US criminalizes self-reliance: Off-grid living punished like a crime! ( conspiracy )

submitted by Aikido

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There was a time in America — and not so long ago — when there was no "grid," at least for those who lived outside of urban centers. To live self-sufficiently in rural areas was the rule, rather than the exception. People knew how to survive without electricity, running water, sewage systems or any other services provided by municipalities or power companies. They used wood for heat and kerosene for light; they dug wells, built outhouses, raised cows and chickens, grew their own food.

That style of living may seem far in the past for most of us, but a growing number of people have realized that off-the-grid living may not only represent a happier and healthier existence — it may also be the key to survival when disaster strikes. The idea of off-grid living, however, seems a threat to some people. Power companies and others who have a vested interest in keeping folks dependent and plugged in are doing their best to make it difficult, if not impossible, to return to a self-reliant way of life. In fact, in many places, off-grid living has been all but criminalized. Take, for instance, Costilla County, Colorado, one of the least populated counties in the state and an area where hundreds of people have been purchasing land and attempting to successfully live off-grid. Off-grid homesteaders are facing harassment from county authorities who make things difficult for anyone who dares to pursue a self-reliant lifestyle. The situation there has become so tense that there have recently been confrontations between authorities and off-grid landowners as the county attempts to essentially criminalize their lifestyle.

The county is now proposing new land use regulations that will require electricity, water and sewer systems to be installed before landowners can obtain a building permit. Should it be illegal to camp on your own property? Already, the county has passed rules that require permits for those who want to camp on their land while building their homes, and lately it has refused to issue camping permits as well, effectively making it illegal for people to live on their own property. County officials and some of the established residents claim that problems are being caused by the new residents, who came to the area seeking cheap land and the chance to do exactly what the county is now doing its best to prevent: living simply off-grid. Indicative of the attitude of the local authorities, Costilla County's land-use administrator, Matthew Valdez, said: "A lot of time we find families living in run-down sheds or in RVs, or some actually in tents. We tell them they cannot live in these conditions."

Should it be the job of county authorities to tell people whether they can live in a shed, tent or RV while they build permanent homes? Should people be forced to obtain permits to camp on their own land? The issues being faced by the Costilla County off-grid residents are not unique to the area. Throughout the country, state and local regulations are making life difficult for those who choose to live in a self-sufficient manner. While many bemoan the fact that America is no longer the nation it once was, the authorities are preventing people from returning to the kind of lifestyles that made this country great in the first place. Are we willing to let our elected officials on the local, state and national level dictate our way of life? Is this what is called freedom? It's time to let the authorities know that traditional American values include being able to live in a self-reliant fashion. We are not owned by the power companies or the powers that be. We must never let them forget that fact ( via naturalnews.com ).

Dysnomia

Hah. Nah, I think I'll just run for county commissioner and pull a Hunter S. Thompson/Jesse Ventura kind of thing.

Dysnomia

That'll handle most neighbors but apparently to keep cops off I'd have to fence in the entire 23 acres and lock all the gates. Stupid cops. How doesn't that violate my rights?

Dysnomia

Fucking right on. I'm putting together a radio show for my local radio station so I can start calling my local politicians on their bullshit and start chipping away at the blockheadedness that results from too much MSM exposure.

Those Christian lunatics get to spout their bullshit about transexual muslim immigrant welfare abortionists, why can't I get on my soapbox and talk about horizontally organized worker-owned cooperatives, democratic confederalism, US lies, building 7, aliens, and project bluebeam?

I'm going for it guys. I'll post some adverts once it's been solidly approved by the station execs.

OrangeKraken

Modern age baby

Buy GMO or live in prison. Take your pick :D

eldorann

Non-issue.

Buy a normal house that is connected to the city water and city electricity.

  • Shut off city water at the street.

  • Shut off city electricity at the breaker box.

  • Install septic tanks.

  • Install solar panels.

End-of-story.

The house is fully connected so nothing can be done.

the-cats-nipples

They can still criminalize you not using it

SamsungUHD590

A bit ignorant on this topic. How would they come after someone that does this? I wouldn't mind connecting to the grid in case my own systems fail.

Only thing I would leave connected is sewage and internet. Water and energy come from the sky so that can be disconnected.

teatime

This has been going on for awhile now. Most local governments won't allow you to dig a well or have a leech bed. They want municipal everything arguing that people are unable to provide clean water and environmentally friendly septic systems. It seems aggressive considering most of the people capable of digging wells and leech beds are of another generation and will likely die out if the government just waited.

YellyYuropoor

It's about control. If we can't grow our own food they got us.

darkmuffin

Thanks for this. I am looking at buying land with the express purpose of living off the grid and this is a great heads up for one more issue I now need to research.

Dysnomia

Look for areas with lots of Amish. The Amish know where the codes are lax.

PrinceOfLies

I hope you are right, but given the disposition of figures in authority nowadays I am not optimistic.

carbanara

Why is off the grid becoming illegal?

What is the governments logic? They have to have some reason. As long as I qualify all the local statutes and regulations, shouldn't I be able to be left alone?

ScottRockview

If we all were able to produce our own energy and draw our own water and handle our waste, we wouldn't need government to monitor or run any of those services. We wouldn't have to pay bills for them so we could work less and have more free time. With this free time a bunch of us would figure out ways to become more efficient and self-reliant meaning we could work less and spend less. We woukd share it on the inter et a d it would spread. With all this extra time to think, our thoughts would turn to "why do we even NEED a government?" The answer is we don't. The governments of the world are afraid of us discovering that. That would put them out of their position of power and stop the flow of tax money which they make make go "missing".

Dysnomia

As long as I qualify all the local statutes and regulations, shouldn't I be able to be left alone?

As long as the statutes mandate living in code approved dwellings, living in non-code approved dwellings is against the local statutes and regulations.

Although in all seriousness, this hits really close to home for me because it appears they moved to a locale where off grid living was compliant with the statutes and regulations, but some locals made it there business to change criminalize the actions of the immigrants.

I faced exactly this (still am dealing with it) in my rural village of 700 in SW Wisconsin. I moved here, inside the village limits, and didn't mow my lawn because I'm in the floodplain and no-mow zones are best management practice as such. I also hate lawnmowers and lawncare in general.

Anyway, this WAS completely legal. Then the sole police officer in town, the part time "chief", came a knockin' to tell me I was violating the village code and had to cut my lawn to be in compliance. He gave me 5 days to comply.

3 days later he left an official notice on my door that I had 10 days to mow my lawn. The official notice contained the entirety of the code I was accused of violating.

Lo and behold, the code contained an exemption for yards in the floodplain. I told him of this. Saw in the village paper that he'd informed the village board of this revelation and intended to discuss the matter with the village attorney.

I show up at the next meeting to ask if he'd figured it out yet; that no-mow zones are beneficial to the environment and reduce risk of flooding (my village got flooded out in 2007 and 2008 because of back to back 100 year floods and floods are a sore topic.)

Well, he figured out diddly squat and told me that he intended to submit a revision to remove my exemption at the next months meeting.

I showed up at that meeting with three likeminded friends and constituents and we argued against it from all angles, legal, practical, ecological, moral...

Guess what? Those crooked fucks changed the law anyhow. So now my best management practices in the floodplain are illegal. It only affects me. Everybody else mows their lawns. The Village board president rolled his eyes at me when I suggested that we'd have less sever floods if everybody mowed a lot less of their yards.

He said, "When it floods, we've got bigger problems to deal with than floods."

I've seriously looked into moving my house out of town to my property in unincorporated rurality.

Lucky me is building an anarchist permaculture utopia out there with trust fund money.

And of the village? I calmly called them corrupt to their faces and informed them they'd be hearing from my lawyer. I haven't cut my yard. They haven't bothered me in three months now.

That police "chief" was just recently attempting to search people without warrants for bongs in trunks he "had evidence of." The only black guy in town and po-dunk 30 year old police "chief" is trying to deprive him of his rights.

Fucking fuck.

Like I said, close to home.

TL:DR- Cops made my peaceful non-activity illegal. Seriously.

carbanara

messed up man, sorry to hear of your situation. I too am hoping to get into permaculture, which feeds the anaerobic digestor, which feeds the algae diesel reactor.

I got big plans, just need the space and a good unrestricted property.

Dysnomia

Well if Wisconsin winters don't scare you I will have land accessible to like minded folks by next Spring.

I plan on accepting WWOOFers and volunteers by then and I plan on having my legal shit figured out so I can start selling rights to homesites and the common areas by next Spring.

Currently I'm tackling all this shit Han Solo which isn't really my cup of tea but life gave me all the lemons.

How does one even advertise for an anarchist permaculture community?

carbanara

If you don't mind, you should start a blog. I'm sure a lot of people could benefit from your struggle.

Dysnomia

I started one at some point and I can't even remember what it was called. Lol.

I suppose I might reclaim it once my radio show hits the road.

carbanara

Oooh that would be great too!

Can you PM me a link?

Marilyn_Monrobot

Thanks for sharing. This was fascinating.

I wish you all the luck in the world.

Dysnomia

Thanks.

smokratez

So when shits hits the fan people won't be able to take care of themselves.

mleczko

It will be illegal to hide before the Watchful Eye. The Eye needs to see You at all times.

hats_

Consider it another way to tax you. They've ran the lines and now they want you to pay for it - forever. Though the smartest thing to do in these situations is to hook it up and never use it, relying instead on alternative energy/water/etc. (Though they'll probably have a compulsory "delivery" fee/tax simply for having it hooked up). It's madness, but they want their cut, and in a permanent residence, that's a guaranteed payout.

Dysnomia

i disagree. compliance is endorsement.

The solution is to show up at your local government meetings and actually represent yourselves. We all have the right. Hardly anyone does it.

carbanara

If I buy property that currently doesnt have an electrical connection, could I opt out and use grandfathering as an excuse?

teatime

Not likely. I am currently trying to do something like this and the local and state government don't care.

carbanara

Can I ask what state?

teatime

A state in the north east. You might have better luck out west but the water quality on this side of the US is better so it's just a shame in general.

carbanara

I'm Western(Not California), I expect it to be pretty relaxed

CANCEL-CAT-FACTS

Their policy goes against the American tradition of self-sufficiency and self-reliance.

Aikido

Sensible.