[SLUG] Bristol and Council tax

[Martin Webb]

Bob Garrood wrote:
> HI
> 
> I am sending a letter to the Scarborough Evening News.  It seems topical.  
> Would anyone be interested in adding their signature?   Having more than one 
> name helps to stop the paper dismissing you as a crank.
> 
> Constructive criticism or abuse on content, style and orthography are welcome.   
> 
> Here is the text:
> 
> The Editor
> Scarborough Evening News
> 
> Sir
> 
> Council tax payers in Scarborough who pay by direct debit will now have become 
> aware that their bank balances have just been reduced at the new increased 
> rate.  
> 
> There is good news for council tax payers.  Money can be saved in one of the 
> most expensive areas of administration.  Bristol Council has announced that 
> it will migrate its computers from Microsoft Office applications (word 
> processors, databases, spreadsheets and other common administration tasks), 
> to software that uses open standards.  They have chosen to use Sun's 
> StarOffice in preference to Microsoft Office.  StarOffice is one of many 
> alternatives to Microsoft's products.  It is a commercial product that offers 
> technical support. Bristol council have produced a report estimating that 
> over the next 5 years this will reduce their IT costs from £1.7 million to 
> £650,000.  This level of saving applied here would certainly impact future 
> council tax levels, and might even enable a reduction.
> 
> Such savings are possible as StarOffice is based on a published open standard, 
> Open Document Format. Any developer can implement this, so competition is 
> possible and this ensures lower prices.  Many developers, including IBM and 
> Sun already have produced alternative office suites that work.  Microsoft 
> does not support this standard.
> 
> Moving to open standards will enhance local democracy.   We can all read and 
> write to all local government documents because open source (free) versions  
> of Open Document Format Office suites (as OpenOffice.org) are available.     
> If you want one contact Scarborough's Linux user Group on:   
> scarborough at mailman.lug.org.uk   .  Scarborough Borough Council and North 
> Yorkshire County  Council should let us know their policy on Open Document 
> Format now.
> 
> Details of Bristol council's  policy and a link to their analysis of costs are 
> on: http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS6953189127.html  
> 
> Yours sincerely
> 
> 
> 
> Bob
> 
> 
Yes, I'll sign
Martin