Y2K, Y$2M

Bipartisan accord among legislators is usually good. The across-party-lines condemnation Maine lawmakers had this week for the state’s Y2K preparations is hardly that, but if the allegations of misspending and wastefulness are even partly true, it certainly is understandable.

After reviewing the efforts by state agencies to correct Y2K glitches, the Joint Select Committee on the Year 2000 Computer Problem concluded that close to $2 million has been wasted. Of particular concern are a $750,000 consulting contract that yielded no apparent results to lawmakers and an ill-advised decision by the Department of Human Services to spend close to $1 million on a new computer system that did not work.

The consulting contract awarded to Coopers & Lybrand of Portland was to assist several state agencies in preparing for Y2K. It resulted, according to Committee Chairman Rep. Charles LaVerdiere, Democrat of Wilton, in “little bang for the buck.” Rep. LaVerdiere also complained that the consultants were more arrogant than informative at a meeting with lawmakers last month. Rep. Richard Nass, Republican of Acton, found it “amazing” that the King administration awarded such a large contract without consulting legislators.

Both make good points. Coopers & Lybrand may well have done $750,000 worth of work; the firm may well have fixed untold problems that will be apparent only on or after Jan. 1. But with that size paycheck in hand, the firm has an obligation to meet with lawmakers and to explain, with as much patience and in terms as layman-like as necessary, exactly what was done, how much time was spent and what results can be expected. If the King administration did in fact shop around for the best deal and the most expertise, the extent of that shopping trip should be explained.

The DHS situation needs even more explanation. Rather than renovate its existing system, the agency decided to replace it with a new $2.5 million system. Only after it became apparent that the new system would not be up and running on time, after $1 million had been spent, did DHS abandon the project and proceed with the renovation.

Especially troubling is the dispute that has arisen between Robert Mayer of the Bureau of Information Services and DHS Commissioner Kevin Concannon. Mr. Mayer says he advised DHS against going with the new system; Commissioner Concannon says no such advice was given. Missteps in something as unpredictable as Y2K are understandable. Arguments between state officials over who said or did not say what are unacceptible.

These situations, added to the administration’s misguided reluctance this summer to make an independent audit of Y2K preparedness available to legislators and the public, can easily lead to the conclusion that there are within the administration those who believe legislators and the public are incapable of understanding the issues involved. If that is not the case, the administration that has always billed itself as technologically adept now has the responsibility to fully disclose every potential problem that remains, to describe every task successfully completed and to account for every dime spent, even the dimes that have been wasted. And lawmakers should remain bipartisanly irate until that happens.