GovExec.com The Management Agenda - September 14, 2004
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September 14, 2004
* GAO gives advice on passing governmentwide audit
* USDA dairy briefing takes a partisan turn
* Kerry backs 'Department of Wellness'
* Administrative costs at overseas outposts up sharply
* Panel takes up public's declining trust in government
* 9/11 investigation spawns whistleblower movement
* Senate approps chief balks at adopting long-term continuing resolution
* Three years after anthrax, postal response system very different
* NASA tallies hurricane damage at Florida launch site
* GAO: Former Medicare chief should forfeit salary for withholding estimates
* Space facilities struggle to get back to business after hurricane
* This week's column: Outlook
* Quote of the week
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1. GAO gives advice on passing governmentwide audit
By Amelia Gruber
The Government Accountability Office on Friday suggested steps the government could
take to resolve problems that for the past seven years have prevented it from passing
its annual audit.
The Treasury Department plans on debuting a new process for transferring financial
information from major agencies' paperwork to the government's consolidated financial
statement. The changes, scheduled to take effect for the fiscal 2004 audit cycle, will
likely cut down on discrepancies between agency statements and the governmentwide
forms, auditors have said.
But the new system needs several refinements, according to GAO's latest
recommendations (GAO-04-866). Under the current design, agencies will transfer
information to Treasury through a "template" that has room for specific, "predefined"
information.
Full story: { Link: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0904/091304a1.htm }
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0904/091304a1.htm
_____
2. USDA dairy briefing takes a partisan turn
By Jerry Hagstrom, CongressDaily
An Agriculture Department senior economist and two Farm Service Agency officials made
a presentation to a dairy group this past April in which they said USDA's "goals and
objectives" this year are to "maximize votes" in major dairy states -- California,
Wisconsin, Minnesota, New York and Michigan -- and suggested how those votes could be
maximized.
The presentation, complete with a USDA logo and boxing elephants and donkeys, was also
placed on the Web site of the American Dairy Products Institute, the sponsoring
organization, and has recently caught the attention of other farm groups and
congressional aides. It says on the page that bears the USDA logo the presenters were
Larry Salathe of USDA's Office of the Chief Economist, and William March and Milton
Madison of FSA. It also noted that the presentation was given April 20.
A page is illustrated with a cartoon that shows a woman and a man putting their votes
into a ballot box, with a sign that reads, "Your support and influence are
appreciated." It also indicates that the way to maximize votes is "strong market
prices" through "market fundamentals and supportive policy actions." The next page,
which includes a drawing of a laughing cow, says market fundamentals look strong in
2004, but that "constituents" would be concerned about the federal budget deficit, the
continuation of nonfat dry milk donations, dairy compacts and imports of milk protein
concentrates.
Full story: { Link: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0904/090704cdpm2.htm }
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0904/090704cdpm2.htm
_____
3. Kerry backs 'Department of Wellness'
By Tom Shoop
Throughout the presidential race, John Kerry has assiduously avoided proposals that
might taint him as a traditional big-government liberal. His campaign documents are
remarkably free of bureaucracy-building proposals. And in August, Kerry moved to pick
up former President Bill Clinton's new-Democrat reinventing government mantle,
unveiling a proposal to cut management ranks, freeze the federal travel budget and
reduce its vehicle fleet.
Nevertheless, in a speech in Greensboro, N.C., Wednesday, Kerry offered up a proposal
for nothing less than a whole new Cabinet department.
"What I want to do, what I'm determined to do, and it's in my health-care plan, is
refocus America on something that can reduce the cost of health care significantly for
all Americans, which is wellness and prevention," Kerry said, according to the online
magazine Slate. "And I intend to have not just a Department of Health and Human
Services, but a Department of Wellness."
Full story: { Link: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0904/090904ts1.htm }
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0904/090904ts1.htm
_____
4. Administrative costs at overseas outposts up sharply
By Daniel Pulliam
The cost of administrative support services for U.S. embassies jumped 30 percent from
2001 to 2003, to a total of $1 billion, according to a new Government Accountability
Office report. A system set up to eliminate duplication of services has not achieved
its goal of containing costs, GAO auditors concluded.
The International Cooperative Administrative Support Services system, created in 1998,
is supposed to manage support services, such as building maintenance, vehicle fleet
management, and travel to and from the United States' 250 overseas posts. But
according to the report (GAO-04-511), agencies frequently choose not to use the
system, leading to waste and inefficiency.
ICASS has not eliminated duplication of services, because the benefits for overseas
posts of using shared services do not overcome the obstacles, the report found.
Full story: { Link: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0904/091304dp1.htm }
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0904/091304dp1.htm
_____
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Play an innovative { Link:
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_____
5. Panel takes up public's declining trust in government
By Daniel Pulliam
A nonpartisan panel of good-government gurus addressed a report about the public's
trust in the federal government Friday, focusing on polling data that suggests it has
declined significantly since the 1950s.
Kim Parker, author of the report, "A Matter of Trust," said that while voter
participation and the public's trust in government are not directly linked, a
correlation between trust and political approval based on party can be established.
The report is the final one for The Partnership for Trust in Government, a project of
the Council for Excellence in Government, which is a nonpartisan group that attempts
to improve the performance of government.
Between 1958 and 2003, trust in the federal government dropped from 73 percent to 36
percent, the report states. Panelists cited the Watergate scandal as a defining moment
in the public's mistrust and periods of economic growth as times when trust increased.
Full story: { Link: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0904/091004dp1.htm }
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0904/091004dp1.htm
_____
6. 9/11 investigation spawns whistleblower movement
By Chris Strohm
A growing group of government whistleblowers has emerged in the wake of the 9/11
commission's investigation, making several hard-hitting allegations that include
everything from corruption and mismanagement within federal agencies to espionage
within the FBI's Washington field office.
The whistleblowers acknowledge their claims and reputations depend on presenting facts
and evidence, and say they plan to submit information to Congress and the media in the
coming weeks.
More than two dozen former and current government employees have joined forces since
the 9/11 commission issued its final report and recommendations in July. Most of the
whistleblowers met or learned of each other through its investigation and several gave
testimony to the commission or Congress. Ironically, they are now highly critical of
the commission's final report, saying it does not reflect testimony they gave, offers
misguided recommendations and fails to hold any individuals accountable.
Full story: { Link: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0904/091304c1.htm }
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0904/091304c1.htm
_____
7. Senate approps chief balks at adopting long-term continuing resolution
By Peter Cohn, CongressDailyPM
Senate Appropriations Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, warned Friday of dire
consequences for agencies and programs if they are to be funded under a long-term
continuing resolution, as advocated by some senators aiming to break for the year Oct.
8 as well as by fiscal conservatives eager to hold down spending to last year's levels.
Stevens said programs -- ranging from 43 hurricane-related beach nourishment projects
to a $706 million increase for security at nuclear weapons labs -- would be
jeopardized under that scenario.
"I'm trying to make the case for the members of the Senate to think about getting all
of these bills done this year," he said. "Don't think about a CR. A continuing
resolution will not work for the appropriations process this year."
Full story: { Link: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0904/091004cdpm1.htm }
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0904/091004cdpm1.htm
_____
8. Three years after anthrax, postal response system very different
By Denise Kersten
The Postal Service can learn two lessons from the October 2001 anthrax attacks,
according to a new Government Accountability Office report. The agency should "err on
the side of caution" whenever employee safety is in question, and it should act fast
to share as much information with workers and the public as possible.
The report (GAO-04-239) describes the chaos and confusion of the weeks almost three
years ago during which 22 cases of anthrax were discovered. Though postal officials
knew that contaminated letters had passed through the mail system, public health
officials advised that because the letters remained sealed until they were delivered,
postal employees faced little risk. They realized too late that the anthrax particles
were smaller than the envelopes' pores and could therefore seep out.
The letters caused three cases of cutaneous anthrax and six cases of inhalation
anthrax when they passed through postal facilities in New Jersey and Washington, D.C.
Two postal workers, Joseph Curseen Jr. and Thomas Morris Jr., died. Both worked at the
Brentwood mail processing facility in Washington, which has since been renamed in
their honor.
Full story: { Link: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0904/091004dk1.htm }
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0904/091004dk1.htm
_____
9. NASA tallies hurricane damage at Florida launch site
By Beth Dickey
Hurricane Frances spared America's space shuttle fleet, but took a costly toll on
facilities needed to prepare the winged craft for launch.
The Labor Day weekend storm ripped metal siding from the Vehicle Assembly Building at
NASA's Kennedy Space Center and peeled back the roof of the factory where the
shuttle's heat-resistant tile skin is made.
NASA officials had only begun adding up the costs last week, but KSC Director James
Kennedy told reporters that he fears damage to crucial infrastructure could hinder the
agency's efforts to return shuttles to flight by March.
Full story: { Link: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0904/090704b1.htm }
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0904/090704b1.htm
_____
10. GAO: Former Medicare chief should forfeit salary for withholding estimates
By Emily Heil, CongressDaily
The Health and Human Services Department should seek to recover the salary paid Thomas
Scully, the former Medicare administrator, for barring one of his employees from
giving lawmakers the cost estimates of the prescription drug bill, according to a GAO
opinion released Tuesday.
Paying Scully -- who has since left the administration -- violates the law that bans
the use of appropriated funds to pay the salary of an official who prohibits another
federal employee from providing information to Congress, GAO found. While Congress was
debating the Medicare bill earlier this year, Scully threatened to fire chief Medicare
actuary Rick Foster if he gave the cost estimates to lawmakers.
"Mr. Scully's prohibition [on the actuary] made HHS' appropriation, otherwise
available for payment of his salary, unavailable for such purpose," GAO found.
Full story: { Link: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0904/090704cdpm1.htm }
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0904/090704cdpm1.htm
_____
11. Space facilities struggle to get back to business after hurricane
By Beth Dickey
Disaster response teams scouring NASA's Kennedy Space Center in the aftermath of
Hurricane Frances have discovered more damage to important shuttle launch
infrastructure.
After a helicopter tour of the coastal spaceport last week, KSC Director James Kennedy
added a computer center to the growing list of facilities that are uninhabitable. He
told reporters that a factory for space shuttle thermal protection systems and the
mammoth Vehicle Assembly Building also are not safe for workers to enter.
"While it is so much better than we thought it might have been," Kennedy said, "the
truth of the matter is, many, many buildings have siding and roofing damage and water
leaking...and there's going to be an awful lot of work to repair the damage that's
been done." About 800 of the space center's 14,000 federal and contractor employees
work in the three hardest hit structures and that is one reason why the NASA
installation will not fully be open for business until at least Monday, he said last
week.
Full story: { Link: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0904/090804b1.htm }
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0904/090804b1.htm
_____
12. This week's column: Outlook
The 9/11 Imperative
We need a "revolution in national security affairs" to match the military's
post-Vietnam transformation.
Full column: { Link: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0904/091304ol.htm }
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0904/091304ol.htm
_____
13. Quote of the Week:
"Why do we want to go to a pay system where everything is secretive?"
-- AFGE official Brian DeWyngaert questioning pay-for-performance systems { Link:
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0904/090804sz1.htm }
during an OPM workforce conference on Wednesday.
_____
Tech Insider: The business of federal technology
A weekly column that looks at how business gets done in the federal technology market.
Check it on Tuesdays.
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