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 »
Government Technology reports that this week a Delaware firm, 24/7 Wall St, which focuses on producing online and financial news and opinions, released a study a ranking the best and worst run states in America. The report is titled, Best and Worst Run States in America – An Analysis of all 50. Government Technology reports:Read… Read more »
The New Zealand Government’s “Social Media in Government: Hands-on Toolbox” was written to assist practitioners with setting up social media accounts. The guide is written for public servants with limited exposure to social media tools and offers guidance on how to start using social media at their agency. Here is a quick excerpt from theRead… Read more »
Today Expert Labs released their Federal Social Media Index (FSMI). According to the FSMI website, “We rank which federal agencies are doing the best job of engaging on social media through Twitter (and soon, through Facebook and Google+).” Expert Labs says they are constantly looking for ways to improve their methodology and improve how FSMIRead… Read more »
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 »
Government Technology had an interesting article this morning highlighting how big-box retailers like Target and Lowes could teach government some important lessons on disaster recovery. Government Technology states, that big-box retailers and government are more alike than different in terms of business continuity and disaster recovery. Government Technology also highlights how Waffle House manages disastersRead… Read more »
Although manned space flight has taken a temporary hiatus for NASA, there are still plenty of cool initiatives in the works at NASA. Last week NASA launched a new rover that will head to Mars for exploration. The rover weighs one ton, has a robotic arm, drill, video camera and equipment to explore soil andRead… Read more »
This week, Code for America launched the “Change by Us” initiative in Philadelphia. Change By Us allows citizens to share ideas, projects and resources to dive change in their cities and neighborhoods. The falls under a free and open license, so it is available for any city to pick up and implement. The Code forRead… Read more »
A new app has been released that identities health inspection records at restaurants in California. Government Technology reports that the new app in Sacramento allows consumers to check out health inspection scores at local restaurants. Called “Sacramento County Food Inspections,” the app shows a person’s current location in Sacramento County, Calif., and the nearby retailRead… Read more »
The White House Blog reports the winner of the 2011 SAVE Award is Matthew Ritsko of Crofton, Maryland. Matthew’s idea is to create a centralized tool repository, or a “lending library,” at NASA. The idea is to avoid wasteful repeat purchases of tools. The White House Blog states Matthew is a Financial Manager at NASA’sRead… Read more »