[Nolug] governor's race

while looking over the upcoming election info at
http://voter.e-thepeople.org/a-acadianow/
(cookies required for full functionality)

I stumbled upon this guy:
http://www.mikestaggforgovernor.com/

not sure how i feel about a lot of his issues (still reading) but i
stumbled upon this

> *• Switch to Open Source, Open Standard Computing.* The State of
> Louisiana is an enormous consumer of information technology equipment
> and software, yet for all that money spent (approximately $700
> million, including services tied to federally funded projects) the
> state’s IT leaders still can’t distinguish between brands and
> standards. One of the burgeoning trends in the private sector is the
> commoditization of hardware and operating systems. Every major
> computer manufacturer offers hardware today pre-loaded with open
> source (free) software which does not require an annual license to own
> and operate. The State of Louisiana, meanwhile, continues to be
> dependent on proprietary operating systems which require substantial
> annual licensing fees.
>
> As governor, my administration will switch to open source, open
> standards software thereby saving the state tens of millions in
> licensing fees every year. Both operating systems and suites can be
> converted to open source packages that are compatible with existing
> proprietary products now in use. Estimated savings: $35 to $50 million
> per year.
>
> We will also move to web-based services for the internal operation of
> state departments and agencies, thereby reducing the need for
> proprietary, stand alone software and training costs. We can save
> another $30 to $40 million per year using this approach.
>

I know this issue isn't at the forefront when deciding on a governor,
but it is something that's relevant to this group.

thoughts?

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Received on 09/30/03