Community task forces help mitigate Y2K risks

Several aspects of the Y2K problem are coming into focus. First, not all of the problems will be corrected in all the mission-critical systems. Second, failures could impact commerce, government services, power, communications, transportation, the economy, and other areas. Third, there is a growing concern that Y2K failures may cause havoc in our personal lives. Undoubtedly, millennium anxieties will grow and drive people to act. The issue is whether this action will be constructive or destructive. We have a choice. One perception is that Y2K failures will cause outages, shortages, and a host of other problems. Some people recommend stock-piling food, water, money, and even gold. It is becoming increasingly clear that acting in your own self-interest over the next year will ultimately hurt more than help. For example, each bank carries a small fraction of the cash held by its depositors; a run on banks could cause several to fail. A small percentage of the population buying a couple of weeks´ worth of food could clear store shelves. Worst of all, citizens who ignore the Y2K issue until the last minute could panic. Community mobilization offers an alternative to these scenarios