http://www.fresnobee.com/localnews/story/0,1225,84307,00.html

State officials sound Y2K alarm to Valley agencies

By Russell Clemings The Fresno Bee (Published June 3, 1999)

Even as they continue working on their own computer systems, state officials are sounding an alarm for their local counterparts: Fix your Y2K problems before it's too late. Wednesday, the state's chief information officer and others warned that some local agencies are lagging in efforts to fix the problem, which results when computers that use two digits for years fail to understand that "00" is later than "99."

To illustrate his point, Elias S. Cortez, the state's CIO, asked, "A simple question: How many of you are done with your Y2K program?" Only one hand went up in the room of 40 people, most representing units of local government.

Cortez nodded; the answer was what he expected.

"There is a lot of work to be done," he said.

Cortez made his remarks at a symposium organized at Fresno City Hall by his Department of Information Technology and the Governor's Office of Emergency Services.

Merced County Chief Executive Officer Greg Wellman, one of the morning's speakers, said that local governments must fix their Y2K problems or else many state services won't reach their intended recipients.

"We're really on the firing line in providing local services," said Wellman, who also serves on a statewide Y2K preparedness task force.

Local officials and representatives of state agencies offered assurances that, for the most part, they have things under control.

-- Arlin H. Adams (ahadams@ix.netcom.com), June 03, 1999

Answers

The Feds blame the States,

The States blame the Locals...

-- Observer (nospam@nospam.com), June 03, 1999.

And... still.. "There is a lot of work to be done."

Thanks, Arlin.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), June 03, 1999.

We're done, everything's fine ... yeah right. There's this bridge in the desert ...

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), June 03, 1999.

Don't fergit the swamp land, Leska.

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), June 03, 1999.

Leska -

You mean London Bridge? That's actually over in Zonie-land (Lake Havasu, to be precise). 8-}]

-- Mac (sneak@lurk.hid), June 03, 1999.