Texas State Comptroller Carole Keeton Rylander launched e-Texas

Texas State Comptroller Carole Keeton Rylander on Tuesday launched e-Texas, a commission that will oversee 14 separate task forces charged with finding new ways to use technology to streamline government services.

"Government is stuck in the age of Atari and Commodore, while the rest of the world is on fast forward to Web-based management and e-commerce with companies like Dell, Intel and Texas Instruments leading the way," Rylander said in a press release. "The private sector is taking advantage of new technology to deliver more goods and better services to their customers at a lower cost...[and] as taxpayers become accustomed to that level of service, they will demand the same performance form their government."

The e-Texas (www.e-texas.org) task forces will attempt to find ways for state government to cost less, provide better service and be more responsive to citizens in 14 different areas, including: asset and financial management, competitive government, e-government, education, transportation, public safety and corrections.

"Texas government needs to be transformed from a bricks and mortar model that closes after 5 p.m. and on weekends to a virtual government that serves the citizens of Texas 24 hours a day, seven days a week," Rylander said. "In the not too distant future, e-government will be government."