Voters: Weigh In on Y2K

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Borrowing a great idea from another thread in which Robert Cook suggests we each grill our government representatives on Y2K.... I think this is important enough to merit a thread of its own.

Here's a REAL, practical action we can each take to put this issue more on the front burner of the nation. As Mr. Cook points out, it is an election year. We might get some additional responsiveness from politicians.

I have seen some excellent letters on websites with letters that seem to strike the right balance of intelligent, logical explanation of the concerns along with a query on what steps are being taken on specific fronts.

Even if you just call or write a postcard that says something along the lines of "What is being done about the Y2K problem? What contingency plans are being made?" etc., it will show that there is -- and this is the important part -- a CRITICAL MASS OF PEOPLE who are concerned. Oh, yes, by the way, they are VOTERS.

Vote today. Write to your mayor, your Police and Fire Chief, your other emergency services and social services representatives. My Dad did it, and he didn't get a response. But, who knows what conversations that his communication may have started?

If you can't take the time to write, make a call. It's better than nothing.

-- Sara Nealy (keithn@ptd.net), October 05, 1998

Answers

Great that you should mention it Sara! Today, am in the process of preparing 2 packets to send to the Mayor and the City Manager. Am including news articles about the Y2K drills conducted in Lubbock, TX the other day; the subsequent testimony before Congress about that drill; and the text of Sen. Bob Bennett's speech at the National Press Club on July 15th (pertinent passages highlighted in bright yellow).

Next on the agenda is a packet to send to the head of the city Utilities Commission.

-- John Howard (Greenville, NC) (pcdir@prodigy.net), October 05, 1998.


I like the impact that Yourdon has with his "reply to Bill Clinton's Y2K speech."

It addresses the subject, identifies the issues clearly (and politically), and blows away retoric and lies.

These guys (the politicians) have to understand = talk can't fix it.

Lies won't fix it. Promises won't fix it.

Only action will create creditable stand-by and alternative solutions to a potential crisis in their hometowns affecting their power, sewage, water, and telephones, communication, tax and payroll systems.

Lies won't make it go away. And anybody who does lie will be blatantly exposed by the unimpressed computers who won't listen to "poltically corrupt" speeches. They (the computers) will only listen to programmers and workers given adequate time and funding to fix the problems, then test the solutions.

-- Robert A. Cook, P.E. (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), October 05, 1998.


My meeting with the manager for our cities Y2k project is this evening. I have already met with a few local councillors and also some that are running for councillor and mayor in our election that takes place in two weeks.

Those that I have spoken to that are running for seats (both Mayor and councillors) have promised to take immediate action upon being elected, however they have made it clear that they will not bring up the issue as part of their election platforms as they feel this will likely hurt their chances of being elected. They do not feel that in the short time left before election day they could possibly get the public to understand the severity of Y2K and would come across as some type of "doomsayer" so they won't touch the issue until they are in office. Those already in office won't say anything until after they are re-elected for the same reason.

I guess the theory is "ignorance is bliss"!

-- Craig (craig@ccinet.ab.ca), October 05, 1998.


All of our reps in Washington have e-mail addresses. It took me about three or four times to get a response, but I did get an answer after I threatened to vote for their opponent and spread work around the neighborhood. Give it a shot. You'll get some interesting responses...no doubt, from their office staff!

Hull

-- Hull Stetson (stetson.hull@usa.net), October 05, 1998.


We recently emailed some Senators and Congressmen about issues related to Medicare. We got responses from almost all of them - every one went something like this:

"This is an automated response from ...blah, blah, blah... I only respond to residents of my district...blah, blah, blah...thank you for your interest."

Some of these guys hate email. I heard a while back that some of them have no email address because they don't want to get swamped with mail. Hmm... What kind of representation is that?

-- Mike (gartner@execpc.com), October 05, 1998.



SERIOUS? ARE YOU? WE VOTE = tHEY LIE. PERIOD. TO DATE NONE HAVE BEEN HONEST YET WHY START NOW? I AM NOT ANTI VOTE, I WILL VOTE BUT JUDGING FROM THE MESSAGES ABOVE, NONE ARE BEING FORTHRIGHT ANYHOW. SO WHY ACCEPT MORE LIES. DO WHAT U CAN NOW, AND WORRY ABOUT 'THEM LATER'.

-- cynicbynature (cynic@aol.com), October 05, 1998.

Well it all depends on the issue, and upon how high up in government you're trying to go.

I sent a very short, sincere e-mail to Sen. Bob Bennett, whom I support out the wazoo, asking him what he thought about the NERC report, three weeks ago. No response yet.

I sent a very vitriolic e-mail to Rep. Walter Jones Jr., regarding his stance on saving the Cape Hatteras lighthouse, this past June. Got a typewritten response via snail-mail pronto.

All depends on the level of government, the exposure the people have to your complaint. Hate to sound cynical, but that's life as it is.

-- John Howard (Greenville, NC) (pcdir@prodigy.net), October 05, 1998.


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