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LOS ANGELES, CA (FOX 11/Editorial) - For most of us computers are a part of modern life, yet the State of California remains in the computer dark ages.
I'd like to hear your Point of View. Send me an email at POV@fox11.com.
California over the last five years has lost almost $2 billion dollars trying to modernize its' state government computer systems.
That means that the state has wasted these billions of dollars on computer projects that never worked and had to be scrapped or cost far more than estimated.
The mismanagement has been astounding.
California government has also wasted almost $400 million in an attempt to build new computer systems for the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Consumer Affairs.
California has lost an incredible $700 million dollars in a fruitless attempt to make state court records computer friendly.
The Governor's Department of Technology is supposed to supervise state computer projects, but
So far, they have been unable to stop. Cost overruns, project failures and the scariest of them all, a vulnerability from faulty cyber security.
Governor Brown appointed a new technology head in the middle of 2016 to get control of runaway IT Projects.
So far things do not look good.
Universities of California's 10 campuses and 5 hospitals have fallen 2 years behind completing its' new computer system reaching a $50 million dollar over spend.
California also axed its' state payroll overhaul after investing $250 million dollars.
In December it came to light that the state had sustained $200 million dollars in cost overruns in a botched attempt to computerize California prison records.
Even worse in early January it was announced that the computer project to streamline the state's accounting system was behind schedule and $235 million dollars over budget.
The cause of this mismanagement is clearly repeated incompetence, poor planning, and bad leadership.
Governor Brown needs to put all multimillion dollar computer projects on hold ... until it can be shown that they will work, worth the money, and have competent IT personnel to administer.
I'd like to hear your Point of View. Send me an email at POV@fox11.com.
Bob Cook
Vice President and General Manager
KTTV-TV, FOX 11 News