The Y2K Agenda The following scenario is the one that I believe the US Government and industry is preparing to follow. 1. Our society has developed into one which is blame oriented. If one can determine someone who is to blame for an event, then the real culprits don9t have to be held responsible. Blame protects from two terrible scenarios: being fired or thrown out of office, and being sued for monetary settlements. Its important to find people who were criminally negligent even if they were not the real cause because then neither of the two scenarios will take place. 2. Y2k is an event which was caused by a level of negligence when few realized it would be a problem. However, few also realized how significant a problem it has become. The legal profession is gearing up big time, and the legal defense people have begun to craft a strategy which will save the power brokers from attack---or so they believe. Of course this won9t work if society completely dissolves, but if it just turns into a depression like Japan or 2 to 3 times worse than the thirties, it will work. 3. The plan depends on keeping the majority of the population totally clueless about what is happening, and blaming the others who have the skills to solve it and who are not clueless. 4. There are two parts to the y2k problem which have to be addressed: the software problem and the embedded chip sets. They both require a different kind of blaming solution, but essentially the same result. The solution also depends on being able to implement existing laws that protect the majority of the population from terrible happenings. 5. The software problem. Gradually the news media will switch from a discussion of y2k software problems to a discussion of the possible effects of cyber terrorism. The terms for the y2k issues will be gradually used to also describe cyber terrorism, until the vast part of the population equates the real problem with cyber terrorism. Since this was first written on early February, 1999, nearly everyday there has been a news story on cyber-terrorism(C-T, for short). Most recently, the was a piece on the evening news(March 3) with Dan Rather that during the past two weeks(prior to March 3) the Pentagon has been under increasing attack by hackers to break into its code. There is no way to prove this accusation since no data is provided. This morning(3-5-99) there was a news report that hackers took control of a British spy satellite, but once again, there is no way to prove that this is really happening. What9s more, most of the population doesn9t understand that for a hacker to take control of a pentagon computer or a spy satellite, they have to access by the phone lines. The most sensitive ones, aren9t connected to the phone lines. This is a campaign of bullshit. Everyday there is some new news item on the serious dangers of cyber terrorism, and everyday as a side story the y2k bug is being declared vanquished. My own straw poll of the sheeple shows that most people believe everything is fine with the y2k problem, and that is is largely solved. Its being solved because government and business is increasingly declaring compliancy. Ninety-nine percent or more of the population will believe this. This 99% is totally clueless to the mechanisms to make compliancy, and will not question that an agency or business that wasn9t even remotely compliant in September, 1998, could be fully compliant less than 6 or nine months later. They all fervently believe in the concept of a silver bullet. Vociferous critics of government and industry9s compliance efforts will become softened. Some will be part of the plan and others will take their cue from bigger fish, being essentially duped. Heavy pressure is now being put on computer repair people to keep their mouths shut, and they9ll be in death-marches(no weekends or holidays off until 2-1-00) anyway. They will be impressed on the danger to their jobs or worse in suggesting that an agency is not compliant when the agency or business said it was. There is already a large dichotomy between what the code heads are saying about their businesses and government mainframes, and what the upper level managers are saying about them. A close friend of mine has enormous amounts of data on the views of upper management , and to them everything is fine. But my sources of the programmers who are doing the work for the same Fortune 500 companies tells of death marches, and no hope of getting finished. Since I, myself, am not in an upper management position in my own profession, I know full well that upper management NEVER KNOWS what is really happening at the line levels. We9ve always been afraid to tell them, and it doesn9t really matter anyway, since they never listen. Software hedges are now being put in place for all look aheads to limit look ahead to 12-31-99. This will limit these kinds of problems to just a few here and there. It is important to have some y2k breakdowns---just none of the major ones. The big ones that do happen will never make it into the mainstream media. Since nearly everyone will have managed to become y2k compliant, more and more discussion is already taking place about the effect of a mass cyber terrorist attack on the USA by opportunistic hackers around the world, and in some nasty regimes who will take advantage of the millennium fever.(see above on the supposed hacking into the US and British Governments.) Most of those who are complaining the most loudly now about y2k are professional mainframe computer people---the very ones who could have a case made for being the hackers. These people such as Ed Yourdon, Scott Olmstead, and Cory Hamaski are putting themselves in serious danger, and may stop their discussions as they realize how exposed they are. When the y2k software events that we all know about DO actually take place, they will be not called y2k events but they will be described by Government as mass cyber-terrorism. Not all places will have the terrorism. Small businesses, and local governments who never declared compliancy will be subjected to questions as to whether it is cyber-T or y2k. But in the case of big business and Government, how could they be anything else but Cyer-T? Everyone knows that the agencies and businesses were all compliant by March, and June of 1999. In this world, when something bad happens, it is much easier have someone to blame. Blaming some ephemeral 2-digit date, which the majority of the population doesn9t understand doesn9t take responsibility away from the power brokers. The responsibility for this must be shifted. There are some really draconian laws that can come into effect if it is shown that a cyber terrorist attack has been perpetrated on the USA. The government has been passing them into the law since early 1996. And all the Executive Branch has to do is declare that is is the case; they don9t need to produce any real proof. 6. The Embedded Chip Problem. What the government needs to do with this part of the problem is to suppress it. This won9t be hard to do, since its something that cannot be seen anyhow. No one will talk about it. No one will mention it. When the embedded chips break down, things will break. Things will blow up. Clearly, this will be described as a case of actual physical sabotage and terrorism. Even more draconian laws come into effect(than the already terrible ones involving a C-T attack.) if the government declares that we are suffering a massed terrorist attack on the USA. If a couple of nuclear plants go critical, all the better. Executive Orders exist for suspending all guarantees of the constitution if necessary. What we will have in y2k is a massive physical terrorist attack on the infrastructure of the USA, combined with a cyber-terrorist attack all by our enemies, who are probably regimes such as Iraq, North Korea, and international organizations such as Bin laden . Other technological countries in the world will go along(as the British, our special friends already have), since it will be mostly the First world that is attacked, and presumably by bad elements in the third world. There will be very few law suits. The country will rally around its leaders rather than throw them out. Businesses will be seen as massive victims of this terrible first strike. This is the government cover-up solution. Watch it happen. Its started already.

-- Glenna Kamoroff (kamoroff@hotmail.com), March 05, 1999

Answers

Glenna,

Your post is probably very interesting and informative. However, since it is not broken down into concise paragrahs I find it very difficult to read.

-- Watcher (anon@anon.com), March 05, 1999.

The Y2K Agenda The following scenario is the one that I believe the US Government and industry is preparing to follow.

1. Our society has developed into one which is blame oriented. If one can determine someone who is to blame for an event, then the real culprits don9t have to be held responsible. Blame protects from two terrible scenarios: being fired or thrown out of office, and being sued for monetary settlements. Its important to find people who were criminally negligent even if they were not the real cause because then neither of the two scenarios will take place.

2. Y2k is an event which was caused by a level of negligence when few realized it would be a problem. However, few also realized how significant a problem it has become. The legal profession is gearing up big time, and the legal defense people have begun to craft a strategy which will save the power brokers from attack---or so they believe. Of course this won9t work if society completely dissolves, but if it just turns into a depression like Japan or 2 to 3 times worse than the thirties, it will work.

3. The plan depends on keeping the majority of the population totally clueless about what is happening, and blaming the others who have the skills to solve it and who are not clueless.

4. There are two parts to the y2k problem which have to be addressed: the software problem and the embedded chip sets. They both require a different kind of blaming solution, but essentially the same result. The solution also depends on being able to implement existing laws that protect the majority of the population from terrible happenings.

5. The software problem. Gradually the news media will switch from a discussion of y2k software problems to a discussion of the possible effects of cyber terrorism. The terms for the y2k issues will be gradually used to also describe cyber terrorism, until the vast part of the population equates the real problem with cyber terrorism. Since this was first written on early February, 1999, nearly everyday there has been a news story on cyber-terrorism(C-T, for short). Most recently, the was a piece on the evening news(March 3) with Dan Rather that during the past two weeks(prior to March 3) the Pentagon has been under increasing attack by hackers to break into its code. There is no way to prove this accusation since no data is provided. This morning(3-5-99) there was a news report that hackers took control of a British spy satellite, but once again, there is no way to prove that this is really happening. What9s more, most of the population doesn9t understand that for a hacker to take control of a pentagon computer or a spy satellite, they have to access by the phone lines. The most sensitive ones, aren9t connected to the phone lines.

This is a campaign of bullshit. Everyday there is some new news item on the serious dangers of cyber terrorism, and everyday as a side story the y2k bug is being declared vanquished. My own straw poll of the sheeple shows that most people believe everything is fine with the y2k problem, and that is is largely solved. Its being solved because government and business is increasingly declaring compliancy. Ninety-nine percent or more of the population will believe this. This 99% is totally clueless to the mechanisms to make compliancy, and will not question that an agency or business that wasn9t even remotely compliant in September, 1998, could be fully compliant less than 6 or nine months later. They all fervently believe in the concept of a silver bullet.

Vociferous critics of government and industry9s compliance efforts will become softened. Some will be part of the plan and others will take their cue from bigger fish, being essentially duped. Heavy pressure is now being put on computer repair people to keep their mouths shut, and they9ll be in death-marches(no weekends or holidays off until 2-1-00) anyway. They will be impressed on the danger to their jobs or worse in suggesting that an agency is not compliant when the agency or business said it was. There is already a large dichotomy between what the code heads are saying about their businesses and government mainframes, and what the upper level managers are saying about them. A close friend of mine has enormous amounts of data on the views of upper management , and to them everything is fine. But my sources of the programmers who are doing the work for the same Fortune 500 companies tells of death marches, and no hope of getting finished.

Since I, myself, am not in an upper management position in my own profession, I know full well that upper management NEVER KNOWS what is really happening at the line levels. We9ve always been afraid to tell them, and it doesn9t really matter anyway, since they never listen. Software hedges are now being put in place for all look aheads to limit look ahead to 12-31-99. This will limit these kinds of problems to just a few here and there. It is important to have some y2k breakdowns---just none of the major ones. The big ones that do happen will never make it into the mainstream media. Since nearly everyone will have managed to become y2k compliant, more and more discussion is already taking place about the effect of a mass cyber terrorist attack on the USA by opportunistic hackers around the world, and in some nasty regimes who will take advantage of the millennium fever.(see above on the supposed hacking into the US and British Governments.)

Most of those who are complaining the most loudly now about y2k are professional mainframe computer people---the very ones who could have a case made for being the hackers. These people such as Ed Yourdon, Scott Olmstead, and Cory Hamaski are putting themselves in serious danger, and may stop their discussions as they realize how exposed they are. When the y2k software events that we all know about DO actually take place, they will be not called y2k events but they will be described by Government as mass cyber-terrorism. Not all places will have the terrorism.

Small businesses, and local governments who never declared compliancy will be subjected to questions as to whether it is cyber-T or y2k. But in the case of big business and Government, how could they be anything else but Cyer-T? Everyone knows that the agencies and businesses were all compliant by March, and June of 1999. In this world, when something bad happens, it is much easier have someone to blame. Blaming some ephemeral 2-digit date, which the majority of the population doesn9t understand doesn9t take responsibility away from the power brokers. The responsibility for this must be shifted. There are some really draconian laws that can come into effect if it is shown that a cyber terrorist attack has been perpetrated on the USA. The government has been passing them into the law since early 1996. And all the Executive Branch has to do is declare that is is the case; they don9t need to produce any real proof.

6. The Embedded Chip Problem. What the government needs to do with this part of the problem is to suppress it. This won9t be hard to do, since its something that cannot be seen anyhow. No one will talk about it. No one will mention it. When the embedded chips break down, things will break. Things will blow up. Clearly, this will be described as a case of actual physical sabotage and terrorism. Even more draconian laws come into effect(than the already terrible ones involving a C-T attack.) if the government declares that we are suffering a massed terrorist attack on the USA. If a couple of nuclear plants go critical, all the better. Executive Orders exist for suspending all guarantees of the constitution if necessary. What we will have in y2k is a massive physical terrorist attack on the infrastructure of the USA, combined with a cyber-terrorist attack all by our enemies, who are probably regimes such as Iraq, North Korea, and international organizations such as Bin laden . Other technological countries in the world will go along(as the British, our special friends already have), since it will be mostly the First world that is attacked, and presumably by bad elements in the third world. There will be very few law suits. The country will rally around its leaders rather than throw them out. Businesses will be seen as massive victims of this terrible first strike.

This is the government cover-up solution. Watch it happen. Its started already.

-- Blue Himalayan (bh@k2.y), March 05, 1999.

It's a theory - parts are likely true - remember to add Russian Nukes to the C-T mix, just in case, although that is really just a ploy by the soviets to extort more money from the US to increase the amount available over there to be corrupted.

I think though that it won't all be C-T specifically - but rather the "fear of panic" - that we are already seeing - will definitely be used to at some point in mid-Nov mid-Dec to declare martial law - leading immediately to several things:

shutdown of "unauthorized" internet traffic

shutdown - if they can - of public airwaves - this might be hard, but do-able if liberals get the chance. Justify by emergency broadcasts needed (continuously ?)

confiscation (-1 sp) of all registered guns

arrest of anyone with unregistered guns - though these arrest will be concentrated in the suburbs and small towns (not inner cities - these will be written off as untouchables - like south LA was) and among as many people has had already been listed as trouble-makers. (Yes - I know.)

bank holiday - or all electric banking (same thing really) - or more likely - limit of 100.00 per week/per day (most likely)

declaration by Clinton (and echoed by media) that he has saved us from eternal evil from the rabid survivalists fundementalists right wing wacko terrorists

immediate polls by media declaring Clinton a saint......

-- Robert A. Cook, P.E. (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), March 05, 1999.

FYI, Glenna, the posts here are actually inserted in HTML, like a web page. That makes the formatting a little wacky sometimes.

The important thing to remember is that we have to hit Enter TWICE to make a paragraph break. Even when copy/pasting. There are threads about this stuff in the archives. Don't sweat it.

As to your message, I try to never mistake incompetence for conspiracy because I believe there is an awful lot more of the former than the latter. There's no doubt that .gov is very worried about domestic terrorism, (including C-T), probably more than Y2K. Is Koskinen spinning the Y2K story? Certainly. But we have to remember that nobody really knows what will happen. I think if alot of the oldtimers hereabouts step back and look, they would be amazed at how different the world looks now compared to say, last June. I don't like being spun, but I can understand their rationale. If JK came out tommorow with something like "Cory is right. We're doomed I tell ye-DOOMED" would it help? Mass panic really is bad thing. And if they don't panic now, then get distracted by the next Monica or OJ, what will take to get their attention a second time?

I dunno. Crowd dynamics aren't my specialty. But I suspect the old story of the boy crying wolf has some serious relevance here.

March brings several new OMB and GSA audits. Should be interesting how they are compared by .gov and the media to the recent Senate report.

Just my 2/100's of a buck.

-- Lewis (aslanshow@yahoo.com), March 05, 1999.

The media must play a major role in the "Blame Game". They did in the Lewinsky affair and it appears they are gearing up to promote the next scam.

Total control on the part of government and big business is a must. It will be difficult to come by. Many working folks will see the effects of y2k in their daily jobs. Blaming it on C-T will be a stretch.

There is no question that government and big business realize they must find something to BLAME. It will be interesting and depressing to watch it unfold.

Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), March 05, 1999.

Lewis-- Excellent point about the boy who cried wolf... The wolf reallycame.

-- PNG (png@gol.com), March 05, 1999.

Glenna: I think youv'e got it! I just finished reading a report on Fox News. The penatagon has announced that the C-Ts are going to attack in unpresidented ways. They will enter hospital computers and spread terror by altering medical records. They will also attack electric generating stations, banking and finance. The article even said that they are going to do it right around New Years so that we will not know what is an attack and what is y2k. Another goodie: Many remediations were done by C-Ts and their evil cohorts which means that the remediations already completed may fail. contaminated. The American people will buy it. The only people to blame will be those evil terrorists who will forever be unidentified. Maybe they will round up some known hackers and put them in camps in California just for show. God I am glad I am old!

Bill in South Carolina

-- Bill Solorzano (notaclue@webtv.net), March 05, 1999.

Oh my... A friend of mine recently described the same thing happening. Robert, I agree with you. I have noticed ALOT lately that CT is more recognized in media than y2k anyway....Interesting scenario.

-- consumer (private@aol.com), March 05, 1999.

What I find strange is how Y2K is downplayed (presumably upon the premise not to cause panic). Yet, they don't seem to mind scaring the wits out of everyone talking about cyber-terroism and chemical attacks. Last night we had news coverage about very serious hacking attempts into DOD that appears to be very professional. Hamre was on and presented a very serious tone. It doesn't appear to be the norm for DOD to readily come out and admit to anything like this going on.

Then we have the British satellite incident. Seems really strange to me how that info got leaked out. Again, I'm not aware of the Brits exposing their military risks to the public readily.

I am trying not to be paranoid but it does seem rather odd.

-- Observing (from@distance.com), March 05, 1999.

Lewis commented:

" I don't like being spun, but I can understand their rationale."

Lewis, can you understand that .gov is placing many people at SERIOUS risk with this spin. Is that OK with you? I hope not !!

Get a life.

Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), March 05, 1999.

Glenna,

You may be right. Look at what has happened in the last few years in this country with the tobacco industry, gun industry and the start of public manipulation of opinion on SUV's and pickup trucks. First villify, then spin, spin, spin. Two out of four "teasers" on ABC national news was a Y2K story, and CT in private business...

-- Online2Much (ready_for_y2k@mindspring.com), March 05, 1999.

Glenna is close.

Andy has posted several times recently about PROBLEM REACTION SOLUTION.

Check out the Divid Icke web site for an explanation.

-- cluedin (problem@reaction&solution.com), March 06, 1999.

Glenna ... Right on !!! As I said about fifty threads back, remember how they handled Ruby Ridge AND Waco . First , there is a problem; public safety/danger ONLY the Feds can handle ! Feed it to the left wing media ; spin it AND start the LABELING ( Religous fanatics; terrorists; GUN toating survivalists ... we ( MUST HATE them and disarm them ). THEN, biased, ONE SIDED REPORTING ; tape the other side, but only show (READ trist) their words to support your/gov. view. If your looking for it, you will be SICKENED when you see/hear it on the 6:30 TV news; knowing where this will end up . Eagle...circling.

-- Harold Walker (e999eagle@freewwweb.com), March 06, 1999.

Ray, I think they realize that the well being of an awful lot of people will be effected by ANYTHING they do. They are on a knife edge (prevent panic/push preparation) with no good options. In fact, after watching CSPAN today re: the international status of Y2K, it dawned on me that JK/Bennett aren't just worried about causing panic in the US. They're worried about panicking (and destabilizing) other countries!. PNG: How do you think CNN showing film of US panic buying and bank lines impact Japan? How about Indonesia or China or Saudi Arabia?

I used to be more pissed off at Koskinen, but one day I got thinking about how would *I* handle it if I had that job.

After ten minutes of that train of thought, I don't criticize JK too much anymore.

As I've said once before: All we have to do is store beans and prophesize. They (JK,FEMA,.mil...) have to be *right*.

-- Lewis (aslanshow@yahoo.com), March 06, 1999.

They don't have to be right. I don't even expect them to be right. In fact, it would merely be coincidental if they were right.

I expect them to be truthful. Not alarmingly truthful, and weenie-truthful. Just truthful. And if they can't discern the truth, they shouldn't be whitewashing the likely scenarios either.

-- Nathan (nospam@all.com), March 06, 1999.

Lewis commented:

"I've said once before: All we have to do is store beans and prophesize. They (JK,FEMA,.mil...) have to be *right*."

Lewis, my confused mind does not understand what this means. Could you please clarify it for me.

Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), March 06, 1999.

Ya know,

I catch myself assuming the journalists take the time to investigate possible Y2K problems, and hence uncover the various dot gov spins. Actually, most dont (though not all) because many just arent more than cubical thinkers. Big picture vision is a lost art.

Which plays to the advantage of Koskinen, et. al., as they focus media attention on little pictures, and calmly say all is well. See, right here (pointing finger) ... its fixed. Or close enough. For government work.

Said this before, so its time again. Cyber, biological and other forms of terrorism are quite real. They are also Y2K linked because people, especially the military, need a common enemy. This spin puts a face on Y2K and something the dot mils, emergency responders and other disaster service organizations can prepare for. Its a tangible, physical thing. Rather like the aftermath of a major hurricane/tornado/earthquake. You can see what needs to be done, and whats broken.

Y2K just doesnt crack the concrete or twist the steel enough. Its a societal disintegration from the inside, rather than the outside.

Our whole system is set up to deal with outer crumbling and threats. Not inner ones. Hence the need for a common bad guy, to get the blame. Watch China. Bet theyre about to take center stage for bad guys anonymous, beyond the usual line up.

But, for all the attempted spin, which would have worked pre-internet times, they cant keep the spin on. Little, by little, the truth is oozing across the digital divide. Plus, its likely they didnt have any idea how throughly interwoven, the global supply chain is. Tug enough strands and it all starts to unravel.

Thats scary stuff for people who think they can maintain control, or be it. Its like trying to hold a fist-full of sand, silicon in this case. It keeps slipping through the hidden, ever widening cracks. There arent enough government fingers to plug the info dikes anymore.

Yes, they will most certainly try to point fingers and place cyber- blame. But too many people, across the country, are starting to experience the look-ahead glitches. The Y2K dial slowly turns. The clock ticks on. As another one gets it, they tell someone, who tells and e-mails someone, and so on and so on. You cant keep a lid on grass roots communications. Its sort of like gossip. And guess what? Those DGIs now, have an innate distrust of the government. Deep down. At some level, theyll GI.

So, while it looks pretty solidly dizzy on the spinning surface, for those who recognize it, deep down there is an awareness growing. And it wont be stopped now. No matter how hard they point. Or at who, or at what. Because Y2K is getting to be down home and intimate. People in small medium, and large businesses know when the software messes up. And they know when it is and when its NOT a cyber- terrorist. They can define the word is. (And they can just check out the Microsoft and SBA web-site, as well as numerous others, to see a pervasive problem lurking).

People, no matter if either brain smart or street smart, have a lot of plain ole common sense. At some point, theyll know whose been feeding them poisoned candy. I sure wouldnt want to be a government spin-doctor in sight when that sleeping giant awakens.

Got a garden? And a hungry lawyer?

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), March 06, 1999.

"What I find strange is how Y2K is downplayed (presumably upon the premise not to cause panic). Yet, they don't seem to mind scaring the wits out of everyone talking about cyber-terroism and chemical attacks."

I find that very strange too. I am thinking that maybe they think cyber-terrorism would sound more plausible to the masses than Y2K and easier to understand. Cyber-terrorism not having any definite date on when it would strike, it might induce more people to prepare without too much panic. And ofcourse, Bill's theory as he so well explained; the terrorists would be a convenient blame. That would also take care of the projected $1 trillion in law suits by the same token.

-- Chris (catsy@pond.com), March 07, 1999.

Chris commented:

" I am thinking that maybe they think cyber-terrorism would sound more plausible to the masses than Y2K and easier to understand."

Chris, you might add to this that cyber-terrorosm would take them (.gov) off the hook as far as responsibility goes. Glenna's point I believe.

Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), March 07, 1999.

From a recent article, and as another point-of-view on spin, or should that be called panic mitigation ...

L.A. Times

http:// www.latimes.com/sbin/iawrapper?NS-search-set=/36e29/aaaa001P8e29010& NS-doc-offset=2&NS-adv-search=0&

Digital Nation
Now for Another Daunting Y2K Task: Educating America's Masses
By GARY CHAPMAN

Monday, March 1, 1999

... But now it's time for a fourth phase, one we're only beginning to see unfold: public education and preparedness.

Most of the people who have been responsible for and knowledgeable about the Y2K bug have been so busy fixing computers that they haven't had time to think about how to educate the public, but they're beginning to regard this as the most important task for the time we have left, which is now a mere 305 days. And it's a daunting task, unprecedented in its scope and significance: how to educate each and every citizen of the United States about a relatively arcane technical problem that many citizens still do not understand or even know about.

Many communities throughout the U.S. are planning public education efforts, such as town hall meetings, media campaigns, public service announcements, brochures, and the engagement of churches, community organizations, schools and private businesses. Useful material has been developed to support such activities, especially the "Y2K Citizens' Action Guide," a small booklet published by the Utne Reader in Minnesota, available in bookstores and on the Web (http:// www.utne.com/y2k/).

The challenge of public education about Y2K is especially severe in a city of the size and diversity of Los Angeles.

Frank Martinez is executive director of the city's Year 2000 Project Office, a program of the city's Information Technology Agency, and his team has been thinking about how to get the word out.

The City Council recently approved $100,000 to hire a professional public relations firm to craft a multimedia campaign to educate the public about Y2K in L.A. Martinez said his agency has received three proposals and expects to hire a PR firm this month.

"We're hoping for a multimedia campaign with public service announcements, material in libraries, police stations, social service agencies and so on," Martinez says. His agency is sending people out to community meetings and homeowners associations that request public speakers on how to prepare for Y2K. Because of limited personnel, Martinez and his staff are trying to get community organizations to hold joint meetings.

The city has a toll-free telephone number with Y2K information ([888] 356-4661), as well as a Web page with some useful tips about preparedness (http://www.cityofla.org/year2K/).

"Our main message," Martinez says, "is that the kind of preparation we are recommending is the kind of preparation that should be done on a regular basis if you live in Southern California."

He means that people in the region should observe the same kind of preparation for an earthquake or other natural disaster. That includes storing food, water, emergency supplies, prescription drugs and cash for up to a week. Cash reserves should be accumulated over the entire year, rather than in November and December, he said.

"In addition, specific to Y2K, we are recommending that people have good and accurate financial records, bank statements, credit card records, insurance policies, etc., in hard-copy form and stored in a safe place," Martinez said, adding that people should get in the habit of keeping their gas tanks filled.

Any concerns about specific devices, he added, should be addressed to the manufacturer. "We continue to believe that any disruptions will be relatively minor and of short duration, and we think we can respond quickly," Martinez said.

However, Los Angeles needs to prepare for worst-case scenarios, he noted, so all city agencies will be involved in an emergency- preparedness exercise the last weekend in May.

Public officials responsible for the Y2K problem are faced with several competing and vexing difficulties. They are typically charged with fixing the Y2K bug in public-sector computers at the same time they're supposed to be educating people about how to prepare, and both tasks are full-time jobs.

They need to strike a balance between alerting people and not fostering unnecessary and dangerous panic. They have to negotiate with some people who have alarmist agendas, and they have to reach out to communities with diverse ranges of literacy, language, familiarity with technology and capabilities. Low-income neighborhoods have to be a priority, of course, because they're likely to be least prepared and least able to set aside supplies they might need in an emergency.

Eric Utne, founder of the Utne Reader, sees a silver lining in this crisis. He says in his publication's booklet: "As we prepare for Y2K, something surprising and quite wonderful is going to happen. We're going to get to know our neighbors." This is one of those rare times, encountered usually only in war or after a natural disaster, in which the public-spiritedness of citizens will be tested, no matter what the effects of the computer bug turn out to be. Every citizen who cares about the quality of life in the nation should turn his or her attention to how to help avert a crisis and build common bonds of trust and preparedness. We have 305 days left to show how well we can work together.  ...

###

Theres more government out there than just that located in D.C.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), March 07, 1999.

Ray, I did point that out, I mentioned Bill's post for this, I said "And ofcourse, Bill's theory as he so well explained; the terrorists would be a convenient blame."

Bill had said "Another goodie: Many remediations were done by C-Ts and their evil cohorts which means that the remediations already completed may fail. contaminated. The American people will buy it. The only people to blame will be those evil terrorists who will forever be unidentified."

-- Chris (catsy@pond.com), March 07, 1999.

Ray- When I wrote: "they have to be *right*, I meant that they (JK,Bennett et.al.) have the responsibility for making the right decisions. We can theorize about what is the right thing to do, but they are the ones who ultimately cannot afford to be wrong. The buck stops there, from their perspective. And unfortunately, most of the data they have had to base their decisions on regarding the "real" severity of the Y2K problem so far has been garbage. (self reported, CYA legalese, so forth.)

Sorry if I was unclear. I hope this helped. Thanks for following up.

Diane's point that central government control over the public reaction may be circumvented by awareness rising from the bottom is important. I've actually wondered if they (JK,Bennett) have chosen to try to encourage that somehow. Whatever action they decide is needed this summer, community building now can't hurt.

Directing the public's attention to upcoming technological disasters of other flavors probably does have a spin angle to it. Unfortunately, it's a pretty safe bet that they'll eventually be right.

When I appear to defend Koskinen, I'm not saying that I think what he does or says is always right. I am simply acknowledging that he may have found himself in what he thought would be comfy, straight-forward organization job. Now he finds that his decisions may determine the fate of millions. I am not so much a supporter of JK, as I am sympathetic.

The safety of my family and community is not in his hands. It is in mine. But his decisions can make my job harder or easier, so I watch him closely, as do we all.

Regards-

-- Lewis (aslanshow@yahoo.com), March 07, 1999.