EDMOND — The state Legislature successfully approved this week the creation of a new central information officer to oversee the state’s computer systems. This is not creating more bureaucracy, in our opinion. Instead it should help solve several significant issues that cost our taxpayers millions of dollars annually.
One way to create efficiency in state government is to get a handle on information technology costs across the system as a whole. Rep. Jason Murphey, quoted in an Edmond Sun story earlier this month, said the state spends $340 million a year on IT needs alone. He likened the current program to shopping at 7-11 instead of coordinating purchases for more cost savings at a Sam’s Club. Buying in bulk and seeking discounts for those bulk buys just makes more sense at a time when the state has fewer dollars to spend.
According to an Associated Press story, Senate Majority Floor Leader Todd Lamb said consolidating computer systems and services has saved more than $2.3 billion in other states that have implemented the idea, including California, which will save $1.5 billion in the next five years. Oklahoma agencies faced with 5 percent to 7 percent budget cuts for the next fiscal year probably could use a few extra dollars created by IT savings.
Last week’s dust-up at the state Legislature over the new position failed to take into account several recent security failures at state agencies. Losing laptops and/or jump drives with state residents’ Social Security data seems to be a trend this year among state agencies.
Oklahomans deserve better security for their personal data from their government. The new CIO will be tasked with creating a systemwide strategy that should make our information more secure and hopefully will make state employees more accountable.
Some Democrats’ arguments against the bill include that it will consolidate tremendous power into the hands of one person. We’d like to point out that this person will be answerable to the governor, who will hire — and fire — for the position. In addition, this is no different from what happens in private industry. One person ultimately is responsible for the IT needs of most large corporations, and just like in private industry, the state’s new CIO should be held to high performance standards.
Others said the legislation is designed for special interests. Yes, legislators, we the taxpayers are a special interest and we would like you, our elected officials, to take a greater interest in saving our hard-earned money and putting it to the best use. Finding ways to fund our state’s technology needs in a less haphazard fashion, and creating policy that improves data security, are absolutely a special interest to most taxpayers.
We don’t envy the person selected for this position, but we believe in the necessity of the job. It will be tough going for awhile, but a streamlined IT approach should improve customer service to not only state taxpayers but also for state employees using the computer systems while achieving significant cost savings.
Our View
State CIO needed
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OUR VIEW: Fundraisers make an impression
Edmond students in both public and private schools showed their community spirit in February and March by raising $1.18 million total for charity.
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OUR VIEW: Taking care of some old business
Earlier this month, the City Council filled an unexpected vacancy when Ward 4 Councilman David Miller took an out-of-state job opportunity.
Filling the position until the 2013 election is financial adviser Nick Massey. He’s a familiar face to Edmond Sun readers, having contributed a regular financial column for almost five years. We would like to congratulate Massey on attaining the Ward 4 council seat and we wish him the best as he learns the ropes at city hall.
But Massey’s appointment caps an almost unprecedented amount of change within the City Council structure. -
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OUR VIEW: Super campaigns need a revamp
Super Tuesday offers Oklahomans the chance to give their input in the presidential primaries, but the question is how much input do we really have these days?
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Our View — Voter turnout remains tepid
On Feb. 14, 809 voters decided between two candidates for the Edmond Public Schools District 2 seat on the Board of Education. That number of voters would not sound so bad all by itself, but when you stand it up next to the number of registered voters in the district, the story changes quite a bit. According to the Oklahoma County Election Board, there are 17,475 voters in that school board district in northwest Edmond.
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OUR VIEW: Teacher certification payment causes concern
Educators have become pitted against legislators once again over a program that should have brought nothing but good things to our schools and students. However, teachers and lawmakers alike have soured over the National Board Certified Teachers program due to insufficient state funds to keep up promised annual payments to those teachers who earned the designation.
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OUR VIEW: Gov. Fallin scores big with speech
Gov. Mary Fallin defined her governorship on Feb. 6 and cemented her legacy as a leader. In her State of the State address, Fallin laid out her vision for how Oklahoma can grow or lead in several important areas.
Nowhere in that speech did she throw down the “my way or the highway” gauntlet to legislators or the people of Oklahoma. No, she truly offered a multi-point plan that offers opportunity for discussion that could bear rich fruit for our state. -
OUR VIEW: Feb. 14 vote about ideas
If you read any of the letters to the editor in the past two weeks regarding Tuesday’s District 2 Edmond school board race, then you already know that this election is not about the individual candidates so much as it’s about what type of school board do Edmond residents really want governing their school district?
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OUR VIEW: Bright spots highlight 2011
Last year was mostly marked with grim economic news and continued worries for the future by most individuals and businesses. However, there were several bright spots that highlighted 2011 and they are good examples why Edmond continues to weather the nation’s economic storms better than most.
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City still needs a business navigator
At the outset of her first term in office, then-Mayor Patrice Douglas appointed a task force dedicated to helping the City of Edmond better understand the needs of small businesses in our city. This task force met for several months and released a number of recommendations for how the city could better serve this huge sector of its economy.
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OUR VIEW: Fundraisers make an impression
