*This post has been changed to reflect a change in  the person previously mentioned was a “friend.” That person has asked me to change the information so that they are not targeted because they’re friends with a conservative.  I’ve changed the reference to protect them.*

The OrBamaCare–Cover Oregon–website doesn’t work, but state spends another million to advertise extended deadline and tout success. Alas, ‘success’ doesn’t describe friend’s experience.

Cover Oregon’s executives have been summarily fired or “let go” because the OrBamaCare program and its website don’t work. At all. But that isn’t stopping the state from spending another $1 million to advertise extra time to sign up for a program that doesn’t work. That’s $9.3 million in all for the ad budget (that we know of). I’m sure the taxpayers couldn’t have found a higher and better use for that money had they been allowed to keep it in the first place.

I’ve never heard of Ben Gay Aspirin. Nobody has. It sucked, that’s why. The Ben Gay people didn’t say in the marketing meeting, ‘Hey, well, it’s an utter disaster, so let’s spend more money to tout what a disaster it is.’ Whatever happened to WebTV, anyway Microsoft? Seen any advertising for that lately? New Coke was a disaster. When it died Coke didn’t spend more money advertising how disastrous it was. Bic underwear? Bic underwear? 

But disastrous product rollouts be damned when it comes to government spending other peoples’ money!  The new web, TV and online campaign tells of the successes of OrBamaCare recipients and how, the program is such a success they’re giving you more time to sign up! The success stories of “Ron”, “Gilberto”, “Judy”, “Amy”, “Katrina”, “Cory and Doris”, “Bayo” and “Andrea” seem to contrast with hundreds of thousands of other Oregonians who haven’t been able to sign up–including my acquaintance, who will remain unnamed.

The unnamed woman emailed me to tell me her story. In short it goes something like this:

She tried to sign up for OrBamaCare online.

She thought it worked.

She was told she had insurance.

The state screwed up her info.

It didn’t work.

She kept trying by herself.

It didn’t work.

Then she called and got a “community agent” or “navigator” to get signed up online. 

She was told she had insurance.

It didn’t work.

She called again.

She was told she had insurance.

Now she doesn’t believe them.

Apparently, this is success worth advertising.

Because the website is a disaster and doesn’t work, Cover Oregon says the only way you can sign up for OrBamaCare is to go online and find a “community agent” who has the double-secret-probation-prime-directive-password. Cover Oregon helpfully suggested a place to go online to get said “community agent.” This is what I got.