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Kansas is Trying to Unload $10M in Unused Computer Equipment (apnews.com)

An anonymous reader quotes the Associated Press: Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer's administration is seeking a way to donate or sell at a steep discount as much as $10 million in unused computer equipment that has been stored in a state office building since 2016. The state still owes $2 million on the equipment, which it bought in 2016 as part of a failed plan to develop a centralized storage system, call Kansas GovCloud, for computer information. That idea was canceled by state IT officials who said it was too expensive. Instead, the state contracts with an outside company to store data on remote servers.

Attempts to sell the equipment failed to attract bidders, leading to discussions about finding someone to take the equipment before its value dropped to the level of scrap metal, The Topeka Capital-Journal reported. Sen. Tom Holland, D-Baldwin City, said the state allocated $17 million, including $10 million for the equipment, before dropping the storage idea. Selling it for pennies on the dollar or donating it to someone has merit, he said. "The point is, equipment after a while just becomes obsolete. If somebody can use it, great. If you can get some money out of it, fine," Holland said.

3 of 117 comments (clear)

  1. But no money for teachers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    State had $17 million to waste on useless computers while their teachers were getting paid so little they had to work second and third jobs. I read about some teachers working at McDonalds after they finished teaching school. Keep in mind Kansas had a budget surplus before a trickle down economic ideologue became a governor. After what happened in Kansas should be death knell for myth of trickle down economy.

  2. Donate to Schools? by jonesy16 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    And the geniuses at the state level have or have not considered donating this to other public entities in the state, e.g., the public school systems, state universities, etc. that probably all receive some level of state funding?

  3. Re: Kansas Derp State by PopeRatzo · · Score: 3, Insightful

    If government is so incompetent, why haven't you succeeded with your anarchy?

    It's not anarchy, but Democrats swept the Kansas statewide office elections.

    To give you an idea of how bad the Kansas GOP is, the people of Kansas elected a Native American lesbian to Congress over a Republican guy that Donald Trump campaigned and did rallies for and endorsed, and in a district that has been Republican for just about ever.

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.