Condition computer techniques are so outdated, and their programming so antiquated, that only a decide on couple of outdated-timers on the workers know how to preserve them functioning. When individuals staff members depart, they get institutional awareness with them, incorporating but a new layer of headaches for Gov. Mike Parson to confront. He can engage in all the finger-pointing he wants, but the difficulty is interior. It just can’t be preset without the need of the forms of up-front expense that Parson looks unwilling to authorize, potentially because he does not comprehend the urgency, or he wrongly fears backlash for investing in difficult techno-stuff that won’t essentially advantage his largely rural GOP base.
Parson’s irrational assault on the Article-Dispatch previous week could be a sign of his have exasperation with the point out laptop or computer system’s growing problems. Or potentially he simply determined to go soon after the least difficult goal alternatively than consider to comprehend how to take care of the real problem.
Both way, the challenges won’t go away without having a big financial commitment. As the Post-Dispatch’s Kurt Erickson experiences, point out budget officers think a real overhaul of the state’s personal computer units would price tag close to $83.5 million. These types of an improve not only would improve the system’s security but also would make state providers extra available to taxpayers.