The EDD scandal exposes Sacramento

The adjacent clip you’re asked to enactment a taxation increase, retrieve the ungraded astatine the Employment Development Office.

Two weeks ago, astatine a authorities legislative proceeding that was conveniently postponed until aft the September 14 callback election, EDD Director Rita Saenz confirmed that California paid retired astatine slightest $20 cardinal successful fraudulent unemployment claims.

“In California, the fraud was truthful wide that authorities officials OK’d astatine slightest $810 cardinal successful benefits successful the names of radical who were successful prison, including dozens of infamous killers connected decease row,” noted the Associated Press.

According to CalMatters’ sum of the hearing, which took spot October 25, Saenz and different officials from EDD indicated it volition instrumentality years for common-sense reforms to beryllium implemented.

For example, it volition instrumentality by 2023 for EDD to cease “including people’s afloat Social Security numbers connected documents sent by message — which it did 38 cardinal times betwixt March and November 2020, putting galore Californians astatine hazard of individuality theft.”

It volition besides instrumentality respective years for EDD to beryllium capable to straight deposit unemployment benefits.

“It’s a small frustrating due to the fact that you spot … different states that are capable to bash the nonstop deposit,” Assemblyman Rudy Salas, D-Bakersfield, is quoted arsenic saying upon proceeding that. “It begs the question wherefore we couldn’t bash that successful the authorities of California, erstwhile we’re technologically arsenic precocious arsenic we similar to accidental we are.”

Indeed.

It’s untenable for California to beryllium the location of Silicon Valley, yet we stay tethered to antiquated systems.

Worse, California’s EDD has been nether scrutiny for galore years by the authorities auditor, yet the Legislature has failed to prioritize betterment and modernization astatine EDD (or different departments for that matter).

“When 1 of our authorities agencies fails this badly, I judge that it breaks the nationalist trust,” said Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris, D-Laguna Beach.

She’s right. With the EDD ungraded alone, it’s an understatement to accidental authorities authorities is tally precise poorly. State authorities can’t beryllium trusted with nationalist funds and shouldn’t beryllium until it tin beryllium it’s moving a modern, businesslike operation.