President Obama intends to nominate University of Michigan professor Robert M. Groves today to serve as the next Census director, a long-anticipated announcement made less a year before the 2010 census begins. If confirmed, Groves faces several managerial and political concerns surrounding the constitutionally-mandated headcount. Groves served as the bureau’s associate director from 1990 toRead… Read more »
Census Day 2010 is exactly one year from today, and this week 140,000 temporary Census employees start fanning out nationwide to start accounting for every single American address. Originally designed for next year’s follow-up visits, the GPS-enabled devices instead will be used only this year due to concerns about how well they would operate inRead… Read more »
Talk about a minor technicality! President Obama issued a signing statement yesterday objecting to one minor item in the monster Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009. At issue is whether Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has to consult with lawmakers when making appointments to an obscure commission. The omnibus comprises more than 150 individual billsRead… Read more »
In his first official act as commerce secretary, Gary Locke urged the leaders of groups volunteering with the U.S. Census Bureau to increase their outreach efforts among the nation’s minority groups, noting the government has simplified the process in an effort to boost overall participation. “It’s our job to let Americans know that taking partRead… Read more »
The Obama administration’s nominee to serve as director of the Office of Personnel Management easily handled the Senate confirmation process today before a hearing room packed with family, friends and colleagues. John Berry vowed that if confirmed, the federal government will become the nation’s “model employer.” The OPM director serves as the human resources managerRead… Read more »
President Obama said Tuesday night that his administration will soon unveil plans to overhaul the Defense Department’s procurement process, but a new report suggests it could have a hard time figuring it all out. The department “does not collect or track information on contractor personnel” and “lacks information on why contractor personnel are used,” accordingRead… Read more »
Internal Revenue Service employees charged approximately $8.4 million to 34,000 agency-issued telephone cards, according to a new report by the agency’s inspector general that tracked calls between Oct. 2005 and April 2008. The report’s findings mirror a similar 2004 report that blamed managers for not regularly reviewing card charges for potential fraud or abuse. TheRead… Read more »
The Eyes and ears of Beltway bureaucrats undoubtedly perked up tonight during President Obama’s prime-time news conference when he detoured for a brief discussion of the federal government’s procurement process. “There is uniform acknowledgment that the procurement system right now doesn’t work. That’s not just my opinion. That’s John McCain’s opinion. That’s Carl Levin’s opinion,”Read… Read more »
By Ed O’Keefe and Steve Vogel Amid fears that millions of people may not be counted during next year’s census, the Census Bureau will devote $250 million of its $1 billion in stimulus funding to encourage greater participation in the decennial count among hard-to-count populations, which is likely to include families displaced by the homeRead… Read more »
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano made that statement on CNN Thursday when asked about former vice president Dick Cheney’s recent assertion that the Obama administration’s policies have made the country less safe. “This administration is very committed to the safety of this country,” Napolitano said. “I wake up in the morning, thinking about what weRead… Read more »