Revive Your Precinct

The Fourth Step

2008-02-25T05:47:00.000-08:00

The Fourth Step is securing your rights as guaranteed by the constitution. The most effective way to institute this step is to gather people under a common cause. All people want their vote to count and this is one of the common causes people should gather around. Other important rights include rights of free speech, rights to assemble and the rights to a militia.

The rights of free speech should be actively engaged and can benefit the PAC that you have set up. Your PAC could print a small newsletter about events in your precinct and important movements to improve your neighborhood. A monthly newsletter would benefit everyone in your area.

The right to assemble is an important motivation for passing or rejecting laws by legislators, as well as other important ideas your PAC is concerned. Assembly is not commonly used today as people have become inured to injustices by our government and feel it is impossible to fight City Hall. Fighting City Hall is what this country was founded upon and should be exercised whenever your rights are violated.

The Third Step

2008-02-18T08:58:00.000-08:00

The third Step is setting up a local economy. This step is the foundation of less commuting and more time with your family because the ultimate goal is to either make or deal with your neighbors for everything you need. You've already contacted your neighbors and told them your goal of trading skills or goods within your community. You'll now feel more comfortable advertising your wares in your precinct.

There is work that requires no college degree or special certification to complete and this work you already are able to complete. First look back on your life and find any special skills or knowledge that you have people might have use for. For example, can you use a computer (obviously if you're reading this)? Then advertise yourself as an in-house computer teacher. Another example, do you know your ABC's (once again obviously)? Then advertise yourself as a reading and writing teacher. Despite what the department of education tells people you don't have to have a degree to share your knowledge for exchange of goods. There are more esoteric skills (part time mechanic, handyman, getting groceries, babysitting, driving teacher, etc.) that require no degree. I'm not advocating people without any knowledge about these subjects blindly teach people because when the entire precinct knows the skills of each person then liars will not be tolerated.

The Second source of wealth is a garden for you and your family. According to the small gardens site on the right hand side of this blog a 4'x4' square of garden will provide enough salad greens during the growing season. You can also grow in the winter months or can unused vegetables. If you have more land you can grow more and sell or trade with your neighbors. This summer I will be documenting the progress of my garden. In addition to a garden small fowl like chickens and, if you have the space, fish can be grown in 5 gallons according to the city farmers site on the right hand side.

The third form of currency is your current work. Professionals like accountants have it easier than employees of a major corporation. I'm not advocating quitting your job without any money, but being more self reliant by growing a sustainable garden, raising animals for food, and offering your accumulated knowledge and time are lucrative and wise moves as part time work. You would also be contributing locally to help people who might never know about your abilities.

The fourth currency is something we've been taught to pay for rather than get paid for our entire lives. This currency will bring you the highest amount of passive wealth (where you do nothing) out of all the other forms of currency. This form of currency gets you off the grids completely and truly sets you free.
1) Because you've set up a neighborhood Internet you don't pay for internet, you pay a share of your precincts internet. If you're like me its less than $1.00 per household per month.
2) TV, stop watching it all together, or go online and download your favorite shows. I can already hear the groans of what will I do if I can't watch "My show". TV is the opiate of the masses and has drugged the vast majority of Americans. Entertainment is alright, but news as entertainment has shown TV to be the whore for corporate America we all should fear. So, cut your cable save probably a hundred dollars a month. Also, get your news off the Web its alot more accurate and alot more important.
3) Get Skype or some technology like it. You can use a skype phone, or buy a cell phone. I would highly recommend buying a pay as you go phone though as a three year plan is for chumps.
4)Insulate your house. I'll be doing this soon and be documenting my progress.
5) Solar thermal links on the right hand side will show you how to heat your water, and if you're lucky and have a water heated house heat your entire house. I'll be looking into buying a couple units this summer and showing you how to install these in your home.
6) Replace your electricity with Photovoltaic or wind energy technologies, and if you don't use all the electricity you can sell it back to the power company. I'll be looking into this after all the previous projects are done.
7) Separate your trash. This is simple and easy. Food waste goes in one bin (except for bones0 for compost outside-you use this in your garden. Paper products go in one bin (used tissue, paper towels, etc.). Cardboard boxes are broken down and recycled. Containers (plastic bottles, yogurt cups, glass bottles, aluminum cans) go in another container after being washed out-you'll use these for planters in your gardern. All other miscellaneous materials go in another bin. 5 bins and cardboard trash all together.
8) The final goal is replacing your gas guzzling car with a car that uses alternative fuels. This summer I will be making a motorcycle that only uses water as fuel and possibly biodiesel fuel.

These eight steps for the fourth currency will make your house self sustaining and bring your family wealth without work.

Second Step

2008-02-15T09:07:00.000-08:00

The second step is communicating to your precinct. I have bought a low power FM transmitter kit and will soon post pictures of its construction.

The First Step

2008-02-15T08:30:00.000-08:00

Getting to know your precinct is the first step. I have already started this step and it is quite an eye openining experience. After going to www.ronpaul2008.com and becoming a precinct leader I was given 51 pages with 22 entries per page of names and addresses from people in my neighborhood.

I was involved in trying to get delegates for the 2008 presidential election so I tried four things to get signatures during a Saturday.

The first tactic was walking around my neighborhood and trying to find people at home who wanted to sign. One person was happy to sign all seven places. The second person did not want to sign because he did not want his signature on anything that might be seen by other people. The rest of the houses no one answered or were not at home.

The second tactic was making a sign for signing for Delegates and standing by a busy intersection. The sign took me about 3 hours to make and about $20.00 in materials. I stood around for 1/2 hour and no one wanted to sign for ballots.

The third tactic was calling republicans who could sign for delegates and asking them if they could sign for me. The only people I could get on the phone did not want to sign anything with their name.

The fourth tactic, and by far the best, is getting a list of people who have donated to the campaign I was volunteering for, Ron Paul, and calling those people for signatures. All the people I could contact wanted to sign for delegates. This has taught me a few things:
1) People today are paranoid about signing things for strangers
2) People today do not understand the election procedure or how delegates work
3) The best way to connect with people and ask them for help is to understand what they want first

To that end I will make a flyer for every person in my precinct (all 1000+ of them) to ask them what problems they see in my local area and nationwide. The one topic I will put first is election fraud. I will put an e-mail and maybe give them a skype phone number to call with their answers.

The Order of This Blog

2008-02-15T08:22:00.000-08:00

I will cover Steps one through four as I discover the best way I have found to revive my precinct. This Blog is an experiment in taking back our communities by becoming a leader for change in your community. I will post relevant links, books, articles, photos, or videos as I gather them. Look for changes in Step one through four as the blog progresses.

Revive your Precinct

2008-02-13T10:27:00.001-08:00

This blog is dedicated to reviving your precinct. The first question people might have is what is a precinct? A precinct is your local neighborhood determined by population and area. The second question people might have is what do I mean by revive? Every day people commute hours away from their family and spend precious few moments with loved ones and neighbors. I will show you how to commute less and spend more time working in your community making your precinct the most alive and vibrant area you know.

The first step is to know your precinct. Go to www.ronpaul2008.com and become a precinct leader. This gives you a map, addresses, names and phone numbers (mostly updated) of people in your precinct. Some people might have problems with dispensing this information, however your information is bought and sold without your knowledge every day. If you have a social security number and an address your information can be accessed by anybody.

The second step is to communicate with your precinct. The best options I have found is buying transmitting equipment to broadcast local information. You can buy Low Power FM transmitters or antennas for local internet hubs. The antennas should be positioned on the highest point or structure in your precinct. Local internet hubs are autonomous from the internet backbone and can be personalized for your precinct. I would suggest streaming transmission on Low Power FM the internet talk show www.rprradio.com as they also espouse strengthening communities. Distribute flyers to all the people in your precinct and explain how they can contribute information that is important to them by your broadcast channels.

The third step is setting up a local economy. Some people might not understand what is meant by a local economy. I am talking about products or services you can offer to your neighbors in exchange for their service or product. For example, if I am a lawyer and my neighbor is an accountant we can exchange our expertise in monetary values that accomodate both of us. In order to make this exchange system more regulated you can either print a price on your services in agreement with your customers or keep an electronic record of services or products rendered. This system is not just based on the honor system, it is also based on the community system as you can broadcast discrepancies in exchanges within your precinct. The name for this system is Local Exchange Trade System or L.E.T.S. and anything can be exchanged (for example grown food, teaching lessons, mechanical services etc.) . Imagine how much money you'll save by not commuting to Big Box Retailers. Imagine how much a stronger community you'll have by knowing your neighbors.

The fourth step, started at the same time as the first step, is controlling your elections. I'm not talking about fixing or falsifying election results, I am talking about a transparent and secure election process where every vote is counted. Every precinct should set up a Political Action Committee (PAC) for this wholly bipartisan objective. The goal should be paper ballots secured in a sealed impregnable box. The voting box is continously videotaped from casting votes to counting votes. The entire videotape is open to review by anyone in the precinct upon request. Some people might have issues with anonymity with this system. First I would say that you shouldn't be scared of casting a vote for your candidate. Every citizen should be proud to vote their conscience and as a great president once said "all we have to fear is fear itself". Secondly your vote would be cast in an enclosed place and not videotaped. The only thing videotaped is your participating in our democratic process.

Because you started the fourth step at the same time as the first step you can raise money through your PAC. Your PAC could raise money to set up step two-communicating and step three-economy. I've given you a basic framework now all that is necessary are the details soon to come. Once we save our communities then we can save our country.