Weren't Oregon lawmakers misled about the cost and progress of the BETC, too?

This bill was my first introduction to the way that the legislature actually works. I was interning in the legislature when a staffer came up with the idea to establish a state wide standard for future radio purchases by first responders and state agencies.

The problem was, and likely still is, that each city, county, state agency, etc., purchase communications equipment independently. Often times, this equipment wasn't compatible with the equipment being used by other agencies which makes interagency communication in the event of a statewide emergency really problematic.

Originally, the bill would have cost nearly nothing and merely required that future purchases meet certain criteria so communications equipment would be compatible. Then the politicians got involved and the price tag on this thing got laughable in a hurry. The first week it went from near zero cost to taxpayers to $10 million and within a matter of weeks the total broke 9 figures.

I'm not sure if we're any better off now then we were then but I got a $600 million (and climbing) educational experience out of the deal. Can't say that nobody learned anything from this mess.

Why would Kroger investigate? This is a legitimate story, but not sexy enough to advance his political career. Besides, who knows who he would implicate that might be useful for him later.

Awww shucks Jack! This is just your every day example of people not getting whatever they want, so they start playing smoke and mirrors with the facts and figures, and...voila...they get what they want. What's truly ridiculous is how easy it is to con people whenever it comes to developing a truly honest budget for anything that needs to be built. The bigger the project, the easier it seems to be to develop a "liars budget". This is just politics as usual in the good 'ol USA. What is particularly laughable on this one is that they actually got people to believe that they would save money by having novice public employees do the work as opposed to competitively bidding it out to private contractors who have done it hundred of times before. The sad part about all of this is that lives may be lost and law enforcement personnel will be put at unnecessary risk due to the delays in completing this much needed project.

Could they all just get along by friending every-'Emergen C'-body on Facebook ?

@crash #'s up, or sumpin sumpin?

Didya know ...

In September 2007, Governor Kulongoski gave Lindsay Ball (the director in charge of this mess) a 23% raise from $135,000 to $166,000. By the time he retired in August, Ball was earning more than $200,000 in total annual compensation and was one of the highest paid employees with the State of Oregon.

And that, my friends, it the top-notch type of expertise that only years and years in the public sector can bring.

And you folks voted to allow those "misguided lawmakers" to go to Salem EVERY year to approve this kind of stuff. Hoo boy!

Don't worry, I'm sure someone will get fired for this - BWA HA HA!!!!