Posted on 02/05/2011 8:21:14 AM PST by SmithL
At first glance, it's difficult to decide which is more pathetic: that an information technology company couldn't give away its services to the Department of Motor Vehicles, or that the cash-strapped state actually requested proposals on a contract that offered no payment for the job.
Late last year DMV put out word that it wanted "a no-fee security risk assessment" of its computer system and set a Dec. 31, 2010, deadline for applications.
Department spokesman Mike Marando said DMV posted the request after a firm offered the service for free. It opened the bidding process to be fair, while telling potential bidders they shouldn't expect a paying job later.
The state spends about $650 million on information technology projects annually, but a $0 bid request? Are things really that bad?
A spokesman for the Department of General Services, which handles state purchases and contracts, called DMV's IT post an "anomaly."
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
I think it would be shameful and unpatriotic for a liberal to demand payment for the privilege of providing services to the State. Only a greedy, self-centered SOB would insist on being paid for such an honor.
In time, the only purpose the DMV will serve will be to register illegal aliens as DemocRAT voters.
You took the words right out of my mouth, lol.
Hey, didn't The Terminator lose $200 million while he was governator? I wonder how he'll deduct that (donation) from his income tax, eh?
To DemocRAT bosses that's nearly a Holy mission!
In addition look at all the people, mostly non-English speakers, DMV employs on the taxpayer dime. The last time I renewed my driver's license I was disrespected in Spanish, an unknown Asian language and a mysterious Arabic-sounding tongue.
Those who won't work, California wants to pay them.
Insanity.
Ask not what your state can do for you but what.....
lol.
Someone offered a free service and they opened it up for competing bids??
lol!!!
Many technology companies are more than willing to demonstrate their products and survey their potential customer's business to justify the purchase of their products. This is typically supplied free by the marketing department of the technology company.
What the article is describing is a situation in which various companies are going to bid "$0" for the chance to basically justify the use of their products. The DMV would presumably be choosing among the potential vendors based on criteria other than price.
Once a particular vendor has been selected to conduct the review, you can bet that the proposal for new products will be written in a way which describes that vendors products to the practical exclusion of the competition.
A spokesperson for the technology company stated, “Yes. We give away our products and services. But we make it up with volume.”
So if 5 firms all bid $0, who wins the bid?
CA will sue them for overcharging eventually. And the franchise tax board will hit them with a big tax bill for nonpayment of bus taxes.
The brother-in-law of the head of the department that published the RFP.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.