Y2K Czar Says Thousands of Businesses Still at Risk
Benny Evangelista, Chronicle Staff Writer
Monday, October 18, 1999
)1999 San Francisco Chronicle

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1999/10/18/BU9812.DTL

[Fair Use: For Educational/Research Purposes Only]

About 800,000 small businesses across the country remain at risk for Year 2000 computer failures and there is little the federal government can do to help if they experience problems, said White House Y2K czar John Koskinen.

``If you're a small company that decides to wait and fix it and does not get it fixed on time, our position is, `That's life,' '' Koskinen said in a telephone interview last week.

``It's a great, free country, and you have the freedom to fail,'' he said.

Koskinen will be in San Francisco tomorrow to chair a free public meeting to discuss how Bay Area government services and businesses are preparing for Jan. 1, 2000.

Koskinen is chairman of the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion, responsible for overseeing a $7.6 billion effort to fix federal government computer systems.

The Y2K problem may cause software and microchips that are programmed to only scan the last two digits in a year to miscalculate the year 2000 as the year 1900.

Critics have accused Koskinen of downplaying the federal government's Y2K problems to avoid spreading panic and fear.

Koskinen said he believes that federal agencies have made great strides in the past year and will be ready to survive the date change without serious problems.

But he also said critics ignore the fact that his agency is still warning that there will be Y2K failures abroad and that small businesses and smaller hospitals in this country remain vulnerable.

The U.S. Small Business Administration last spring offered up to $500 million in Y2K loans for small businesses. Koskinen noted that to date, only 85 companies had Y2K loans approved or pending.

The San Francisco ``Y2K Community Conversation,'' the latest in about 350 town hall meetings nationwide sponsored by Koskinen's council this year, is scheduled from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. in the San Francisco Main Public Library's Koret Auditorium.

The library is located in Civ- ic Center at Larkin and Grove streets.

The meeting will feature Mayor Willie Brown and representatives from Bay Area banks, utilities, police and fire departments.

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), October 19, 1999

Answers

Drat! Why can't they give more advance warning on these things? Would have liked to attend!

(Wearing hiking boots!)

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), October 19, 1999.

[For you newbies: those boots are steel-toed.]

-- lisa (lisa@work.now), October 19, 1999.

rofl Lisa : )

Diane...I'm sure Koski will look you up if he's in the area ; )

So, with 73 days left we should feel very comfortable now that 800,000 businesses have done nothing and are free to fail. Yeah, warm and fuzzy feelings all over...

The position has shifted further...now we should expect failure.

Mike

===================================================================

-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), October 19, 1999.

;-D

Somehow Michael... I think he'd "avoid" me!

A John Press Release...

Worried About Y2K Meltdown? Come Talk
John A. Koskinen
Monday, October 18, 1999
)1999 San Francisco Chronicle

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/ article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1999/10/18/ED59496.DTL

[Fair Use: For Educational/Research Purposes Only]

I ONCE HEARD the story about a famous athlete who said he didn't like to answer the telephone because he was afraid that someone might be on the other end of the line.

I think that's the way a lot of us feel about the upcoming Year 2000 date change -- we know it's coming, but we're not quite sure what to expect, what might happen and what we might hear on the ``other end of the line.'' That's precisely why the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion has launched a nationwide campaign to promote local ``Community Conversations'' about Y2K. We're reaching out to communities across America and encouraging local providers of critical services, such as electric power and telecommunications, and community leaders to discuss in ``plain talk'' what citizens can expect at 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2000.

The council is working to see that all Y2K issues are addressed. We also want to be a resource for information about the Y2K date change. The council has set up a Web site (http:/ /www.y2k.gov) and a toll- free number (1 (888) USA-4Y2K) citizens can call with specific questions.

When it comes to the Y2K issue -- for governments, businesses, and citizens -- I think we all need to know what is coming on the ``other end of the line.''

John A. Koskinen is the chairman of the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion. San Francisco's Y2K Community Conversation will be held at 12:30 p.m. tomorrow at the San Francisco Main Public Library, Koret Auditorium.

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), October 19, 1999.

"The U.S. Small Business Administration last spring offered up to $500 million in Y2K loans for small businesses. Koskinen noted that to date, only 85 companies had Y2K loans approved or pending."

Tangentially-related...I wonder how many of those 85 loans are approved, compared to how many are pending? Have you ever tried to apply for a standard SBA loan? It can take up to a year for approval. Does anyone know if the SBA's Y2K loan application and approval process was streamlined in any way beyond their normal glacier speed? I seem to recall reading that it was supposed to be expedited, but I wonder if that has been true in actual practice.

-- (RUOK@yesiam.com), October 19, 1999.

Thousands of small businesses fail each and every day. No apocalypse recorded (to date) as a result.

Regards,
Andy Ray

-- Andy Ray (andyman633@hotmail.com), October 19, 1999.

"Thousands of small businesses fail each and every day. No apocalypse recorded (to date) as a result"

Andy--your mother called and said its time to come get your diaper changed--hurry home--- your beginning to create a stench amongst those that dwell in the land of common sense.

-- D.B. (dciinc@aol.com), October 19, 1999.

Andy Ray, thanks for once again displaying your true brilliance on Y2K issues. What would we do without you?

-- Ohio Bob (ohiobob@buckeyestate.com), October 19, 1999.

One, the meeting was held from 12:30 to 2:30. How many people can take off from work for two hours (considerably more with travel in lunch-time traffic)? I tend to believe this was a deliberate ploy.

Two, many more people would have heard the much more happy-face radio interview (reported on another thread) than the above.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), October 19, 1999.

I find it "odd" timing too, Old Git.

The games they play!

Radio link...

Am I on the same planet as Ko-Skin-um?

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

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), October 19, 1999.