California Can't Perform Pay Cut Because of COBOL

California Can't Perform Pay Cut Because of COBOL:

Posted by kdawson on Tuesday August 05, @02:41PM

from the handwaving-only-gets-you-so-far dept.

Programming Government The Almighty Buck

beezzie writes 'Last week, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered a pay cut, to minimum wage of $6.55/hr,, for 200,000 state workers because a state budget hadn't been approved yet. The state controller, who has opposed the pay cut on principle and legal grounds, now says the pay cut isn't even feasible because the state's payroll systems are so antiquated. He says it would take 6 months to go to minimum wage, and 9 months more to restore salaries once a budget is passed. The system is based on COBOL, according to the Sacramento Bee, and the state hasn't yet found the funds or resources, in 10 years of trying, to upgrade it.'

The article quotes a consultant on how hard it is to find COBOL programmers; he says you usually have to draw them out of retirement. Problem is, if there were any such folks on the employment rolls in California, Gov. Schwarzenegger fired them all last week, too."