Wisconsin governor's troubled efficiency plan falls short
Source: By RYAN J. FOLEY, Associated Press (WI), 04.29.08, 5:39 PM ET
The headline-grabbing claim from Gov. Jim Doyle in March 2005 couldn't have been clearer. At a news conference, Doyle said his administration would save taxpayers up to $200 million over four years through better management of the state bureaucracy under the so-called ACE Initiative.
The state would negotiate new contracts to buy goods and services for less money. It would sell off surplus property. And it would consolidate a number of other functions across state government to find savings.
...... Jill Malak, a spokeswoman for AFT-Wisconsin, a state employees union, said her union warned the program wouldn't work from the beginning because it relied too heavily on private contractors.