No Defense Tactic Can Hide This Ugly Software Scandal

Los Angeles Times ^ | 05-02-2002 | George Skelton

[boris]

One sure sign that a governor's staff is scared and cowering is when it delays an important announcement until late on a Friday afternoon.

This is straight out of every press secretary's tattered playbook, under defense tactics: Wait until Capitol reporters have left for the weekend--well past their deadlines--then release the embarrassing news. Minimize the negative coverage. It seldom works, of course. Alarm bells go off. Annoyed reporters and editors scramble and run the story. Then on Monday, they dig deeper.

[w1andsodidwe]

Nothing new here. This is not the first time the state has taken a bath over data processing contracts. Remember the DMV failure a few years ago.

[Free the USA]

fyi

[Blagden Alley]

Seems like only yesterday that Ross Perot and EDS took Massachusetts to the cleaners on Medicare/Health care computer stuff in the state. But it was about 1980.

Computer companies, because they are professionals, are competent. The other side of the contract has to be competent , too.

But maybe that's a new idea for some states and (some) Federal agencies.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

From the LA Slimes, amazing!

Free the USA - Thanks for the ping!

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[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

From the conclusion:

This is genuine scandal, not just Republican spin. Whether it's a scandal involving criminality, we'll learn later. Already we know it's a scandal of incompetence.

......And :

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Davis should move fast and dump Director Cortez. Might as well dump that entire, useless technology department.

Announce it Friday or Monday, makes no difference. This scandal cannot be minimized.

[Carry_Okie]

Wait until Capitol reporters have left for the weekend--well past their deadlines--then release the embarrassing news. Minimize the negative coverage. It seldom works, of course. Alarm bells go off. Annoyed reporters and editors scramble and run the story. Then on Monday, they dig deeper.

Yeah, I remember how it "didn't work" for the Clintong.

What a load.

[randita]

Announce it Friday or Monday, makes no difference. This scandal cannot be minimized.

Oh yes, it can--and it will. Lockyear will mount a phony investigation. All will be blamed on a few low level staffers and they will be canned. The Democrat run Legislature won't touch this with a 10 foot pole.

CA is basically a corrupt dictatorship. Unless there is real criminality here and not just gray area, all that will happen is that the people in the Red Zone will have to pay more and the people in the Blue Zone, which outnumber those in the Red, will not be affected.

Sad, but true.

[d14truth]

SAYS: Passing on your debts to your 'children' is not good stewardship.

[snopercod]

Contract blunder may cost millions [California - Oracle]

[absalom01]

It's amazing to see the sheer, base corruption and ineptitude that Davis has exhibited in four short years. This issue needs to be the subject of letters to the editor and radio call ins -- people have to know about this. We can't let Davis and the LA Slimes bury this story.

[Robert357]

....And...

I think Davis is in real trouble. The media sharks have tasted blood and are hopefully working themselves up to a feeding freenzy on this one. I hope that they start biting at some of the other scandels that you have been working so hard at to chronicle for later reference.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I suspect he will take the advice given here by the LLLLLLLLLA Slimes.

I have not been flagging you on the torrent of articles covering this topic. Just click on the banner at post #5 and choose the new articles.

We now may have paper shredding and the CHP has been sent to secure the records. It's getting fun!

[UCANSEE2]

Maybe after these politicians commit political suicide, and all the city/state governments go bankrupt, WE CAN GET OUR COUNTRY BACK !

[Libertarianize the GOP]

bttt

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

We have got some hot action going out here in the Golden State!

[Libertarianize the GOP]

I have noticed.

[Robert357]

The CHP, will just seem like more blood in the water for the Media sharks to increase their feeding freenzy. It would be kind of interesting to see Davis brought down by the liberal media! I hope something like that might happen up here, however, WA state is fortunate, that our Gov Gary Locke, really is pretty much of a boy scout. While, I don't agree with his politics, he does seem to be basically honest and trying to do the best he can to achieve his political goals.