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Why a one-room West Virginia library runs a $20,000 Cisco router.

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Shades:
Paying your fair share of taxes is not the problem here. The people that man the offices which allowed this travesty to happen are.

Sure, in the Netherlands we have our "fair" share of government misspending taxes, but for the most part your taxes do go where it is intended for. Because of that Dutch people do not have that much problems paying taxes. If I would tell people living in the US how much taxes you have to pay living in Holland, I would be liable for manslaughter, so I won't.

It is always a people problem.

40hz:
^That's the downside of democracy. There are no technical or educational requirements. Those in charge need have no talent, special knowledge, or skills other than to be popular and speak convincingly. Owning a good suit or two, and having a photogenic wife and presentable children, is also a plus.
 :-\

IainB:
I was talking about this with a friend and he mentioned that he had heard of a situation in the NZ government in about 2009 where an executive in a large government department had apparently been thought to be tender-rigging an IT selection/purchasing process in favour of a preferred supplier with whom he had strong connections. The executive suddenly resigned - apparently fell on his own sword. It was unclear whether he was encouraged to do so because of the alleged tender-rigging or because of an alleged HR incident of threatened/actual violence towards an individual who challenged him over the matter of the tender-rigging.

Either way, it seems that the rot was removed, but if the removal was initiated by the alleged HR incident, then it could be a sad reflection on the efficacy of the aformentoned "government purchasing processes being open and rigorously audited/scrutinised".

40hz:
^I regularly see that sort of thing here with our own municipal governments.

That's the main reason why I don't respond to RFPs from government (or non-profits) any more. Too many "cozy arrangements" and "unvoiced understandings" lurking inside the process. Most times, the preferred vendor has already been selected. The RFP 'cattle call' is only to secure the requisite number of "additional competitive bids" (as required by law) before awarding the contract to the party they originally intended to hand it to.
 :-\

wraith808:
Paying your fair share of taxes is not the problem here.
-Shades (February 27, 2013, 07:17 AM)
--- End quote ---

I'd disagree.  I see the point that you're making- that it's the use (and the people) that spawns the waste.

Let's look at it from a different perspective.  If you were paying a utility for a service, and they squandered the monies that had been paid, but didn't have the money left to provide you with your basic services, what would be your option?  You'd switch.

Our government is not able to provide basic services- in some cases schools are having budgets cut because the local municipality doesn't have the money, and the government investment has gone down. But the library next door has a $25,000 router needlessly, that could have funded some of the programs that were cut.

What are your options?  You don't have the option as you do with the utility, i.e. put your money somewhere that better makes use of the funds.  You don't have the option with Social Security to put your money somewhere that you will be able to make use of it when you need it rather than trust that it will be there, even when all indications point to 'no'.

That's why I think that paying your fair share comes into the equation.

That's the main reason why I don't respond to RFPs from government (or non-profits) any more. Too many "cozy arrangements" and "unvoiced understandings" lurking inside the process. Most times, the preferred vendor has already been selected. The RFP 'cattle call' is only to secure the requisite number of "additional competitive bids" (as required by law) before awarding the contract to the party they originally intended to hand it to.
-40hz (February 27, 2013, 09:03 AM)
--- End quote ---

I found that out the hard way after spending several hours, and not a few dollars to come up with a competitive proposal for a couple of RFPs.  The same people would win... and I also found out that if you curried favor with those people, you could get some of the 'subcontracts' before hand.

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