Los Angeles, CALIFORNIA

Money to Burn $$$$$$$$$$$

August 24, 2007 - The Los Angeles Unified School system implemented a new $95 million payroll system six months ago that has been "beset by programming glitches, hardware crashes and mistakes by hurriedly trained clerical staff." It has resulted in some teachers not being paid for three months, another $37 million set aside to pay for repairs, and a payroll system that can't even annualize salaries.

The worst? The district has to recoup $45 million it has overpaid to more than 28,700 employees -- most of it on the June 5 payday that district officials refer to as "black Tuesday."

In 2005 the Los Angeles Community College implemented the same system and experienced the same problems. The state government, meanwhile, has decided to phase in a similar project next year.

The the firm hired to plan and implement the three-phase technology project that began in 2005 is Deloitte Consulting. [Scroll down for Scandals.]