Despite the S&P 500 being down 3 of the 5 days last week, the major indices all managed to close in positive territory for the week, with a strong showing from the small cap and international funds. The market was bolstered by the Fed’s reassurance of low interest rates through at least 2014, and leftRead… Read more »
Derek Hyra, associate professor in Virginia Tech’s Urban Affairs and Planning Program, has been elected to a one-year term as chair of the board of commissioners for the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority, a public agency that provides affordable housing in the City of Alexandria. Hyra, who lives and works in Alexandria, Va., has servedRead… Read more »
Virginia Tech’s Jesse Richardson was interviewed this past week on WRIR 97.3FM’s Open Source radio program on Dillon’s Rule. Listen to the podcast at http://richmondpublicradio.org/2012/01/27/podcast-marijuana-laws-in-va-the-dillon-rule-and-blight-in-richmond/. Original post
Carahsoft hosted a Cloudera Day in the DC area on 26 January 2012. Cloudera executives speaking at the event included their CEO Mike Olson, CTO Amr Awadallah, VP of Product Charles Zedlewski, VP of Customer Solutions Omer Trajman, and Cloudera’s Architect Doug Cutting. Doug is known as the founder of many successful open source projectsRead… Read more »
Motion Picture Association of America Chairman Chris Dodd set off a firestorm of criticism last week when he suggested that Hollywood would withhold campaign money from President Obama and lawmakers who don’t toe the Hollywood line on online piracy. Losing support of the entertainment industry would not be insignificant for the president: In 2011, DreamWorksRead… Read more »
We currently have a project out to bid for the installation of about a quarter mile of 10-inch water main. As usual, after we release the notification to bidders, we begin receiving requests from companies asking for a list of bidders or plan holders. Our city’s policy is to not release this list until afterRead… Read more »
While summarizing the changes Texas Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst hopes to implement with the Senate Select Committee on Open Government, Curt Olsen reminds, “Initiatives for ‘open government’ either improve access or hinder it.” Olsen maintains that each change should be watched carefully, as, “ State lawmakers can pass laws that enhance openness and transparency orRead… Read more »
Contract Duplication remains a challenge for government and industry and is an issue that the Coalition will continue to highlight in the interest of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the procurement system. Duplicative contracts for the same or similar commercial products and services increase government and contractor administrative, bid and proposal and other overheadRead… Read more »
Some Georgia lawmakers are taking a page from North Carolina’s playbook in order to limit municipal broadband projects in the state. Georgia Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers is sponsoring a bill that he says is designed to keep government from unfairly competing against incumbent broadband providers. The bill makes the same kinds of arguments includedRead… Read more »
GEAR. The Performance Management Pilot you’ve never heard of. In November 2011, the Employee Performance Management Workgroup put forth a set of recommendations to help catapult our federal government into the arena of 21st century performance strategy. The five key goals they’d like agencies to address are as follows: Articulate a High-Performance Culture Align EmployeeRead… Read more »