Government sure knows how to efficiently spend money. West Virginia has spent $24 million on 1,164 Cisco model 3945 branch routers for their government offices (adding up to 1 high end enterprise level router per 13 government employees). Each router is able to handle hundreds (or even thousands) of simultaneous users depending on their bandwidth needs.

California's computer problems, which have already cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, have mounted as state officials cut short work on a $208-million DMV technology overhaul that is only half done. The project was intended to revamp the process for registering vehicles and issuing driver's licenses, with the entire overhaul scheduled to be finished this year. But state officials said they were canceling the vehicle registration component because little progress was being made. The decision is a setback for the Department of Motor Vehicles, which has a history of such stumbles.

Relations between the King County Sheriff's Office and the state Department of Corrections have been strained by the shooting of Dustin Theoharis, who last winter was shot multiple times, survived and plans to bring a civil suit.
The incident occurred inside an Auburn-area house Feb. 11. The man who was shot, Dustin Theoharis, now 29, survived multiple wounds to his arms, legs, torso and jaw, including fractures that required a series of surgeries.

"He is thankful to be alive, but he has a long way to go to recover," said his attorney, Erik Heipt, of Seattle.

We've previously discussed some of the most hilarious ways grown adults, tasked with either the defense or expansion of their nation, have managed to dick things up so completely that it crosses into the realm of comedy. Here are a few more instances of people stepping onstage in the military theater and splitting their pants in front of everyone.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and the entire government resigned Monday in a surprise move after controversial elections as the economy teeters on the brink of recession. The presidency said President Viktor Yanukovych had accepted Azarov's request to give up his post and become an MP, a move expected to be repeated by several cabinet ministers. It remained unclear who would fill the powerful post of premier, with some analysts speculating it could go to a member of the elite close to Yanukovych known as the "Family".

When we hear about a nasty crime being committed, the most common reaction is saying, "Oh no, that's terrible!" and then going back to launching birds through the air on our iPhones. But, while most of us think that it's best to leave the crime fighting to those who are actually trained (and paid) for it, sometimes a normal citizen will decide to take the law into his or her own hands ... and end up doing a way better job than the cops.

spends day in jail for charging his phone - charges were dropped

Sture Bergwall (a.k.a. Thomas Quick) confessed to several murders while drugged out of his mind by psychiatrists at a psychatric clinic. He was convicted of 8 murders without any technical evidence whatsoever. He was often led by interrogators to give "correct" answers about details in the murders so that he eventually got "close enough" for conviction. A sad story about the Swedish criminal justice system...

"There are no jobs!" That is what people told me outside a government "jobs center" in New York City. But, 4 researchers quickly found 40 job openings. So what goes on at these government "job centers?" I asked a college intern, to find out. Her conclusions:
--It's easier to get welfare than to work.
--The government would rather sign me up for welfare than help me find work.
--America has taxpayer-funded bureaucracies that encourage people to be dependent. They incentivize people to take "free stuff," not to take initiative.

"These sorts of abuses are likely to continue until there are adequate safeguards to assure accountability."