01/15/10

from The Hill

White House budget director blames old computers for ineffective government
 

By Ian Swanson - 01/14/10 02:56 PM ET

A big reason why the government is inefficient and ineffective is because Washington has outdated technology, with federal workers having better computers at home than in the office.

This startling admission came Thursday from Peter Orszag, who manages the federal bureaucracy for President Barack Obama.

The public is getting a bad return on its tax dollars because government workers are operating with outdated technologies, Orszag said in a statement that kicked off a summit between Obama and dozens of corporate CEOs.

“Twenty years ago, people who came to work in the federal government had better technology at work than at home,” said Orszag, director of the Office of Management and Budget. “Now that’s no longer the case.

“The American people deserve better service from their government, and better return for their tax dollars.”

The White House release that included Orszag’s comments said one “specific source” of ineffective and inefficient government is the huge technology gap between the public and private sectors that results in billions of dollars in waste, slow and inadequate customer service and a lack of transparency about how dollars are spent.

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It's so obvious, we should have realized... the most awesome and transparent administration evah... except for the clunky old computers. Quick, we need to spend billions of dollars to replace all the government computers and then everything will be wonderful.

But it brings to mind an old quotation:

"It's a poor craftsman who blames his tools."

That quote is so old and widely known that I can't find an author or source. I suspect it may have been mumbled by an early homo-sapiens witnessing one of his clan failing to do what he intended with a stick and a rock.

Also, read between the lines in the Budget Director's statement. (Remember that "The Won" is never wrong) Who allowed the government's information technology to get so far out of date? Altogether Now:

BUSH DID IT !