Ask The California Employment Tax And Payroll Tax Attorney – California Is The Land Of “Shake And Bake” – Make Sure You Have A “Go-bag”
By Robert S. Schriebman
2020
Introduction
When I was a youngster living at home, my mother would buy a food preparation product called Shake N Bake. I have always identified this product as a metaphor for our constant exposure to earthquakes and wildfires here in California.
When I was in the California military, we were required to prepare a Go Bag in case we were activated on short notice. Even though I am long retired from military service, I still keep emergency kits in the trunks of our cars, and I insist that our children do the same for their families.
I am now a Neighborhood Watch Block Captain, and from time to time, headquarters sends us block captains alerts for the neighborhood. Recently, I received an alert for the preparation of a Go-Bag to use in case you have to evacuate your home on short notice. You may have to evacuate your work area or home due to an emergency whether caused by flood, earthquake, fire, civil unrest, or cases of spousal abuse.
I would like to step out of my role as an EDD tax lawyer to pass this information onto you so you can protect yourself and your family. I recommend you have not only a Go-Bag, but an emergency evacuation plan as well. In this article, I am going to pass on to the information I received recently as a Neighborhood Watch Block Captain.
Having an Evacuation Plan
- Know where you will go in the event of an emergency. Make sure you will be welcomed. Don’t drop in on people unexpectantly. Hotels and motels may be full.
- If you do not know the route by heart make sure you have a hard copy map, don’t rely on the computer or your cell phone.
- Make sure you have at least half a tank of gas in your car, and it might be wise to have a spare can of gas in case you have to throw it in the trunk.
- Don’t forget to plan for pets.
Make Go-Bags for Yourself and Your Family
The Neighborhood Watch folks have prepared a basic list and I think it is a good one:
- Map
- Medications
- Change of clothes
- Extra set of keys
- Glasses/contact lenses
- First-aid
- Shoes
- Phone chargers
- Food and water
- Copies of IDs, Credit Cards, Passports, Important Documents
- Cash in small bills, no larger than a $20 bill
- Flashlights (with working batteries)
- Hard drives/flash drives
- Family photos/comfort items
- Sanitation supplies (include masks)
- Activities for children
- Create a separate bag for pets- include a cage, food, a leash, vaccine records, and any medications.
Conclusion
Buying a backpack and gathering all of this stuff is a lot of work and costly too. After all this is done, your Go-Bag may sit for a long time before it may be necessary. You may think it is both a waste of time and money. We never know the “if” and “when” we may need our Go-Bag, but think of where we will be if an emergency occurs and we are not prepared. The old Boy and Girl Scout mottos of being prepared is never old fashioned.
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Robert Schriebman has a successful practice in the Rolling Hills Estates area of Los Angeles County serving clients throughout California and the United States. He has successfully dedicated more than 40 years to helping individual taxpayers, business owners, CPAs, Enrolled Agents, and tax attorneys navigate the complicated tax systems of the federal and state governments. Mr. Schriebman is in private practice. He is not affiliated in any way with the EDD and he is not employed by the EDD or any other agency of the State of California.
Robert Schriebman has written the only 2 books ever published dealing with how California Employment Development Department (EDD) operates. See “California Tax Collection Practice and Procedures” and “California Taxation Practice and Procedure,” both published by Commerce Clearing House.
Robert Schriebman has written over 20 books including the major manual used nationally by practitioners and the IRS, “IRS Tax Collection Procedures – A Manual for Practitioners” published by Commerce Clearing House.
Robert Schriebman has written over 20 books including the major manual used nationally by practitioners and the IRS, “IRS Tax Collection Procedures – A Manual for Practitioners” published by Commerce Clearing House in addition to the only 2 books ever published dealing with how California Employment Development Department (EDD) operates. See “California Tax Collection Practice and Procedures” and “California Taxation Practice and Procedure,” both published by Commerce Clearing House.
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