“What appears to have become a problem are the purchasing procedures,” [Auditor-Elect Doug] Hoffer said. It’s not clear, he said, how recommendations from outside experts affect an individual agency’s plan to revamp its computer systems. “On a couple of high-profile cases, decisions made about buying either hardware, software or training, didn’t work out very well.”
"The Department of Motor Vehicles has spent roughly $18 million dollars on a new computer system that doesn’t work. The courts have spent at least $1.7 million dollars on their own computer system. It doesn’t work either. Why have there been so many failures in the state’s efforts to modernize its technology systems? And what we can learn from these mistakes."
"Just a few examples of the completed projects: Washington’s Department of Agriculture completely eliminated livestock-inspection nonpayment and reduced cash payments by 90 percent while cutting non-value-added steps by 20 percent. The Department of Fish and Wildlife reduced the time to manage commercial -fishery harvest data from 90 hours to eight. And the Department of Ecology reduced the number of days between guidelines issued and the start of grant negotiations by 48 percent."
"[NY] Governor Andrew Cuomo said he is asking fellow Democrat, President Barack Obama, to pay 100 percent of the estimated $6 billion bill, at a time that state and local government budgets remain constrained by a weak economic recovery. That would be a significant change from last year when the federal government covered about 75 percent of the $1.2 billion cost paid by New York to clean up after storm Irene hit the region.
Has Vermont received 75% Of Its Total Costs Related To Irene?
VSEA’s own Annie Leibovitz (a.k.a. Bonnie Kynoch) shares her 2012 September Council Meeting photos.
Thanks Bonnie!