[CitizensTruth] Do you believe me yet? Re-post: It's Time To Develop Community Volunteer Pools

[Daniel Stafford]

I don't know how to get family members to listen - I have the same issue 
- they just see the downside and want to continue "as-is" so far.

I'm thinking it might not be a bad idea to start with those of us who 
live in proximity and are awake to this. We could all start doing our 
gardening, and organize canning parties this fall in our local areas. 
Setting up something like an online social network specifically for 
urban agriculture might be a place to start, other than in your garden. 
After all, we all love company while we're working - and who knows how 
many of your neighbors might be wondering what they can do about it all. 
Also, if we all grow tomatoes and corn, where will we get onions, 
garlic, or carrots? Some coordination among urban growers on the local 
level is a great idea.

By the way, here is an excellent article on how to put a no-till organic 
garden in any yard: 
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/2008-04-01/Easy-Garden-Anyone-Can-Make.aspx

When the food crisis really starts hitting, there's going to be a whole 
different attitude. That usually wakes people up really fast - the 
problem is, we are within about three-four weeks of planting season. It 
is pretty late to start seedlings for this year - so if you are going to 
take on a little urban agriculture of your own, choose varieties that 
mature rapidly. Seed savers and other seed sources will usually tell you 
how long a particular veggie variety takes to produce.

On the home front, we need to approach our local municipalities on using 
eminent domain as a weapon against foreclosure. That won't be enough by 
itself, though. Those municipalities do have to pay for what they sieze, 
even if it's not market rate. They also lose property tax revenues on 
any such properties unless they can turn around ownership quickly.

Maybe organizing non-profit "housing co-ops" that buy out mortgages and 
sell them back to homeowners at close to zero interest might be another 
approach to work with. Think about it - high-interest mortgages really 
cost many thousands of dollars over the long term than their initial 
loan amount. If people start pitching in to a co-op at $25.00 a month, 
then get in line to have their mortgage bought out by the co-op, a lot 
of capital that would have gone to pay interest will be conserved in the 
local communities. The co-op then sells the house back to the homeowner 
over time, but without the added interest costs raising their payment. 
Add this up over hundreds or thousands of houses, and the amount of 
money not sent to big corporations in interest gets truly immense - and 
makes it easier for communities to afford other things.

Such cooperatives could also have rules about urban/suburban organic 
gardening - say, in favor thereof...you join, you agree to produce food 
using organic means.

Approaching municipal governments about city, town, or village-wide 
composting programs can also help. Many municipalities that do this 
provide free organic fertilizer - compost - back to their residents at 
little or no cost while reducing their landfill use by about thirty 
percent.

Organize classes in your area on gardening, canning, and composting - 
share seeds and knowledge. Get people working together. Target classes 
to specific neighborhoods, so that you're teaching the same neighbors at 
the same time - making it easy for them to garden together cooperatively.

Also, make your garden as attractive as possible, so you avoid those 
"going hillbilly?" looks and grumbles from suburbanites with a 
well-developed sense of aesthetics.

The bottom line, we just need to start taking whatever positive action 
we can. E-mail lists need to become better than gripe sessions - they 
need to become the inspiration for beneficial, peaceful grass roots action.

Dan



Mike Kirk wrote:

> Any advice on how to get family members and relatives to "see the 

> light" on these issues?   Most of mine live in "Disney World" and 

> don't even bring it up.

>

> Too much of a downer at holidays and get togethers - la,la, la - "the 

> government will step in and make the problems go away."

>

> With these events coming at a more rapid pace, at some point it will 

> be hard to avoid the reality.

>

> Thanks for the post.  Time to get my bicycle ready for the daily 

> commute.  :-)

>

> -Mike

>

> */Daniel Stafford <aqmstaffo at mailbag.com>/* wrote:

>

>     I said this first this past January as the foreclosure crisis

>     started dragging on the economy. Dire predictions were flying all

>     about. Now, there are major retailing chains and restaurant chains

>     closing stores or going bankrupt. We've lost 3/4 of the Bakers

>     Square, Joes Crab Shack, and Lonestar Steak Houses in our area

>     already. Wickes Furniture was just built last spring, and they

>     went out of business - it's empty now. Wilson's Leather is going

>     out of business nationally, their entire store, fixtures included,

>     is on clearance.  Food rationing is starting to happen on both

>     coasts. Oil has spiked over $117.00 a barrel and gasoline is

>     looking to head north of $4.00 per gallon this spring, let alone

>     this summer.

>

>     Wage erosion cuts deeper in US

>     <http://www.iht.com/bin/printfriendly.php?id=12162181> 	America

>     faces food rationing? <http://www2.nysun.com/article/74994> 	**Oil

>     spikes to over $117 per barrel*

>     <http://www.rawstory.com/news/mochila/Attacks_in_Middle_East_Nigeria_send_04212008.html>*

>     _Average pump price hits $3.50

>     <http://www.rawstory.com/news/mochila/Drivers_paying_record_pump_prices_04202008.html>_;

>     Fuel _panic

>     <http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/latestnews/-The-fuel-panic-begins.4001427.jp>_

>     begins, oil capacity rise on _hold.

>     <http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/36b36e2a-0efe-11dd-9646-0000779fd2ac.html>_

>     	_

>     _*Food prices could harm security

>     <http://www.rawstory.com/news/mochila/Food_price_crisis_could_harm_global_04202008.html>*

>     	*

>     *US dollar hits record low

>     <http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080417/oil_prices.html?.v=10>

>     AU drought worsens global rice crisis

>     <http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/04/17/business/17warm.php>

>     States tackle foreclosure

>     <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/15/AR2008041503157.html?hpid=topnews>

>     	Foreigners sustain NY's economy

>     <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/16/nyregion/16tourism.html?ex=1209009600&en=e2915cf2c501d419&ei=5065&partner=MYWAY>

>     	Foreclosures up 57% in 12 mos.

>     <http://www.rawstory.com/news/mochila/Foreclosures_jump_57_percent_in_las_04152008.html>

>     	AP: More won't be buying home soon

>     <http://www.rawstory.com/news/mochila/AP_poll_More_avoid_buying_homes_04142008.html>

>

>     Ohio town fore- closures up 178%

>     <http://money.cnn.com/2008/04/08/real_estate/radical_city_plan/index.htm?cnn=yes>

>     	US housing woes spread globally

>     <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/14/business/worldbusiness/14real.html?ex=1365825600&en=efb802e7d1c88270&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss>

>     	Citigroup, Merrill Lynch's $15b loss

>     <http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/banking_and_finance/article3671568.ece>

>     	'Poor go hungry, rich fill tanks'

>     <http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/apr/11/worldbank.fooddrinks1>

>     	Soros sounds world economy alarm

>     <http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/04/11/business/11soros.php>

>     Middle class hit by debt, econ. woes

>     <http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h5BLKr5It2p9VI3sFdwU7d3x3I5QD8VUJV200>

>     	'Bleaker hopes' for retirement years

>     <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/09/AR2008040903900_pf.html>

>     	Foreclosures hit McMansions

>     <http://www.rawstory.com/news/mochila/Foreclosures_come_to_McMansion_coun_04072008.html>

>     	Delinquent loan payments soar

>     <http://www.rawstory.com/news/mochila/Late_loan_payments_highest_since_19_04032008.html>

>     	UN World Food Program struggling

>     <http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-food1apr01,0,5185698.story>

>

>

>

>     Corn rationing predicted for 2008

>     <http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Analyst_Predicts_Corn_Rationing_in_2008_0401.html>

>     	Banks abandoning student loans

>     <http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/economics/article3649021.ece>

>     	Economic downturn hits states hard

>     <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/30/AR2008033002138.html?hpid=topnews>

>     	Food stamp use nears new high

>     <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/31/us/31foodstamps.html?hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1206929080-T1nWta1S+xNL5uA16620wA>

>     	

>     Wave of Bankruptcies Will 'Remake' Shopping Malls Across the

>     Country <http://www.planetizen.com/node/30773> 	*"Foreclosures

>     Prompt Cities to Make Plea for Aid :*

>     The United States Conference of Mayors (usmayors.org)As more than

>     250 mayors , agreed that the collapse of the subprime market had

>     left a growing problem of vacant houses, depressed property

>     values, tighter credit, and a need to cut services to close

>     municipal budget gaps.

>     http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/24/us/24mayors.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

>     <http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0019LawIGrT8LvriHOGjTheqSvmvfx6QUej1zZg8MxRU3KKWBg8kySqdYXWEbn0P5-3tb7G5KgAG-fmr2b1ab9IzfhmcPz50wtvu6lqz1da01fApB2xE2P03P-CyT0Hka9KbGHM9RC0r5hZv9z9ldOL21Xd5XAKN1xrtRP6CtGtpIABPrkMv6P0tJLP7puRYsei>"

>     	

>     	

>     	

>

>

>     /*How do we beat this in the absence of help from the federal

>     government? */

>

>

>           It's Time To Develop Community Volunteer Pools

>

>     *It's Time To Develop Community Volunteer Pools -

>     *

>

>

>     With news like this, and many other stories threatening the

>     possibility of a global Depression, (Based on a repeat of the land

>     speculation mistakes of the 1920's and other factors) it is time

>     to organize volunteer labor pools. Absent any real leadership from

>     the government, the unemployed and bankrupt will increase in

>     numbers dramatically over the next few years. This represents a

>     lot of economically desperate people and a huge pool of idle talent.

>

>     Food security is going to become difficult under these

>     circumstances. It will become vital to begin massive vegetable

>     gardening efforts in urban and suburban areas. It is also going to

>     become necessary to build large scale shelters as housing

>     foreclosures continue to skyrocket, driving up the ranks of the

>     homeless.

>

>     *Grass lawns are a waste of precious crop-growing space. If you

>     add up the aggregate land area of lawns in the USA, that is a

>     large area of "farmable" land. Putting in a home garden now,

>     before it's too late, could help many avoid hunger if the economy

>     collapses as many are predicting. Community garden plots need to

>     rise up, and so do back yard garden plots. "Canning days" for

>     whole neighborhoods could mean the difference between just missing

>     certain food items or going hungry over the next few winters.

>     http://www.seedsavers.org is an excellent source of vegetable

>     seeds and plant seedlings, with over 25,000 varieties of heirloom

>     vegetables that are optimized for different parts of the country.*

>

>     Why not begin forming the structures of a "citizens' W.P.A." now,

>     before all this happens? Strapped municipalities could use these

>     pools of labor to avoid much of the cost of infrastructure

>     improvements, focusing their dwindling property tax intake on

>     purchasing materials for volunteer workers to use. In return, such

>     municipalities could provide materials and space for shelters and

>     gardening projects to feed the volunteers and their families.

>

>     Additionally, judicious use of eminent domain laws could foreclose

>     on the Foreclosers - seizing bank-owned vacant properties and

>     using them to house homeless laborers in return for their labor

>     hours on community projects. They do not need the federal

>     government to solve the problem. This could be a way for rural

>     communities and suburbs to turn the situation around - since such

>     efforts would in effect fall outside the purview of the failing

>     capitalist economy.

>

>     Obviously, recycling and local sourcing of materials would be

>     driven higher by such measures. Energy efficiency could also be

>     built into such plans.

>

>     Just as the States are taking action on renewable energy and

>     climate change through local initiatives, the States and local

>     communities could begin a national turn-around absent help from

>     the federal government, in a legal and moral manner.

>

>     Idle union workers could initiate apprenticeship programs within

>     the volunteer pools, creating a vast pool of skilled workers for

>     when the economy does rebound. Municipal energy projects such as

>     wind, solar, and biomass (not using food grains, but rather

>     agricultural and yard waste) systems could be built also, driving

>     up local renewable power generation.

>

>     Local sustainable forestry programs could also be developed and

>     maintained, providing a source of lumber for furniture and

>     interior building structures. Earthen housing using lumber only

>     for floors, windows and roofing could provide highly durable and

>     energy-efficient housing in place of the current lumber-intensive

>     methods of buildings. Existing vacant structures could be tapped

>     for materials and space to build with.

>

>     Municipalities that embark on such paths could begin to draw

>     people back out into the small towns and suburbs without the need

>     for long-distance commuting.

>

>     Small family-owned farms might even work with such communities,

>     providing much-needed food in return for volunteer labor to help

>     with growing and harvesting. Composting and sustainable farming

>     methods are age-old ways of working farms without the need for

>     petroleum-based fertilization. Natural methods of controlling

>     pests would leave enough production in place, when combined with

>     urban/suburban gardening efforts, to feed local populations.

>

>     I also wonder if milkweed pod fiber and cattail fiber couldn't be

>     used to produce small quantities of local textiles in a manner

>     similar to the way cotton is used today. Does anyone out there

>     know if there are small-scale textile mills that could be used or

>     built to operate with such materials? Milkweed and cattails are

>     ubiquitous in the Midwestern US in my experience.

>

>     It's time to think outside the traditional box, and recover some

>     of the skill sets that were our heritage from times when

>     communities had to be much more self-reliant in the past, combined

>     with modern technologies in ways that are harmonious to the

>     natural environment and the natural rhythms of the human body.

>

>     There are things we can do to head the worst effects of a severe

>     economic downturn off, while making the lives we lead more

>     sustainable and healthy. More walking, biking, and horsepower in

>     the flesh, more local foods, more local work, shared computers at

>     libraries, community fire brigades, and many other means are

>     available.

>

>     Open private schools where laid-off teachers could educate

>     children and recover from the closures of public schools resulting

>     from No Child Left Behind and lack of federal funding.

>

>     There are ways to do these things, using non-profit entities and

>     local initiatives that would bypass the failures of national-scale

>     systems. A mixture of the best from the past and present could

>     lead to a more sustainable, stable, and bright future.

>

>     It's not necessary to go down in flaming despair at all - if we

>     work together, and start now.

>

>     JMHO,

>

>     Dan Stafford

>     _______________________________________________

>     CitizensTruth mailing list

>     CitizensTruth at six.pairlist.net

>     http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/citizenstruth

>     website: http://citizenstruth.info

>

>

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