Tag Archives: privatization

The State of Texas versus IBM: IBM responds

In July, the state gave IBM thirty days to respond to various charges relating to its ability to fulfill outsourcing contract obligations. IBM has now given its response. In a letter released [last] Friday, IBM executive Cynthia McLean defended the … Continue reading

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The State of Texas versus IBM: Down dooby doo down down…

It just keeps getting worse, doesn’t it? All the finger-pointing and fault-finding over the state’s troubled data center contract has technology analyst Tom Starnes wondering if Texas and IBM Corp. want this marriage to work. “It’s like they don’t want … Continue reading

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The State of Texas and IBM: Not getting any better

No group hugs are expected any time soon. Agencies that help Texans renew their automobile registrations, draw unemployment benefits and apply for food stamps and Medicaid face crushing demands – and IBM, the technology contractor for those agencies, isn’t even … Continue reading

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The State of Texas versus IBM

It’s never a pretty sight when an outsourcing relationship goes bad. IBM Corp.’s $863 million data center consolidation contract with Texas is teetering on collapse. Seven months of negotiations aimed at righting the troubled project and salvaging the partnership fell … Continue reading

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Sometimes, government really is run like a business

And that’s not such a good thing, as former deputy state comptroller Billy Hamilton pointed out in testimony before the House Select Committee on Government Efficiency and Accountability. Don’t expect savings anytime soon. Check out other states that tried the … Continue reading

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Feds fine Texas for food stamp failures

Our longstanding food stamp problems continue to cost the state of Texas millions of dollars. Federal officials have fined Texas $3.96 million for errors in issuing food stamp benefits, according to a letter sent to House Speaker Joe Straus. The … Continue reading

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The stalking horse

Peggy Fikac brings up a familiar point about expanded gambling. [Rob Kohler, a Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission consultant working against gambling expansion] suspects the gambling talk is paving the way for a new push to lease the state lottery … Continue reading

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Accounting tricks

Everyone knows that the current budget shortfall means the Lege will be searching for cutbacks and new revenue sources. But there is a third option, too, one that doesn’t usually get much attention but which has certainly been done before: … Continue reading

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State auditor issues recommendations for fixing food stamps

It’s about what you’d expect. The state agency that oversees Texas’ food stamp program is outdated and staffed by inexperienced workers, leading to long delays and inaccurate processing, said the state auditor in a report released Tuesday. “To improve the … Continue reading

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Making money on both ends

I’m glad to hear that the food stamp backlog should be cleared up soon. I’m not so glad to hear that one of the guys who bears responsibility for getting us into that mess in the first place now stands … Continue reading

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Trying again with IBM

Maybe the second time will be the charm. The turnaround of the troubled $863 million data center contract between Texas and IBM Corp. has cleared its first major hurdle. On Tuesday, state officials released an “agreement in principle” for restructuring … Continue reading

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We’re not the only state with food stamp issues

We all know by now that Texas has had many problems with its administration of food stamps. Apparently, so have other states, according to a letter, signed by Kevin Concannon, the department’s undersecretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services, sent … Continue reading

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Easing eligibility requirements on food stamps

I suppose you could consider this to be a small benefit of the food stamps snafu. Texas is easing a requirement that most families on food stamps must be interviewed every six months, a step that will relieve pressure on … Continue reading

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A slow solution is bad but no solution is worse

Same song, yet another verse: The food stamp situation in Texas is truly terrible. As Texas begins hiring hundreds of food stamp workers to help erase an application backlog that has left families waiting months for aid, no one expects … Continue reading

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Feds to Texas: Fix food stamps!

Yet another (bad) way in which our state has distinguished itself. Federal officials say Texas should appoint a food stamp czar to take charge of fixing the application backlogs and high error rates plaguing the program. “All states are feeling … Continue reading

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HHSC sued over food stamp delays

This will definitely bear watching. Legal services lawyers for the poor have filed a class-action lawsuit demanding immediate repair of Texas’ much-criticized eligibility screening system for health and welfare programs. The suit was filed in U.S. District Court in Austin … Continue reading

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Perrycare

Who says Republicans don’t have any ideas about health care reform, or anything else for that matter? Here’s Rick Perry’s plan to overhaul the system. This afternoon, Rick Perry’s office released a letter the governor has sent to Health and … Continue reading

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Two out of three ain’t bad

So of the three items on the call for this special session, two of them are sailing along. SB2, the Senate bill to keep state agencies like TxDOT alive, has already passed the full Senate by unanimous vote and will … Continue reading

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House passes budget, slaps Perry

State Rep. Chris Turner, on Twitter: At 3:56 am, the House unanimously passed the budget. Believe it or not, that was earlier than was originally anticipated. The pregame chatter was that the House would have to reconvene today to finish … Continue reading

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Extending Medicaid

Texas likes to bill itself as a business-friendly state. But there’s one thing that a lot of businesses want that the Republican leadership has been unwilling to entertain, and that’s to make Medicaid renewals an annual event instead of every … Continue reading

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