I was in Los Angeles last week I visited the Balboa waste spill site. The park is old but well kept It is part of a land area housing several military reserve units. I saw sand, dumptruck, and bulldozer It looked like the clean up was about done. But the scarry part was that the various LA people that I spoke with didnt know about the spill or where it had occured! Even when it was within a couple of miles. I met with smart professional people but almost no one (one exception) had begun putting anything aside. No water, nothing. When asked I got : it wont be a problem, LA is too big and the Govt will take care of us, too Im waiting untill Nov. I said look around look how crowded it is Then I explained Just in Time Inventory. Some got it but I dont know if it will translate. Last week was busy in terms of Y2k-I think that the Lul is coming to an end. Think Amended Ecec Order on June 14, The IEE letter of June9, DC Weather Report on spinning the fix numbers,and the reports that coordination among Fed agencies now has a coordinator and policies coupled with regs written a couple months ago that allow banks to close branches ;and the Govt contingency plan starts to take a shape. Then, we get the LA Mayor saing how LA will be ready when they have had two publicised failures and havent reported that the spill is fixed. BigDog is right PhDs will study this era for a long time.

-- Ruth the Moab (aapm@aapainmanage.org), June 29, 1999

Answers

Apologies to all the SoCaler's (born down there myself) but...

Sometimes I think Los Angeles invented "clueless." Not just the movie.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), June 29, 1999.

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am a confirmed procrastinator.

By my reckoning I have two months worth of food for my family, and I am working on solidifying my rural bugout plan into a reality (should be done by early September).

What about you?

Come on people, got preps?

P.S. I'm sorry, but I'm talking to the Yuppies out there like myself who are STILL procrastinating because they're worried about looking stupid to their neighbors.

-- nothere nothere (notherethere@hotmail.com), June 29, 1999.

Clueless is right? But more importantly HELPLESS!! I have the opportunity to fly over LA at low level each week. Then and only then is the reality and scope of the situation apparent. The majority of the people in the LA basin are, unfortunately, clueless and helpless. Even the slightest problem or power outage could and would create total chaos. Once it starts there is nowhere to go. For all of those who live in this area I suggest a vacation in the country starting at Thanksgiving at the latest.

-- Rick (rsarge@aol.com), June 29, 1999.

uh...like...what's Y2k?

Ruth, it's worse than you think. The current position of the city government is that LA is way ahead of the rest of the country. Why would they believe that? Last week John Koskinen told them so at a meeting of some 200 people who are responsible for Y2k Emergency preparedness.

LA will either be toast, or a haven of safety, depending on who you listen to. Regardless, I think from July 1 on things will become clearer.

Mike ==============================================================

-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), June 29, 1999.

>> For all of those who live in this area I suggest a vacation in the country starting at Thanksgiving at the latest.

But Rick if "all" those who live around LA bug out to the country, will it really be "country" anymore ?

-- Ct Vronsky (Vronsky@Anna.Com), June 29, 1999.

Hold on to your hats, rural America - "The Yuppies are Coming ! The Yuppies are Coming !"

-- anon (anon@anon.com), June 29, 1999.

Los Angeles will be a viable place to live only if Y2K is quite mild. It makes no sense to me to prepare for an event greater than about a 7 in LA. If power and water were to be interrupted for an appreciable time the population could not be sustained. And where would they go?

-- Dog Gone (layinglow@rollover.now), June 29, 1999.

Follow the white-on-blue signs to the warming shelters! La la la la la la la la la la la la

-- oo (oo@oo.oo), June 29, 1999.