The Most Unpopular Tax Policy Ever

[Aargh]

I used to do the computer work for most of the counseling groups in the area. Those are quasi-government functions. They are both publicly funded and self-funding through charges for services.

I noticed that every one of them took computer printouts from the work I had done and then hand copied it onto computer input forms they sent to the State. I asked them if they could check with their State counterparts to see if they could send in the reports in digital form. That would eliminate producing the hand copied input forms and inputting the info in Topeka.

That set off the biggest **** storm I've ever seen in my life. The first reactrion from State was that it couldn't be submitted in a form they could use on their computers. It didn't take me 2 days to find a way that was compatible with their system.

Word quickly spread that there was a way to submit digitally. A few places started doing it. Their digital claims were rejected, which delayed their payment from State until they submitted the info in an acceptable way. I knew enough about the State system and the formats being used to submit info digitally that State was sabotaging transfer from paper to digital.

I had a friend who was a supervisor at SRS. I told him about the situation. He laughed a lot and told me that I didn't understand. If paperwork was removed from a government function, then employees would be removed, which would result in budgets being reduced. The budget was the power of the person in charge of the government function and those people weren't about to let some unknown person with no poilitical power reduce their power position.

Back in the '80's I was willing to have the State hire me for $100,000 a year. I would have given them a guarantee that if I couldn't save them at least $200,000 a year, I would return any money they had paid me.

[wufan]

I used to do the computer work for most of the counseling groups in the area. Those are quasi-government functions. They are both publicly funded and self-funding through charges for services.

I noticed that every one of them took computer printouts from the work I had done and then hand copied it onto computer input forms they sent to the State. I asked them if they could check with their State counterparts to see if they could send in the reports in digital form. That would eliminate producing the hand copied input forms and inputting the info in Topeka.

That set off the biggest **** storm I've ever seen in my life. The first reactrion from State was that it couldn't be submitted in a form they could use on their computers. It didn't take me 2 days to find a way that was compatible with their system.

Word quickly spread that there was a way to submit digitally. A few places started doing it. Their digital claims were rejected, which delayed their payment from State until they submitted the info in an acceptable way. I knew enough about the State system and the formats being used to submit info digitally that State was sabotaging transfer from paper to digital.

I had a friend who was a supervisor at SRS. I told him about the situation. He laughed a lot and told me that I didn't understand. If paperwork was removed from a government function, then employees would be removed, which would result in budgets being reduced. The budget was the power of the person in charge of the government function and those people weren't about to let some unknown person with no poilitical power reduce their power position.

Back in the '80's I was willing to have the State hire me for $100,000 a year. I would have given them a guarantee that if I couldn't save them at least $200,000 a year, I would return any money they had paid me.

Big problem in government.

[RoyalShock]

I used to do the computer work for most of the counseling groups in the area. Those are quasi-government functions. They are both publicly funded and self-funding through charges for services.

I noticed that every one of them took computer printouts from the work I had done and then hand copied it onto computer input forms they sent to the State. I asked them if they could check with their State counterparts to see if they could send in the reports in digital form. That would eliminate producing the hand copied input forms and inputting the info in Topeka.

That set off the biggest **** storm I've ever seen in my life. The first reactrion from State was that it couldn't be submitted in a form they could use on their computers. It didn't take me 2 days to find a way that was compatible with their system.

Word quickly spread that there was a way to submit digitally. A few places started doing it. Their digital claims were rejected, which delayed their payment from State until they submitted the info in an acceptable way. I knew enough about the State system and the formats being used to submit info digitally that State was sabotaging transfer from paper to digital.

I had a friend who was a supervisor at SRS. I told him about the situation. He laughed a lot and told me that I didn't understand. If paperwork was removed from a government function, then employees would be removed, which would result in budgets being reduced. The budget was the power of the person in charge of the government function and those people weren't about to let some unknown person with no poilitical power reduce their power position.

I'm truly amazed that we can pay our vehicle taxes online. So hopefully, that kind of crap has at least been partially flushed.

Back in the '80's I was willing to have the State hire me for $100,000 a year. I would have given them a guarantee that if I couldn't save them at least $200,000 a year, I would return any money they had paid me.

You'll probably want to punch me for this, but if you were offering just your own personal labor for $100k per year in the 80s, you were charging the people of Kansas significantly more than that labor was worth. In 1988, a mid-level computer programmer averaged $31k annually (high end was $45k). The highest level Systems Analyst (managerial) was $75k. Overpaying for services is another problem with government. Of course, if that $100k included additional workers or services, then nothing I just said has any relevance.

Source: http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/1988/10/rpt3full.pdf

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

Of course, if that $100k included additional workers or services, then nothing I just said has any relevance.

I think it was the guarantee of zero salary unless double his $100k was saved through his efforts that was most relevant.

[RoyalShock]

I think it was the guarantee of zero salary unless double his $100k was saved through his efforts that was most relevant.

Good point.