Maybe Chiang should switch to Mac?

By Chandra Sharma

Managing Editor of Fox&Hounds and Political Communications Consultant

Mon, August 4th, 2008

State Controller John Chiang, who last week announced his intent to ignore the Governor's Executive Order reducing the salaries of state employees to the federal minimum wage during the budget impasse, issued a new statement this morning -- he claims that even if he wanted to comply with the Governor's order, the 'antiquated' computer system used by the state to manage and issue payroll would not allow it.

I don't ever recall reading about the payroll system causing a 6-9 month delay in processing wage and salary increases for the state's workforce -- maybe the delay only occurs in one direction?

Nonetheless, I do understand how such a change could be so complex. Sure, updating 200,000 database records is considered a fairly straightforward function in the technology world and likely requires so little processing power that your average Blackberry, iPhone or graphing calculator could accomplish the task within the requisite timeframe, but we must be careful not to expect too much all at once.

Here's a suggestion for the Controller - maybe it's time to switch?

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State Payroll System obsolete

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on Mon, 08/04/2008 - 22:46.

Obsolete or not, the payroll sytem should be able to process pay rate changes with little intervention. Pay is based on pay grades, years of service, etc. Just update a table and apply it to the group or individual. Better yet, California should outsource their payroll to a professional payroll service. Probably more accurate, less costly, more flexible, and accountable. A win for the employees and taxpayers.

While one would hope CA

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on Mon, 08/04/2008 - 16:22.

While one would hope CA state computer systems would be able to handle this mess, one only need look at the LAUSD Payroll System fiasco which has taken close to 12 months to repair all the damage, the incorrect W2s, the too high and too low checks, etc. etc. etc. to see the possible damage and exposure to further legal risk. It's nice to think that a simple computer program would be able to do all of these 200,000 changes quickly, and then back again, but that's just naive and unrealistic.

Chaing's excuse re: State computers

Submitted by TOM ALSTON (not verified) on Mon, 08/04/2008 - 15:54.

Obvious lie, Obvious reason. Union Money elected him and the Unions run our state government. All the while the "whiners" complain that it is big business that runs things. If that was true, how come the Democrats have been in the majority for so long? Open your eyes and follow the money. In Sacramento it runs to unions then trickles down to legislators who do what they are told.

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