1996 – $56 million DMV software crash (1)
1999 – $200 million over-time scandal (2)
2000 – $1.4 billion the state neglected to collect (3)
2005 – $524 million hidden school fund uncovered by media (4)
2006 – $40 million in DUI fines un-collected (5)
2008 – $60 million Data Center boondoggle (6)
2009 – $175 million job stimulus flop created 16 shovel ready jobs (7)
2010 – $600 million Emergency-Radio Network colossal money pit – Project cancelled (8)
2011 – $300 million Cover Oregon software crash – Website never used
(9)
2013 – $175 million Bridge to Nowhere (10)
2014 – $120 million over-budget on bypass road (11)
2015 – $968 million Energy Tax fund scandal – bankruptcies, forgeries, resignations (12)
2016 – $21 billion PERS deficit reaches new high (13)
A look across 20 years show that many fo the multi-million dollar errors by Oregon State government are preventable — and even worse some of these errors are repeated over and over. Clearly Oregon needs a better management plan to learn from its mistakes and to create measurements, pressure and competitive forces to create cost savings.
SOURCES: (1) Bend Bulletin 1/26/2014 (2) State managers abused loophole to bypass new over-time limit laws. Waste Watch Report 2000. (3) Newspaper investigation showed money owed to state that was never collected — from criminal fines to letting vendors ignore payments owed to state. Oregonian 10/2/2000 (4) Statesman Journal 4/6/2005 (5) Associated Press 6/14/16 (6) New $20 million building deemed unfit upon completion. Project created widespread data security problems languishing for years. Oregonian 7-19-2008 (7) Oregonian 4-3-2009 (8) Planned for 300 new towers, got only 30. Plan scrapped mid-way to stem giant money loses. Bend Bulletin 1/26/2014 (9) Portland Tribune 7/20/16 (10) CRC Bridge never built. The Oregonian 7-4-13 (11) Eddyville Pioneer Mtn. bypass KATU-2 6/6/14 (12) Portland Tribune 6/23/15 (13) Statesman Journal 3/29/16
