2011 is almost over and, with the promise of new year, it’s time to look back at the year that was. Here on Govloop, the community has already been discussing the issue of the year. So far, the threat of a government shutdown has led the list. A related issue –“austerity” — was the storyRead… Read more »
Search Results for: shutdown
Daily Dose: House Legislation Extends Pay Freeze & Retirement Contributions for Feds
We’re in full throttle mode for the holiday season, and this year the House is playing the role of Grinch for federal employees. The Washington Post reports: Just in time for Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, the House passed legislation Tuesday that would continue to take thousands out of the pockets of the federal workforce. TheRead… Read more »
Ed Week Hangover? Take the Deltek Hair of the Dog Cure with State Ed Budget & IT Analysis
Deltek Sr. Analyst Chris Cotner and Principal Analyst Jason Sajko report. With the recent recession and tepid recovery, the news for most state governments has not been good. Several states (e.g., California, New York, Texas, Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Minnesota) have experienced wide-ranging and well-publicized problems including budget deficits, significant budget cuts, stateRead… Read more »
Daily Dose: Commuter Benefits At Risks
The Washington Post reports that commuter benefits for federal workers may drop from $230 to $125. The tax breaks are set to expire and union reps argue that by extending the tax credits, more workers would be encouraged to use public transportation. The Post states: “The mass transit commuter benefit provides much needed relief inRead… Read more »
Daily Dose: Why Was Body Image Discussed at Monday’s Top American Leaders Forum?
The Washington Post featured an interview with Sheila Bair, former FDIC chairwoman, who was honored yesterday at the Top American Leaders forum. Amongst other topics, Bair was asked to comment how women in high political positions cope with comments regarding their physical appearance. “I’ve seen kind and not-so-kind comments about my physical appearance and commentaryRead… Read more »
What was the biggest #GovOops of the year?
For his Federal Eye blog this morning, Ed O’Keefe asked readers to help with his upcoming year-end review. Vote on or suggest what the biggest “head slams desk” moments of the year was for the Federal Government. Some examples include: — The Agriculture Department announces that Christmas tree growers plan to add a surcharge toRead… Read more »
Daily Dose: USPS set to announce closures today
Today is the day the USPS is expected to announce cuts across its entire scope of operations, according to a story over at the Washington Post. Postal officials are slated to introduce formal plans that would shut down 250 of the Postal Service’s 460 mail processing facilities. In addition to closing the processing facilities, USPSRead… Read more »
Daily Dose: Who is the Next US Postal Service Stamp Honoree?
The Washington Post reports that in September the Postal Service waived the requirement that stamp honorees must be deceased for 5 years. The Post Office then asked citizens to nominate who they would like to see on stamps. Since the announcement, the Post Office has received over 1,500 submissions by mail and 1,000 through socialRead… Read more »
Did Bitcoin “Fail” or Is it Just One Step On the Road to P2P Currency?
There’s a fantastic article in Wired this month about The Rise and Fall of Bitcoin. It’s a great read and a well-written article, but reading it one gets the sense that Bitcoin failed, and all of the P2P currency experiment has failed with it. Paul Krugman dismisses it, a consultant calls it a pyramid scheme,Read… Read more »
Daily Dose: Goodbye Filing Cabinets, Hello Digital Archives
The Washington Post reported this week that President Obama issued an order to agencies, asking them to utilize digital record keeping systems. As of right now, much of the filing that is being done “is based on an outdated approach involving paper and filing cabinets,” but Obama wants to “move the process into the digitalRead… Read more »