State Senator John Cauthorn, R-Mexico, this week conferred a Golden Goose Egg to the state treasurer's office for entering into two disastrous software purchase agreements both of which ran months behind their implementation schedules and far over budget.

As outlined in a lengthy, if not confidence inspiring, report published by the state auditor, the treasurer's office contracted with a computer programming firm in 1999 to replace database and reporting systems that were thought not to be up to the changing of the year code brought on by the new millennium ("Y2K"). That fear appears to be unfounded as the software was not put in use until August of 2001. Ultimately, more than 30 months elapsed before the system was fully operational.

"And more than $190,000 was spent over the original $60,000 cost estimate to attain this milestone in sound fiscal policy," Cauthorn said. "I have little doubt about the treasurer's assertions that certain software was deemed necessary to meet 'Y2K' concerns. But a number of other concerns should have surfaced once the upgrade process began spiraling out of apparent control number one being some sort of concern Missouri taxpayers."

The treasurer's office followed the stunning 1999 software contract with one of similar epic proportions and unspectacular results a year later when it purchased a bank reconciliation/deposit verification package in 2000. In July of 2001, fingers crossed, the first "trial run" began. But, apparently due to the improper entry of a raft of data, the run failed, necessitating the deletion of all entered data and its subsequent re-entry. Four short months of keypunching later, the system had indeed reconciled two months worth of activity.

Whether the treasurer's office has reconciled the spending of $121,000 to date on the system which even today falls far short of being fully utilized is yet unknown.

"I'd say right about now I'm glad my money isn't deposited with the state treasurer," Cauthorn said. "I'm sure Treasurer Farmer is working to correct the past mistakes of former Treasurer Bob Holden. But in these two instances, the books simply don't balance and the error is charged, as always, to the taxpayers."

In a program patterned similar to one once used by a U.S. Senator to highlight particularly galling instances of governmental mismanagement, Cauthorn began handing out Goose Eggs earlier this year. The public safety and conservation departments, along with the state's administration office, are among recent "awardees."

"This isn't meant to be spiteful or hateful it's simply a way to call attention to some of the more glaring missteps found in state government," Cauthorn, chairman of the Senate's Governmental Accountability and Fiscal Oversight Committee, remarked. "And the way things are going, the list of nominees is hardly in danger of running thin…"