This is the last of a three-part series examining government services addressing key challenges among military veterans amid high unemployment, a woeful economic outlook and an anticipated influx of veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan in the next few years.
On top of myriad other issues that can hinder military veterans’ path to employment, caring for the sometimes complicated war-related health problems they come home with also serves as a major roadblock. Keep reading →
Transportation spending accounts for 2.7%, or $234 billion, of the 2012 proposed federal budget. Only $8.3 billion is slated for the Federal Railroad Administration. Although the White House has stated that its goal over the next 25 years is to give 80% of Americans access to high speed rail, the development of mass and rapid transit systems faces many roadblocks, both financial and cultural.
With the exception of New York City, where 54% of workers commute via public transportation, every metropolitan area in the United States has one preferred means of transportation: the car. Keep reading →
A Senate panel passed a bipartisan deal to save the U.S. Postal Service.
The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted 9-to-1 to pass the deal, which buys out some employees, cuts worker compensation benefits for some retirees and maintains Saturday mail service for two more years. Keep reading →
There is a lot of frustration in America today. Income inequality is on the rise and opportunities to find good paying work are scarce. A Wall Street Journal/NBC poll this week found that over three-quarters of respondents believe the structure of the economy favors the rich. It seems many Americans think politics is rigged. They might be right. The cause, however, might be a surprise.
The cause is not elected officials, corporations, or the political parties. It is the national election system. Keep reading →
This is the second of a three-part series examining government services addressing key challenges among military veterans amid high unemployment, a woeful economic outlook and an anticipated influx of veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan in the next few years.
When Nick Colgin came back from treating gunshot wounded soldiers and civilians in Afghanistan, he set out to find a job doing what he had done well enough to save lives in the war-torn country. Keep reading →
US Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson (pictured above) announced the Apps for the Environment Challenge on June 9–and almost five months to the day, the winners were announced at a forum at the Artisphere in Arlington, Va. The winner of the best overall app was the Light Bulb Finder developed by Andrea Nyland of the Eco Hatchery which helps consumers select and buy-online light bulbs that are more energy efficient while still providing the desired brightness.
Master of ceremonies Chris Dorobek welcomed a capacity crowd to the Artisphere and said that in a time when many are very dissatisfied with government, this event showed why we should like government. Keep reading →
President Obama signed an executive order today directing federal agencies to limit the number of electronic devices issued to federal employees, expand their use of teleconferencing in lieu of travel and reduce the volume of documents the government prints each year.
Agencies have within 45 days to develop plans to reduce by 20 percent the combined federal spending associated with these and other expenses, including what agencies spend on vehicle fleets and the production of “non-essential items” for promotional purposes. Keep reading →
Let’s face it — if your government agency does not have an online presence, especially in the realm of social media, both the public and your agency are missing out.
Social media provides unprecedented levels of engagement. It can spur discussion, generate rapid feedback and encourage participation. Keep reading →
This is the first of a three-part series examining government services addressing key challenges among military veterans amid high unemployment, a woeful economic outlook and an anticipated influx of veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan in the next few years.
The nation’s military veterans have long been lauded America’s heroes, deserving the utmost respect, admiration and support from fellow citizens. Keep reading →
As Federal Computer Week‘s Alice Lipowicz notes in her ongoing coverage of the troubled relaunch of USAJobs.gov, “It is unusual to see a federal IT story that generates the kind of strong emotions that the USAJobs 3.0 launch has done in the past several weeks.”
Officials at the Office of Personnel Management have come under withering attack for failing to anticipate the initial surge in user demand or the need for greater system and help desk capacity that followed. Keep reading →