Re: Census 2006 available for Linux

Posted by syd on May 17, 2006; 7:11pm
URL: http://civicaccess.416.s1.nabble.com/Re-Census-2006-available-for-Linux-tp609p613.html

>
> To me, this is one of the many sub-issues within the broad heading of
> "civic access" but I hardly know what we can do as a group to sensitize a
> federal government which routinely places business interests above the
> public interest. Any ideas of where we could start?
>

I agree that the problem of placing "interests" above principles is at the
heart of the problem of open access. And the interests that are the least
controversial are economic interests. If a government can be seen to be
placating economic interests, it can sweep divisive issues under the
carpet.

Governments have to be convinced that their role isn't merely that of
mediator between interest groups, but rather that of supporting the Good
and not being afraid to act in its service. The language that I'm using to
express these things is so archaic and foreign to a modern politician that
I'd be surprised if they didn't find it offensive. The Good is offensive
because it's not inclusive. How funny is that?

Anyhow, as others have already pointed out, until things change, the best
way to present these things is as a business case.

- Maybe you could use the argument that any money paid to a government
institution constitutes a dead weight loss to the economy just like a tax,
since StatsCan is not truly profit and market driven. Every dollar that
industry gives to StatsCan is a dollar that private industry cannot use
for something productive.

- Car and road analogies are often useful, since that is the technological
era in which our reasoning is stuck: cost recovery policies would probably
make road maintenance easier, but would it help or harm the businesses
that use the roads?

- Isn't the ideal of a perfectly competitive market dependent upon
citizens *and* industries having perfect knowledge of market signals? I'm
sure some of StatsCanada's stuff would help make us informed (and
therefore market-efficient) consumers.

Disclaimer: i am making all this economics stuff up as I go, so make of it
what you will.

Is that a start?

Regards,
Syd