jersey...the new governor is taking his promises to trim government seriously, but most politicians arn't brave enough.

 

[methemom]

http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2010/01/illinois-careens-towards-bankruptcy.html

not looking good for poor ole IL. Hoping everybody has a plan. Here things could hit the fan in the next month or two. I am looking at having to bring my disabled daughter and mom here because they will not get medication and care when the state aid goes.
personal shtf bigtime. life will go on, and boy will it be interesting! at least we won't be bored. ( ironic smile)

 

[paleryder]

It is a sorry state for many of us. Our states are broke.. We need to act.Think of all the money being handed out to those that are here Illeagally.Our country loves immigrants but can no longer tolerate those who are criminals sucking the life out of our country..VOTE and work for those candidates who feel the same way we do...we CAN bring the change we NEED

 

[ken01976]

Seems like every cut I make in expenses I have to absorb a salary cut, or utilities increase, or property tax increase. Illinois is tanking. I've noticed many of the parks and trails I use are no longer maintained like they once were. Dog sh1t is all over the place now and never cleaned up. Makes it real fun going for a walk.

 

[Sierra Dave]

I know...

actually canned goods can last far beyond expiration dates if stored properly.

If your food is near expiring and you can afford it. It doesn't hurt to freshen your canned goods up some.



Sierra Dave