Leibniz Center Publishes All Dutch National Statutes and Regulations on Free Web in XML and RDF

The Leibniz Center for Law at the University of Amsterdam announced yesterday that it has published all Dutch national statutes and regulations, free on the Web, in CEN MetaLex XML and RDF Linked Data, at The MetaLex Document Server. According to Dr. Rinke Hoekstra, the database also includes “the body of regulations that govern theRead… Read more »

This Day in GovCon History, August 25, 1916: National Park Service Created

This article was originally published by GovWin’s Anthony Critelli August 25, 1916 is the day President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill creating the National Park Service (NPS) within the Department of the Interior. Interior had previously lacked the organization to effectively manage the then 14 national parks and 21 national monuments. The new agency wasRead… Read more »

So Long Steve, Welcome Tim

Image via CrunchBase We here at Crucial Point LLC like to bring you all news about disruptive technologies and speculate upon their effects business and government. This article is not about a new technology, but is concerned with a company that has brought about several disruptive and iconic items in the last decade. This companyRead… Read more »

a call to arms!

by Jessica Cassella, SF2012 With the declining rates of youth participating in civic engagement activities, it saddens me that I am a small minority of people my age even remotely interested in government affairs. As part of a generation who became suddenly exposed to the world after 9/11, who has only a vague concept ofRead… Read more »

BART will limit wireless shutdowns

Two weeks after a controversial decision to shut down wireless access to quell a planned demonstration, Bay Area Rapid Transit (CA) directors agreed to limit the tactic to situations when public safety is endangered. “I think we reached a consensus that it should only be used in an extreme case where the public is imminentlyRead… Read more »

OMB Unveils Its Performance.Gov Website

The Bush Administration had its Results.Gov scorecard. The Obama Administration now has unveiled its Performance.Gov dashboard. Is a dashboard better than a scorecard? The Bush website provided links to key management initiatives, such as the President’s Management Agenda Scorecard, a list and bios of top political appointees, and a set of agency examples of bestRead… Read more »

Child health matters

We have recently published a number of data sets regarding children’s health, such as infant mortality rates and the incidence of childhood obesity. This will be of interest to many citizens and health care professionals who live in the county. And for those who want to put such information in context, you can see anRead… Read more »

Big Blue Bus cams are not working

When someone files a complaint with Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus (CA), officials review video footage from the on-board surveillance cameras to better assess the situation. But, as part of a routine investigation, officials recently discovered that many of the bus cameras have been erasing information or not recording anything at all. The reasons forRead… Read more »

New app helps rural systems use GTFS format

The National Rural Transit Assistance Program announced a new cloud-based application to help transit agencies convert their route and schedule data into the General Transit Feed Specification. GTFS Builder provides rural transit systems with tools and training videos to help them put bus route and schedule data into the format required by Google Transit andRead… Read more »