Slashdot Mirror
West Virgnia Auditor Finds Cisco Router Purchase Not Performed Legally
coondoggie writes "West Virginia wasted millions in federal grant money when it purchased 1,164 Cisco routers for $24 million in 2010, a state audit concluded. A report issued this month by the West Virginia Legislative Auditor found the state used a 'legally unauthorized purchasing process' when awarding the router contract, paid for with federal stimulus funds, to Cisco. The auditor also found Cisco 'showed a wanton indifference to the interests of the public' in recommending the investment in its model 3945 branch routers, the majority of which were 'oversized' for the requirements of the state agencies using them, the report (PDF) stated."
There's a whole lot of room to go down in specs before you could even consider talking about "insifficiently specced gear".
It's kind of like using that argument when someone needed a shovel and got sold a truck with a plough.
In a decent world, this would get the company blacklisted for all government-funded future purchases for a certain time. Which would make company care a LOT about not fleecing the public.
Apparently you are totally unaware of the state of bridges in this country if you think our infrastructure is fine.
We've got lots of infrastructure that is falling apart. West Virginia just happens to have IT clueless folks running the place spending money where they shouldn't, and the biggest networking IT specialist around recommended something insane.
When I worked public sector, the first priorities weren't getting the best price or best value. They were, in order:
1) Buy it from a registered state contractor (most of which had ridiculously jacked-up prices)
[or, if a state contractor didn't have it]:
2) Find a state contractor and get a "quote" on it (translation: Have a registered state contractor buy it for you and then attach a hefty fee on top of what they paid, rather than buy it directly and save money)
Three things will happen:
1. Someone will step forward to say that he predicted this would happen, but nobody would listen to him.
2. Some low-level functionary will have his life ruined.
3. Some high-level functionary will get a lobbying job or be appointed to a government regulation agency.
Prove anything by multiplying Huge Number times Tiny Number
You missed the looping which is important, what happens is:
Person 1) Here's $3 million to go do X
Person 2) OK, I shall do it
[ time passes ]
Person 2) Ive finished, and I only spent $1 million, so here's $2 million back.
[ time passes]
Person 1) Here's $1 million to do do Y
Or:
Person 1) Here's $3 million to go do X
Person 2) OK, I shall do it
[ time passes ]
Person 2) We've run out of money but we are almost done.
Person 3) OK, here's another $1 million.
[ time passes]
Person 2) Ive finished.
[ time passes]
Person 1) Here's $4 million to do do Y
If you've worked in anywhere that sells to large businesses/government you will have seen the end of budget rush as departments rush orders to get billed before the end of the budget year so they can spend their allocated budget before they have to give anything left back and get less next round. It's always our busiest time of year.