An Oregon agency found ways to cut the time it takes to do background checks by more than half. With inefficient processes and duplicative services rife in government, that's just the beginning of the journey.
According to a report from the attorney general's office, some parks officials had deliberately hidden about $20 million of the $54-million surplus discovered in the department's accounts.
Source: New York Times | New York City |
February 21, 2013
The drivers decided to halt their strike, with their concerns still on the table, and to try their luck with the person who will replace Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, who had refused to accept the union’s demands.
All government debt is not the same. Pension debt starves government of the people and tools it needs, but creative borrowing for infrastructure can save more money than it costs.
A newly released poll suggests that support for Gov. Rick Snyder dropped sharply after he changed course in December and backed the speedy passage of controversial right-to-work legislation.
Several municipalities offered early retirement incentives to public workers last year. What impact such incentives have on budgets and services, however, is up for debate.
Source: Detroit News | Detroit |
February 13, 2013
The decision comes one day after the Financial Advisory Board, which oversees portions of Detroit's consent agreement with the state, imposed furlough days on about 600 unionized employees.
Source: Tennessean | Tennessee |
February 12, 2013
Someone at the Department of Children’s Services who prepared documents for The Tennessean deleted large portions in the media’s copy of state child fatality records — removing information that should have been made public.
In Wisconsin, membership in public-sector unions plummeted in the aftermath of the hugely controversial Republican measure that wiped out most collective bargaining for public employees and made it far harder for their unions to operate.
Source: New York Times | Brazil |
February 11, 2013
While civil servants in Europe and the United States have had their pay slashed or jobs eliminated altogether, some public employees in Brazil are pulling down salaries and benefits that put their counterparts in developed countries to shame.
Nationally, six straight years of revenue declines have put enormous pressure on state and local governments, nevertheless, some are thriving. Standard & Poor's, the credit-rating agency, reports that it issued more bond upgrades than downgrades in 2012.
The Medicaid expansion and the Affordable Care Act are in full swing. With the influx of people who will be applying for benefits and the ACA requirement for online enrollment, it is more important than ever to verify the identities of those accessing benefits up front.