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Schwarzenegger: IT Consolidation Good for California Taxpayers

California Gov. Schwarzenegger says a proposed IT consolidation and a centralized CIO office would save the state billions of dollars.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Wednesday that California state government owes it to taxpayers to implement an IT consolidation to make government run more efficiently.

Schwarzenegger said the move would save $2 billion to $4 billion over the next five years and that CIO Teri Takai will elevate the state's status as an IT leader.

"We can take that money and use it for important programs whether it is in health care or whether it is in education, and so on," he said.

Schwarzenegger's comments were prompted by a question from Government Technology at a Sacramento Press Club event on Wednesday.

On Jan. 16, Schwarzenegger announced the Governor's Reorganization Plan (GRP), which includes IT consolidation among a list of cost-cutting moves. The consolidation would bring the work of 130-plus agencies under the Office of the State Chief Information Officer.

The GRP will be reviewed by the Little Hoover Commission (LHC), and the group will have 60 days after that to recommend further action to the state Legislature. Thirty days after being submitted to the LHC, the GRP will also be submitted the Legislature, which will have 60 days to let the GRP take affect or issue a resolution against it.

"With the next two, three years, she (Takai) will make the state of California No. 1, and I think that's where we ought to be -- is No. 1 -- because we're a high technology state," he said.

Schwarzenegger did not answer the question if there would be layoffs coming for state IT workers, but Takai said last week there were no layoffs planned.

 

Hilton Collins is a former staff writer for Government Technology and Emergency Management magazines.