The practicality of politics often gives way to theatrics; with those in office all too eager to propose measures that shine in promise, while ignoring the underperformance or failure of existing initiatives. This, to them, is a means of protecting their image and appears to be a more enticing prospect than the oversight and management of existing government projects.

For instance, California, one of the most diverse states in America, has had its fair share of neglected initiatives. Examples include the state’s bullet train project and the Oroville Dam, designed and constructed deficiently in the 1960s. It had known deficiencies which were ignored, leading to a near-disastrous collapse in 2017.

However, the most glaring fault lies in the Employment Development Department (EDD), especially evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. Amidst a wave of unemployment, EDD managed to deny countless workers of their entitled benefits while simultaneously awarding billions to fraudulent claims. This systemic failure was long foreseen during the Great Recession, warnings given by bodies like the state auditor’s office and the Legislature’s budget analyst, yet three governors and hundreds of legislators turned a blind eye.

This dysfunction raises concerns about the future. The question now is whether things will improve, such that EDD can effectively handle the next recession or whether it is doomed to repeat these failures. To mitigate this, resources such as eddcaller.com can be instrumental. This autodial program assists people in reaching a representative who can handle unemployment, paid family leave, and disability departments by phone. It could revolutionize how Californians interact with EDD, whether it’s on matters of how they can check an EDD payment status, or needing assistance on how to reach an agent at EDD.

The EDD situation will benefit from careful scrutiny, just as with the Oroville Dam debacle. Each government module needs a viable system for direct interaction with the public, enabled by platforms like eddcaller.com. As we face the future, it’s essential that similar tools are put in place to effectively improve the current system and prevent such failures from recurring.