The House is currently considering a bill that requests a cost/benefit
study of the use of Open Source software in our government.
HB1739
can be queried here.
http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/site1/docs/docs.asp?press1=docs
It is currently in the Finance Committee. It makes no mandate. It
simply acknowledges OSS and provides funding for a DOE pilot project.
It currently has no funding. While it may seem ludicrous to research
the benefits of something that is "free," committee and House members
need a formal and tangible assessment, with metrics, to make meaningful
future legislation.
The key text:
The purpose of this Act is to appropriate $50,000 to establish a pilot
project in the department of education to establish a policy supporting
purchase and use of open source software applications within the
department of education.
If you have five minutes, confirm who your legislators are
http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/site1/info/vstreet/voterinformation.asp?press1=info&press2=vstreet
and let your House representative know that you support this
legislation. If your House Representative is on the Finance Committee,
http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/site1/house/comm/commFIN.asp?press1=house&press2=comm
it would be especially helpful for you to offer your support. Email is
fine. Your own words, brief and to the point, (they are busy and just
need your primary reason(s) for supporting it) would be best, I think.
Something along the lines of
----------------
Dear Representative X,
I am one of your constituents, and I am writing you to offer my support
of HB 1739. The Bill requests that a small pilot project be created in
the DOE to evaluate use and support of Open Source Software. I believe
this bill should be passed because
- OSS provides nearly the same functionality as other software, and it
comes at no cost to the state.
- we need more information to consider the costs/benefits of integrating
this technology into our government.
- OSS is free and it just as usable as what we already have in place.
- OSS is free, and our economy will benefit from students capable of
managing information with OSS technologies that come at no cost to the
business
- OSS has a revolutionary/unique philosophy of development that is
inherently adaptable by our students and businessess
- etc., etc., etc.,
Sincerely
your name
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Please make some time for this, if you can.
graciously
--scott
R. Scott Belford
PR Director
The Hawaii Open Source Education Foundation
