Schools are spending $650 per school each month on a T1 line because they have internet access through a third party company. If the school systems went through Bellsouth the same line would only cost approximately $250 each month.
As a student at Pellissippi State Tech. Community College, I have seen more wasted taxpayer money than most people can imagine. As a freshman, I witnessed free meals at the college nearly once per two weeks for nearly 3,000 students. As a sophomore, I witnessed every computer in every classroom upgraded from a Dell w/Pentium II 300 mhz. computer to a Dell w/Pentium IV 500 mhz processor. As a computer science student, I can say firsthand that this purchase is unnecessary and wasteful. Although the number of these purchased computers is unknown, I estimate nearly 500 for the entire college. Also, laser discs, computer projectors w/remotes, new mulch, trees, flowers, sidewalks, fountains for the pond, decorative flags, a new basketball court, new indoor gymnasium and "bubble", and many other purchases have been made during my two year education which were unnecessary.
TDEC is paying $30,000 a month for a CRS Center for Tennessee Resort State Parks. This is a $360,000.00 per year expense that provides zero benefit to Tennessee taxpayers.
This entry from the Office for Information Resources (OIR) establishes an overall goal of replacing all desktop computer hardware after 3 years of use. Does the State really need to replace every computer, printer, scanner, etc. just 3 years after they were purchased? Here is the section from the OIR guidelines from their online site: Information Systems Plan Guidelines - February 2002 Appendix F: Desktop Hardware Replacement Desktop Hardware Replacement strategy and projects: Each agency should develop a strategy for desktop hardware replacement. The overall goal of the strategy is to establish and maintain a 3-year replacement cycle for all desktop hardware. Projects to implement the strategy should be submitted in Chapter 5 for the replacement of the current base of equipment, regardless of the funding source(s) used to replace the equipment.
Some state buildings have been lit up all night with all of the inside lights burning. Can someone be given the responsibility for shutting these down during non-working hours?
On November 1, 2001 Gov. Don Sunquist announced he is directing $8 million in state funds toward immediate security needs. One expenditure that was sinply reinstated is for a new class of 50 state troopers. This is to cost $5.3 million which comes to $106,000 per trainee. Why so much? Why is it so expensive to train new state troopers? Private university tuition is $25,000 a year and this training program only takes six months.
This department has contracted with private businesses for the housing and care of mentally and physically impaired individuals. These individuals were formerly the responsibility of the state asnd housed in state facilities. These contracted group homes were established for the housing of up to 3 individuals. These homes were allowed to set up in residential neighborhoods and ignore local zoning laws and covenants. In fact the law prevented the notification to the residential owners of the planned group home. The reported daily payment by the state, as given to me by a resident involved in a similiar situation in another location, is $800 PER DAY per person. This means the contractor receives $300,000.00 annually. With a maximum of 3 persons per group home, that comes to almost a million dollars a year to house THREE people. Also there was not been a corresponding state employee reduction in the department for the workers who should have been displaced by this action.