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Open Source in Oregon

Posted by michael on from the smoke-filled-room dept.

Anonymous writes "MWVLUG's coordinator, Cooper Stevenson, has asked Linux Today to post this detailed history of events surrounding the battle to get open source software legislation enacted in the Beaver State in an effort to raise public awareness for the campaign."

3 of 125 comments (clear)

  1. Justifying costs isn't strange, is it? by tage · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What's so srtange about having to justify paying for something, it being software or something else? I know I would like expenses paid for by my tax money to be justified.

    Support costs will be added no matter what. Why not justify the extra expense of licensing?

  2. What a surprise... by Hittite+Creosote · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The fate of a law is once again more influenced by what lobbyists want than what is in the interests of the people.
    It may be one man, one vote, but that man is the picture of a dead president printed on green paper, and the more of them you have, the more votes you have.

  3. Food for Thought by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    The problem here is, again, that legislators are elected by people to represent the interests of those people but instead are acting on behalf of artificial entities such as corporations and/or other organizations which pay them money in turn for which the legislators then represent their interests, often in betrayal of the interests of the people they are supposed to represent. It's a most cynical and duplicitous perversion of democracy.

    I regret that I have to say this, but a big part of what's so far preventing this bill from succeeding is John & Karen Minnis, a powerful but very misguided duo in Oregon's capitol. Look at this beauty from last session:
    http://www.mindfully.org/Reform/2003/Ter rorism-Lif e-OR-SB742-27feb03.htm
    This bill would define almost anyone, anywhere, as a terrorist and send them to prison for life without possibility for parole.

    The Oregon open source law's failure to pass indicates that our legislative process has been quite effectively coopted by legislators who draw their power from the people, then use their power to protect and further the interests of organizations which pay them money and favors, and /or which represent aims with which the legislators identify themselves, even if those aims are detrimental to the welfare of the people to whom the legislators should be wholly dedicated to protecting.

    Hopefully the bill will pass. Even so, the problem of our subverted legislative bodies will continue. And as it does, we are in deep, deep trouble.