# Local government leverage if SHTF



## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

SHTF, for whatever reason you prefer and you can't get to work (or there is no work), the stores are closed, food is scarce. Federal government can't influence daily life. Banks are closed.

Local government (county, city, state) tries to step in and wants something from the population in general whether it be food donations, your labor, ect.
Because all home owners must pay property taxes to keep their property the local government could use lack of property tax payment to force local citizens to follow the local governments mandates or legally they can take your property. 

By requiring people to pay their property taxes regardless of economic conditions your local government has enormous leverage over your property and ability to live free in a SHTF scenario. 

If you have the ability to safely keep a years worth of property tax money buried in the back yard it may be worth considering.

Mot people can't do this which is why it's such a powerful tool that a local government can use to coerce you to submit.


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## Mule13 (Dec 30, 2012)

seems something like that (in a SHTF situation) would be really hard to enforce.if there are any LEO's left they'll be busy stop roving bands of hooligans.more than likely they'll be home protecting their families.I really cant see anything like that happening.At least not within the first several months and after that pretty sure the LEO's would be off somewhere else. prolly formed an all leo prepper group somewhere, and scrapping by like the rest of the survivors.

just my 2 cents


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## Oddcaliber (Feb 17, 2014)

In a full out SHTF tax collection will be far down the list of things to do.


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## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

Many local governments could careless about gangs unless it is their own private home. I could see those turd$ directing LEO to confiscate wealth over the protect and serve idea. Depends on where you live and who is in charge.


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## NotTooProudToHide (Nov 3, 2013)

For the doubters this has already happened. How many people lost their homes/farms/property due to taxes during the great depression?


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## TacticalCanuck (Aug 5, 2014)

Mule13 said:


> seems something like that (in a SHTF situation) would be really hard to enforce.if there are any LEO's left they'll be busy stop roving bands of hooligans.more than likely they'll be home protecting their families.I really cant see anything like that happening.At least not within the first several months and after that pretty sure the LEO's would be off somewhere else. prolly formed an all leo prepper group somewhere, and scrapping by like the rest of the survivors.
> 
> just my 2 cents


If there are no jobs no money and no food yet the govy has enough to "buy" a few cronies there will be many who will take the job of govy enforcer for a loaf of bread and pack of smokes because you take care of your own first. I see people lining up in droves willing to take the job for next to nothing.


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## Illini Warrior (Jan 24, 2015)

let me ask you this - how many of your local politicians, officials, social leaders, powerbrokers and biz owners are prepping? ..... other than playing in the precious metals market most aren't putting away squat .... you think they are just giving up their power & authority and go off to starve? .... an emergency order to seize resources as necessary will be issued locally and the confiscation will start .... legalized posse groups lead by a badge will be rooting around door-to-door taking whatever they wish .... first on the list will be anyone that was stupid enough to expose their resources - if you're out there bragging about your newest AR purchase or the number of jars you canned - expect a friendly knock on the door followed by a kick ....


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## Operator6 (Oct 29, 2015)

After hurricane Katrina those affected were given extra time to file taxes and extra time to comply with any obligations concerning government agency's. 

Private companies even waived late fees. 

But sure, it's always wise to have a variety of ways to pay for things you may need after a SHTF/natural disaster.


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

That would be the most dangerous job on the planet. Running around confiscating supplies, legal or not. I would assume most will not be giving up stuff freely.


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## Slippy's-Attorney (Sep 23, 2015)

Chipper said:


> That would be the most dangerous job on the planet. Running around confiscating supplies, legal or not. I would assume most will not be giving up stuff freely.


dang straight...

SHTF and you send people to collect guns, food, fuel..etc - you have to be a little twisted..

if you want to take my stuff, call it what it is stealing

be prepared to use force


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

I agree that many people will not give up their property but many people will if they think they will get something in return. And at first the local government will probably have control of the local stores and their food, batteries, gasoline for generators, ect. Those Sheeple who gave up their possessions to "the community" early on will become the "tax collectors". 

A lot of this will depend on your local officials and how trust worthy they are. But even if they are 100% trustworthy they will attempt to control the local resources using measures as legal as possible (tax lien on the property) and probably will enact "emergency laws".


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## Seneca (Nov 16, 2012)

If the local government got a little too heavy handed during a prolonged crisis, people would figure out a way around them. Look at how moonshiners operate, they have a work around to about anything that gets thrown at them. 

Even though some get caught from time to time they're usually one step ahead of the law or in this case a local government resorting to thuggery during a crisis.


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## Illini Warrior (Jan 24, 2015)

FoolAmI said:


> I agree that many people will not give up their property but many people will if they think they will get something in return. And at first the local government will probably have control of the local stores and their food, batteries, gasoline for generators, ect. Those Sheeple who gave up their possessions to "the community" early on will become the "tax collectors".
> 
> A lot of this will depend on your local officials and how trust worthy they are. But even if they are 100% trustworthy they will attempt to control the local resources using measures as legal as possible (tax lien on the property) and probably will enact "emergency laws".





a person's power and authority and their overall community's influence prior to a SHTF shake up will matter the most .... a grocery store owner or the hardware guy isn't gaining anything by willingly turning over his stock - if he wasn't a powerbroker before - he won't be nothing but the "former" store owner afterwards .... the people will be grateful to the mayor and and fearful of the guy heading the gunslingers ....


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## Slippy's-Attorney (Sep 23, 2015)

If things start to happen like, confiscation or door to door checks... I will start hiding my food and other items and will keep about 2 weeks worth of things in the house.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

SHTF gets to that point, they will have no way to enforce it. In fact they will be fighting for their own life


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## Targetshooter (Dec 4, 2015)

They can have anything I own when they pry my cold dead fingers from my guns .


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

I've said before that I work with a LEO. We had this discussion many times, it always ends up with him being face down in the mud! He thinks he's superman, but realizes he's just a person. My personal opinion, and his.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

I can't help but feel that LEOs will be at home taking care of their own. I would.


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## KUSA (Apr 21, 2016)

Do they take payment in the form of lead and copper?


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## Grinch (Jan 3, 2016)

If SHTF to a lesser degree than total apocalypse where the government was trying to impose a collection I truly believe that a community especially a rural community would be less apt to be targeted. For one lower incomes ( usually ) and there's more of a potential for violence. Even if money holds a certain value or something it won't be worth it, now I am unsure of what these LEO's are, however even with hired thugs so to speak I think they will be a little wary of knocking on a door of a house with dog kennels outside, a few trucks with dog boxes and NRA stickers in the windows. 

However if such an event were to take place I strongly believe the only option would be to meet their force with a greater force, because even with lets say X amount of preps on hand, are they really going to waste all of the fuel and ordnance on a cabin in the woods ? I doubt it, and after getting knocked off of their high horse a few times I think they would back off. I personally would be spiteful in a situation if my farm was ever over taken and drench all of my food in gasoline and touch a match to it. 

It seems very unlikely to me that the government twisted crooked or whatever would have to resort to going door to door praying they ran into a household compliant with a lot of food, it's too big of a risk, they want something easy and safe. With limited resources they wouldn't want to waste them on something that might turn out to be nothing, because I think too with such collection agencies there would be a bigger needed resource even more so than fuel, food, water ect... and that's people. Not too many people are going to go door to door with a " give us all your stuff or we'll kill you " attitude with the promise of food, water and safety. Because it's a good way to have a possibly fatal lead importation into one's body. And I don't think people are going to risk it, they'd rather just stay home and try to fend for themselves and their families.


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