[KLUG Members] Linux in the Kalamazoo Country Government

[Mark Kowitz]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: members-bounces at kalamazoolinux.org
> [mailto:members-bounces at kalamazoolinux.org]On Behalf Of Michael Lueck
> Sent: Monday, August 02, 2004 10:09 AM
> To: The main KLUG mailing list.
> Subject: [KLUG Members] Linux in the Kalamazoo Country Government
>
>
> I was reading through the various folks we can vote for tomorrow.
> I found it
> interesting that for the position of County Treasurer that IT
> seems to be a
> high priority. Wonder how having KLUG in town might help push our local
> government along the path to soling their IT needs with open
> source as other
> communities in the USA and abroad have.
>
> ???
>
> Just passing along food for thought. Sure would be neat to see Kzoo in the
> national news for going open source!
>
> Michael Lueck
> Lueck Data Systems
> http://www.lueckdatasystems.com/
>
>

I don't know about other communities, but working in Hudsonville, we are
tied down to M$ in a quite a few areas: Accounting software for city
government, assessing software for city government (has to be comatible with
what the county is using), water meter-reading software, building security
software, etc., is all written for Windows.  And when Bill decides to quit
supporting older versions, so do the software vendors--forcing us to upgrade
our operating systems.
I compare it to a gas station selling gas that will only work in GM
manufactured cars.  We're stuck . . .

Mark Kowitz
Information Services Manager
City of Hudsonville
http://www.hudsonville.org
---------------------------------------------
He is no fool . . .
    who gives what he cannot keep
             to gain what he cannot lose.
--jim elliot