Madisonnapolis

(Editor’s Note: They’ve finally gone and found an actual image of the Madison skyline (err perhaps collage is a better word). See the original here.)
In what seems to be a mistake, I.T. geniuses developing a website for Wisconsin’s campaign finance data have mistakenly replaced Madison’s skyline with that of Minneapolis, the PiPress reports. It’s understandable: after all the names sound somewhat alike. Both are upper-Midwest cities within 300-some-odd miles of one other. One’s state mascot is a Badger, the other a Gopher. Pretty darn similar, right?

You have to wonder whether the web guru/graphic designer either couldn’t find a decent picture of Madison, or if they hail from the City of Lakes, and just wanted to pull one over on dumb Wisconsinites (Note: I’m a proud, dumb, native Wisconsinite.) (Editor’s Note: Bubblers!!!)

Nonetheless, Wisconsin officials have plans to replace the mistaken Minneapolis skyline with their own, but they haven’t yet. (Editor’s Note: They have) One report has the Bristol, Conn.-based PCC Technology Group using Minneapolis’ skyline as a placeholder until it can find a copyright-free version of Madison’s skyline, but a gaffe like that has to make you seriously question the company’s wherewithal, or at least its allegiance.

Technology+violations=not a good fit.

On a more personal note: I have had a hard time paying a recent Minneapolis parking ticket I received while parked outside The Depot Dunn Bros. Could it be related to some new-fandanggled parking meter, or perhaps some other reason: Divine intervention? Bad Hennepin County violations website? Both?

An outdated, and in no way helpful, version of a Hennepin County parking ticket, can be found here. Trips to Hennepin County’s violations bureau website to pay the ticket, and numerous calls to automated tellers, have been unsuccessful. Hmm, guess I should shut my big fat yapper and go on my way. Or should I? Reminds me a bit of how “officials” recently discovered that the records of some 15,000 people convicted of driving-related offenses. The statewide records, which date back to 2003, were temporarily lost when the state transferred court records electronically to the Division of Driver and Vehicle (DDV) services, which handles suspended licenses, the PiPress reported.

Alas, those who thought they were getting away with (illegal driving) have since been caught by Johnny Law, or at least Johnny Law’s computer, and are expected to pay the fines/piper. The report goes on to say that the lapses in oversight are the result of “software problems and human error.” Well, at least they’ve fully diagnosed the problem.