ROUGH AS A COB

Like I have said a lot of times, I have nothing from God on the state of the state but I am about to proclaim the economy as sunk up to it's axles and going down fast.



I met my old buddy the grader operator on our gravel road. I asked him how things were getting along and he said not so hot. Apparently the County Council had appropriated a $125,000 for fuel this year and it is all gone. They need $150,000 to finish the year. And they ain't got it. His grader burns 65 gallons of diesel a day times $5 a gallon. Take that times 5 days a week and it ain't so good. Things may be getting into a bit of a bind here directly. The county just may run out of fuel for their equipment. I'm sure someone will step up to the plate with a temporary plan and finish the year, but it don't look good these days. The normal way for government critters to exist is to feed off of you and I. That means more taxes. "Bleed the filthy poor!" "But your Lordship, the poor have nothing. We took everything they had!" "Well then, sell the dirty bastards. Prostitute their wives and daughters. Put their sons to work in the fields for no income. We must have money to keep our roads nice!" And the beat goes on.



I took my trash to the dump this morning and as I was cutting back through town my wife spotted a new gun store. I whipped in to the parking lot and went to look in the window. And who is sitting behind the counter but my old friend the ex-tavern owner. It was an old friend reunion. He is going to work for the new gun store all Summer and quit when school starts and drive a school bus. He is a wealthy man but he wants something to do. I got told to come in any time and shoot the shit and bring cold beer if I wished. I bought about an 18 inch stainless knife while I was in there, maybe 20 inches. Stainless and made in China. $16.50 plus tax was on the price tag but he sold it to me for $16 flat. Good deal. I cannot lose on this knife. If is sharp and it is sturdy. I'll let my wife carry it as a sword. But it is always nice to see a good man in a gun store. Too many rip-offs around here to suit me.



I went to the Army Surplus store and they had a lot of expensive shit with not much selection and poor quality. And I have done business with them before and I know that things are expensive these days but they are a little too high for my taste. They did not have any kind of paracord that I would buy.



While at the gun store I got a free newspaper. It's todays Indianapolis Star. Front page: Fishers (that a big suburb northeast of Indy) has had it with tardy developer. It seems like some big developer from Cleveland came and sold Fishers on the idea of buying and tearing down 125 homes and building a $100,000,000 shopping center and condo clusterfuck in the center of town. Gonna give Fishers an urban presence to equal anybody else. But the developer has not returned any calls and has not bought that first home. Six months of waiting for something to break, especially the ground breaking ceremony for the new buildings, and not a damn thing has happened. Someone was playing fast and loose with easy credit and got caught between a rock and a hard place and moved on. Boy oh boy, I 'll bet those politicians in Fishers were counting on that new tax money. Wish in one hand and shit in the other and see which one fills up the quickest. I remember when Fishers was a small little corn producing area that had little or no claim to fame. A crossroads. Now it hundred of acres of McMansions. Sayonara, Fishers. You were better off with corn.



Let's see another article if today's Star. I'll go for the left hand front page column. Abandoned homes for sale on city Web site. It seems that the poor of Indy have had to move on to other things. It always hits the poor, doesn't it? There is a little box in the article that has some interesting figures.



There are 7,913 abandoned home and buildings in Indy.



There are 33 homes featured in the Indy website.



They have sold 37 homes since May of 2007.



There are 900 homes and buildings that will belong to Indy if they are not sold at the October tax sale.



My. Doesn't this just warm your heart? Bedford lost it's Ford plant two weeks ago. They have a General Motors Foundry that is probably not long for this world. I tell ya' folks, things are looking bad. The conspiracy guys are saying the bank holiday isn't until the end of August. Boy! That sure is a load off my mind. Got preps? Got ammo and guns? Got first aid? Have you made it out of the city yet? These people living in the city are trapped I reckon. Otherwise they would be getting the hell out, right? And I have been relating what is going on in backwoods Indiana. Wonder what it is like in the major metropolitan areas? Probably still good, huh?



Prepare, people. Prepare like madmen. And try to stay alive.



Michael



mboone@rtccom.net