I heard about the problems with the new vehicle registration system two weeks ago. It’s all the scuttlement among courthouse workers. Ironically, it made the wait for new tags much longer at a time when auto sales have tanked. At least the clerks have something to do.
Counties across the state have experienced problems.
“It’s terrible,” said Ravalli County Treasurer JoAnne Johnson. “We’ve had lines like I’ve never seen.”
Fasbender is adamant that the system will get fixed. He said a new version that would hopefully solve many of the current problems is almost ready to be put into place, possibly as soon as this weekend.
“We’re responding as quickly and appropriately as possible,” he said.
Brenda Nordlund, acting administrator of the state Motor Vehicle Division, said that since the new computer system was installed, tech workers have made various tweaks to help improve the way certain aspects function when problems arise. Over the weekend and through Tuesday, Department of Justice staff members will essentially be implementing more of these fixes.
But something seems to be missing from the story. Who’s responsible? Was there a vendor involved or was this POS developed in-house? Two other states use similar systems, so my guess is that this was outsourced.
Meanwhile, I also heard that County government is holding its collective breath until this month’s property tax receipts are totted up. House and car sales are in the toilet with no turnaround expected soon. No new County hires, at least for now. Even the courthouse deli is up for sale. The general fund is down, will special funds be raided to meet shortfalls?
on May 31st, 2009 at 11:18 am
Has the Schweitzer administration gotten anything right? How is it that the chief administrator isn’t held accountable for failures in his administration? Wasn’t it just last year that DOR failed to provide assessments in a timely and accurate manner?
Now the DOJ springs and untested and untried system, that has had “problems” in other states, onto the public.
Shades of the DOR “Points” system. Will we be flushing the $28 million down the drain like that $70 million dollar fiasco?
Thirty minutes for a registration is outrageous!
on May 31st, 2009 at 11:23 am
I feel your pain, obviously the self-admitted federal law breaker, Gov, does not.
on May 31st, 2009 at 4:13 pm
I’m guessing we are just being warmed up for the problems we will have with our new healthcare system.
on May 31st, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Boy howdy, Ken. Just imagine the government, that takes a half hour and has to call a specialist to process a car title, trying to diagnose cancer or treat rhumatoid arthritis.
It’s just one step closer to Idiocracy.
But of course, there’s no evil profit motive involved, so we ought to just accept that forty five minute waits for thirty minute paper pushing is the ultimate good.
on May 31st, 2009 at 9:15 pm
You guys miss one salient fact .. governments of all the other industrialized nations have indeed instituted health care systems, and they run just fine, spending about half of what we do and mangling to cover all of their citizens.
What exactly are you not seeing? How rigid is your dogma that hard evidence does not penetrate your skiulls?
on May 31st, 2009 at 11:11 pm
Chris Rea said it best,
“This ain’t no technological breakdown, oh no, this the road to Hell”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EBw_da7BZk&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fmachineoverlords%2Eblogspot%2Ecom%2F&feature=player_embedded
Well timed message, wouldn’t ya think?
on May 31st, 2009 at 11:20 pm
You guys miss one salient fact ..
Your “salient fact” is complete hogwash.
on Jun 1st, 2009 at 5:01 pm
Mike - you are demonstrating resistance to evidence - it takes time. Been there, will be there again I’m sure.
We cling to our beliefs against all evidence -we’re all stubborn that way. I’m guilty too.
But I do urge that you look into studies and statistics that are done on the health standards and costs in other countries. There is no clamor anywhere to adopt our health care system. If it were installed in Canada, there’d be a bloody revolution.
Take a look at Taiwan, for instance - I think they are the most recent to go public. They are generally quite happy with the results.
on Jun 3rd, 2009 at 11:17 am
Mark T.:
It sounds like you had another nice visit with Ram Dass over the weekend. It is weird that you two would be discussing healthcare systems rather than, say, the counterclockwise orientation of bellybutton hairs in the northern hemisphere and what the government should do about it.
1. Just because you are unwilling to pay the going price for healthcare or healthcare insurance is no reason why the rest of us should change the system to suit you. [Note: Getting someone else to pay your bills is NOT a human right.]
2. Whatever the Canadians reject must be inherently good.
3. End Medicare and Medicaid, remove all other government interventions in the healthcare system, including FDA meddling, cap malpractice awards (or revoke all affirmative action medical doctor degrees), and watch the price of medical treatment and health insurance collapse.
4. In the event that you and the other leftist whiners have your way, consider, next, what you are going to do about the millions of Americans who have no life insurance, no house insurance, no car insurance, or no boat insurance. That stuff is costing us a fortune!
on Jun 3rd, 2009 at 9:03 pm
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/06/03/news/state/18-carlicensing.txt
Two days without the Motor Vee being open to the public, and they’ve got nothing fixed.
Merlin my ass, more like the Wizard of Oz. Of course, we should Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain. This is the Department of Justice and it reports directly to guy behind the curtains of the Governor’s mansion.
Who is minding the people’s business at the state, anyway?