Resources for the Coming Days

Practical steps you can take to help yourself and others

Hi!

A week has passed, and I thought now might be the time to provide you with some resources so that you might have some steps to take toward a brighter, more compassionate future. First and most importantly, reach out to people, especially those who are being targeted by the incoming regime. If you aren’t aware of who those people are, here is a list to get you started:

• Anyone who isn’t a straight white male

People come first if we are to build a more stable social, economic, and political system.

I’ve started the 20/20 project, which consists of a chain letter listing 20 ways that people can slow this Oligarchy down, and if enough people participate, stop it. This is a project that will be conducted via snail mail, so if you’re interested in actively participating in this project, please respond to this email with your snail mail address. After I send you the letter, I will lose your address.

Here are some resources for divestment from destructive companies/organizations:

• Divest from the industrial prison system with this tool.

• 90 companies most responsible for climate disruption

• The world’s top 5 climate offenders

• Banks profiting from the arms trade

• Risky Returns Report

• Corpwatch

I don’t want to overwhelm you, as it all feels like too much right now. The most important thing is to take good care of yourself. Reach out to like-minded people who share your concerns, and above all else, listen to your body and give it what it needs. We cannot take good care of each other if we are not taking good care of ourselves.

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m starting an arts organization. We are ready to take donations, (we aren’t going the non-profit route just now so anything you donate will not be tax deductible), as we are focused on getting a space in the early months of 2025 if not sooner. The goal is to open a space with wood, metal, clay, and glass facilities for people of all backgrounds, and build an organization where marginalized/targeted folks can feel safe and get the resources they need.

As such I’m also raising money through sales of my Rebel Sticker Pack. Four stickers.

A pack of four stickers just in time for the holiday season. Buy one for every rebel you know, and a full 50% of the profit goes right to the Arts Center.

Instead of writing a Things I Love list this week, I’m giving you a list of ways to reduce your tax burden, ie, pay less money to a government that is oppressing and violating its citizens and citizens all over the world.

1. Open a health savings account.

2. contribute to flexible spending account if your work offers that.

3. Use a side hustle to claim business deductions

4. Claim a home office deduction

5. Rent out space in your home for business meetings.

6. Write of business travel expenses

7. Deduct half of your self-employment taxes

8. Get credit for higher ed

9. Contribute to a 529 plan

10. Earned Income Tax Credit

11. Buy green appliances, get rebates and tax credits

12. Make charitable donations to places like Planned Parenthood

13. Go to HR and tell them not to take out tax deductions from your paycheck (the government uses that money)

So…those are all the legal ways, minus a few, I’m sure, to minimize your tax burden. Yes, some of those take a little work, but since we are considering the fate of democracy in the US and most of the people who live there, I’m hoping we will all be more motivated to move with a purpose when it comes to giving the US government as little of our money as possible.

Until next week, don’t let the bastards get you down.

Sara