That is an exact quote from my county's head of emergency services, delivered during a y2k informational presentation to the town board of a small country town near me. The people he was referring to are those who are expecting TEOTWAWKI.

His advice in the face of Y2k: "Prepare and prepare early"

However, his advice is to prepare for 72 hours. And he made the comment that stocking up for as long as 30 days is (once again) "dangerous"

When questioned about the fact that FEMA appears to be making preparations for a situation lasting longer than 72 hours, he agreed and admitted that he could not recommend any further preparations at this time because what he says has to be in line with what state and federal agencies above him are saying. He is waiting for further instructions from them regarding a stronger recommendation for preparations. He expects this to come soon, like by June.

I don't like his definition of "dangerous" and thought you might find it interesting.

Skeeter

-- Skeeter Simpson (skeeter@barsawmp.corn), April 27, 1999

Answers

That's almost as good as Peter deJager's "enemy of the people" to describe individuals that withdraw their own money out of banks as a Y2K preparation.

Can somebody please explain to me how it is the doomers that are full of fear, and not the pollys, and relate that to the above?

-- Ken Seger (kenseger@earthlink.net), April 27, 1999.

I'm so tired of this 72 hour BS. Give me a cute girl and a couple bottles of wine, and I'm ready for 72 hours. Gee, I've got a long weekend coming up this week, and I don't plan on going out. I guess I'm prepared. Give me a break... <:)=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), April 27, 1999.

Our official County Emergency Task Force recommends two weeks minimum food preparation in our cities (very small), and six months in the very remote mountain areas. That is pretty standard here for a snowstorm or flood. Just can't get to the people before then as have to clear roads.

I was talking to my electrician, who is also the chief of the volunteer fire department, and I said that I imagined power outages would be intermitant - lasting maybe 72 hours, scattered through the early months. He agreed that they would be intermitant but said to plan on spans of about five days at a time.

-- marsh (armstrng@sisqtel.net), April 27, 1999.

Skeeter:

When questioned about the fact that FEMA appears to be making preparations for a situation lasting longer than 72 hours, he agreed and admitted that he could not recommend any further preparations at this time because what he says has to be in line with what state and federal agencies above him are saying. He is waiting for further instructions from them regarding a stronger recommendation for preparations. He expects this to come soon, like by June.

I think the above says it all. This guy is nothing more than an autotomon, obviously he is in a position where he can'nt think for himself. He is waiting for others to do his thinking for him. I think one should prepare what ever they think it will take, 3 days, a week, two weeks, whatever.

I am personally preparing for 1 month. I think it will be more than a bump in the road but less than TEOTHAWEI. You know, making plans for preparations makes one do some heavy thinking. I've decided that if my preparations for Y2K is inadequate than we will be living in an environment that will be more than I can deal with.

-- Watcher5 (anon@anon.com), April 27, 1999.

Watcher5

Actually, I don't believe this particular person is a non-thinking automaton. In private conversation with him after the meeting, he expressed a greater concern (off the record) for the future outcome of y2k than he let on in the public meeting.

The problem, and the point I wanted to make is that he feels that he must toe the line--he can not go beyond the guidelines of the higher- ups. This, despite the fact, that he is employed by the county and not the state or federal govt.

This is, I suspect, true across the country with people in similar positions. They are all taking their cues from FEMA. And I suspect that they are all fully aware that Y2k will be more severe than they are saying. It's almost like a conspiracy of silence. It's kind of like communism where the leaders say something that is so contrary to the obvious facts (the truth) and declare it to be the truth (when it's a flat out lie). It could be made into a Twilight Zone episode.

Skeeter

-- skeeter simpson (skeeter@barsawmp.corn), April 27, 1999.

Sorry to do this Skeeter...

"It's kind of like communism modern politics where the leaders say something that is so contrary to the obvious facts (the truth) and declare it to be the truth (when it's a flat out lie)."

"It could be made into a Twilight Zone episode."

-- PNG (png@gol.com), April 27, 1999.

Just call them Socio-fascist! Seems to fill the bill!

-- freeman (freeman@cali.com), April 28, 1999.

PNG, I thought this all WAS a Twilight Zone episode!

The "people who are dangerous and need to be watched very closely" are Koskinen, some in Congress, some in FEMA and their Federal Response Plan, etc., etc.

Why? Because some, practice "wishful lying." Sad example for the youth of our country. And for the rest of it.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), April 28, 1999.

--and this is why y2k and other nasty stuff coming down the road will be so bad--vast majority of people are lying cowards. That guy is afraid for his steenking job or something-any rationalization in his pea brain will do. Same with corporations. I trust them NOT. We have been lied to so dang much about EVERYTHING in this country for so long now, that, at least for me, I can only go on "their" past track record- which consists of mostly lying up and down when confronted with an apparent blunder or miscalculation, then continue to lie and spin when more evidence comes out, then "no comment" afterwards. In the grand scale of things, the lies outweigh the truths by 95 to 5 or something like that. Just look back at governemntal and big business history and litigation and scandal. and it's the "cool" thing to do-why even the king does it. And look who gives the king his money and power base-why it's the same companies who want to be protected from "frivilous" lawsuits, when all their pr spin says they are "on track". and look at the voting power base that the king has, the demographics. That's enough for me. Fascist, totalitarian pigs, trying to sell their version of the truth with the potential for millions of peoples misery so they can keep sucking down the war profits and power trip fantasies. Same ole stuff that's been going on for centuries, just now it has more techie sounding buzzwords. It's the master/slave deal, always repeated by civilizations. Buildup to just a blundering top heavy level of masters, then repression, then collapse from sheer incompetence, then the buildup again. Unfortunately, the collapse is always on the average schmoo's head. Over and over and over. Always greedy little children who grow up to become rulers who want more and more and more. It's sickening, it really is. Just our turn is all..........

-- zog (zog@avana.net), April 29, 1999.