Computer Failures

Re “State Kills Project to Link Welfare Networks,” July 12:

Hundreds of millions for dysfunctional computer systems that were scrapped over the past decade and the taxpayers have nothing to show for this expense. In the real world where performance is measured, budgets must be met and costs are monitored, such incompetent performance would have been terminated early and those responsible held accountable. Politicians and bureaucrats seem to drift from one expensive disaster to the next. They are in a protected environment without accountability.

Currently the state, like the federal government, enjoys an excess of money on hand, supposedly due to the good economy. Too much money in government hands creates situations such as we have been experiencing. This money does not belong to the politicians and bureaucrats but to the taxpayers. It is time that all excess taxes collected by the state and federal governments be returned to their rightful owners. Surely we can do no worse handling the money ourselves.

HAROLD E. BOUCHER

West Hills