Many comments on Ericka Chickowski's recent post, IT Fiddles, California Burns, which recounted the Golden State's ongoing struggles to upgrade some core technologies -- and the impact that the delays are having on California's budget crisis.

One point of view, from Donny McCoy: "Governments are not managed like private enterprise. Until they are, senior managers will not be held accountable for failures or lack of progress."

Along with criticism of software vendors and consultants, Jim Berliner said part of the problem is "trying to eat the pie in a single bite."

Paul objected to our statement that private-sector IT couldn't get away with such things; "You obviously don't work in IT. If you think it's so easy, why don't you fly to California and fix their problems over the weekend? These systems are not simple and change take time and effort. That's reality."

If this problem had emerged over a weekend, rather than over years and months, I'd find that argument more compelling.

S.B. offers the most poetic phrase of the thread, lamenting "the pain of throwing millions of dollars down a deep pit of IT politics and hubris."

Federal IT worker Ned Crawley says the whole approach of replacing COBOL systems is wrong in the first place.

And California IT worker David B. laments his department's low pay -- a contributing factor, he says -- while snarking about all the rich private companies that imploded in the financial meltdown.

More at the link above.