Burma and Motorola (fwd)

[dohrs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 07 Sep 1996 17:09:37 -0700
Cc: bsmith@xxxxxxxx
Newsgroups: soc.culture.burma
Subject: Burma and Motorola

Over the past couple of weeks Motorola was added to the list of
companies that do business with Burma by the Investor Responsibility
Research Center (IRRC) in Washington, DC.  Berkeley, California was
the first city in the world to prohibit contracting for personal
services with those that do business in or with Burma UNLESS NO
REASONABLE ALTERNATIVES EXIST.  Unfortunately, the Berkeley City
Council found, when this question arose with regard to being Nuclear
Free, that no reasonable alternatives to Motorola exist because all of
the City's police and fire radios need to be Motorola in order to
provide compatibility with the County.  City Council was also informed
by staff that Motorola makes the ONLY reliable radios for Public
Safety.  Can someone tell me if these statements are accurate?  And if
not, suggest some alternatives to Motorola.  Your information will be
used to draft an ordinance in Berkeley that would explicitly require
City staff to seek alternatives to Motorola.

					The information would also be helpful to activists in San
Francisco where Motorola is currently bidding for a multimillion-
dollar telecommunications contract with the City.  Motorola is bidding
against Sweden-based Ericsson Inc. for a contract to equip San
Francisco with a new 911 emergency radio system.  According to IRRC,
Ericsson Inc. has been doing business in Burma since 1993.  (Reported
in the _San Francisco Bay Guardian_ for September 4-10.)

					Please send replies to:  bsmith@xxxxxxxx

Thank you,

Brad Smith
Legislative Assistant to
Councilmember Linda Maio