Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

homestead - [Homestead] Inflation, self-sufficiency, proprty & other taxes

homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Homestead mailing list

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: bobf <bobford79 AT yahoo.com>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Homestead] Inflation, self-sufficiency, proprty & other taxes
  • Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2009 07:05:26 -0800 (PST)

This is from James Wesley Rawles on his site today. It plays into some of
the recent conversations on this list. Rawles is a definite "survivalist",
but he is also a homesteader and a farmer. Some of his apocalyptic concerns
are way 'out there' for me, but he is a very bright , accomplished man, and
in general, is sensible and reasonable....

--------------------------------------------------------------------


" Inflation, Taxes, and Self-Sufficiency

I recently received an e-mail from T.F. in Utah, who quipped: "They tell us
that inflation is now non-existent. Well, how many years of deflation will it
take to get prices back to where they once were? It is noteworthy that the
average annual property tax on a house on a city lot now exceeds the entire
land purchase price and construction cost of a comparable square footage
house, in 1890." Inflation is indeed insidious. And its has implications that
are far-reaching. For example, consider the following:

Creeping tax increases one of the reasons that it is now nearly impossible
for someone to "live off the land" on small acreage. Even if you own your
house and land free and clear, property taxes are inescapable. Thus, in
"self-sufficient" mode, although you can feed yourself, you still need a
cash-earning job, just to pay the taxes. I pray that at the far end of the
coming depression, our debt money system--which is the root of
inflation--will be replaced by a system of sound currency that is redeemable
in specie. That is the only sure, long term solution to creeping inflation,
and corresponding creeping taxation.

I've mentioned this tale of woe before: Back in the 1930s, my great
grandparents lost a considerable portion of their 5,000+ acre sheep ranch in
northern California to back taxes. At the beginning of the Great Depression
they were land rich but cash poor. But by the end of the Depression, that had
neither much money or land. (By 1942, the county had taken most of the ranch
for back taxes.) Although the chances of a long-lasting deflationary
depression are fairly small (since I think Helicopter Ben will try to inflate
his way out of this mess), it is prudent to do your best to maintain a cash
income to supplement "the fat of the land", from your self-sufficient
retreat. See the SurvivalBlog Archives for some suggestions on building up
home-based businesses."








Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page