California´s Computers Can´t Calculate Minimum Numbers

Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today highlighted the report from the August 5, 2008, Sacramento Bee, “California state computers can’t handle pay cut, controller says.” Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) ordered that all state employees be paid minimum wage until a budget is adopted, placing a huge burden on the state’s antiquated computer system. State Controller John Chang told the Bee that “it would take at least six months to reconfigure the state’s payroll system,” which he described as relying on “vacuum tubes and floppy disks,” to comply with the governor’s request. “Legacy computer systems like the ones used in California are outdated, slow, and costly. Yet they are still being widely used by many states,” said CAGW President Tom Schatz. “CAGW supports the investment necessary to improve the use of... [read full story]