>Dan,
>
>>>Simple... Follow the money... <g>
>>
>>Doug,
>>
>>Do you have access to BSA's finacials? I don't think anybody here can show me where MS provides BSA with X dollars that account for X% of the budget. All I'm seeing are assumptions based on emotions, not facts.
>>
>>Dan
>
>No, of course I don't. Still, I doubt that the BSA is doing this pro bono. <g>
>
>Do you work for free? I doubt it.
>
>Does your company work for free? No, that's silly. Neither does the BSA. They just get theirs with a remarkably unique business plan it seems. <g>
>

My guess would be they get some sort of "commission". Sounds logical doesn't it?

>Besides, not having the financials doesn't disprove my point either I suppose though it sound nice. <g> It seems obvious, to me at least, that they (BSA) are in this for the $$.

I think the Government has some sort of rules about this. I think they have to make a profit or cease business. I could be wrong though. My company is in it for the money too.

>You can sound all altruistic and say nice things to make people think you're the good guy but a lot of times that's just a phony position. Particularly when I might have observable behavior - often at odds with the expressed words. Example:Let me just say that people on my side of the discussion are for clean air. Does that make you for dirty air? The BSA might say that they are for some noble cause. If they are, that's great - then let them give all the money to charity above and beyond basic operating expenses and then publicly publish their books for all to see. That is, if they have nothing different between their private and public positions...
>
>This isn't that hard.. The companies with the most $$ will always be the targets. I suppose that the BSA could sue you or me until they were blue in the face but they wouldn't get any more $$ from us, eh? <g>
>
>The feds went after the tobacco companies for the same reason IMO. Sure.. They said it would be about getting people to stop smoking and to train kids to think that way but lookee here... What's the number actually being spent on prevention - 5%? <g> A bunch of folks (like me) have always thought that this was a tax and so said - to a bunch of ridicule but guess what.. We were apparently correct.
>
>Don't look at what they say; look at what they do.

What have they done that is illegal? Sounds like they operate within the law. Know of any pending cases against them? All I hear about is companies crying because they, for the most part, got busted.
>
>I think that the BSA will go after those companies that have the $$ to get and perhaps a few smaller ones to scare folks..

The only one's who should be scared are those who are not in compliance.

>The fact that I don't have the financials has no bearing on the issue I'd think.

Maybe I misunderstood your response. "Follow the money" made me think you you were implying that BSA is a "division" of MS, for lack of better words. If I was wrong, let me know.

Dan