Supervisors and Business as Usual

* I am outraged that the county supervisors would vote to approve a $92-million data-processing contract without putting out for competitive bids (“Divided Board Votes to Extend Data Contract,” Nov. 15). Once again the supervisors prove that they are doing their best to maintain business as usual. Or should I say, bad business as usual?

As a computer professional for the last 12 years, I can assure the public that there are plenty of qualified companies who would compete like sharks for the opportunity to such a lucrative deal. The county could only win.

Apparently, the supervisors were convinced by their staff that only Lockheed Martin could do the job and so extended its 15-year-old monopoly contract. In so doing, three supervisors ignored the advice of their highly paid professional consultants, choosing rather to follow staff recommendations which call for no changes. Somehow this procedure is reminiscent of the management oversight the supervisors exercised on the investment portfolio.

GEOFFREY SARKISSIAN

Modjeska