Y2K and the courts
One of the most ridiculous things we’ve heard lately was a comment from the trial lawyers that unless there were law suits involving year 2000 computer issues (Y2K), business would not have an incentive to correct the problems.
This is the same rationale the association uses in its battles against tort reform. While we agree that in some – only some – instances the threat of legal action may in fact motivate companies to institute certain policies, we don’t believe that it is by any means the overriding factor.
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And while we don’t object to legitimate law suits in any situation, we absolutely don’t believe for a second that law suits are the motivating factor behind companies’ efforts to fix Y2K problems.
We would suggest instead that the motivation is simply the need to avoid computer problems that could cause serious damage to a business’s ability to operate.
We suspect that foremost on the minds of business executives is not lawsuits, but the ability to keep the production process operating, to assure that financial systems run uninterrupted, to make sure point of sale operations are working, to be certain that necessary inventory is delivered on time, to maintain important communications with customers and suppliers, and to be certain that shareholders and owners value in a company is not diminished by the failure of executives to attend to this important issue.
If handled properly Y2K is an inconvenience. If not, it is a disaster. And what can promote more disaster are frivolous law suits and an attitude that the only way to keep business in check is to bolster the pocketbooks of trial lawyers. Y2K is already an expensive enough proposition for many companies, with large ones like Bell Atlantic spending a half billion dollars, and Fleet Financial $150 million or more.
It’s who you know
There have been times when we have expressed concern that U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy has not been supportive of area business issues, and have wondered about his insistence, particularly during the last campaign, on spending so much time outside of Rhode Island.
But Kennedy’s clout often serves Rhode Island well.
Make no mistake, the Gravity Games are a coup for Rhode Island.
There are estimates that the games could infuse up to $100 million into our economy over the next three years. That doesn’t factor in the free exposure on NBC television, which plans to promote the games – and our capital city — during events such as the Ryder Cup and the World Series..
Rhode Island beat out the likes of Atlanta, Denver and Phoenix in securing the games.
So how did it happen?
First, John Mousseau, executive director of the Rhode Island Sports Council, hit a home run. His hard work has been lauded by local legislative leaders, NBC and Gravity Games executives.
Mousseau accomplished what he did with a passion and drive, convincing Gravity Games officials that Rhode Island would deliver a first-rate product. We join in applauding his efforts.
But when Mousseau needed a hand, Kennedy was there to lend it. By all accounts, Mousseau was delivered to the NBC offices via Kennedy’s clout.
As the story goes, Rhode Island was a finalist for the games, but NBC Sports and Gravity Games officials were thinking more of the higher-profile cities.
Kennedy placed a call to a “family friend,” Dick Ebersol, chairman of NBC Sports. Ebersol suggested that if a United States Congressman was willing to show up in New York for a meeting, the least officials could do was to see him. So Kennedy and Mousseau and House Majority Leader Gerard M. Martineau went to New York, and put on quite a show.
We applaud Mousseau and others who made the most of this opportunity. And we applaud Representative Kennedy, who made this particular trip outside of Rhode Island a truly worthwhile one.
