An outspoken critic of state contracting, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom intends to unveil a proposal to reform IT procurement as part of his gubernatorial campaign platform, one which he said will embrace IT and globalization as a key theme.
“We’re going to be laying out a series of strict proposals, not the least of which, on the dull topic of procurement reform as it relates to IT procurement with the state,” Newsom said. “So that we can automate more of our functions and recognize that the world has been conditioned by Amazon and we’re still operating in the 19th century in silos.”
Newsom made the comments to Techwire after an October speech at the Sacramento Press Club where he promoted his support of Propositions 63 and 64 — measures voters approved in November that require background checks for ammunition and legalize marijuana.
The fact that Newsom is targeting California’s contracting process comes as little surprise given he has frequently condemned how the state buys technology and develops systems, describing the process as an “old boys’ network” and IT consulting companies as cartels out to fleece state coffers.
The 2018 race could certainly become a forum about technology in government. State Treasurer John Chiang, another tech-savvy candidate, is promising greater transparency and improved electronic services to help Californians in their everyday lives.
Similarly, Newsom’s campaign website features a page that calls for government mobile-friendly websites, new and innovative ways for Californians to conduct business with the government online, and and improved transparency that shows how tax dollars are being spent — all themes he embraced in his book Citizenville about reinventing government.
“We can hardly imagine the services that will arise when public data that’s locked up in government warehouses is
released to the public,” his website states.
In a Q&A after the speech, Newsom told the crowd that IT and globalization would be one of three major issues for him as he makes his 2018 bid for governor. The other key pillars of his campaign will be the issue of debt and entitlement and the issue of energy and climate change, he said.
“Perhaps that last issue is the biggest issue of our time that no one is focused on, that no one is talking about,” Newsom said about IT. “How information technology is rapidly changing the way we live, work and play. What’s the future of work.”
Specifically Newsom said he was concerned about labor-saving automation and its impact on wages. He said he plans to start a debate around depletion allowances, and depreciation schedules versus R&D tax credits and talk about innovation capital in a very different way because “we’ve protected incumbents at the expense of innovation.”
Part of his strategy for moving California into the 21st century, he added, is a call to more than double the investment in infrastructure.
“This country needs to get its act together with infrastructure. This is, from my perspective, code red in terms of our state’s ability to be 21st century,” Newsom said. “It is significant investments in infrastructure. That includes broadband ... not just roads, bridges and airports.”
Excerpts from Newsom's Citizenville about reinventing government:
Procurement:
— It’s often about taking care of those who’ve always done business with the buyer, and it’s very hard for new bidders to get any kind of contract.
— Procurement is like an old boys’ network, a process that has little to do with efficiency and everything to do with backslapping and networking.
Cloud Computing:
— The cloud’s sole purpose is to give us information whenever, wherever we need it. The cloud is ubiquity, access, sharing, collaboration, connection. It works for you. That is how our 21st-century government must operate.
— As we move toward the cloud and technology gets easier to use, we’ll have less need for full-time teams of people to maintain our stuff.
Transparency and Open Data:
— The more we know about what our politicians are doing, the more inclined they’ll be to behave honorably — because it’s human nature to behave better when someone is watching.
— The simple truth is, if you know you must reveal your spending publicly, you’re more likely to think twice about how you spend. Transparency leads to trust.
Investment in Technology:
— Fixing the disastrous state of its current tech systems is government’s greatest challenge. Unfortunately, government is hamstrung by the legacy issue — the fact that many of its existing systems are inefficient and outdated.
Outsourcing Technology:
— Government, when it tries to handle tech issues itself, tends to get in way over its head.
— We just don’t have the resources in government to get the numbers and quality of tech employees we need. In fact, tech is usually the first place that funding gets cut.
