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opinion Wednesday, November 3, 1999 2:49 AM

State seems clueless on computer contract

WILLIAM SHAW, Carson City

Is it just me, or is the state of Nevada apparently clueless regarding the

writing of contracts with private vendors, for goods, or services rendered. I

have read with great interest and concern, the stories that have been in the

Appeal, regarding the "Nomads" computer system for the State Welfare

Department, and the "Genesis" computer system for the Department of Motor Vehicles.

As I understand it, the Nomads system was originally purchased for

around $8 million, and has since grown, due to errors in the system,

to around $100 million. The Genesis system was purchased at an astounding $35 million, and the bugs within are reproducing faster than cockroaches.

This would be laughable, except that it is our taxpayer dollars that are

paying for these cyber-insects.

Gov. Kenny Guinn has stated time and again that if state government were run more like the private sector runs a business, then the taxpayers would be the beneficiaries. Well, Gov. Guinn, in the private sector, any vendor who would provide this type of shoddy merchandise, would be hauled into court by a vast array of corporate lawyers, and sued for breach of contract.

The purchase of these two computer systems either falls into the "breach of contract" category, or out and out fraud. If the contract to purchase these systems is so full of loopholes, as to make recovery of taxpayer funds impossible, then I submit to you that the person who wrote them is, perhaps, better suited to the housekeeping or fast food industries.

I would think that a little less meaningless rhetoric (24 hour shifts at the DMV ; 30 day grace periods; etc.) and a little more attention to recovery of taxpayer funds for these obviously malfunctioning products, would be in order. After all, Gov. Guinn, when I buy a product, and it doesn't work, I return it to the store of purchase, for a replacement, or a refund. It's just good business!

-- Homer Beanfang (Bats@inbellfry.com), November 03, 1999

Answers

That can't be true, if it was, I'd be terrified!

-- Homer (Pollyman@Springfield.com), November 03, 1999.

In the private sector, when people make poor decions of that size, the business fails. As a society, we're all better of because we stop paying for such incompetence. This is what economist refer to improving the allocation of resources and why capitalism is superior to central planning. But in the public sector, failure results in pouring more money down the hole.

-- Gary Hargis (garyh@ormutual.com), November 03, 1999.