'The remarks of Sen. Robert Bennett
(R-Utah), who heads the Special
Committee on the Year 2000 Technology
Problem, also have raised alarms. Though
the senator insists he is playing Paul Revere,
not Chicken Little, on the subject, he said in
a recent speech, ''When people say to me,
'Is the world going to come to an end?' I
say, 'I don't know.' ''
Though he does not expect widespread
failures of electricity, water, telephone,
transportation or financial systems, he does
not predict a rosy transition either.
In a recent speech to the National Press
Club, Bennett predicted regional blackouts,
water system failures in some communities
and rationing of flights to deal with air traffic
control failures. Some banks will declare
bankruptcy, some medical devices will fail,
and businesses will find it difficult to get
supplies from foreign countries that are not
Y2K compliant, he predicted.
He said he is worried about the prospect of
riots, some ground-level weapons problems
and payment for government programs such
as Medicaid, Medicare and welfare.
When asked if the cyber-survivalists should
be considered wacky, Mary Jane
Collipriest, Bennett's communications
director, said no.
...
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