--------------000100080103080103060508 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit tickticker wrote: > 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, > Paul Allsing > Deputy CIO > Maricopa County > 301 W Jefferson, Suite 420 > 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=02/06/17/1651231&tid=103 > (Slashdot) > > and again here: > http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=02/07/01/1832218&mode=thread&tid=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 > > I say send it off, the worst they can do is ignore it. IMHO. Ray --------------000100080103080103060508 Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit tickticker wrote:
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,
Paul Allsing
Deputy CIO
Maricopa County
301 W Jefferson, Suite 420
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://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:
 
 
Thank you,
 
Anthony Milbauer
(480) 659-9920
 
 
I say send it off, the worst they can do is ignore it. IMHO.
Ray

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