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Technology Stocks : Y2K (Year 2000): Is Wall Street & Banking Vulnerable? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: bearcub who wrote (14)	5/28/1999 11:15:00 AM
From: Christine Traut	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 158

Bearcub and Ken: I know that the common wisdom is that the White House got cold feet on Y2K protection because they are in bed with the Trial Lawyer's Association. But I think that the Democrats may be nervous for additional reasons. I'm patiently waiting to find out just how angry the American public is likely to get at technology companies. After all, tech companies haven't been doing a stellar job at controlling software quality or Y2K remediation. Microsoft is planning to put up a 'consumer' Y2K web site in June - that's coming right up. Most people still think that Microsoft's stuff is Y2K compliant. Wonder how they will react when they realize they are going to have to patch all of their PC operating systems. Maybe the Dick Morris pollsters are getting some early feedback that the voting public is going to be really, really angry about Y2K. Speculation, but reasonable speculation. If so, I just don't think that the Democrats are going to want to be within a million miles of a bill that could be interpreted as protecting Big Business. Yes, you little libertarians in Silicon Valley, tech has become Big Business. Deal with it sweethearts, you're going to be the bad guys. Christine

To: bearcub who wrote (14)	5/28/1999 11:56:00 AM
From: Ken Salaets	Respond to of 158

If you mean veto the eventual liability bill, no, I don't think he will. Rather, he will wait until Congress is out of town during the August recess and then claim credit for it during a Rose Garden signing ceremony! The WH gang is attempting to water down the McCain-Wyden-Dodd compromise to the point of irrelevance, but is meeting substantial resistance, including from the principal Democrats supporting S. 96. The WH made a concerted effort to drive a wedge between the IT industry and the rest of the Year 2000 Coalition, but failed. Unfortunately, there are members of my community who walk into those meetings with their arms behind their backs, begging someone to twists it, so there will likely still be turbulence on that front. The Dodd compromise is a reasonable, balanced bill which benefits no particular interest group. Everyone has to give up something (including the trial lawyers), and in my experience in D.C., that's the definition of a good bill. ggg. Note to Christine: don't know if there are any polls being taken by the WH, but I know for a fact that the trial lawyers are engaged. Ken