Just as a little tid-bit...take it for whatever it's worth. I was informed by phone and then called the paper to confirm the following story:

Larry Stolz, Chief Information Officer and head of the Planning and Coordination Division of the Administration of Information Dept for the State of Wyoming has retired. This Dept was given the task of the States Y2K remediation program. As of Tuesday, the Director of the Administration and Information Dept. has also retired.

Now, this may or may not mean much, but it is somewhat suspicious and coincidental. While obtaining and verifying the above information, I was asked by the reporter if I was one of the many, standing in line for future law suits. Hmmmmmmmm I responded that I wasn't because I could see no means of collecting anything anyway, once we hit the 1/1/00 deadline. His reply was, "Hmmmmmmm"!

If any wish to verify for themselves, they may contact: The Cheyenne Tribune Eagle. www.wyomingnews.com/default.htm OR, call toll free 800-561-6268

-- Will continue (farming@home.com), June 17, 1999

Answers

Good sleuthing, Will Continue. Last Autumn there were several threads where Yourdynamites were predicting massive computer programmer lightbulb flashes and subsequent bug-outs. There was a Retirement Watch Barometer going, but the numbers and announcements began to flurry and we couldn't keep up.

Now if you could obtain a face-to-face info session with Mr. Stolz and Mr. Director, in a cozy little restaurant where they could relax and tell all ...

Computer specialist quits, but it's hoped he'll help city with Y2K bug

xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx xxx

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), June 17, 1999.

Sorry, we've been in Kansas for the past three years now. I'd ask my father-in-law...but he only reads the 'funnies' out of every paper....know what I'm sayin'? Then there's my Mother, who asked her banker if they were compliant.....know what I'm sayin'? Amazingly enough...I'm the only "I SPY" in both families. The reporter's concern was *most* interesting, however. BTW...your football in the stink tank info was correct. No innertubes for the same reason. Got Bleach?

-- Will continue (farming@home.com), June 17, 1999.

Will Continue...

Two possible scenarios regarding the 'retirement' of these two State of Wyoming ececutives:

(1). They came to the realization that none of their efforts were going to have any positive effect on Y2K related problems, and wanted to distance themselves from guilt by association.

(2). The State Of Wyoming came to the same conclusion.

Of course, this could be just a normal retirement situation....right?

-- Iben (lurking@work.sum), June 17, 1999.

Hmm... two back to back drop outs for the same position does reduce the likelihood of a mere coincidence.

However, there must be tens of thousands of people who retire every year (probably more... anyone have the numbers?). Some of them are going to be working in Y2K-related areas. Nor is it unusual for people to plan their retirement dates (or other major life-changing events) to occur around a significant calendar date.

Hate to say it, trend watchers, but this may just be a case of reading too much something into a whole lot of nothing.

Keep looking though... if there's a pattern, definite proof will emerge sooner or later.

-- M.C. Hicks (mhicks@greenwich.com), June 17, 1999.

Well, since we're on insider info re retirements: Don't know if this is true, but here it is:

We were told recently that an FAA upper echelon Y2K honcho had decided to quit flying as of July 1. Said the accumulation of snafus by that point would render flying too dangerous. Also said many of the FAA-related personnel are due to retire soon and will be taking that retirement very gladly.

So we're watching the news to see if accidents or near-misses or airport waits start piling up ...

xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxx

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), June 17, 1999.

Will Continue,

Seems I saw something about Wyoming being reaallly far behind in getting any remediation done. Couldn't even get the legislature to pony up any meaningful extra money for it. So, if it's true that rats are often first off the sinking ship, maybe this is just such a case. Circumstantial evidence is still good evidence, because it's tied directly to circumstance. The IRS has had similar coincidences.

-- Gordon (gpconnolly@aol.com), June 17, 1999.

Gordon, I recall that Wyoming legislature was arguing at the beginning of this year whether to fund any remediation. I don't have a URL, but it was early in 1999. Sounds as if they finally approved some money, but it is not surprising to me they lost senior IT people.

-- Margaret (janssm@aol.com), June 18, 1999.

While retirements occur every year, people often retire when given an impossible task. Keep an eagle eye on the status of the Wyoming effort during the next few months. It could be a bad sign...for the moment, just another indicator that it probably want't a bad idea to pick up those 6 cans of spam and 20# of rice tonight.

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), June 18, 1999.

Hi all. I see a correlation here with what I and others have done. I too, "retired". So have 6 other business associates of mine that were in y2k related remedial work fields. We were being hushed, quelled, supressed, hampered, and insulted concerning our professional opinions, goals, and objectives.

Who are the little politicians to get in our face and say to us "Oh, com'on now, it isn't THAT bad. It can't be." THEY deny. Therefore, nothing gets fixed. Therefore, people like me, and others, obviously, want to get as far away from the situation as possible while there is still time.

A good imagery for the situation: They bind our hands and feet, and blindfold us with a gag in our mouth. Then they expect us to take all the responsibility.

Working under state government on this project was as close to being a war-time hostage as I've ever experienced.

Mr. K
***"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics."
-- Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881)***

-- Mr. Kennedy (Mr.K@home.today), June 18, 1999.

This fits. About a month or two ago, a friend in a state adjacent to Wyoming talked to his state senator. The senator told him that the state of Wyoming was not doing much about y2k.

-- Not Again! (Seenit@ww2.com), June 18, 1999.

Mr. Kennedy....you sir have hit the nail on the head. My husband's "retirement" as the Public Works Director for a small community in January was done for the exact reasons you have just described, sir! There is little doubt in my mind that this is the case for the two gentlemen discribed in my news brief, as well. We WILL be seeing much more of this example in the coming weeks....I'm sure. Thank you for your input!

-- Will continue (farming@home.com), June 18, 1999.