Whether any state or local government is ready to respond to that, an event that comes without the warning we had with Katrina, I think that's the kind of thing that can keep you up at night.

It's a fundamentally undemocratic way to run the government.

I don't think there's any question. I suspect that the sheer volume of spurious intelligence that is going into the system from foreign and domestic sources would blow your socks off.

We're talking about hundreds, thousands, maybe tens of thousands of casualties, an event in the Katrina class.

Very often, government agencies create graphical information rather than just text to explain different services, whether it's how to apply for a permit or how to use the 911 system. But the more graphic it is, the more speed and capacity you need. Up until now, our citizens just haven't had that. So we see lots of possibilities for public education.

The notion that the government knows better how to improve on a competitive marketplace is not supported by the evidence.