Texas Voter Database Docs

[gmoses]

At Downloads under "HAVA Texas" the Texas Civil Rights Review has posted a pdf file of the Oct. 22, 2004 Statement of Work (SOW) for the contract to build a statewide database of Texas voters. The SOW lays out the general timeline for the state to pay $12 million to chief contractors IBM and Hart InterCivic. The project is running behind schedule, but the nominal project coordinator for the state says the final deadline will be met.

We have posted two reports on the contract documents, and will be viewing more materials this week. Stay tuned.

Texas Civil Rights Review
http://texascivilrightsreview.org/phpnuke/

(The SOS tour schedule also is posted in the same downloads area, at last!)

[Virginian]

1. Offshoring?

IBM was recently bought by a Chinese company, wasn't it? Don't know anything about Hart InterCivic, the other company.

Does this mean Social security numbers will be sent to China by the Texas Electoral Board? I don't know what the privacy laws are in China and I don't know what the penalty for Identity theft is in China.

I'm glad I don't vote in Texas.

PS: I don't like Americans losing their jobs to offshoring.

[gmoses]

2. hey don't worry about Texas

Virginian I gotta ask, why do you think this isn't happening in your state? Quest and Unisys are your lead contractors. HAVA will make all the statewide databases interoperable so that voter records can be checked between states (you know those sneaky Americans conspiring to cross state lines to vote twice!). As of now, I don't think we need to crosscheck voter rolls in China, but no doubt the day is coming when Democrats will be accused of crossing the Pacific... :-)

[sonias]

3. Greg's right. In the US as it is in Texas

The awful truth for you non-Texans if you haven't gotten the big picture is that Texas is the testing ground for the country. What ever the repukes try here they can then sell to the rest of the country. Pollution trading credits, voluntary compliance with air pollution reduction, leaving children behind in schools (aka the no child left behind act), redistricting, stacking the courts, selling out to corporations. You name it and those of us in Texas have gotten the short end of the stick first.

So now the game is to create "the mother of all voter databases" application. And that dandy little piece of all knowing software will be headquartered right here in Texas. Why we already have Indiana on board, you just might be next Virgina. Yes, Virgina there is a Satan.

Sonia

[Virginian]

9. Thanks for filling in the blanks.

I really wasn't clear on the problem.

[Virginian]

8. Lots of offshoring is happening here and H-1b, too.

Your outrage was over the action, mine was over the method.

I am not picking on Texas, I don't like offshoring jobs or importing H-1b workers to take tech jobs away from Americans.

There are companies that do nothing more than try to staff as many tech jobs as possible with H-1b workers. This is how they make their money, skimming the income of these imported workers. It is a very profitable business. Many multi-millionaires have been made in this business. These companies then lobby congress to increase the number of tech workers that can be imported.
While there are tens of thousands of qualified American Tech workers out of jobs, this Republican congress raises the quota on H-1b workers who can come in to work.

Your post triggered that knee-jerk reflex that said IBM has just gone offshore. Buying IBM machines will put lots of Chinese to work, but as a taxpayer supported group, shouldn't they be putting money back into the pockets of the taxpayers by buying and hiring American? I knew nothing about the other company, whether it was domestic or foreign as I previously stated. I guess I was thinking since they were buying foreign made computers, they were staffing with foreign born techies. The economy is not as good as the Bush administration wants you to believe. Lots of Americans are still unemployed or under employed and need the work.

[crispini]

4. No, IBM's personal computer business was sold to

the Chinese company. IBM's consulting division is still US-based.

Hart Intercivic is based in Houston, FWIW. :shrug:

[GOPisEvil]

5. Hart is in Austin, isn't it?

When it was Hart Graphics it was. Maybe they moved and didn't tell me though - the bastards.

[crispini]

6. Could very well be.

I have a bad memory. For some reason I thought it was Houston, but I was just sort of riffing and certainly didn't look that up before I posted. :7

[GOPisEvil]

7. Their corporate office are in Austin.

I checked. They do have an office in Houston though.