Tech Bytes: Oregon CUs "well-prepared" for Y2K

BEAVERTON, Ore.-According to Gene Poitras, President of the Oregon Credit Union League here, Oregon's credit unions are "extremely well prepared" for the Y2K problem.

"Oregon's credit unions either meet or exceed the requirements established by the state and federal agencies responsible for regulating the nation's credit unions," said Poitras.

Last May, the Oregon Division of Finance and Corporate Securities reported that "...credit unions in Oregon seem to be in good shape."

According to the Oregon League, Oregon credit unions have been actively involved in educating their members and consumers on issues concerning Y2K.

Here are a few examples. In April, Forest Products FCU, Klamath Falls, will be holding a special Y2K forum for members. MaPs CU, Salem, and other credit unions in Marion County will be participating in a local information fair sponsored by the Salem/Keizer/Marion County Emergency Preparedness Council. First Technology Credit Union, Beaverton, hosts monthly discussion groups with members to discuss issues related to the Y2K "bug."

The League has also been active. Shayne Wymore, a representative of the Oregon Credit Union League, was invited to join Portland Mayor Vera Katz's City of Portland Year 2000 Council. Those committees focus on finding ways to identify and alleviate consumer concerns regarding Y2K.

The Oregon Credit Union League is the statewide trade association for Oregon's 123 credit unions.

-- Norm (nwo@hotmail.com), April 12, 1999

Answers

Norm, sweetiepie robot, we also are on Portland Mayor Vera Katz's City of Portland Year 2000 Council. Reports for the public focus like a lazer on points of good news. Points. Not broad spectrums. Points. Dots. And Portland is doing better in some ways than many other places with respect to Y2K.

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-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), April 12, 1999.

I'm satisfied the world is not going to end. So I'm haveing a sale. All foodstuff, generators, radios, etc. are up for bid. Sorry no evil guns in this sale. I've got enough stuff for 4 people for a year. If you're interested the starting bid price is $25,000.00. All items located in the Pacific NW. Bring your u-haul and get it out of my storage unit.

I now believe that the world will not end due to Y2K. I'm going to use the money to get a bigger house and take a trip to Australia for some fun!! Besides this preparing stuff has gotten boring. If it does end, oh well, I really don't care.

burned out ......

-- Freelancer (mercenary2000@yahoo.com), April 12, 1999.

Freeloader, you're in the PacificNW? Today is near the 50th Anniversary of the Huge Washington Quake. Any Cascadian would be wise to rotate supplies and stay prepared.

"ANNIVERSARY OF HUGE WASHINGTON QUAKE
Fifty years ago, a seven-point-one quake struck just east of Olympia and was felt throughout Western Washington. Eight people were killed in Aberdeen, Bremerton, Castle Rock, Centralia, Cosmopolis, Olympia, Seattle and Tacoma. Bricks fell from buildings. Domes buckled at the state Capitol in Olympia and the Carnegie Library in Tacoma. The Pierce County Courthouse was so severely damaged it had to be torn down. ... "

BTW, geoscientists consistently confirm Cascadia is overdue for an 8-9+ Cascadian Subduction Zone earthquake. That will be worse than Y2K: instant rubble which then burns out of control. Living life on the edge is easier with the bug-quake-out bags handy.

Of course we're aware the above post is fake frivvle from Freakfancer.
Scientists have also detected a spreading affliction known as Inverse Invective Trollism, caught on the Net. It is highly contagious and the symptoms start with, uh, gotta go to decontam.

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-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), April 12, 1999.

So glad to hear credit unions are ready in Oregon. Our credit union mailed us a letter of y2k readiness on company letterhead in January of this year. Today we went to pre-arrange a mortgage, only to learn that I existed in their files, but my partner did not. Over three years they had collected/computerized masses of info on him: address, birthdate, place of employment, records of loans borrowed and repaid from them, etc. The printout of that record showed his name only, then masses of 0's for each of the spots on the form. The CU employee discounted the loss by mentioning a switch to the new system and declaring they had "hard copies out there," but he was in no rush to go looking for those hard copies. He collected some info about basics again; the record of the loans paid-off early were not added. Not exactly a confidence-booster!

-- worried about (lostrecords@cu.ca), April 12, 1999.