BOARDED-UP entrance to Westminster Mall in response to vandalism (Olivia Rigby/WIkipedia).

Heavy Water Dept,: You may have read about or seen photos of the vandalism and other damage done to the interior of the Westminster Mall.

With the last major department store closed (except for Target, which – reportedly – in still going strong), bad guys have been running wild inside the now-ghostly structure which was once the biggest enclosed shopping center in Orange County.

Arriving at this sad moment is like watching a traffic accident in slow motion. Everyone could see it coming, and there was not enough collective energy to prevent it from happening.

This is only Part One. What becomes of restaurants and other stores in the mall parking lot, such as Outback and Best Buy? What kind of expensive resources must be devoted to keeping the former mall from becoming the worst kind of public relations or simply a locus for petty crime?

My larger point is not just to wring hands over this one problem. There’s a (potentially) larger issue looming. Municipal costs in general are rising, in part because of the long-term costs of employee pensions.

Some economists are concerned about the potential for a recession soon; the odds are about 50-50, some speculate.

Smart cities, businesses and average Joes and Janes always need to keep their eyes on the horizon because – and here comes the mixed metaphor of the week – you never know when something is going to come up and bite you from behind.