Here is the URL for the transcript of the chat room discussion with sen bennet http://www.sltrib.com/tribtalk/vote98/. I was and am pretty upset, my wife still doesn't get it and this doesn't help. Oh well I have been lurking here for months and wanted to contribute. Lif certainly is like a box of chocalet. Papa Bear buying some more beans

-- papa bear (it.guy@usa.net), October 30, 1998

Answers

What is it that your wife doesn't get about this?

" I'll have some extra food and water in my garage, but then I've had that for years, just in case there is a truck strike or something. I'l probably have a little extra cash in my wallet, but I won't drain my checking account. I won't be flying out of country on that weekend, and I'll try not to get sick - the hospitals may have problems."

She DOES know he's a politician who butters up his words "just in case it comes back to hunt him" right? And if she does, then she does know that this statement coming from a politician means: If I'm doing this and saying it at all, that means you the little people, have to read between my words and take this as a strong warning to do be prepared for the worse. (Forgive the sarcasm-tinged tone...helps me release some tension.)

Thanks for the link Papa Bear. Very interesting, and I didn't find him anymore optimistic than he was last summer. He was just answering on the spot to a non-y2k educated audience for the most part and had to be careful not to panic them or send a wrong message.

Take heart Papa Bear, I had to deal with the very same situation with my husband this summer. He still doesn't "get it" as much as I'd like, but he's going along with me, the tension has subsided a lot, and I've even been able to convince him to buy a "vacation" home in a great y2k friendly area. Keep trying to educate and convince her while you're doing preparations anyway. Your doing it for her and your family's own good.

-- Chris (Catsy@pond.com), October 30, 1998.

Thanks also from this house, Papa Bear. After reading it carefully, I agree that there has been no huge shift in his position. If you've been following him for a while, you don't have too much trouble reading between the lines. Others will not be aware of the history behind those very coached words. The problem I have with it is that it does not wake anyone up who was not already keenly aware. I am concerned that people new to the issue will see only the statement

"The big systems - power, phone, etc. - probably won't have problems beyond afew hours, if that."

and use that as an excuse to not prepare. ("Nah, Sen. Bennett said, at most, an hour or two...no big deal")

I understand the difficult position he is in and why he is clearly softing his tone in this venue. But I do wish he would have made a stronger statement than one Catsy quoted above. Still, it was much better than NO statement.

I also find myself in complete agreement with one other statement ( when asked "Do you really think at this late date that there is any way to avoid panic at the turn of the millennium? )

"Yes, if we can get accurate data - that's what we are pushing for in my committee. Even if the news is bad, if people know it can be relied on, they can make intelligent contingency plans and avoid panic. It's when we are dealing with rumors alone that real panic sets in." (The emphasis is mine.)

So, I agree this does not represent a significant turn-around in the good Senator's position, but neither does it goes far in prompting people to make needed preparations. The more prepared we are, the less likely we are to panic and more real (and very valuable) time people will have to fix things that actually do go wrong.

In spite of my mild disappointment with the chat session, Sen. Bennett remains the closest thing to real leadership on this issue that our country has. We should also keep in mind that he cannot do the job alone. Let us work towards insuring that accurate information is forthcoming. Good or bad.

And tomorrow, I'll buy another 50# bag of rice just in case there's a ...uh, uh..truck strike or something. And I'll pick up just a bit more cash just in case there's a...uh,..uh ..big garage sale on the way home from work or something. -Arnie

-- Arnie Rimmer (arnie_rimmer@usa.net), October 31, 1998.

Arnie, you are funny! Papa Bear, I posted an answer about this link on the other thread, but take a look at what I found this afternoon:

"Y2K: Where Will You Be When the Lights Go Out?

Batten down the hatches... Senate Committee warns of widespread power outages and other dire events.

by Eric Brown, special to PC World October 28, 1998, 5:32 p.m. PT

Most of us see the Year 2000 problem as primarily a business issue. The likelihood is increasing, however, that the electrical utilities will fail to fix all their systems on time--and that could bring the problem home in a hurry. Senator Robert Bennett (R-Utah), chair of the Senate's Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem, recently announced that U.S. citizens should prepare for possible widespread power outages in the early weeks of 2000."

http://www.pcworld.com/pcwtoday/article/0,1510,8582,00.html

Senator Bennett's words are difficult to figure out these days!

-- Gayla Dunbar (privacy@please.com), October 31, 1998.