Here's mine:

Senators,

Over the past year and a half, the FAA has maintained on numerous occasions that their systems were Y2K compliant, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Recently, they have publicly admitted that not only are their systems not ready, but won't be for many years. Even now, despite that admission, the official FAA website exclaims "The FAA is 100% Y2K Compliant!!!"

Similarly, the Social Security Administration has been found lacking in it's Year 2000 readiness in both a recent GAO report, as well as recently reported Y2K related malfunctions. This, despite the President's public assurances last December that Social Security was 100% compliant and that the system was fully tested and "secure".

Now, on the heels of news that the Government was very likely involved in a cover-up at the highest levels with regard to the Waco incident, and with President Clinton's (as well as other government officials) propensity to "stretch the truth" from time to time, why should we believe that:

a) You are telling the truth as you know it? or b) Your sources of information are telling the truth to you?

Finally, do you think it would be prudent for American Citizens to "bet their lives" on what our elected officials tell us based on their previous track record of misinformation and lies?

-- Clyde (clydeblalock@hotmail.com), September 08, 1999

Answers

Nope.

-- Dr. Roger Altman (rogaltman@aol.com), September 08, 1999.

Clyde,

Great post... 1.What about the same type claims made by the Social Security Administration??

2. Explain the government's plan to deal with screening non-compliant data from outside systems. i.e. state governments/government contractors.

3. Given the stockpiling efforts of multi-nationals like Ford and Philip Morris do you think it is still appropriate to tell the American people to plan for 3 days of disturbances???

-- michael (michael813@yahoo.com), September 08, 1999.

1. If you thought Y2K disruptions might be more than some sporadic local 3 day problems, would you tell us openly, or do you feel it would be more important to the welfare of the country to keep that matter confidential?

2. Why has there been no detailed governmental investigation and report on the readiness of the petroleum industry upon which modern society relies?

3. Will you now make public the transcripts of all meetings which have been closed to the public? If not, why not?

-- Puddintame (achillesg@hotmail.com), September 08, 1999.

I just watched the press club c-span talks by Bennett and Dodd. They said a few cans of soup is enough and do not stock up on money or food or anything. The US is in good shape for Y2k.

This is high stakes gambling and the path of least resistance is to do nothing...and that is just exactly what 3 out of 4 Americans will do.....nothing.

The "window of opportunity" is slipping away....T minis 114 and counting.

The law of averages tells me that at some point I will have been right to have prepared for Y2k. To many things go wrong on a "good day" and the deck is stacked against January being just another ho-hum month.

If things should start getting ugly I will never forgive or forget those who lied to.... and laughed at my concern.

-- tc (trashcan-man@webtv.net), September 08, 1999.

If you openly acknowledge that medical device manufacturers have claimed that their devices are compliant, and then later tested and found not compliant - why do you think that false claims of compliance are limited to the medical industry? Why should any information be trusted, even what you are telling us today about other domestic industry sector being ready?

-- Jim (x@x.x), September 08, 1999.

Thanks for the opportunity Clyde.

I have several questions that the so-called press should have asked in the televised lovefest.

Senators Bennett and Dodd,

Why should we expect Y2K to be "fixed" in a 3-7 day period when it has taken SSA ten years to supposedly reach compliance and industry has general been working on this for 2-4 years? Do you expect everyone to finish at the same time?

Around 6,000 systems of the Federal governments 70,000 have been deemed critical mission. Name a few of the "systems" deemed non-critical mission and why do we need them if they're not critical?

Are any of the Federal government agencies currently running the the systems that they will be in 2000?

A GAO report came out recently that 3 of 50 states are ready for Y2K. How will this impact the delivery of government services?

How will Washington D.C.'s recognized lack of compliance affect the ability of the government to function?

Enquiring minds would like to know, Senators.........

-- PJC (paulchri@msn.com), September 08, 1999.

My questions are:

Are you personally preparing for more than a three-day storm? If so, why are you telling everyone else not to? If not, what contingency plans do you have? Are you married? Have kids? What will you tell them and do for them if you underprepare and TSHTF?

-- Don (whytocay@hotmail.com), September 08, 1999.

I'd ask: For each of the emergency response centers being established for DOD and the US government, what is the total number of meals ("M") being stored at each center, and what is the number of people ("P") who would be at each center when it is considered fully staffed?

I'd then be real interested in computing (M /(P * 3)).

-- bw (home@puget.sound), September 08, 1999.

Here are a few more:

I know some folks who've always kept a pantry that would feed their family of four for several months. Would you say those folks are stupid or ignorant or both? In addition to having cognitive deficits, would you say that they are subversive?

Should there be a law against storing more than, say, a weeks worth of food?

Should there be a law that requires Americans to keep all of their financial assest in banks accounts?

Is the fractional reserve system of the American banking system so fragile that it cannot accomodate the needs of Americans in times of perceived difficulties?

Is the American banking system so fragile that the average middle class American really needs to worry about whether his withdrawal of money might bring down the banking system, or is the system robust enough to cope even times of stress?

Should Americans feel that they are at liberty to use the banking system to protect their own interests, or must their personal interests be subordinated to those of a fragile banking system?

-- Puddintame (achillesg@hotmail.com), September 08, 1999.

Puddintame, when I give talks on Y2k and pantry-packing, I've had people tell me straight-faced that having more than 3 days of food on hand is illegal!

-- bw (home@puget.sound), September 08, 1999.

bw,

In those instances, dope slaps are best delivered with a rubber chicken. At least the slappee won't try to make a citizens arrest if the chicken is too large.

-- Puddintame (achillesg@hotmail.com), September 08, 1999.

Senators,

In a recent Dallas Morning News article, it stated...

The federal government is mobilizing what could be the largest peacetime emergency response effort in U.S. history to deal with the main event - Jan. 1, 2000.

Since were spending $44 million dollars on the ICC Information Coordination Center, for Y2K, because ...It will be the largest event-monitoring effort in the history of the federal government... then please explain WHY, the American public is NOT being moblized concurrently? Or are there future intentions to do so, this fall, beyond the 3-to-7-day winter storm suggestions put forth doggedly by John Koskinen, Y2K's Czar?

Diane

See...

The Government's Y2K War Room

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id= 001My7

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), September 08, 1999.

Never try to teach a pig to sing.

It is a waste of time,

and it annoys the pig.

barkin' at the TV...

The Dog

-- Dog (Desert Dog@-sand.com), September 08, 1999.

My question for these two "gentlemen" is:

How long do you think you'll stay alive next February when an enraged public realizes you said that Y2K was not going to be that big a deal?

-- cody (cody@y2ksurvive.com), September 08, 1999.

I would have asked them both what their neck sizes are!! Getta rope!! Taz

-- Taz (Tassie@aol.com), September 08, 1999.

I was very disappointed in this slender event with snide jokes and little information. It truly was of zero value. I can't imagine why we had to see this sham.

-- Mara Wayne (MaraWayne@aol.com), September 08, 1999.