Horn: Clinton Needs To Prepare Citizens For Y2K Bug

Because of copyright issues, I cant post this entire article (and I dont think youll find it on the Web) from CongressDaily/A.M., but here is an interesting excerpt.

(Beginning of excerpt)

03/23/99

President Clinton is "not doing a very good job" in preparing the average U.S. citizen for year 2000-related computer problems, House Government Reform Government Management, Information and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Stephen Horn, R-Calif., said Monday. Clinton has belatedly nudged federal agencies into gear to cope with potential Y2K problems, Horn contended, while adding that the president has not done what is needed to prepare the public, despite Horn's appeals in letters and even in person. Horn said he suggested to Clinton at the White House Christmas party that the president conduct a "fireside chat" about the issue in the manner of President Franklin Roosevelt. "Hillary thought it was a good idea," Horn said, referring to the first lady, but the president has not followed through. So far, Horn said, Clinton has only addressed a group of scientists already aware of the issue and proclaimed Social Security checks would not be delayed.

(End of excerpt)

O.K., since Horn is a Republican, some of this has to be taken with a grain of salt. However, surely there were some Democrats present at the hearing. Have we heard anything from them?

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), March 29, 1999

Answers

Dick Armey's 2 cents worth:

http://freedom.house.gov/y2k/news/s990323.asp

Last week, the Office of Management and Budget released a progress report on the federal government's Y2K conversion process. The report revealed that not all the federal departments and agencies will meet their self-imposed March 31 deadline to make all critical systems Y2K compliant. House Majority Leader Dick Armey made the following statement:

"This is very disappointing news. The federal government is running out of time to fix its Y2K problem.

"There are some agencies and departments that will be ready, but that's not good enough. The federal government has an obligation to the American people to guarantee that all critical systems  such as health care and transportation  are not in serious disarray on January, 1, 2000.

"The sad news is, even if the March 31 deadline is met, that's only half the job. Each agency and department will then face the tedious process of making their computer systems interact properly with other computer systems, both inside and outside of the government.

"I hope that federal departments and agencies take the final deadline a little more seriously. It's only 277 days away and counting"

-- Roland (nottelling@nowhere.com), March 29, 1999.

We'll let's see now, we have a so called leader whose only leadership comes as the result of reading polls daily. Now if the man he has selected to head up the governments "y2k Awareness Program", John Ko-skin-em has been successful at fooling the sheeple into believing that y2k is not a problem, then the polls must be telling the administration not to do anything.

Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), March 29, 1999.

Which begs a larger question. WHO IS BEING POLLED?

Just out of curiosity--regular posters who take Y2K seriously--answer the following questions:

Are you a college graduate?

If so, did you perform well in college?

Do you have a degree higher than a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Arts?

Have you ever worked in a professional or managerial job (versus spending your life working behind the counter at Taco Bell, etc.)

Have you been professionally polled on this issue?

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), March 29, 1999.

Does anyone know the latest grades given to the various agencies by the GAO? Where is that link? I remember seeing some given C, D, F grades, but since then they have improved somewhat? Also along that line, what's the latest on when will these different agencies finish their Y2K job? Thanks

-- Joe (joe@nino.com), March 29, 1999.

Rep Stephen Horn releases a quarterly report card. The most recent was released on Feb. 22. Here is the link.

www.house.gov/reform/gmit/y2k/index.htm

R.

-- Roland (nottelling@nowhere.com), March 29, 1999.

Joe -

Note:

I had assumed that a "C" grade means "Passing", and thus that the agency receiving that grade will have its work done before the deadline. This is not true, unfortunately; only "A" and "B" grades indicate that 100% of the work will be complete by 01/01/2000. A "C" can mean that the agency will complete its work as late as 2001. Made me revise my view of the whole report card...

-- Mac (sneak@lurk.com), March 29, 1999.

FM: yes, yes, yes, yes, and NO. It is a well-known fact that people who are "polled" are typically hung up on after having answered questions such as those, and answered "wrong." I have been hung up on myself by a pollster when I refused to answer how much money I make. Also, pollsters tend to call during working hours when many who would answer "yes" to your questions are outside of the house earning a good ol' American capitalist dollar.

Jeannie

-- jhollander (hollander@ij.net), March 29, 1999.

FM - For those of us (with single line homes) spending gobs of time on the 'net, the pollsters will never reach us! ;-)

-- Brooks (brooksbie@hotmail.com), March 29, 1999.

Unless there is an outcry from the people and the press, there is no way that Slick is going to address the nation about Y2K. He didn't do it 2 years ago when it would have meant something. If he does it now, he will only be admitting his negligence. (He should have been addressing Y2K rather than shagging Monica.)

As for the Republicans, they are not much better. Representative Horn has been giving a C to any agency that says that it will be compliant by the end of 2001.

-- Angry at Clinton (Angry@clinton.com), March 29, 1999.

yes, yes (honor soc/Deans List),BSN + higher classes, yes, NO!!!

I would love to take their Poll!!!

-- Moore Dinty moore (not@thistime.com), March 30, 1999.