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California + Oracle = $95 Million Fiasco

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the aren't-you-glad-you-just-paid-taxes dept.

bahtama writes: "The Sacramento Bee is reporting that California apparently signed an agreement to purchase 95 million dollars worth of Oracle software that they really didn't need and that will not save them as much money as promised. They apparently purchased 270,000 licenses, which is more than all the state workers, including prison guards and others who would never need it." How do you think Oracle would treat the whole country?

3 of 513 comments (clear)

  1. Oracle cheating? not quite... by japhmi · · Score: 5, Informative

    If the poster would actually read the article, they'd see that the company Logicon sold the Oracle software to the state, not Oracle themselves.

    --
    "Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys" P. J. O'Rourke
    1. Re:Oracle cheating? not quite... by hal200 · · Score: 5, Informative
      Perhaps you should have kept reading...and I block quoth (emphasis mine):

      In a written statement attached to the audit, Gage wrote, "In hindsight, it may have been more prudent to delay execution of the agreement" until the savings claims could be evaluated.

      A lawyer for the Department of General Services, meanwhile, was given only a few hours to review the contract.

      The breakneck timeline was imposed by Oracle, the audit says.

      "There was obviously a crushing need to hurry to get this thing done" to boost Oracle's reported earnings at the end of its fiscal year, Bowen said. "The state shouldn't be in the business of propping up any company's balance sheet, period."

      I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss Oracle's involvement in this particular clusterfuck...If they hadn't been so intent on proping up their 4th quarter numbers, the contract would most likely have gotten the review, and probably the subsequent shrieking gales of laughter it deserved.

      Of course, a large helping of shame goes to the Gov't of Calif for letting Oracle/Logicon railroad them like that. This is the sort of thing 'due process' is meant to avoid.

      --

      I just want to take over the world...Why does that automatically make me EVIL?

  2. Re:at least the government waste by Tackhead · · Score: 5, Informative
    > Oracle pays very little in taxes, thanks to our wonderful loop-hole ridden tax system.

    Bullshit.

    1Q01: $903M income before tax, $320M income tax expense.
    2Q01: $1.32B income before tax, $470M income tax expense.
    3Q01: $785M income before tax, $275M income tax expense.
    4Q01: $845M income before tax, $295M income tax expense.

    Your political bias is showing. (OK, so's mine. Guilty as charged. ;-) But corporations pay assloads of tax too.