After working for Congress’s investigative committee and seeing how bad no-bid contracts can be (think Halliburton, Iraq, Katrina, etc), I’m a firm believer in the bidding process.

Savings sometimes outweigh the benefits of competitive bidding, a Rendell administration official told lawmakers Monday.

The administration last month announced it would award a tentative $400 million no-bid contract for managing the state’s data center to Unisys, extending the Blue Bell-based company’s control of the center through 2014. The current five-year, $252 million contract expires in August 2009.

That decision came under scrutiny Monday during a House budget hearing.

“I personally believe the bidding process is a good thing,” said Rep. Katie True, R-Lancaster, who asked General Services Secretary James Creedon about the rationale behind the administration’s decision to not seek competitive bids for the contract.