(Natural News)—Houston Mayor John Whitmire, a Democrat elected in December, provided a bleak warning during a City Hall meeting about the city’s “broke” finances as he proposed a five percent cut across all city spending to alleviate the cash flow problem.
“I think we can all agree that we’re broke,” Whitmire said, before proposing the planned cuts. “This gives us a chance to discuss the financial picture of this city. It is broken. It was broken when I got here.”
With an estimated current deficit of at least $160 million, Whitmire’s current proposal is for a five percent across-the-board cut to the entire budget of the city’s government, with exceptions for the budgets of firefighters and police.
“I don’t like a five percent cut now, but you have to make tough decisions and folks put me in this position to make tough decisions, and I’m going to do my job,” said Whitmire. (Related: Mayor of El Paso, Texas says his city is now at BREAKING POINT due to influx of ILLEGALS.)
Whitmire’s short tenure has seen him cough up an additional $650 million from the city budget for seven years of back pay and an additional $180 million for annual wage hikes over the next five years following the conclusion of a long-festering labor dispute with city firefighters.
Analysts say the deal delivers taxpayers a substantial discount from the amount an arbitrator would have likely awarded the aggrieved firefighters.
“This is going to come down to a financial sacrifice by the City. Now we can either be $1.2 billion broke or we can be $650 million broke,” said City Councilmember Willie Davis of the deal.
Councilmember Tiffany Thomas expressed alarm at the city’s mounting debt and warned that the city government might start charging Houston residents more for services.
“Are we going to fee Houstonians? Is it a trash fee? Are we paying for parking after six? Are we going after Metro’s money? I mean what are we doing?” asked Thomas.
The mayor says the search for additional funding is underway and could include asking the taxpayers to step up. “I’m not going to play games with people’s lives. I’m not going to play politics with people’s lives. So we have a responsibility to settle with the firefighters and protect Houstonians,” said Whitmire.
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Houston has had problems with inflated spending for years
Houston, the United States’ fourth largest city, has had a problem with its spending for years. But the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the assistance the city received from the federal government during this time provided some leeway for the city to mask its overspending.
“COVID really silenced the conversation because we got so much money from the federal government that we were able to make our budgets work, but really, this problem started 20 years ago, almost a quarter of a century ago, with the pension funds,” said John Diamond, director of the Center for Public Finance at Rice University.
Former Mayor Sylvester Turner, another Democrat who left office in January, falsely claimed he was leaving the city with a $420 million surplus.
“The budget surplus is largely thanks to $1 billion in federal recovery funds Houston received during the pandemic, which Turner has mostly used to cover city expenses while driving up its reserve account,” wrote Houston Chronicle staff writer Dylan McGuinness.
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During his time in office, Turner who could not run again due to term limits, was criticized by former Mayor Annise Parker, financial groups and even the city comptroller for his handling of public funds.
“Let me just say, the sky is not falling,” Turner told the local paper last year. But local critics insist Turner wasn’t telling the truth.
“This has been obvious to anyone following the city’s finances for well over a decade,” said local businessman Bill King. “The you-know-what would have hit the fan in the last administration had it not been for this incredible influx of federal dollars.”
A tax hike through a bond is expected in November.
“That’s very likely what we’re looking at, going to the voters this November and saying, ‘Here’s the plan, here’s what it’s going to cost, and we’re asking you to chip in,'” City Controller Chris Hollins said.
Critics say the city should not default to taxing residents when they could raise the money by cutting the fat inside city hall and selling city property, including a very valuable art collection owned by the city. “The first thing we need to do is find where the money is first as opposed to the typical liberal answer to every problem: raise taxes on the people,” conservative political analyst Gary Polland suggested.
Visit GreaterTexan.news for similar stories involving Texas and its cities. Watch this short clip of a flight full of illegal immigrants bound for Houston.
This video is from the GalacticStorm channel on Brighteon.com.
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Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
