This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_004C_01C22288.E57916D0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Should I send this off and hope for some reaction? or does it suck and = somebody else should? or am i just forgetting something? and I'm not = sure if i should keep the very last line and url in as our page doesn't = mention this topic. anthony Hello, As a longtime listener, I thought that a little local government news = that isn't getting ANY popular press but has far reaching impact might = be worth a few words of discussion. The state of Arizona, as well as several if not all counties and school = districts, has a clause for debarring contractors if they have violated = certain Federal laws concerning Antitrust activities. Last year, = Microsoft was found guilty of just such actions and are now in the = penalty phase. A large group of concerned citizens has realized that = many of our goverment agencies are therefore "breaking the rules" by = spending MILLIONS on contracts with Microsoft when they should not even = be in the running for these contracts. Here is an excerpt from an email I sent to my County Councilman: "According to MC1-902 DEBARMENT AND SUSPENSION OF CONTRACTORS, I read = the following: "B. The causes for Debarment or Suspension shall include, but are not limited to, the following: 2. Conviction of any Person or any subsidiary or affiliate of any Person under any statute of the Federal government, this State or its political subdivision or any other State for: k. Any other offense indicating a lack of business integrity or business honesty which affects responsibility as a Contractor. 3. Conviction or civil judgment finding a violation by any Person or any subsidiary or affiliate of any Person under State or Federal Antitrust Statutes." Microsoft, having been convicted of Federal Antitrust Statutes = (penalties pending), clearly falls into the catagory described in part = 3, and several court cases past and pending show a clear lack of = integrity and business honesty as outlined in part 2. I cannot find = that ANY government body would be willing to work with such contractors, = let alone having rules against it and clearly ignoring those rules. There are many alternatives to Microsofts products. Alternatives that = have broken no laws, Federal or Local, are well supported and used by = many large governments (Germany, Taiwan, et al). As a concerned voter = in Chandler, I must point out that I cannot support criminal behavior = and would hope that my County Council would see fit to do the same and = ONLY consider alternatives as Microsoft is clearly unqualified to meet = County requirements." The county has responded to us thus: "You recently inquired about the County's use of Microsoft products and = the manner in which we license their software. We appreciate your = interest in the County's technology plans. To provide a forum in which = to discuss our technology direction and address any questions you may = have, we will have Information Technology staff members available to = meet with citizens at 8:30 am on Monday July 8th. The meeting location = will be the County Administration Building at 301 W. Jefferson in Suite = 420. Please RSVP your attendance so we can ensure that adequate = facilities are available for the meeting. Thank you for your inquiry,=20 Paul Allsing=20 Deputy CIO=20 Maricopa County=20 301 W Jefferson, Suite 420=20 Phoenix, AZ 85003 " Yes, this Monday. If you are at all interested and would like further = information for perusal, feel free to reply to this email or view the = following urls: http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=3D02/06/17/1651231&tid=3D103 = (Slashdot) and again here: = http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=3D02/07/01/1832218&mode=3Dthread&tid=3D= 167 http://pluglist.mybutt.net/pipermail/plug-discuss/2002-July/026752.html = (discussion thread of Phoenix Linux user Group) http://pluglist.mybutt.net/pipermail/plug-discuss/2002-June/025868.html = (discussion thread of Phoenix Linux user Group) http://pluglist.mybutt.net/pipermail/plug-discuss/2002-June/026044.html = (discussion thread of Phoenix Linux user Group) http://pluglist.mybutt.net/pipermail/plug-discuss/2002-June/026345.html = (discussion thread of Phoenix Linux user Group) Alternatives to Microsoft are secure and even used by governments = (Germany, Taiwan) with the cost being inexpesive and the total cost of = ownership being 50% less. We are organizing several meetings about how to handle the Monday = meeting, interested parties can follow along at our website: http://plug.phoenix.az.us/ Thank you, Anthony Milbauer (480) 659-9920 ------=_NextPart_000_004C_01C22288.E57916D0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Should I send this off and hope for some reaction? or does it suck = and=20 somebody else should?  or am i just forgetting something? and I'm = not sure=20 if i should keep the very last line and url in as our page doesn't = mention this=20 topic.
 
anthony
 
 
Hello,
 
As a longtime listener, I thought that = a little=20 local government news that isn't getting ANY popular press but has far = reaching=20 impact might be worth a few words of discussion.
 
The state of Arizona, as well as = several if not all=20 counties and school districts, has a clause for debarring contractors if = they=20 have violated certain Federal laws concerning Antitrust = activities.  Last=20 year, Microsoft was found guilty of just such actions and are now in the = penalty=20 phase.  A large group of concerned citizens has realized that many = of our=20 goverment agencies are therefore "breaking the rules" by spending = MILLIONS on=20 contracts with Microsoft when they should not even be in the running for = these=20 contracts.
 
Here is an excerpt from an email I sent = to my=20 County Councilman:
 
"According to MC1-902 DEBARMENT AND = SUSPENSION OF=20 CONTRACTORS, I read the following:
 
"B. The causes for Debarment or = Suspension shall=20 include, but are not
limited to, the following:
2. Conviction of = any=20 Person or any subsidiary or affiliate of any Person
under any statute = of the=20 Federal government, this State or its political
subdivision or any = other=20 State for:
k. Any other offense indicating a lack of business = integrity or=20 business
honesty which affects responsibility as a Contractor.
3.=20 Conviction or civil judgment finding a violation by any Person or=20 any
subsidiary or affiliate of any Person under State or Federal=20 Antitrust
Statutes."
 
Microsoft, having been convicted of = Federal=20 Antitrust Statutes (penalties pending), clearly falls into the catagory=20 described in part 3, and several court cases past and pending show a = clear lack=20 of integrity and business honesty as outlined in part 2.  I=20 cannot find that ANY government body would be willing to work with = such=20 contractors, let alone having rules against it and clearly ignoring = those=20 rules.
 
There are many alternatives to = Microsofts=20 products.  Alternatives that have broken no laws, Federal or Local, = are=20 well supported and used by many large governments (Germany, Taiwan, et=20 al).  As a concerned voter in Chandler, I must point out that I = cannot=20 support criminal behavior and would hope that my County Council would = see fit to=20 do the same and ONLY consider alternatives as Microsoft is clearly = unqualified=20 to meet County requirements."
 
The county has responded to us thus:
 
"You recently inquired = about the=20 County's use of Microsoft products and the manner in which we license = their=20 software.  We appreciate your interest in the County's technology=20 plans.  To provide a forum in which to discuss our technology = direction and=20 address any questions you may have, we will have Information Technology = staff=20 members available to meet with citizens at 8:30 am on Monday July = 8th.  The=20 meeting location will be the County Administration Building at 301 W. = Jefferson=20 in Suite 420.  Please RSVP your attendance so we can ensure that = adequate=20 facilities are available for the meeting.

Thank you for your = inquiry,
Paul Allsing
Deputy CIO
Maricopa County
301 W Jefferson, Suite 420 =
Phoenix, AZ 85003 "
 
Yes, this Monday.  If you are at = all=20 interested and would like further information for perusal, feel free to = reply to=20 this email or view the following urls:
 
http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=3D02/06/17/1651231&tid=3D103=20 (Slashdot)
 
and again here: http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=3D02/07/01/18322= 18&mode=3Dthread&tid=3D167
 
http://pluglist.mybutt.net/pipermail/plug-discuss/2002-July/02675= 2.html (discussion=20 thread of Phoenix Linux user Group)
 
http://pluglist.mybutt.net/pipermail/plug-discuss/2002-June/02586= 8.html (discussion=20 thread of Phoenix Linux user Group)
 
http://pluglist.mybutt.net/pipermail/plug-discuss/2002-June/02604= 4.html (discussion=20 thread of Phoenix Linux user Group)
 
http://pluglist.mybutt.net/pipermail/plug-discuss/2002-June/02634= 5.html (discussion=20 thread of Phoenix Linux user Group)
 
Alternatives to Microsoft are secure and even used by governments = (Germany,=20 Taiwan) with the cost being inexpesive and the total cost of ownership = being 50%=20 less.
 
We are organizing several meetings about how to handle the Monday = meeting,=20 interested parties can follow along at our website:
 
http://plug.phoenix.az.us/
 
Thank you,
 
Anthony Milbauer
(480) 659-9920
 
 
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