Please see the following story, which ran in today's Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel in response to the story about the Wisconsin National Guard yesterday:

http://www.jsonline.com/news/1008elec.asp

Can anyone be surprised that the utility is retracting its recommendation to buy generators? I bet that attorney's head is on the chopping block.

Unfortunately, most people who read this will go back to their comfortable "Everything is OK after all" mindset. What is needed are answers from utilities on the hard questions, which requires research on the part of lazy reporters. Don't hold your breath.

-- Steve Hartsman (hartsman@ticon.net), October 08, 1998

Answers

it doesn't matter how many people read articles like that they will not wake up.. The mindset of the American people is not going to change until they have to face a crisis and the government isn't there to bail them out.. The machine has successfully associated self- sufficiency with right-wing extremism.

-- michael (michael813@yahoo.com), October 08, 1998.

I kinda figured they would back off. Heavens, the stock price might drop or something and the SEC would have to investigate. Do you realize that if a CEO had his people bring him absolute proof that if some horrible but preventable problem was coming, and the only way to fix it was to get the word out, he would be jailed if he made a public announcement? The rules clearly state that a company official cannot make any statement that might drive the price of the stock down - its meant to prevent the company from buying back part or all of its stock at bargain prices. Funny huh - we're laughing ourselves into the graveyard.

-- Paul Davis (davisp1953@yahoo.com), October 08, 1998.

I know what you mean Steve, I had my husband tell me that the state of Pennsylvania had solved the Year 2000 problem. The actual news was that the state was announcing that it's software was compliant. It doesn't take much to confuse people.

-- Amy Leone (aleone@amp.com), October 08, 1998.

No one likes to hear bad news. People like to blame others for their problems, and it's always "shoot the messenger." The minority will be prepared to take care of themselves, God help the majority. No company or attorney will tell you to get prepared because they don't know the severity of the problem and it all boils down to liability, not reliability. I don't trust what anyone says because their basic come back will be "we underestimated the severity of the problem." In the meantime the sheeples are left out in the cold wanting the minority to take care of them. Do what you can but take care of yourself and family first.

-- Bardou (bardou@baloney.com), October 08, 1998.

Hey, they sent in the 1st team:

"But utility and municipal officials also say they have worked on the problem for at least a year and are spending millions of dollars to make sure their computers survive the problem."

That means, "See, look, we've done due dilligence. We knew about the problem, we worked hard to solve the problem, and we spent a lot of money trying to fix the problem. Don't blame us if it isn't fixed."

What baloney!

Poor Mari Nahn. I hope she's able to get a new job.

rocky.

-- rocky (rknolls@hotmail.com), October 08, 1998.

So where did she get the idea that Alliant was advising its customers to look into alternate energy sources? I find it hard to believe she dreamed it up all by herself. Sounds more like an internal suggestion that was shot down. Somebody missed a meeting, and the cat's out of the bag. Maybe I'm all wet...

-- Mike (gartner@execpc.com), October 08, 1998.

It seems to me from the comments I've read here (mine included) that we are seriously underestimating the intelligence of the American public. If the public is fed the corporate mantra, they tend to accept it. However, if the truth is put out there in a compelling manner, it usually doesn't take long for most folks to "get it".

So I continue to push awareness, and I continue to push the local media, and anyone else I can, to inform. Not a 2-minute fluff piece, not a page 20 sidebar, but in-depth, hard-hitting, global impact pieces. It will happen--it's just a matter of when. Nightline has a story ready to run (perhaps next year, given current events). I expect 60 Minutes to devote a segment or an entire show at some point. Of course, the likely response is that some will brush it off (probably one-third), others will be shocked but won't prepare (probably one-third), but the other one-third will GET IT!!!

-- Steve Hartsman (hartsman@ticon.net), October 09, 1998.

When John Q. Public finally gets a personal taste of a Y2K problem, or personally knows someone who does, then and only then will he GET IT. (E.g., Granny stops getting her monthly checks in April 1999 because her state rolled over to fiscal year 2000.) Then John Q. will realize for the first time what "The Y2K Problem" really means, and will head for the bank to GET IT, all of it, out in cash.

-- Joe (shar@pei.com), October 09, 1998.