About the KCPD's police radio system..and planned obsolescence

I don't want to get into a big tiff with law enforcement or KCMO city government because frankly I don't live in KCMO and I don't care about their shortsightedness.

But all city governments should plan AND RESIST major tech corporations which deliberately build OBSOLESCENCE into their products... all to force us to spend a kazillion dollars every decade or so, to keep a radio system working for our cops. Welcome to AMERICA! And lets not allow that!

The Japanese changed this US manufacturing model by building CARS that DON'T wear out at 95,000 miles like US carmakers did, which forced us all to JUNK the metal we paid so dearly for not that long after we finished our payments!

Fact is, HONDA redefined resale value and now, sadly for Detroit, Honda and Toyota now have that market CORNERED and all Americans know that Honda and Toyota are KEEPER cars, and American brands AREN'T!

This is not my problem. This is Detroits! Why should we have to deal with corporate ripoffs when we city taxpayers buy RADIO SYSTEMS?

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Fifteen years ago isn't that long ago. Luckily for us all, BOEING still provides parts and maintenance on our B-52 bombers, which are now older than the pilots who fly them. And Boeing 707 jets and 737 jets (which is the bulk of Southwest Airlines' fleet.) Boeing keeps THEM in the air, don't they?

This planned obsolescence crap, aside from planes, is so AMERICAN... and it's why we're buying Hondas and Toyotas because they last for 200,000 miles.

OK THEN. US carmakers have had to change their obsolescence model too, and they have. But still, Japanese cars have reputations for running WAY longer than US cars, running cheaper, and having parts still available long after American companies pretend sales forgetfulness! What does that teach us?

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So here we are. KCPD with radios which don't have available spare parts, and so now we're forced to spend KAZILLIONS of dollars for an all new system. What a ripoff!

So who IS this butthole vendor who is forcing us to spend so much? Motorola? Who? Next time, our KC CITY PURCHASER should build into our contract for UNLIMITED parts availability longer than a mere fifteen years, like Boeing has to provide.

A city should be able to buy a brand new radio in that same format for a reasonable cost, and replacement parts for a very long time. Way longer than fifteen years. If they can't guarantee that, then they need to be penalized in our contract! Or passed over in favor of a more dependable vendor!

We shouldn't have to put up with this shit anymore than we have to put up with houses which fall apart the day after the mortgage is paid off, or cars that crap out after six years, or wives who refuse to have sex or make babies after their five prime years!

rman said it!