Acquisition

Federal Eye: Lessons From Richardson’s Withdrawal

There’s plenty to learn from Gov. Bill Richardson’s (D-N.M.) decision to withdraw his name from consideration as the next secretary of commerce — both about how the nomination process works and about how his decision could impact the near-term operations of the Commerce Department. The governor apparently withdrew his name because “a grand jury inRead… Read more »

Center for American Progress Calls for Increased Contractor Scrutiny

It seems that accountability will be the name of the game in 2009. The Center for American Progress recently issued a report called, “Making Contracting Work for the United States,” which states that recent laws that require more disclosure by government contractors don’t do enough to regulate those companies. Although there has been progress withRead… Read more »

Federal Eye: Homeland Security Goes Hollywood

A new reality television show focused on the agencies and employees of the Department of Homeland Security is sure to find fans among bureaucrats and department observers, and also is likely to draw some criticism from those who wonder if a primetime television show is the best use of the agency’s time. Homeland Security USARead… Read more »

The 4-Day Work Week: Could it Really Work?

I caught an article recently about a Louisiana House committee questioning a proposal to put state agencies on a shorter workweek. Of course thsi is being sold as a cost-saving idea by the sponsoring legislator. State Rep. Rickey Hardy, D-Lafayette, asked the House Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations to consider changing state employees’ workweeksRead… Read more »

Federal Eye: Overheard at the Commerce Department …

The Eye, after ditching plans to attend a different event, found himself near the Commerce Department today as President-elect Obama named Bill Richardson as the next secretary of commerce. So after sampling the tasty fare at the Ronald Reagan Building’s food court, he sampled the opinions of some rank-and-file Commerce Department employees, to see whatRead… Read more »

Federal Eye: Napolitano Faces Contracting Challenges at DHS

Gov. Janet Napolitano (D-Ariz.) is President-elect Barack Obama’s choice to serve as secretary of homeland security. Should she be nominated and confirmed, she faces challenges well beyond border security, airport security and collective bargaining rights for TSA employees. A new report by the General Accountability Office issued yesterday demonstrates that the department still lacks theRead… Read more »

Federal Eye: Top Federal Workers Union Lists Priorities for Obama

Once he takes office, President-elect Obama should issue an executive order re-establishing the federal sector labor-management partnership and all federal agencies should have to review service contracts and cancel wasteful ones, according to recommendations issued today by the National Treasury Employees Union. The group represents roughly 150,000 federal employees and 31 agencies or departments. ItRead… Read more »

A Patriot’s Reading List

No matter which side of the political fence you’re on, these books should prove engaging and enlightening, not to mention pertinent to our time. (If you are uber pro-Bush then you might enjoy the Fareed Zakaria and Reza Aslan books more than the more lefty works). This is just a small collection of some thatRead… Read more »

A Welcome Pat on the Back

We sole proprietors on the publishing frontier, better known as bloggers, toil in relative obscurity. Having once run a print magazine with a full reporting and editing staff, art department and business operation to handle fulfillment and printing and delivery and promotion and ad sales, I find performing all those functions myself particularly frustrating andRead… Read more »