by Bureau Pat May 09 2008, 12:36 PM    Comments: 0

Dear Bureau Pat:

I recently moved into a manager position and have had the fortune to work with some competent, some adept, and even some exceptional staff members. Recently, one of those exceptional staff members stepped up to execute with great outcomes a project that required extra hours and attention. I will definitely note this in her annual performance appraisal, but that is months away and I think she deserves recognition now. What can I do?



Dear Thoughtful:

While it may be fun to play bad cop and discipline employees, providing recognition for good work is the sign of a good manager. And, studies have shown that recognition is a key factor in employee satisfaction that correlates with higher employee retention, customer satisfaction, and productivity.

Federal managers often...

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by Andrew B. Einhorn May 09 2008, 11:14 AM    Comments: 0

U.S. Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) has decided to focus his efforts on an important issue plaguing the U.S. military: porn.

Recently, the distinguished gentleman from Georgia introduced legislation that would ban the sale of sexually explicit material on military bases by lowering the threshold required to deem material "sexually explicit."

Soldiers are up in arms about the proposal. Some say the ban is bad for morale; others claim they read the magazine for the stories and "new gadgets" featured inside. Due to the don't ask don't tell policy, there's no way to determine why.

Last year, a Department of Defense committee that reviews materials sold on bases ruled that magazines such as Playboy and Penthouse are not pornographic. But Broun's Military Honor and Decency Act includes language that...

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by Andrew B. Einhorn May 09 2008, 10:40 AM    Comments: 0

1. Man creates science, science replaces God, EPA replaces science

The Environmental Protection Agency's top science adviser defended EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson for allowing more ozone pollution than the EPA's advisory panels recommended and for holding meetings with White House officials about pollution risks that are kept secret from Congress and the public.

George Gray, the EPA's assistant administrator for research and development and its science adviser, insisted the EPA's work is transparent even though it holds closed meetings with the White House Office of Management and Budget and other government agencies when it considers the risks from toxic chemicals.

The EPA administrator, Stephen Johnson, declined to testify.

The Union of Concerned Scientists surveyed EPA scientists...

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by Andrew B. Einhorn May 09 2008, 10:02 AM    Comments: 0

1. A New York State of mind

New York State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno and members of the Senate Majority Republican Conference launched a new initiative to save taxpayer money, reduce government spending, and increase transparency in government operations.

The "Accountability in Government Spending" plan includes new Public Expenditure Reports for state agencies, performance-based budgeting requirements, a new public website initiative to allow New Yorkers to track the performance of government programs and submit ideas for reducing spending and stopping wasteful spending, and the goal of reducing spending by 3.35 percent (as directed by Governor Paterson).

"With millions of middle class families tightening their belts to overcome tough economic times, taxpayers have every right...

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by Andrew B. Einhorn May 08 2008, 11:20 AM    Comments: 0

FBI agents Tuesday raided and temporarily shut down the offices of a federal watchdog agency charged with protecting the rights of government whistle-blowers that has been accused of retaliating against whistle-blowers in its own ranks.

The raid on the Office of Special Counsel and another at the home of its director, Scott Bloch, followed accusations that Bloch had destroyed evidence on government computers that might demonstrate wrongdoing.

He has been under investigation since 2005 by the inspector general of the Office of Personnel Management, after a complaint filed by some employees of the counsel's office.

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by Jaime L. Hartman May 08 2008, 10:33 AM    Comments: 0

Abstracted for the WSJ - "After four years of providing care to military personnel, their families and retirees, I've had it.

The hassles of working with the Tricare program that covers health care for these people got the better of me. I've taken care of about 80 Tricare patients. But I won't be seeing them anymore.

I was one of a few physicians in the area to participate in Tricare. Patients sometimes came as far as 50 miles, bypassing several large hospitals and hundreds of other doctors who weren't in the network, to be seen in my small-town clinic.

One woman needed a colorectal surgeon because she had a fistula, an abnormal connection between her bowels and uterus. The specialized surgeons in our region weren't in the network, and the closest Tricare doctors who could help were in...

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by Jaime L. Hartman May 08 2008, 10:09 AM    Comments: 0

Lurita A. Doan served as Administrator of the General Services Administration for the past 22-months and survived pressure from Capitol Hill, investigations into potential Hatch Act violations, and allegations of interference in GSA contract negotiations. But according to multiple sources , a personal feud over whistleblower complaints with her agency's Inspector General (IG), Brian Miller, led to her ultimate demise.

Doan's early months at GSA were plagued by scandals. Over a year ago she was questioned by members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee about reported efforts to award a sole-source contract to a personal friend as well as accusations that she was using her office for political purposes. Shortly after that the Office of Special Counsel ruled that she "should...

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by Andrew B. Einhorn May 08 2008, 08:43 AM    Comments: 0

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has announced a unique public-private partnerships with 19 states and Puerto Rico to help them save on energy and electricity costs at their state capitol buildings. Through its Greening State Capitols partnership with the National Governors Association, Wal-Mart will offer its energy auditing services in an outreach and marketing effort over the next two years.

The retail giant intends to send energy conservation experts into the state capitols to perform energy audits. The audit will provide valuable insight into ways that energy-efficiency strategies and technologies can be infused into the government buildings.

"State and local governments spend more than $11 billion on energy costs each year, and energy bills can account for up to 10 percent...

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by Andrew B. Einhorn May 07 2008, 11:17 AM    Comments: 0

As global food prices for meats, vegetables, and bread surge worldwide, Republican lawmakers in Congress are calling for a change in the Renewable Fuels Standard passed in December. The bill called for a fivefold boost in biofuel use by 2022, and mandates to use ethanol blended from corn as a gasoline additive.

Ethanol, once considered by many to be the perfect alternative to gasoline, has received significant opposition lately as prices for commodities, including corn and soybeans, have risen to record highs. Members of Congress are considering revising the Renewable Fuels Standard to eliminate ethanol mandates, though others caution that revising a carefully crafted and debated bill will cause even more unintended consequences than the original.

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by Andrew B. Einhorn May 07 2008, 10:18 AM    Comments: 1

Ever wonder why Congress seems to have a hard time passing bills on the most important issues? A bill currently on the House floor provides a window through which those reasons may be viewed.

House Resolution 1091, sponsored by Representative Donald Young (R-AK), focuses its attention away from mundane issues like immigration reform, national security, energy independence, trade, terrorism, and international relations and puts American tax dollars to work by "Honoring the life, achievements, and contributions of Charlton Heston and extending its deepest sympathies to the family of Charlton Heston for the loss of such a great generous man, husband, and father."

Its hard to imagine a better use of public money than to hold off on improving life in America to extol the virtues of the NRA spokesperson...

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