I'm curious about the debate over personal preparedness to alleviate strain on the emergency services versus the individual who believes it is the government's responsibility to take care of them since they have afterall paid thousands of dollars to the various governments (levels of government) to provide for assistance in an emergency. Even though one may have prepared oneself for a crisis, are they not just as entitled to their "fair share" of the goods provided to the populace as the indigent? What are your comments on this topic?

-- Caterine D'Albret (d-albret@hotmail.com), December 22, 1998

Answers

I'd recommend you give your local government a call and ask them about what kind of y2k-oriented emergency services they're planning on having in place in January of next year. Take a few minutes to think of what kind of assistance it is you're thinking of them providing, and what that "fair share" might consist of (whether it be for that indigent person or yourself or both of you).

Then, after you've talked to them about their y2k emergency plans, I'd recommend you think about this: If the year 2000 problem is bad enough to put you in a position where you'll require assistance from the government, how many other people are likely to be in that position at the same time? And what if your government is in a position wherein it needs a little emergency assistance itself? Will they be able to provide those services for everyone who decided not to prepare?

Chances are, if things are bad, government assistance may be difficult to come by, whether we are entitled to it or not. And what assistance there would be would likely be minimal. In a situation that made emergency assistance a necessity, the difference between being prepared and not being prepared could very likely mean a great deal of difference to you personally.

If being prepared meant you could stay in your own home and be relatively comfortable, and your fair share of emergency assistance from the government meant a cot in the nearest highschool gymnasium next winter, which would you choose?

Bill

-- Bill (billdale@lakesnet.net), December 23, 1998.