Thursday, July 3, 2008

Goobermint Run Amok

Brace yourself, this one's as painful as watching a 2 year old get a splinter removed. It's complete with the same caterwauling and foot stomping.

Most of the states now have online licensing where you can walk into many stores and buy your hunting or fishing licenses. Eazy, peazy, Japanezy. You'd think California, being the high tech hotbed we are, would be one of the first states to adopt this time and money saving system. But Nooooooo. We're are currently in year 13 of trying to get the ALDS (Automated License Data System) up and running.

At the June 26th 2008 California Fish & Game Commission meeting the ALDS project manager gave the commission the current sitrep. It was brutal. Commissioner Daniel Richards called the current ALDS situation a "trainwreck". The project was started in 1995 and the DFG is still getting excuses from the contractor, Outdoor Central Inc., on why they can't perform. They don't even have a date for delivery yet, maybe 2010 is the new guess. The commission is JUST NOW asking for milestones from the contractor.

Unbelievable!!!

From what I can gather the commission does not have performance bonds on this contract, something that is standard practice in the business world to prevent this kind of mess. In my opinion it's high time to fire the contractor and sue them for non performance.

Link to Commission video If you want to view the debacle it's at the 2 hour 54 minute mark.

I know some coders you could supply pizza to for 2 months who could hammer this online system out. I'm still digging trying to find out how much of our money DFG has peed away down this black hole.

Some of the commissioners mentioned Idaho and Oregon having up and running systems and wondered why California is so behind. ALDS project manager Reyes said the contractor first tried to piggyback on the code they already have up and running for other states but then they had a management loss and upheaval. Then the contractor decided the piggyback wasn't going to work and because CA is soooooo different we need "special" code written for us special folks.

The final insult to injury was hearing the contractor has only "about" 25% of the "special" code done according to DFG. Reyes looked looked like a deer caught in the headlights at the commission meeting. "I'm holding their feet to the fire", Reyes said when asked what was being done to correct the problem.

"A pig in poke is what we got heruh", as my grandpa would say.

Do you have online licensing in your state? If you do how long have you had it? Do you like it or not?

3 comments:

Holly Heyser said...

What, the F&G Commission actually wants to do something to make hunters' lives easier?

Oh yeah, they actually have some hunters on the commission now. Richards is the new guy. A hunter and a former chair of the San Bernardino County F&G Commission. The California Outdoor Heritage Alliance supported his appointment.

Better in the second most recent appointment - a guy who doesn't even hunt in California.

Jesses Hunting And Outdoors said...

Richards is a ray of hope Holly. Not sure about the new commissioner, time will tell as usual.

Anonymous said...

Just found your blog. I live in NC and we've had the system for about 10 years I bet. Seems to work well but occasional bugs do happen. The day or two before dove season the system can be slow and you'll see lines at the sporting goods counter waiting to get licenses. Heck I think my old stomping grounds of Maine converted to a computer system a few years ago.Seems like enough wheels have been invented that CA should be able to get a system up and running pretty easy.
-Moose-