President's statement from Drudge

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XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX TUESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1999 12:58:44 ET XXXXX

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary ________________________________________________________________ For Immediate Release December 14, 1999

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

With the end of the year in sight, I am pleased to release Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) final quarterly report that shows that the Federal government is ready for the year 2000. As of today, 99.9 per cent of the government's mission critical computer systems are Y2K compliant. They have been fixed, tested and certified as ready for operation on January 1, 2000. We have met the challenge of making sure that the federal government can continue to serve the American people as we enter the next century.

Three years ago when we started our intensive work on Y2K, only one-fifth of the mission critical systems was ready. Many said that the Federal government was not up to the job, that the deadline would not be met, and that the price tag would be exorbitant, as much as $50 billion dollars.

Today, the facts are clear: we have done our job, we have met the deadline, and we have done it at below cost. I want to thank the thousands of dedicated men and women of the Federal government, who spent long hours, late nights, and many weekends, getting us ready for the New Year. Many of these same people will be mobilized and working throughout the New Year's weekend. Thanks to them, we have every reason to approach the change-over with confidence about the operations of the Federal government.

However, no amount of preparation can prevent us from glitches. For this reason, there are back-up plans, so that the critical functions of the Federal government can continue.

For many others, including smaller businesses and local governments, there is still work to do between now and the end of the year. I urge them to make every effort possible to fix as many computer systems as they can, and to develop contingency plans if they are needed.

As we turn our thoughts to a new year, Americans have every right to be proud of the work of their government and its employees. They will continue to work vigilantly through the holidays and into the new year so that America may celebrate the arrival of a new Millennium.

----------------------------------------------------------- Filed by Matt Drudge Reports are moved when circumstances warrant (c)DRUDGE REPORT 1999 Not for reproduction without permission of the author

-- ng (cantprovideemail@none.com), December 14, 1999

Answers

The question is, what .1% was missed? Hope it wasn't the red phone.....

-- bb (b@b.b), December 14, 1999.

Was he under oath? Oh, never mind....

-- ghost (fading into the@background.com), December 14, 1999.

Uh huh.

-- Vic (Rdrunner@internetwork.net), December 14, 1999.

About the 0.1%.

Lets say that .5% of all of the chips in the fed govt computer system were not compliant. That means that 80% were fixed. Yea!!! Others think that the original non compliant chip quantity was much higher, if this is the case, they fixed a much higher percentage of their bugs and we should be much happier.

But, of course, I am an optimist.

I also am optimistic that I have enough food for the winter of 2000 as well. My winter storm is scheduled to last about 4 months. How about yours?

-- Ned P Zimmer (ned@nednet.com), December 14, 1999.


And what about the NON-MISSION critical sytems that haven't been fixed? At some point, those non critical systems touch the critical systems and if not fixed, will crash them.

-- fatanddumb (fatdumb@nd.happy), December 14, 1999.


I'd like to see the OMB report.

Actually, I'd rather see a GAO report. I don't believe this for a minute.

-- Dog Gone (layinglow@rollover.now), December 14, 1999.


This entire discussion is worthless. Commenting on the statement of a liar is futile. Clinton is scum. If he says 99.9, then it is time to go out and buy a few extra items. I'd believe the tunes coming from the behinds of my chickens before I'd believe anything coming from Clinton's mouth. Liar, liar, liar, liar! Questions?

-- enough is (enough@enough.com), December 14, 1999.

Hey all--

Did you all notice the word "continue" used in terms of Federal government????

What was the top secret, Daniel Inouye suppressed, information about which Oliver North was asked:

FEMA's "continuity of governmnent" plans, was it??

I just find it (albeit no smoking gun, by a long shot), suggestive word choice.

Any thoughts??

sean

-- sean (uh@oh.boy), December 14, 1999.


Hilarious. Like Ivory Soap. "This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a...liar?"

-- Spidey (free@last.Amen), December 14, 1999.

Translation: Anything that goes wrong is not my fault.

-- smfdoc (smfdoc@aol.com), December 14, 1999.


This is mind boggling.

In total contravention to the history of the software industry - which rarely if ever ships on time.

It also flies in the face of standard government contracts and operating procedure - which rarely if ever ships on time.

99.9% tested - by whom? I haven't heard, have you?

99.9% certified - by whom? I haven't heard, have you?

Went from a B+ to A+ in 3 weeks.

Sorry guys, but this is very worrisome. When is the last time you got a statement from Clinton that was this clear? Very little wiggle room here.

I imagine I'll be excoriated by the polly crowd for being a doomer. But what do you expect us to expect from this liar-in-chief?

At this point, I have all ears open for a "Reichstag Fire". There will definitely be a big event that happens - it's the only way to cover this statement.

Jolly is buying more cans of chili.

-- Jollyprez (jolly@prez.com), December 14, 1999.


I knew that they were going to say 99.9%, because then when anything goes wrong it is of course part of the .1%. Also, notice he repeatedly says "Federal" government, but says nothing about State, County, and City governments because most of them are in deep doo doo.

-- Hawk (flyin@high.again), December 14, 1999.

William Jefferson Chamberlain:

"We have achieved compliance in our time"

-- JIT (justintime@rightnow.net), December 14, 1999.


Also notice two other things:

1) This was a PERFECT report. They finished AHEAD of time, and UNDER BUDGET! This is unprecedented. Never happened in any Federal computer project before. The only other large scale software / hardware project that came in ahead of schedule (by 5 months) was massively over budget (the Apollo moon program)

2) Juxtapose this press release with Koskinen's C-SPAN performance, begging the hackers to not disrupt anything until AFTER the rollover. This is the equivalent of begging your murderer to spare you for another five minutes (as opposed to sparing you period).

Virtually everything from this administration is planned. Our truthful commander-in-chief has assured us that they are done. His #1 man on the Y2K issue is begging criminals to defer their crime sprees for just a few days.

We're being set up guys! I'm glad I'm just an artist, and not a software professional!

Jolly

-- Jollyprez (jolly@prez.com), December 14, 1999.


Come on guys. He's sick this week. Maybe he's been sniffin' those chemtrail fumes...

R.

-- Roland (nottelling@nowhere.com), December 14, 1999.



"As of today, 99.9 per cent of the government's mission critical computer systems are Y2K compliant."

So, out of the 6,000 or so systems that were most recently classified as mission critical, about 60 aren't ready yet. I wonder how many of the 48(?) HIGH IMPACT programs that weren't ready on the last report are included in this number.

Wonder when they're going to start work on the 74,000 "non-mission critical" systems that aren't ready for Y2K.

"Three years ago when we started our intensive work on Y2K, only one-fifth of the mission critical systems was ready."

Of course, back then something like 9,000 systems were considered mission critical. One-fifth of 9,000 is 1,800. They went from 1,800 to 6,000 compliant (sort of) systems in three years, or an average of 1,400 a year. At this rate, it'll take them more than another two years to finish the 3,000 systems that used to be considered mission critical, but aren't now because they couldn't be finished in time. Then they can get cracking on the 70,000+ non-mission critical systems. At the torrid pace they've maintained for the past three years, and considering that many of these systems are hopefully smaller and less complex, they might be finished about, oh, 2020 or so.

"Many said that the Federal government was not up to the job,..."

And we were right.

"...that the deadline would not be met,..."

And it hasn't been.

"...and that the price tag would be exorbitant, as much as $50 billion dollars."

You've spent about $10 billion fixing less than 8% of your systems. $50 billion might be on the low side.

-- Jerry Heidtke (jheidtke@email.com), December 14, 1999.


Let's see, what could make the sheeple totally forget about this absurd statement:

1). A Bank Run

2). A Massive Food Panic

3). A Country Wide Terrorist Attack

4). A Nuclear Attack

ETC.

Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), December 14, 1999.


I heard on CNN last night that Clinton has claimed that all of our critical infrastructures are 99.9% compliant also. But the night before on CNN there was a news report that said that only 15% of water utils and wastewater facilities are ready. Does that mean that clean water and wastewater facilities are not part of the critical infrastructure? Makes you wonder how slick willie defines mission critical computer systems.

-- soapie (soapie@suds.com), December 14, 1999.

Oooops, forgot a very important possibility:

5). A Massive Hacker Attack On Government Mission Critical Systems Thus Rendering Them Useless.

Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), December 14, 1999.


Dec.14, 1999

WJC-"I DID NOT have Y2K complacency with that computer, not even once."

-- deja vu (beenthere@donethat.com), December 14, 1999.


It only takes one bad link in a very long chain to leave a ship adrift without an anchor.

-- Ragnar (Ragnar@mindspring.com), December 14, 1999.

So are these 18 "high-impact" programs now ready?

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=001qX5

[snip]

The 18 "at risk" federal programs include: child nutrition; food safety inspection; food stamps; supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children (WIC); student aid; child care; child support enforcement; child welfare; Indian health services; low- income home energy assistance; Medicaid; Medicare; temporary assistance for needy families; public housing; unemployment insurance; retired rail worker benefits; air traffic control system; and maritime safety.

[snip]

Also see...

http://www.house.gov/reform/gmit/y2k/991122.htm


-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), December 14, 1999.

The sad truth for me is, I could absolutely careless what he says. Truth is not in him.

Can't wait to have a new president.

-- the Virginian (1@1.com), December 14, 1999.


---

99.9% Compliant...yea, right.

"The great mass of people. . . will more easily fall victim to a big lie than to a small one."

Adolf Hitler Mein Kampf, vol. 1, ch. 10 (1925).

---

-- snooze button (alarmclock_2000@yahoo.com), December 14, 1999.


There is the old story of two guardians of a great treasure who lived side by side. This treasure was stored in one of the two houses. Your job is to ask only one guardian one question. If you ask the correct question and act accordingly, the treasure is yours. If you fail, you die.

The problem is that one always tells the truth, the other always lies, but you do not know which is which. So the point becomes .. what question should you ask, and then what should you do with the response.

The answer is - assume both are lying - Ask either of them what the other would tell you would be the correct course of action to gain the treasure ... then do the opposite!

In dealing with the gov, one should assume this story to be valid ... and act accordingly!

-- hiding in plain (sight@edge. of no-where), December 14, 1999.


After reading some of the GAO reports released recently, I wonder just how many systems, other than the ones they stated right in their reports, have been changed at the last second to " non-critical".

There was a scary tendency in those reports. If they cant fix them in time, just change the status? I had heard a 'rumor' that there would be a media blitz around this time of the month, mid Dec. I didnt believe it when I heard it, yet now.. I cant deny it. A definite Blitz. Danielle

-- Danielle (Daniellejh@aol.com), December 14, 1999.


I picked a hell of a day to give up sniffing glue.

-- reality slap (cant.be.so@lying.thru.my.hat), December 14, 1999.

No doubt about it, when Beelzebubba leaves the Oral Office, assuming he doesn't pull an Idi Amin and declare himself President-for-Life, he will be able to write his memoirs based on his honest recollection of the facts.

I predict that it will not be a book like the other presidents--it will be printed on a single-sided leaflet, double-spaced, with PLENTY of room left over.

-- profit of doom (doom@helltopay.ca), December 14, 1999.


You guys! I just about split a gut laughing at these posts! Thanks, I needed that! We all need a little humor, about now!

-- Jo Ann (MaJo@Michiana.com), December 14, 1999.

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