http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/1999/10/22/state0149EDT0177.DTL

State agencies lagging on Year 2000 computer readiness
The Associated Press
Friday, October 22, 1999

(10-22) 01:49 EDT Here's a look at state agencies still inoculating themselves against the Y2K bug, what needs fixing and when their self-imposed deadlines:

-- Corrections: New internal telephone system, completion date Nov. 19; computer network workstations, Oct. 15.

-- Education: Computer network hardware, supposed to be done Aug. 31.

-- Employment Development: Scanning software, Nov. 16; telephone system, Dec. 9.

-- General Service: Air-conditioning in state building, Oct. 31; computer chips in leased state building, Dec. 31.

-- Health Services: Computer chips in building, Nov. 11.

-- Motor Vehicles: Data exchanges with other states, Oct. 30.

-- Toxic Substances Control: Computer chips in five pieces of equipment used to test soil and air samples for toxicity at the Berkeley lab, Nov. 15 and 30.

-- Transportation: Computer chips that monitor whether emergency call boxes on six toll bridges are working, Nov. 30.

-- Veterans Affairs: Two sets of computer terminals in Barstow, Nov. 30; heating and air conditioning chips, Nov. 30; computer connections between state and federal government, Oct. 15; related software at Yountville home, Nov. 1.

-- Youth Authority: Alarms carried by staff, Nov. 1; ward tracking computer, Nov. 19; wards' money tracking computer, Oct. 22; two-way radios at Stockton, Dec. 15; prescription tracking computer, Oct. 30; telephone system at El Paso del Robles, Nov. 2.

Source: Year 2000 Quarterly Report, dated Oct. 15, by the Department of Information Technology. It is available on the Internet at:
http://www.year2000.ca.gov/publications

-- (not-here@not-really.no-way), October 22, 1999

Answers

http://www.recordnet.com/daily/news/articles/3news102299.html

L ink

Originally published Friday, October 22, 1999

Y2K Update

Report cites Stockton CYA

State warns bugs not yet worked out

By Jennifer Kerr The Associated Press

SACRAMENTO -- The state proclaims its major computer systems 96.5 percent ready for the Y2K computer glitch, but key agencies that jail young criminals, house aging veterans and clean up toxic waste are lagging behind.

The latest quarterly report of state Y2K readiness issued by the Department of Information Technology (DOIT) shows 10 of the 38 state departments with important computer systems have work to do in the final two months of 1999.

One of the last systems in need of fixing is the two-way radios that connect guards on the fences around the California Youth Authority's four-institution complex in Stockton with the main office, the report says.

At the Stockton CYA complex, the chip that lets the radio frequencies rotate so outsiders can't eavesdrop isn't scheduled to be replaced and tested until Dec. 15.

If they aren't fixed on time, ''the radios will still work, but instead of rotating frequencies, it will lock on one frequency,'' Youth Authority spokesman J.P. Tremblay said Thursday. ''It's not an urgent problem.''

The Youth Authority has a contingency plan in place to make sure the 7,900 young criminals in 11 institutions and four camps are safe and secure, he said.

''There's no concern at all about the old thing of the gates flying open,'' Tremblay said. ''The doors don't automatically open if the power goes out -- they automatically lock.''

CYA has been slow because many of its facilities are very old, he said. Two -- Preston in Ione and the Fred C. Nelles in Whittier -- are more than 100 years old.

''By nature, our department has not been on the cutting edge of technology,'' Tremblay said.

That's also the case for Veterans' Affairs, which runs the state's two homes for aged veterans in Yountville and Barstow, DOIT spokesman Oscar Gonzales said Thursday.

''Veterans Affairs and CYA have the most antiquated systems compared to anyone else. That really has put a strain on getting them up to speed,'' he said.

The main problem in Veterans Affairs is the testing of new software that lets the department link with the federal government to check benefits for the 1,600 veterans in the homes, he said. The department hopes to finish with its systems by Nov. 30.

The Department of Toxic Substances Control, which oversees cleanup of toxic sites, has five computer chips due for repair by Nov. 30.

Those are all in instruments used at the Berkeley laboratory to test soil and gas samples from toxic cleanup sites, department spokesman Ron Baker said. The department has been slow because it is difficult to replace them when they are constantly in use, he said.

''If you're going to have something fail, I'd rather have the lab equipment in DTSC than the OES (Office of Emergency Services) system for dispatching emergency equipment,'' said state Sen. Debra Bowen, D-Marina del Rey.

DOIT Director Elias Cortez said he is confident his agency has ''caught most of the big challenges.''

-- Homer Beanfang (Bats@inbellfry.com), October 22, 1999.

Davis demands Pac Bell deliver on promised, reliable data network (CA - computer problems)
http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id= 001cxh

-- (not-here@not-really.no-way), October 22, 1999.

The 2nd press release was in our local rag.

I attended the Feb y2k meeting in Sacramento, and a couple of us commented extensively upon that afternoon of hearings, they should be in the TB2k archives.

When I read PR such as above I seriously question the validity of the content.

Calif was in the pits in Feb, the pits. It wasn't until Apr or May that Calif govt began implimenting some of the recommendations from Feb. Contracts for IV&V weren't let until near summer. & on & on.

Does anyone but me look at those high completion percentages and doubt that they are true?

-- Mitchell Barnes (spanda@inreach.com), October 23, 1999.

Mitchell,

White, wheat, or rye?

PS Got sourdough?

-- flora (***@__._), October 24, 1999.