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December 16, 2003
GovPro Newsletter
Tuesday, December 16, 2003 Volume 2, Issue 48
Welcome to the GovPro Newsletter brought to you by the Penton Government Media Group. Look forward to news, resources, product and supplier information, and links relating to the government market.
If this message was sent in error or you wish to unsubscribe, see the unsubscribe information below.
Sponsored by Crown Equipment
CONTENTS
Governors Report on Budgets Public, Private Partners to Recycle Southern Ohio See Sewage Relief Win a Digital Camera and MP3 Player News of The Weird
FEATURE
STATE FISCAL PROSPECTS ON THE UPSWING
Last winter, the National Governors Association (NGA) said states were mired in their worst budget crisis since World War II.
Now, the NGA says the crisis is easing.
"I do believe states have in fact bottomed-out and the crisis is easing somewhat, said Ray Scheppach, executive director of the NGA, an organization that represents the governors' interests in Washington, D.C. I'm optimistic that within a quarter or two we're going to see more moderate revenue growth."
Scheppach delivered his remarks at a Dec. 4 news conference announcing the release of a new report The Fiscal Survey of the States compiled biannually by the NGA and the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO). The report lands at a time when the national economy is emerging from a nearly three-year slump and many states are reaping the benefits.
Arkansas, for example, reported this week that revenues grew 8.9 percent, or $26 million, in November over the same month last year. Since July, Arkansas revenues have increased 5 percent over the previous year.
The new NGA-NASBO report reveals a state fiscal landscape pockmarked with problem areas despite the improved outlook for states and the economy.
"States have done a lot of one-time cuts, they've got under-funded pensions, they've borrowed money from trust funds, they've securitized tobacco (settlements) and they've moved payroll dates around. There's going to be some backfilling on that hole," Scheppach said.
Indeed, the overall hole from which states are emerging is a deep one. State general fund spending grew 0.6 percent in fiscal year 2003 and 0.2 percent in fiscal 2004, a marked departure from states' average annual growth rate of 6.2 percent, according to the report.
"This is the smallest nominal general fund increase since 1979. It's unprecedented to have close to three years of nearly flat spending, but that's what we're finding in the survey," said Scott Pattison, NASBO's executive director and a former Virginia budget director.
The numbers look worse when the eroding effects of inflation are factored in, with state budgets shrinking by 1.6 percent in fiscal 2003 and 2 percent in fiscal 2004, the report finds.
This has resulted in widespread budgets cuts and tax and fee increases in the states.
Eighteen states raised taxes by nearly $6.2 billion for fiscal year 2004, according to another report released yesterday The 2003 Tax and Budget Review by the Rockefeller Institute of Government at the State University of New York, Albany.
This is in addition to at least $2.6 billion in tax and fee increases in the states, which is many times more than states have ever before raised fees.
"This shift toward fee increases appears to result from states shying away from more tax increases, while still needing new revenue to close budget gaps," the Rockefeller report said.
On the spending side, states found savings in a variety of places. Sixteen states laid-off employees, 13 used early retirement to pare their work forces and 13 reorganized programs to find cost-savings, according to the NASBO-NGA report.
Looking ahead, NGA's Scheppach said state revenue growth will remain sluggish until states realign their tax systems, many of which were last overhauled in the 1950s, to match modern economic realities.
"The long-run structural problem is still there, Scheppach said. They still have obsolete tax systems built for a manufacturing economy, and not tax systems that are aligned with a high-technology, service-oriented, deregulated, international economy."
Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, a Democrat, recently proposed overhauling his state's tax code, but Scheppach said tax reform efforts are a tough sell.
"The politics around tax reform are so difficult that people tend to shy away," he said.
Source: Stateline.org
FORD MOTOR CO.
Ford Motor Company is more than a global corporation. It's a world of people nearly 400,000 strong, connecting with customers every day. For years, for decades, Ford trucks have gotten the job done. Be sure to visit your local Ford dealer. Your dealer will help you select the right truck and the right services to meet your needs. http://r.pm0.net/s/c?ij.79h2.2.3f0s.5c17
WIN A SAMSUNG DIGIMAX 35 DIGITAL CAMERA AND MP3 PLAYER
WE'RE GIVING AWAY A SAMSUNG DIGIMAX 35 DIGITAL CAMERA AND MP3 PLAYER! a Tell us about your planned purchases of mobile communications equipment and systems for 2004. Your valuable input will help us understand current usage and future needs in the marketplace. http://r.pm0.net/s/c?ij.79h2.3.3wpr.5c17
NEWS
ARGONNE, INDUSTRY TO TACKLE END-OF-LIFE VEHICLE RECYCLING
The "junk" from junked cars will find new uses under a new research partnership for recycling plastics.
A five-year cooperative research agreement brings together the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory, the American Plastics Council, and the Vehicle Recycling Partnership of USCAR, a consortium of DaimlerChrysler Corp., Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp. The agreement will build on recycling technology (PDF file) developed at Argonne to create a cost-effective process for recycling end-of-life vehicles.
"This project brings together the American Plastics Council's knowledge of polymers and recycling processes, Argonne's research expertise and USCAR's understanding of the marketplace," said Harvey Drucker, Argonne's associate laboratory director. "Together as a team, we can lead the development of viable solutions to the vehicle recycling challenges of today and the future.
CITY OF CINCINNATI AND HAMILTON COUNTY TO RESOLVE MAJOR SEWER SYSTEM VIOLATIONS
The Justice Department, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the State of Ohio, and the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) announced a final settlement with the Board of Commissioners of Hamilton County and the city of Cincinnati that will end long-standing sewer system violations and address raw sewage backing up into residents' basements. Under this settlement and a previous partial settlement lodged with the Court in February 2002, the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati (MSD) is expected to spend more than a billion dollars to bring its aging sewer system into compliance with the Clean Water Act and other pertinent laws and regulations.
For years, the city and county have discharged untreated sewage when it rains through overflow pipes from its sanitary sewers, or sanitary sewer outfalls, including some that were constructed long ago in MSD's aging sanitary sewer system. Under the Clean Water Act (CWA), it is illegal to discharge untreated wastewater from sanitary sewers. EPA estimates that there are at least 40,000 sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) nationally each year. The untreated sewage from these overflows can contaminate waters with bacteria, pathogens and other harmful pollutants, causing serious water quality problems. It can also backup into basements, damage property and threaten public health.
"The Justice Department is committed to enforcing our nation's clean water laws to protect human health and the environment for the residents of the greater Cincinnati region," said Tom Sansonetti, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resource Division. "We are pleased the State of Ohio and ORSANCO joined us as plaintiffs in this settlement, as it will go a long way toward improving the health not only of the Ohio River and its tributaries in the Cincinnati area, but also of the people who live in the area."
NEWS OF THE WEIRD: Bizarre but true stories about real people. http://r.pm0.net/s/c?ij.79h2.4.3z7m.5c17
LINKS
Backhoes Cat Backhoes give you more power, comfort and versatility to get the job done faster. Spec your Backhoe at http://r.pm0.net/s/c?ij.79h2.6.2tfw.5c17
Upbeats Institutional Catalog features site furnishings/amenities including trash containers, park benches, picnic tables, ash urns, bike racks, banners and more. Shop online http://r.pm0.net/s/c?ij.79h2.7.2vrr.5c17
Utility Metals manufactures outdoor lighting products. Lighting poles and brackets are available for immediate shipment. Custom fabrication provides unique solution. Call 800-627-8276 for free catalog or visit: http://r.pm0.net/s/c?ij.79h2.8.3k1p.5c17
Issue employee badges, student ID cards, membership, or access control cards with SP 35 card printer. Offers excellent image and card quality, while optimizing ribbon usage. Call Team Marketing: 800-344-9054 or visit: http://r.pm0.net/s/c?ij.79h2.9.2vrp.5c17
Safety Storage, the first choice for custom and pre-fabricated hazardous storage buildings. http://r.pm0.net/s/c?ij.79h2.10.2nuv.5c17
C & H Distributors provide a fast, efficient way to purchase shelving, cabinets, packaging and shipping products, or office furniture. Visit: http://r.pm0.net/s/c?ij.79h2.11.1jex.5c17
Crown Equipment designs, manufactures, distributes, services, and supports material handling products that provide customers with superior value. http://r.pm0.net/s/c?ij.79h2.12.3fvh.5c17
You may qualify for a FREE Magazine Subscription
Complimentary subscriptions to Government Product News, a product-driven resource, and Government PROcurement, editorial targeting the public sector purchasing professional are available to those who qualify.
To subscribe to Government Product News visit: http://r.pm0.net/s/c?ij.75qj.15.1jf8.5c17
To subscribe to Government Procurement visit: http://r.pm0.net/s/c?ij.75qj.16.1jf9.5c17
Copyright 2003 Penton Media, Inc.
Welcome to the GovPro Newsletter brought to you by the Penton Government Media Group. Look forward to news, resources, product and supplier information, and links relating to the government market.
If this message was sent in error or you wish to unsubscribe, see the unsubscribe information below.
Sponsored by Crown Equipment
CONTENTS
Governors Report on Budgets Public, Private Partners to Recycle Southern Ohio See Sewage Relief Win a Digital Camera and MP3 Player News of The Weird
FEATURE
STATE FISCAL PROSPECTS ON THE UPSWING
Last winter, the National Governors Association (NGA) said states were mired in their worst budget crisis since World War II.
Now, the NGA says the crisis is easing.
"I do believe states have in fact bottomed-out and the crisis is easing somewhat, said Ray Scheppach, executive director of the NGA, an organization that represents the governors' interests in Washington, D.C. I'm optimistic that within a quarter or two we're going to see more moderate revenue growth."
Scheppach delivered his remarks at a Dec. 4 news conference announcing the release of a new report The Fiscal Survey of the States compiled biannually by the NGA and the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO). The report lands at a time when the national economy is emerging from a nearly three-year slump and many states are reaping the benefits.
Arkansas, for example, reported this week that revenues grew 8.9 percent, or $26 million, in November over the same month last year. Since July, Arkansas revenues have increased 5 percent over the previous year.
The new NGA-NASBO report reveals a state fiscal landscape pockmarked with problem areas despite the improved outlook for states and the economy.
"States have done a lot of one-time cuts, they've got under-funded pensions, they've borrowed money from trust funds, they've securitized tobacco (settlements) and they've moved payroll dates around. There's going to be some backfilling on that hole," Scheppach said.
Indeed, the overall hole from which states are emerging is a deep one. State general fund spending grew 0.6 percent in fiscal year 2003 and 0.2 percent in fiscal 2004, a marked departure from states' average annual growth rate of 6.2 percent, according to the report.
"This is the smallest nominal general fund increase since 1979. It's unprecedented to have close to three years of nearly flat spending, but that's what we're finding in the survey," said Scott Pattison, NASBO's executive director and a former Virginia budget director.
The numbers look worse when the eroding effects of inflation are factored in, with state budgets shrinking by 1.6 percent in fiscal 2003 and 2 percent in fiscal 2004, the report finds.
This has resulted in widespread budgets cuts and tax and fee increases in the states.
Eighteen states raised taxes by nearly $6.2 billion for fiscal year 2004, according to another report released yesterday The 2003 Tax and Budget Review by the Rockefeller Institute of Government at the State University of New York, Albany.
This is in addition to at least $2.6 billion in tax and fee increases in the states, which is many times more than states have ever before raised fees.
"This shift toward fee increases appears to result from states shying away from more tax increases, while still needing new revenue to close budget gaps," the Rockefeller report said.
On the spending side, states found savings in a variety of places. Sixteen states laid-off employees, 13 used early retirement to pare their work forces and 13 reorganized programs to find cost-savings, according to the NASBO-NGA report.
Looking ahead, NGA's Scheppach said state revenue growth will remain sluggish until states realign their tax systems, many of which were last overhauled in the 1950s, to match modern economic realities.
"The long-run structural problem is still there, Scheppach said. They still have obsolete tax systems built for a manufacturing economy, and not tax systems that are aligned with a high-technology, service-oriented, deregulated, international economy."
Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, a Democrat, recently proposed overhauling his state's tax code, but Scheppach said tax reform efforts are a tough sell.
"The politics around tax reform are so difficult that people tend to shy away," he said.
Source: Stateline.org
FORD MOTOR CO.
Ford Motor Company is more than a global corporation. It's a world of people nearly 400,000 strong, connecting with customers every day. For years, for decades, Ford trucks have gotten the job done. Be sure to visit your local Ford dealer. Your dealer will help you select the right truck and the right services to meet your needs. http://r.pm0.net/s/c?ij.79h2.2.3f0s.5c17
WIN A SAMSUNG DIGIMAX 35 DIGITAL CAMERA AND MP3 PLAYER
WE'RE GIVING AWAY A SAMSUNG DIGIMAX 35 DIGITAL CAMERA AND MP3 PLAYER! a Tell us about your planned purchases of mobile communications equipment and systems for 2004. Your valuable input will help us understand current usage and future needs in the marketplace. http://r.pm0.net/s/c?ij.79h2.3.3wpr.5c17
NEWS
ARGONNE, INDUSTRY TO TACKLE END-OF-LIFE VEHICLE RECYCLING
The "junk" from junked cars will find new uses under a new research partnership for recycling plastics.
A five-year cooperative research agreement brings together the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory, the American Plastics Council, and the Vehicle Recycling Partnership of USCAR, a consortium of DaimlerChrysler Corp., Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp. The agreement will build on recycling technology (PDF file) developed at Argonne to create a cost-effective process for recycling end-of-life vehicles.
"This project brings together the American Plastics Council's knowledge of polymers and recycling processes, Argonne's research expertise and USCAR's understanding of the marketplace," said Harvey Drucker, Argonne's associate laboratory director. "Together as a team, we can lead the development of viable solutions to the vehicle recycling challenges of today and the future.
CITY OF CINCINNATI AND HAMILTON COUNTY TO RESOLVE MAJOR SEWER SYSTEM VIOLATIONS
The Justice Department, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the State of Ohio, and the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) announced a final settlement with the Board of Commissioners of Hamilton County and the city of Cincinnati that will end long-standing sewer system violations and address raw sewage backing up into residents' basements. Under this settlement and a previous partial settlement lodged with the Court in February 2002, the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati (MSD) is expected to spend more than a billion dollars to bring its aging sewer system into compliance with the Clean Water Act and other pertinent laws and regulations.
For years, the city and county have discharged untreated sewage when it rains through overflow pipes from its sanitary sewers, or sanitary sewer outfalls, including some that were constructed long ago in MSD's aging sanitary sewer system. Under the Clean Water Act (CWA), it is illegal to discharge untreated wastewater from sanitary sewers. EPA estimates that there are at least 40,000 sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) nationally each year. The untreated sewage from these overflows can contaminate waters with bacteria, pathogens and other harmful pollutants, causing serious water quality problems. It can also backup into basements, damage property and threaten public health.
"The Justice Department is committed to enforcing our nation's clean water laws to protect human health and the environment for the residents of the greater Cincinnati region," said Tom Sansonetti, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resource Division. "We are pleased the State of Ohio and ORSANCO joined us as plaintiffs in this settlement, as it will go a long way toward improving the health not only of the Ohio River and its tributaries in the Cincinnati area, but also of the people who live in the area."
NEWS OF THE WEIRD: Bizarre but true stories about real people. http://r.pm0.net/s/c?ij.79h2.4.3z7m.5c17
LINKS
Backhoes Cat Backhoes give you more power, comfort and versatility to get the job done faster. Spec your Backhoe at http://r.pm0.net/s/c?ij.79h2.6.2tfw.5c17
Upbeats Institutional Catalog features site furnishings/amenities including trash containers, park benches, picnic tables, ash urns, bike racks, banners and more. Shop online http://r.pm0.net/s/c?ij.79h2.7.2vrr.5c17
Utility Metals manufactures outdoor lighting products. Lighting poles and brackets are available for immediate shipment. Custom fabrication provides unique solution. Call 800-627-8276 for free catalog or visit: http://r.pm0.net/s/c?ij.79h2.8.3k1p.5c17
Issue employee badges, student ID cards, membership, or access control cards with SP 35 card printer. Offers excellent image and card quality, while optimizing ribbon usage. Call Team Marketing: 800-344-9054 or visit: http://r.pm0.net/s/c?ij.79h2.9.2vrp.5c17
Safety Storage, the first choice for custom and pre-fabricated hazardous storage buildings. http://r.pm0.net/s/c?ij.79h2.10.2nuv.5c17
C & H Distributors provide a fast, efficient way to purchase shelving, cabinets, packaging and shipping products, or office furniture. Visit: http://r.pm0.net/s/c?ij.79h2.11.1jex.5c17
Crown Equipment designs, manufactures, distributes, services, and supports material handling products that provide customers with superior value. http://r.pm0.net/s/c?ij.79h2.12.3fvh.5c17
You may qualify for a FREE Magazine Subscription
Complimentary subscriptions to Government Product News, a product-driven resource, and Government PROcurement, editorial targeting the public sector purchasing professional are available to those who qualify.
To subscribe to Government Product News visit: http://r.pm0.net/s/c?ij.75qj.15.1jf8.5c17
To subscribe to Government Procurement visit: http://r.pm0.net/s/c?ij.75qj.16.1jf9.5c17
Copyright 2003 Penton Media, Inc.
