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Oracle Sues 5 Oregon Officials For 'Improper Influence'

Posted by Soulskill on from the software-versus-politics dept.

SpzToid writes: Following up on an earlier Slashdot story, the Oracle Corporation has filed a rather timely suit against five of former governor John Kitzhaber's staff for their "improper influence" in the decision to shutter the Cover Oregon healthcare website, while blaming Oracle to defuse the political consequences. Oracle argues the website was ready to go before the state decided to switch to the federal exchange in April.

"The work on the exchange was complete by February 2014, but going live with the website and providing a means for all Oregonians to sign up for health insurance coverage didn't match the former-Governor's re-election strategy to 'go after' Oracle," Oracle spokeswoman Deborah Hellinger said in a statement.

Kitzhaber resigned last week amid criminal probes into an influence-peddling scandal involving allegations that his fiancée used her position in his office for personal gain.

8 of 83 comments (clear)

  1. Inproper influence by MrKaos · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Can we now sue corporations for influencing the political process with lobbying.

    --
    My ism, it's full of beliefs.
    1. Re:Inproper influence by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 4, Insightful

      There should be an investigation into why Oracle was ever tendered the contract in the first place. It couldn't have been on merit. I have never met, or heard of, anyone who outsourced to Oracle and was pleased with the result. They have the worst reputation in the business. I trust Microsoft more than I trust Oracle.

    2. Re:Inproper influence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Whatever Oracle is accused of, if the accusations are related to incompetence, they are probably true. However states and businesses keep keep handing over billions in dollars in contracts to these large IT organizations because those organizations can check all the boxes on the paperwork. The core competency of Oracle, is winning bids which has nothing to do with delivering the end product. Winning the bid and building the system/service are 2 completely different and unrelated enterprises. 2 entirely different parts of both the customer and vendor organizations are involved in these 2 unrelated efforts. Oracle is a sales organization. For Oracle, the project is over when the contract is signed and the sales team has already moved onto the next meal. Everything is then shipped off to low cost armies of credentialed people who are experts in process and ass-covering 6 timezones away....The funny thing is that the customer is then "shocked" when the project blows up.

    3. Re:Inproper influence by AuMatar · · Score: 4, Interesting

      That's not nearly as true as you'd think. Besides which, there's a difference between Oracle's database (which is widely used), and Oracle's consultancy arm which while used has never put out a decent project in their history.

      --
      I still have more fans than freaks. WTF is wrong with you people?
  2. Re:lmfao by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    Here was the reason for needing the exchange. As ObamaCare was brand new, there was an anticipation of a huge wave of sign ups. And needing a way to process those requests. Oregon did its usual bidding thing, Oracle was the bidder selected for the project saying they would provide a working exchange by the 2013 sign ups. The site was incomplete and didn't work. Oregon scrambled, ended up doing all the work by hand/phone. Oracle's promises never came true and they delayed and delayed, by Feb 2014 sign ups were practically done and over. The need for the site was done, and they set up the alternative ways of doing sign ups in order to meet the deadlines.

    There oracle is with its project no one wanted anymore, and it had less value because Oregon already got through its first wave of health care sign ups. Subsequently there was less need for a health care exchange going forward, Oracle bombed. Oregon decided to sue oracle to recooperate the money paid to Oracle for the failed project, which amounted to Oracle being paid for nothing. Oregonian's felt their tax money had been squandered by Oracle, I don't know of anyone who doesn't feel that way.

    obamasweapon.com

  3. Re:Can someone explain this? by hey! · · Score: 4, Informative

    What they're alleging is that political staffers interfered with the project to help the governor's election chances.

    As much as I believe Oracle is the spawn of Satan, if the governor's aides and staffers did that Oracle would have a reasonable complaint. When you sign a system development contract you agree to deliver a system and the client agrees to pay you. If you someone induces your client not to accept a system that meets the criteria, that's what lawyers call a "tort". It's something you can justifiably sue over.

    Likewise there are many ways political operatives could potentially sabotage a project, and that'd be actionable too. Any non-trivial development project is dependent upon the client acting in good faith. They have to act as if they want the system. It's extremely easy for a client to cause a project to fail, by raising an endless stream of trivial complaints or by dragging its feet in its responsibilities like acceptance testing or giving feedback. It'd be all to easy for well-placed political operatives to undermine the bureaucracy's willingness to cooperate.

    That said, in *this* particular instance the suit sounds like business as usual for Oracle, in other words acting like bastards.

    --
    Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
  4. Re:Can someone explain this? by TheReaperD · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I must admit that I'm torn on this one. Who to cheer for? A corrupt politician or Oracle? Can we have a no-holds-barred cage match and shoot the winner in the head?

    --
    "Be particularly skeptical when presented with evidence confirming what you already believe." -
  5. As someone who recently filed MD Health Insurance by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    (I am a software developer)
    I recently helped my parents to file for Health insurance using Maryland Health Exchange website. What a clusterfuck !!!!!!!! Website used Oracle + Java.
    1. Non-intuitive website, cryptic. Looked as it time traveled from 90s.
    2. Gave parsing error (page filled with Java Exceptions with line numbers !!!!!!, in other words, site was compiled in debug mode !!!!!!!) when entered information which had spaces at the end, like social security with space at the end.
    3. Made a typo in SSN or any other personal info ? Shit, touch luck ! There is no way to go back and edit personal info after you have filled information about household members. You need to call support line.
    4. My brother and father share same first name. So, system added my brother as son, and head of household, making household of 4 people, instead of 3 people. Called support line. I was told that it is alright !!!!! "At the backed, they will fix it"(actual quote). Well, insurance cost was be calculated based on number of household members, making it significantly more expensive.
    5. Forgot password and tried 3 times to log in ? Site locks you out, you call support and they will give you temp password that might not work !!! (this is what I was actually told). Temp password did not work !!!!!! You have to wait 24 hours, call them once again, and they will give you new password that might/might not work !!!

    Recently, someone exceptional shadotter left great comment about US patent office, let me paraphrase it. "If the Oracle worked on this (patent office approves), they should be lit on fire, dipped in shit, shot and then fired."