Juan Gonzalez published a fascinating article about New York's over-priced, dysfunctional computer system that pointed to a number of problems with the world we live in.
First of all, the system, like many complex computer systems, does not work. Second, 230 consultants are getting an average salary of $400,000. Finally, one of the great ironies is that the system is supposed to keep track of ordinary workers ordinary workers to make sure that they are not overpaid. Gonzalez, Juan. 2010. "'Consultants' Getting $722M from City for Coomed CityTime Computer Project." New York Daily News (26 March).http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2010/03/26/2010-03-26_city_pours_722m_down_consulting_contracts_black_hole.html#ixzz0jKVpsC5M "The city is paying some 230 "consultants" an average salary of $400,000 a year for a computer project that is seven years behind schedule and vastly over budget. The payments continue despite Mayor Bloomberg's admission the computerized timekeeping and payroll system -- called CityTime -- is "a disaster"." Eleven CityTime consultants rake in more than $600,000 annually, with three of them making as much as $676,000, city records obtained under a Freedom of Information request show." "The 40 highest-paid people on the project bill taxpayers at least $500,000 a year. These enormous salaries are coming out of a $139 million extension to the CityTime contract that began July 1 and runs to September 30. Some of the consultants have been working at these rates for as long as a decade. Take, for example, Brian Fallon, a CityTime "project manager." The Science Applications International Corp., which employs Fallon and supplies the consultants, charged $653,554 for his services in 2009. When the Daily News approached Fallon, 40, this week outside his home in Belle Mead, N.J., he declined to say what he does to merit such a fat check." More at: http://michaelperelman.wordpress.com/2010/04/19/the-logic-of-monitoring-workers/ -- Michael Perelman Economics Department California State University Chico, CA 95929 530 898 5321 fax 530 898 5901 http://michaelperelman.wordpress.com _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
