Its been said that while California is going to Hell in a handbasket, its a helluva handbasket.  Another California city that is a financial basket case largely due to municipal debt is San Jose, the center of Silicon Valley

Like most of California, San Jose has a beautiful facade that masks underlying financial problems.  Its a similar story with a familiar refrain, generous pensions and lavish salaries combined with falling tax revenues produce increasing deficits.  As more municipal employees retire and the economic growth remains sluggish, the municipal debt problem gets worse.  Even in Silicon Valley, cities are not immune from fiscal reality.

Over time the impact will be felt in longer response times, fewer city employees providing services, and degrading infrastructure.  As cities struggle with reorganizing their commitments and finances, the citizens will increasingly be left to fend for themselves.  This means private citizens need to make preparations for emergencies since they won’t be able to count on their local government to respond timely.

Regardless of what financial condition your city is in, it makes sense to prepare for disasters and not rely on government.  What is most important is to take small steps over time to become better prepared.  These can include:

• Arming yourself with firearms and other weapons
• Enhancing your home’s security by installing improved locks, reinforcing door jambs, and installing exterior lights
• Learning first aid and CPR along with keeping medical supplies on-hand
• Having extra water and food available for emergency use
• Knowing how to turn off utilities in the event of an emergency (ex. T-handle)
• Developing robust social networks with neighbors, co-workers, and members of your faith community
• Keeping working flashlights and fresh batteries at home, in your car, and at your office
• Installing first aid, flashlight, police scanner, and other apps on your smartphone
• Following media, government, and utility channels on social media sites like Twitter
• Owning battery-operated and/or hand-cranked radios, especially ones with preset NOAA weather channels
• Having multiple fire extinguishers throughout your house, for for fires as well as intruders

All of these steps are verbs because preparation is an action-oriented activity.  Think about what you can do to make yourself and your family more resilient during an emergency.  Chances are that government at all levels won’t have the resources or capability to handle emergencies in the near future.  The good news is you can do something about it, if you take the time and make the effort to prepare.