Military running White House Y2K info center??

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Wall Street Journal, Nov.26th: Re--Canadian plans to monitor Y2K snags 3rd para. "...a Canadian delegation met with retired U.S.General Peter Kind, who is running the White House's Y2K information center..." Ques. Why do we have a ret. military officer in charge and not an IT tech advisor? reminds me of Alexander Haig's comment when Reagan was shot, 'I'm in charge here!'

-- robert gridlock (plutusx2@yahoo.com), November 29, 1999

Answers

"I am pleased to note that Lieutenant General (Retired) Peter Kind, formerly director of information systems for the Department of the Army, is serving as the Director of the ICC and is presently overseeing its development. General Kind and the ICC report directly to me and the President's Council."

Excerpt from July 29,1999 Koskinen on Y2K Information Coordination Center (Will coordinate data as world moves into new millennium)

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), November 29, 1999.


P.S... as I remember it, it wasn't Haig.. it was Bush.

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), November 29, 1999.

It frosts my lil' Kook that we spend 50 mil on a bunker for a problem that will have NO IMPACT! (Just ask Der ArkanFurher!)

Taxpayer Kook

-- Y2Kook (Y2Kook@usa.net), November 29, 1999.


robert: The General in question has a background in the subject plus experience in handling crises situations IT's could not be privy to. I would much rather have a man of experience at that position rather than a computer tech who has a rather narrow definition of world affairs. He will have computer techs available to him for advice and suggestions.

-- Neil G.Lewis (pnglewis1@yahoo.com), November 29, 1999.

Thnx linda for that insight. However, have you ever been in the military? Overkill is NOT an option here.

-- robert gridlock (plutusx2@yahoo.com), November 29, 1999.


It was Haig. He's still trying to live it down.

-- Ron Schwarz (rs@clubvb.com.delete.this), November 29, 1999.

Robert,

Of all the generals and CIOs and IT tech advisors I have known, Pete Kind is absolutley the best for this job. I am rather amazed the system/administration found him and put him in this job. Deep understanding of emergency operations, technology and technology failure, what is doable and how hard it is to do. You cannot BS him, I've seen it tried.

This is the only significant good news have seen on Y2K in many years. I am heartened.

-- ng (cantprovideemail@none.com), November 29, 1999.


Robert -

You're White House Chief of Staff, have a deep military background, and have served as NATO Commander in Chief.

The President gets shot and the VP is nowhere to be found. People are running around all over the place. Do you (a) defer to the "org chart" and hope the Veep (or Speaker of the House, or somebody) shows up real soon, or (b) state that you're "in charge here" (as in "ranking person present in the White House") and do your best to muddle through until someone who ranks you in the TO does indeed make an appearance?

(b) would seem to help the situation more than (a). YMMV.

The Dems in Congress (and some of their buddies in the media) had a field day with Gen. Haig's comment. Just politics as usual.

-- Mac (sneak@lurk.hid), November 29, 1999.


Personally, I don't care who runs the damn place, as long as Ken Olin is on-hand to jet (via SST) to wherever the fan is that will receive all that s**t!!!

-- Duke 1983 (Duke1983@AOL.com), November 29, 1999.

Pres is Commander and Chief of the armed forces. Military falls under the executive branch. I don't get the willies over this post.

-- Hokie (nn@nn.not), November 30, 1999.


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