Washington, D.C. - Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today released the following letter to Governor Gray Davis of California regarding the Microsoft antitrust case:

On behalf of the one million members and supporters of the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW), including the 150,000 in California, I would like to express my concern that your state is not settling the Microsoft antitrust case with the nine states that have agreed to do so.

California is now faced with "threats" to its transportation system that require the allocation of resources to protect its citizens.  There is an emergency budget session scheduled to address a shortfall of $9.5 billion, as California’s state revenues have been running more than $1 billion below projections since May.  The state is already planning a hiring freeze and cuts of $150 million.  State budget analysts, according to reports, are wondering where the money will come from to pursue the Microsoft case, as well as $3.7 million in additional funds to increase antitrust scrutiny in the technology industry.  California has hired a high-priced Washington litigator to carry this case forward, and we understand the state may be footing the bill for all of the remaining states. 

Finally, it appears that Attorney General Bill Lockyer is more interested in the welfare of Microsoft's competitors than the taxpayers of California.  Acting as the public defender for private interests is not an appropriate role for a state attorney general.  Press reports of activities over the past weekend, during around the clock negotiations over the final settlement language in the Microsoft case, reveal that Attorney General Lockyer met with representatives of Microsoft’s competitors.  It does not appear that he met with representatives of taxpayer and consumer groups, who are constantly referred to as the beneficiaries of continued litigation.  A poll taken by Americans for Technology Leadership over the weekend showed that 57 percent of Californians want the Microsoft case to be settled.  If the attorney general were truly representing the people, this interminable and costly litigation would be over.

Governor Davis, in these troubled and threatening times, CAGW and our members and supporters in California are extremely disturbed by the prospect of using the precious resources of the state to continue this litigation.  Instead, the time and money that would be spent on the case should be directed to homeland security, which is a matter of life and death, as opposed to a fight over market share.  We hope you will do everything in your power to bring an end to this litigation.

CAGW is the nation's largest taxpayer advocacy group with over one million members and supporters nationwide.  It is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, mismanagement and abuse in government.