Hey there. I’m Christopher Dorobek — the DorobekINSIDER — and welcome GovLoop’s DorobekINSIDER… where we focus on six words: Helping government do its job better.
On GovLoop’s DorobekINSIDER:
- Taking the Buzz Out of Innovation with Nesta’s Philip Colligan http://goo.gl/8qjZhR
- Should we reinvent the Federal Acquisition Regulation? I said YES. The head of the National Contract Managers Association says NO
- What does government acquisition of the future look like? Kim McCabe, CEO of ASI Government says the FAR needs to be transformed, not thrown out.
But up front: The stories you may have missed during the holidays
Many of us were somewhat tuned out over the holidays.
Here are some of the stories you may have missed while we weren’t playing close attention:
- Board finds GSA wrongfully fired two senior officials in conference scandal [Federal News Radio]
- Related… Alan L. Greenberg, who calls himself The Government Man and is author of the book Confessions of a Government Man: How to Succeed in Any Bureaucracy, wrote on GovLoop: Now for the Real GSA Scandal: The questionable costs in the now renowned Las Vegas conference were at maximum, in the $200,000 range. Yes, there were some bad business decisions and very questionable (but not criminal) judgment. Those responsible have paid the price and are gone or were disciplined. The cases against Prouty and Weller were clearly a political charade based upon the documented White House order for “bold, swift, forceful action to hold those responsible accountable.” Although not in the news release, the White House might have added “at high levels and at any cost, this being an election year.” The overreaction from certain members of Congress wanting to see action was mind boggling. Where are they now? This started as an internal power play and a vendetta which got out of hand and took a life of its own.
- The new Federal CTO, Megan Smith, the former Google executive, is profiled by The New York Times: Adviser Guides Obama Into the Google Age
- F.B.I. Employees With Ties Abroad See Security Bias [The New York Times]
- The 113th Congress Wasn’t the Least Productive Congress Ever [GovExec]… or Congress ends least-productive year in recent history [Pew Research]. Regardless, nobody is saying the 113th Congress was remarkable for what they did get done.
- Most Troops Will See More Money Next Year [GovExec] as Pentagon meets resistance on benefit cuts [The Hill]
- Obama gives federal workers a 2015 pay raise [The Washington Post] Where are you spending your 1 percent?
- Sony hack could be game changer [The Hill] More here…. Editor’s comment: Do we really believe this? Didn’t we say the same thing last year about the Target hack?
- Detroit and Stockton Are Just the Beginning of an Attack on Public Pensions [The New Republic]
- On Risks, Breaking Past the Status Quo, and IT Transformation by FCC CIO David Bray
- NYC Considers Bitcoin, Apps for Parking Ticket [MarketWatch]
- The Government Printing Office is now (and finally) the Government Publishing Office. The Washington Post writes about Notable name changes for federal agencies throughout U.S. history.
Finally…
NextGov notes that Bob Brewin passed away over the holidays: Bob Brewin, 1944-2014 [NextGov]
I served as Bob’s boss for several years when I was editor of Federal Computer Week. Bob passed away over the holidays after a battle with cancer.
As one of the people who was blessed to work with Bob for a period of time… words don’t describe. Nobody was more passionate… nobody was more dogged… And nobody could drive you more crazy. But he believed that the truth would set you free — and that the truth helped government get better.
Bob’s had unending works of giving back — often to people he didn’t even know. Bob was one of those people who would do anything for you.
The reporting of government technology simply will never be the same. But this planet isn’t the same. Heaven is definitely a much better place… and God better do everything by the books, because Bob will find out… and report on it.
Godspeed Bob…
Miss you deeply.
Creative commons Flickr photo: Spyros Papaspyropoulos
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