Article about the new Senate Y2K Reportgreenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) : One Thread |
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/19990921/tc/y2k_report_1.html
-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), September 21, 1999
[ Fair Use: For Educational/Research Purposes Only ]Tuesday September 21 8:15 PM ET
Senate Reports on Y2k Effects
By JIM ABRAMS Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - With 100 days left until Jan. 1, 2000, the Senate's Y2K panel says health-care systems, local governments and small businesses remain vulnerable, but computer breakdowns probably will ``cause more inconveniences than tragedies.'' The situation is more serious outside the country, it says.
``The true extent of Y2K failures will match neither the most optimistic nor the most apocalyptic predictions,'' the Senate special committee on the Y2K problem said in a summary of its final report before the new year. Rather, it said, Y2K problems will be sporadic, based more on geography, size of the organization involved and levels of preparation.
The panel, headed by Sens. Robert Bennett, R-Utah, and Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., is issuing the report Wednesday. Its report, distributed in advance, noted that the Y2K problem has been likened to a winter storm, and Americans should prepare accordingly.
The findings emphasized that while federal agencies and the nation's transportation and communications systems are in good shape, it remains difficult to judge how computer problems will affect individual lives. ``The Y2K problem still has the potential to be very disruptive, necessitating continued, intensive preparation in the time remaining,'' it said.
Many doctors' offices, small hospitals, school districts, 911 emergency systems and local bus systems could face temporary disruptions because of failures to fix computers, it said.
Some older computer systems use only two digits to designate years, and could mistake the year 2000, or ``00,'' as 1900, which some experts fear could cause computers to malfunction or break down.
The federal government will spend more than $8 billion to fix the problem, and wholesale failure of federal services is unlikely to occur.
Generally that's true of other large public services and businesses. A nationwide blackout will not occur, the telecommunications industry has spent billions on Y2K fixes, air traffic control systems are ready and banks will have functioning ATM machines and plenty of money on hand, the report concluded.
John Koskinen, President Clinton's chief Y2K adviser, agreed with the Senate assessment. The bottom line, he said, is that ``there will be some glitches, and nobody is guaranteeing perfection even in the sectors'' where much money and technical expertise has been employed.
Koskinen said he and the panel had had some differences in perspective earlier, but ``It is clear, now that we are into the last 100 days, that we are pretty much in agreement on where the risks are.''
According to the report, those risks include:
-Many physicians' offices, nursing homes and inner-city and small rural hospitals have high-risk exposure. Conversely, pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors and large-scale hospitals are in good shape.
-While the Federal Aviation Administration has succeeded in ensuring air traffic control functions, risks remain in areas such as jetway security systems and runway lighting. Disruptions resulting in delays at some U.S. airports are likely.
-Several states and many local governments lag behind. Some 10 states are not prepared to deliver such services as unemployment insurance and other benefits. Of great concern is local 911 public safety answering points.
-Among business sectors, insurance, investment and banking are doing well, but others, including education, agriculture and construction, are not. It could take three to 15 days to regain lost operational capabilities.
-Internationally, the Y2K picture is disturbing in Russia, China, Italy and several oil-producing countries. Some important trading partners are months behind in addressing the problem and economic repercussions could result in requests for humanitarian aid.
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-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), September 21, 1999.
Russia, China, Italy, and several oil producing countries? Say what? And the stock markets trucks on......I also find it hard to believe that things are so much better than the first report, which IMHO was skewed towards the optimistic also.
-- Forrest Covington (theforrest@mindspring.com), September 21, 1999.
By golly gee, this here "last" .gov report jes gettin round ta admitting a thing or two, jes a little.Health care, big huge slice o dee economy, bye-bye. Especially Medicare & Medicaid, hospitals, doctor's offices, prescriptions, 911 -- no biggee, our witch doctor can still brew! Yeehaw. Cull de creme, Koffinsky.
Everything's gonna be inconvenient; lotsa tragedies, but they'll be dwarfed by the interminable incessant inconveniences. Besides the dead no longer view it as a tragedy.
Guttermint doin jes great cept dem local govts. Course dey gotta interface wit dem big boys for anything to happen, so nuttin will happen, but ya can't blame the big boys. Jes polish yo pitchforks 'n put away a can o beans.
America gonna be a mess but all those other countries gonna meltdown. Humanitarian disasters they be. Too bad nobody gonna be able to help nobody else. Oopsie bye-bye.
Now they say it ain't gonna go to either extreme. Define the extremes? Do they know bout Chicken Little 'n some o dis here Doomer Club? CIA say 3 BBBBBillion dead, but others say 3.5; other pools poll more. Then there's Pollys that say Y2K done there zee best thing that'll ever happen to the world and the economy and their ego. So ya jes gotta define "extreme." Then we'll top it, heeheeheheheheh.
``The Y2K problem still has the potential to be very disruptive, necessitating continued, intensive preparation in the time remaining...'' Uh, dey changing dat tune ever so slightly? Please adjust your hearing aids.
Banks will have plenty of money on hand. Sure enough, cuz they gonna close their doors and not let it out the door. Duh.
The bottom line, Koskinen said, is that ``there will be some glitches, and nobody is guaranteeing perfection even in the sectors'' where much money and technical expertise has been employed.
BBWWAAHHAHAHAHAHAHA !! Doggone if he didn't coordinate his spin in cinc with Greedspin! Lower your expectations, no lower, lower, lower, no lower, lower, down, down, lower, lower
Disruptions at airports ... hope dey gots lotsa cots.
No school, no food, no building, no health care, no govt checks, no local government, no public safety, etc. etc. but hey you won't notice.
"It could take three to 15 days to regain lost operational capabilities." Righto! Dey just like to procrastinate, but when everything stops they'll get right on it and fix it easy as pie.
"Russia, China, Italy and several oil-producing countries. Some important trading partners are months behind in addressing the problem and economic repercussions could result in requests for humanitarian aid."
BBWWWAAAHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA !!!!
Nukes a'flyin, no oil, no trade, uh, humanitarian aid can't keep up with the hurricanes, storms, 'n earthquakes as is ... but y'all won't notice nuttin~!
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
BTW, just heard on the News, ABC, yep dey said outright No Medicare or Medicaid, no fuel. Anybody gonna notice?
-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), September 21, 1999.
The Senate Y2K committee held hearings about the education system today but there is nothing new on the site as of right now FYI.
-- Brian (imager@home.com), September 21, 1999.
3 to 15 days? Sheeze what are they smoking? Hell, they aren't smoking, they are on some Dr. prescription drug!A&L! LOL shaking my head.
-- Mitchell Barnes (spanda@inreach.com), September 21, 1999.
Hope you have a team of mules and wagons, seems that what you are gonna need. You might want to have some good shovels to scoop up the crap.
-- ET (bneville@zebra.net), September 21, 1999.
ABC News said they had a sneak preview on this Senate report and it will mention the 4 specific oil producers that are behind schedule- Nigeria, Venz, Saudi Arabia and I think the 4th was Russia but I'm not sure. This surprises me that the Senate would specify the Saudis as a prob.But then I remembered, earlier in the day I noticed NY Democrat Schumer sent letters to Clinton and Eng Sec Richardson suggesting crude sales from our Strategic Reserve. I would not be surprised. Everyone is worried about the inflationary probs with $30 crude and if Congress wanted to release SPR barrels for y2k they'd probably need to get the process rolling soon. So watch out if you're long oil or short stock positions....
-- Downstreamer (downstream@bigfoot.com), September 22, 1999.
Ashton & Leska,you wrote:"BTW, just heard on the News, ABC, yep dey said outright No Medicare or Medicaid, no fuel. Anybody gonna notice?"
Did you seriously hear this reported on the news already? Did they end it with a happy face?
Deb
Linkmeister,
Thanks for the post.
Americans should prepare accordingly.
I wonder if the prep message will strengthen with this report?
-- Deborah (infowars@yahoo.com), September 22, 1999.
"Greedspin"ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ladies and gentleman, we stand at the edge of the great abyss waiting for the slightest nudge that will send us falling...
Toast.
Mike
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-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), September 22, 1999.
The situation is more serious outside the country...Good thing our country is self-reliant. Wouldn't want to suffer needlessly due to other country's problems.
-- Uncle Bob (UNCLB0B@Y2KOK.ORG), September 22, 1999.
I caught only part of the ABC thing but it was ominous, what I heard. It was from the citizen's group and it wasn't good...At the end, Peter Jennings said, "But there's no reason to panic." That, to me, dropped into the living room with a big THUD. LIke he just gave some mighty sour medicine and then says pro forma, "Don't panic." But there was no reason as to why one should NOT panic...I am personally panicked.
-- Mara Wayne (MaraWayne@aol.com), September 22, 1999.
LOL A & L,``The true extent of Y2K failures will match neither the most optimistic nor the most apocalyptic predictions,''
Humm. Well that narrows the range somewhat. Maybe a 3 to 7- ish?
*Sigh*
``The Y2K problem still has the potential to be very disruptive, necessitating continued, intensive preparation in the time remaining,''
3-days. Uh, huh. Like Floyd?
Diane
See also...
Medicaid System at Risk of Failing in Over Half of States
http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id= 001PI0
-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), September 22, 1999.
Deborah, yes seriously, we did hear that on ABC, Peter Jennings. We were serving din-din and didn't hear the ending. Besides, we were hooting our Doomer Catcall Cackles by that time. Gotta entertain the patients! ;^) We carried our patient all the way upstairs tonight so she could read these threads. She's never seen a computer before, much less read anything on the Internet. She's tickled as punch, also glad to see the lovely upstairs of her home again -- been a long time no see, wheelchair-bound, until tonight ...Damn them for letting Medicare & Medicaid fall by the wayside. These elderly builders of our country, this WWII generation, has a grit and graciousness that we are going to greatly miss.
-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), September 22, 1999.
Ashton & Leska,Missed ole Peter this evening. Darn!
Someone else saw it too...
ABC News this evening...reported Medicaid will most likely fail
http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id= 001Rp4Hope you help your patient really "tour" the net. How fun! Especially when the other newz is so sad.
Diane
-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), September 22, 1999.
Ashton & Leska,re: Doomer Catcalls, LOL!
re: Medicaire & Medicaid -sigh- Also, inner-city hospitals, nursing homes, unemployment. The poor & elderly will get hit the hardest, although they say invesment banking is looking just dandy so don't worry.
Thanks for the report.
Deb
Mara,
Thanks for the report. You sound like you're having one of those days. I wish you could see me, I'm making a really funny face. You would laugh. I know it.
Deb
Diane,
You wrote: Humm. Well that narrows the range somewhat. Maybe a 3 to 7- ish?
That is exactly what I thought when I read that.
:-)
Deb
-- Deborah (infowars@yahoo.com), September 22, 1999.
Am I just dense, or what? I keep seeing statements like:" The federal government will spend more than $8 billion to fix the problem, and wholesale failure of federal services is unlikely to occur."
and the first thing that passes through my mind is - was $8M enough? I mean big numbers look impressive but what is the magic number? If this same sentence had said - $2 billion - I would have been impressed. So, do you get my drift???
-- April (Alwzapril@home.com), September 22, 1999.
$ 8 Billion for a hoax?Hortencia, ya think there's anything to this Y2K thing?
-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), September 22, 1999.
not just a 3-day storm.
who woulda thunk
-- whazzat? (last@report.1999), September 22, 1999.
"The true extent of Y2K failures will match neither the most optomistic nor the most apocalyptic predictions"...So, where does that leave us? somewhere between a 2 and a 9? Boy they really blew it and pin pointed that one didn't they? With the oil problem they are 'sorta' admitting to and the health care ditto, how are we just going to have BITR? And I just heard them asking on C-Span for another $91 million to help Vet.'s Admin and Housing to continue their work on Y2K. Why is this the final report? Seems there must still be some work to do - shouldn't the final report come in when all is done? And I haven't read the final report yet - just this thread/summary. Dentist should love Y2K - think of all the 'repairs' they will have just from the gnashing of teeth!! As Diane and Leska say -- BIG Sigh!!!!!
-- Valkyrie (Anon@please.net), September 22, 1999.
Example of monstrous spin:"The panel, headed by Sens. Robert Bennett, R-Utah, and Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., is issuing the report Wednesday. Its report, distributed in advance, noted that the Y2K problem has been likened to a winter storm, and Americans should prepare accordingly."
What the report actually says is [bold my own]:
"It is not possible for the Committee to provide specific Y2K preparedness guidelines for individuals because the situation of each individual is unique. The best advice the Committee can give is that individuals must take charge of their own Y2K lives by seeking out information, asking questions, and selecting pre-paredness guidelines that are most relevant to their situations. The Committee can provide the following general guidelines:"
[snip]So where does that reporter take this "should prepare accordingly" statement?
-- Chris (#$%^&@pond.com), September 22, 1999.
I'm sifting through the report now, and I'm not happy about it. (Didn't expect to be.)I have to wonder if at this point it's a good thing or not that 98% of the population is not the least bit interested in this stuff. I think that if most people were *capable of absorbing* this TODAY, they would absolutely FREAK OUT!
-- pshannon (pshannon@inch.com), September 22, 1999.
Hhhmmm, ya would get spun a bit in a 3-day tornado ...
-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), September 22, 1999.
But hand it to Bennett and the committee, they also warn of the spin in that same page of the report:"The Committee has worked to provide the most accurate information possible on the Y2K problem and its probable effects. Where industries and government agencies have been less than candid, the Committee has taken every possible measure to extract the necessary information to satisfy the publics right to know and to enable reasonable personal con-tingency planning. Despite the Committees efforts, dissatisfaction remains with the information provided by the government and other sources and reported by the media."
-- Chris (#$%^&@pond.com), September 22, 1999.
I absolutely agree with you pshannon, I'm very surprised by the punch of this report and I AM freaking out. All that comes to my mind right now is the french saying my mother always said "Heureux les creux le royaume des cieux est a eux" A neat rhyme that translates into "happy are the empty heads, havens is theirs", or most commonly known as ignorance is bliss.
-- Chris (#$%^&@pond.com), September 22, 1999.
Last night the Angel of Death visited us. But we're not on a hospice job, and neither of our patients died. But He most definitely came. There is joy and freedom there, and a certain vibration, can't be put into words ...
-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), September 22, 1999.
Y'all are freakin'?Why?
We're still toast.. nothing's changed.....
Chris, maybe we need to start that part-time business together soon, for the extra prep $$....
-- lisa (lisa@work.now), September 22, 1999.
Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem
of the United States Senate
100 Day Report:
September 22, 1999
http:// www.senate.gov/~y2k/documents/100dayrpt/Table of Contents
http://www.senate.gov/~y2k/documents/100dayrpt/ toc_100days.pdfExecutive Summary
http://www.senate.gov/~y2k/documents/100dayrpt/ exec_sum_100days.pdfIntroduction
http://www.senate.gov/~y2k/documents/ 100dayrpt/introduction_100days.pdfSectors
Utilities
http://www.senate.gov/~y2k/documents/100dayrpt/ utilities_100days.pdfHealth Care
http://www.senate.gov/~y2k/documents/ 100dayrpt/healthcare_100days.pdfTelecommunications
http://www.senate.gov/~y2k/documents/100dayrpt/ telecomm_100days.pdfTransportation
http://www.senate.gov/~y2k/documents/100dayrpt/ transport_100days.pdfFinancial Services
http://www.senate.gov/~y2k/documents/100dayrpt/ finance_100days.pdfGeneral Government Services
http://www.senate.gov/~y2k/documents/100dayrpt/ gengovern_100days.pdfBusiness Services
http://www.senate.gov/~y2k/documents/ 100dayrpt/genbusiness_100days.pdfLitigation
http://www.senate.gov/~y2k/documents/ 100dayrpt/litigation_100days.pdfInternational Preparedness
http://www.senate.gov/~y2k/documents/ 100dayrpt/international_100days.pdfPersonal Preparedness
http://www.senate.gov/~y2k/documents/ 100dayrpt/personal_prepare_100days.pdfLooking Ahead
Beyond Y2K
http://www.senate.gov/~y2k/documents/100dayrpt/ beyondy2k_100days.pdfAppendices
Appendix I: Legislative Activities of the 106th Congress
http://www.senate.gov/~y2k/documents/100dayrpt/ apndixi_100days.pdfAppendix II: Y2K Letters
http://www.senate.gov/~y2k/documents/100dayrpt/ apndixii_100days.pdfAppendix III: Committee Hearings
http://www.senate.gov/~y2k/documents/100dayrpt/ apndixiii_100days.pdfAppendix IV: Y2K Related Websites
http://www.senate.gov/~y2k/documents/100dayrpt/ apndixiv_100days.pdfAppendix V: Acronyms used in this report
http://www.senate.gov/~y2k/documents/100dayrpt/ apndixv_100days.pdf###
For the Adobe Acrobat PDF file challenged...
Whenever you have the complete internet PDF code of a document, you can send an e-mail to Adobe for an instant, automatic text conversion...
Send to: pdf2txt@adobe.com
The Subject line can be anything, but ONLY one pdf code can be in the body of the message... just the code... no message. Within a couple minutes Adobe will send you back a text coverted copy. Youll miss the graphics, but it allows the Adobe Acrobat challenged to see what its all about.
(If for any reason it doesnt convert, try resending or contact the Adobe web-site folks for help).
Try it, A SEPERATE E-MAIL, for each of the Senate 100 Days report pdf codes listed above.
Diane
-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), September 22, 1999.
I've been lulled from too much media spin, read too many obtimistic polly posts, have been too isolated from y2k in "real life" and not enough hard data. That report spooked me back into my senses.I don't feel like dancing on tables anymore.
-- Chris (#$%^&@pond.com), September 22, 1999.
Time to get an exact inventory of your preps, if you haven't already.Time to read those prep lists you've been saving.
Don't wait.
-- no talking please (breadlines@soupkitchen.gov), September 22, 1999.
http://abcnews.go.com/onair/worldnewstonight/transcripts/wnt990922_y2k _transcript.html[Fair Use: For Educational/Research Purposes Only]
Y2K Still Poses Threat
World News Tonight
Tuesday, September 21, 1999
(This is an unedited, uncorrected transcript.)
PETER JENNINGS Back in Washington today, the Treasury secretary said he would not support any future lending to Russia until the money was better protected. Larry Summers said he was in favor of helping Russia, but given problems with the rule of law there, it makes more sense, he said, to be more careful. In Washington, the Senate committee in charge of evaluating the countrys preparations for the year 2000 computer problem has decided to release its final report tomorrow. Its 100 days tomorrow until the new millennium, and ABCs James Walker has had an early look at the report.
JAMES WALKER, ABCNEWS (VO) The report says that overall, the United States has made enormous progress, that banks, ATM machines, brokerage firms, major phone companies and large utilities are ready for the millennium. But there are specific problems still. It says local and regional power outages are a distinct possibilitywhere it does not say. It warns that 800,000 small and medium-sized businesses are extremely unprepared for Y2K. That could disrupt delivery of parts to larger companies. It also warns imported oil shipments could be interrupted because four key producers have not fixed their computers. The biggest concern is Medicaid computers in 30 states and the District of Columbia are at considerable risk of failure. That could jeopardize health care for millions of Americans.
NORMAN DEAN, CENTER FOR Y2K AND SOCIETY It would take nothing short of a miracle for all of the hospital, nursing homes and clinics to get ready in time.
JAMES WALKER (VO) Chairman Robert Bennett concedes there are no guarantees. SEN ROBERT BENNETT, (R), SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON Y2K TECH PROBLEM Weve never been through anything like this. We just dont know.
JAMES WALKER (on camera) Officials do say there is absolutely no cause for people to panic. James Walker, ABCNEWS, Washington.
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-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), September 23, 1999.
Boy that iceberg is getting closer, good thing this ship is "unsinkable".
-- Bill (y2khippo@yahoo.com), September 23, 1999.