Governor Mad About Computer Contract

Governor Davis says he didn´t know about a much-criticized and potentially costly state computer software contract before it was signed.

But his Republican opponent, Bill Simon, says the governor´s statement strains credibility and that – in Simon´s words – the scent of scandal surrounding the administration is growing.

A spokesman for Davis, Roger Salazar, says Simon is engaging in shameless political grandstanding to try to prop up a failing campaign.

Davis says he´s as mad as anyone else about the contract and is working with the attorney general´s office to rescind the deal.

Officials say the state signed the six-year, $95 million software supply contract with Oracle Corporation in an effort to save $16 million through volume discounts.

But a state audit released last month concluded that the contract could end up costing the state $41 million more than it if relied on its previous software sources.