[10400] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: $50 Million Dollar Gift
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Dick St.Peters)
Mon Feb 21 12:09:26 1994
Date: Mon, 21 Feb 94 12:05:07 EST
From: stpeters@spare-parts.crd.ge.com (Dick St.Peters)
To: sugarman@panix.com
Cc: cook@path.net, com-priv@psi.com
Reply-To: <stpeters@dawn.crd.ge.com>
>Your analogy of IRS returns is misplaced. One is forced to file IRS
>returns, but not forced to enter into $50 million dollar deals with the
>government. Somehow, it would seem the press's business to know how 50
>mill of tax dollars is being spent.
Ah, but Gordon was asking for the proposal from AT&T, who did *not*
get the $50 million.
You are suggesting that a losing bidder's secrets be made public. You
probably feel the winning bidder's secrets should be made public. I
will again assert that if secrets of major strategic importance to a
company stand even a small chance of being exposed, the company is not
going to put them into a proposal for small change.
Business does not do important business in the open. When government
cannot do business by business rules, it's not always going to get the
best deal.
--
Dick St.Peters, Gatekeeper, The Pearly Gateway; currently at:
GE Corporate R&D, Schenectady, NY stpeters@dawn.crd.ge.com
