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May 13, 2003
GovPro E-Newsletter
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Tuesday, May 13, 2003 Volume 2, Issue 18
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.
Sponsored by C&H Distributors
CONTENTS
Performance Contracts Reduce Costs Plan Balances Budgets, Nixes Tax Hikes Select Schools Hit Hard Walkie Talkies Take on Tech Age News of the Weird
FEATURES
CONTRACTING FOR SERVICES MAKES CENTS
Historically, contracting for the public sector has involved extensive details on how to perform a service or provide a product. It is the job function of the procurement official to provide the proper specifications to various suppliers to find the best price and best overall value.
While specifications work wonders for products such as rifles and tanks, they sometimes are hard to quantify when used for services. For example, you can specify a particular air conditioner or heating unit, but in reality it may or may not do what you really want it to doprovide a comfortable, year-round interior temperature. Or how do you decide on the best roofing system when there are hundreds of options? http://www.govpro.com/GPRONewsletter/Article/27701/
TEMPLATE BALANCES STATE BUDGET
As the state budget deficit grows daily and lawmakers struggle to find common ground on a solution, a new budget plan demonstrates how Californias $26 billion to $35 billion budget deficit can be turned into a surplus by 2005 without raising taxes or cutting vital services.
Dubbed the Citizens Budget, the plan calls for the permanent adoption of a two-year state budget process, currently used by 23 states, and includes a line-by-line analysis of the state budget that reveals nearly $16 billion in potential cost savings in state programs. Another $1.1 billion could be saved with a 5 percent reduction in state personnel costs through attrition, renegotiation of employee contracts, limits on overtime, and reduction in staff levels to compensate for excessive growth in recent years. The report, prepared by the Reason Foundation and the Performance Institute, uses cost and savings benchmarks from other states and the federal government to offer a total of more than $18 billion in possible savings. But, by balancing the budget over two years, the plan requires that $11.7 billion in spending reductions be made.
This plan rejects the false notion that the only way to balance the budget is through massive tax increases or draconian cuts in education and state services to those who need them the most, said Carl DeMaio, president of the Performance Institute and senior fellow at the Reason Foundation. The real challenge is how to provide the same or better services at a lower cost to the state.
Our plan offers a menu of more than $18 billion in spending reductions that state lawmakers can pick and choose from to balance the budget, stated Adrian Moore, vice president of research at Reason Foundation and co-author of the report. Californians pay more in taxes, but get less services than taxpayers in other states. We have to confront the states inefficiency and prevent a crisis like this from happening again.
Instead of implementing across-the-board budget cuts, the plan advocates evaluating the importance and effectiveness of each state program and then consolidating and streamlining state agencies accordingly. To aid in that process, a California Sunset Commission would be created to review 20 percent of the states agencies each year. Since its inception, a similar program in Texas has abolished 44 agencies and consolidated another 11.
To avoid comparable shortfalls in the future, the report proposes several constitutional reforms, including: a Taxpayer Bill of Rights, limiting increases in state revenue growth to population and inflation increases; a modified version of the Gann Spending Limit; and an automatic balanced budget adjustment trigger that would make proportional spending reductions to discretionary programs when revenues fall short of expectations.
The full report, Citizens Budget 2003-2005: A 10-Point Plan to Balance the California Budget, is available online at: http://www.rppi.org/calstatebudgetproposal.pdf and a summary can be found at http://www.rppi.org/calstatebudgetproposal_execsum.pdf.
Reason Foundation is a nonprofit think tank based in Los Angeles. The Performance Institute is a private think tank that studies government performance and reform.
C&H DISTRIBUTORS
For over 60 years, C&H has been a leading supplier of industrial products such as material handling, shop equipment, maintenance equipment, material storage, shipping supplies, safety products, dock equipment, and more. Contact C&H at 1-800-558-9966 or visit our Web site at: http://www.chdist.com
EVENTS
AMBASSADOR PAUL BREMER TO ASSESS RISKS TO U.S.
The former Ambassador-at-Large for Counter Terrorism, Paul Bremer, will be among the speakers debating what technologies and methodologies are working and which are not in protecting the nation from the threat of nuclear and biochemical terrorist attacks at the Global Homeland Security Conference & Expo to be held in the Washington, D.C. September 25-26.
Presented by the Security Division of E.J. Krause & Associates, the Global Homeland Security Conference and EXPO will be held at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. For further information on the conference, contact Corry Capps at E.J. Krause & Associates at 301-493-5500 or e-mail at: capps@ejkrause.com.
NEWS
STATE BUDGET CRISIS HITS SOME SCHOOLS HARDER
According to a new forecast released today by MCH Education Data, the budget pressures gripping nearly every state will have an unequal impact on schools next year. The company has evaluated each state's budget and educational funding methods to determine which school systems will be hit hardest.
The company scored each state on numerous factors to assign them a budget pressure score from 0 to 7, the worst impact.
MCH predicts that schools in on state will suffer "Critical Pressure," six states will suffer "Severe Pressure," and 34 states will undergo "Major Pressure." Only nine states fall into the lowest category of "Minimal Pressure." The company has posted supporting documentation of its forecast on its Web site, http://www.mailings.com.
While these averages are telling at the state level, the impact will vary significantly at the district level. State funding formulas are designed to put more money into low income districts. Ironically, this means that wealthy districts - which are mostly funded at the local level -- will avoid the harshest effects of state budget cuts.
The company's analysis is based on information from state budget offices, census data, published accounts, and its own proprietary database of education data.
The budget woes have a secondary impact on companies that provide goods and services to schools. The hardest hit districts are likely to restrict spending on a variety of budget items including books, supplementary materials, sports programs, and travel.
THIS WALKIE TALKIE TAKES FINGERPRINTS Singapore Straits Times (04/24/03); Soh, Natalie
A new high-tech version of the walkie talkie, soon to be deployed by Motorola, Nokia, and Marconi, will be able to send and receive data and pictures, and even take fingerprints. The new units resemble a mobile phone and use Terrestrial Trunked Radio (Tetra) technology. The Singapore Prison Services has already ordered the new technology for the Changi Prison currently being built. In addition, the new walkie talkies are much more secure than ordinary ones.
"Because the information is digitalized, it can be encrypted, and only with the risk keys can someone unscramble the information," says Balbir Singh, senior director of business development and operations at Motorola in Singapore. "So no-one can tap into the communication channel." American and European police are also using the devices to take fingerprints and mug shots of suspects at crime scenes. The information is transmitted back to the data center and compared against files. The technology enables police to know right away who they are dealing with, helping them make informed decisions on the beat, according to Singh. He also notes, "Four times as many users can send and receive information with the same channel." Motorola announced the Tetra system should be up and running by November this year. Source: NLECTC Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology News Summary
NEWS OF THE WEIRD: Bizarre but true stories about real people. http://www.govpro.com/GPRONewsletter/Article/28993/
UTILITY METALS Since 1955, Utility Metals has been a manufacturer of outdoor lighting products. To handle your urgent lighting needs, we maintain a substantial inventory of area lighting poles and brackets, available for immediate shipment. Specializing in custom fabrication, we also offer unique solutions for your one-of-a-kind applications. Various finishes are available including powdercoat and hot dip galvanized. Call us now @ (800) 627-8276 and request your free copy of our catalog or visit us online: http://WWW.UTILITYMETALS.COM
LINKS
Crown Equipment designs, manufactures, distributes, services, and supports material handling products that provide customers with superior value. http://www.crown.com/gsa1
Custom-designed Meyer snow plows fit exact vehicle frame and weight specifications for exceptional performance in all applications. Visit: http://www.meyerproducts.com">http://www.meyerproducts.com
Safety Storage, the first choice for custom and pre-fabricated hazardous storage buildings. http://www.safetystorage.com
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
Bend-Pak: Lifts, pipe benders, wheel balancers. http://www.bend-pak.com
eBid Systems: Online contract sourcing and management. http://www.ebidsystems.com
Houston Galveston Area Council: Cooperative purchasing program. http://www.hgacbuy.com
KI: Office furniture. http://www.ki.com
Pelco: Video security solutions. http://www.pelco.com
Find information on advertising in the GovPro Newsletter on http://www.govpro.com or contact rhowlett@penton.com.
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://www.submag.com/sub/gn To subscribe to Government Procurement visit: http://www.submag.com/sub/gp
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.
Sponsored by C&H Distributors
CONTENTS
Performance Contracts Reduce Costs Plan Balances Budgets, Nixes Tax Hikes Select Schools Hit Hard Walkie Talkies Take on Tech Age News of the Weird
FEATURES
CONTRACTING FOR SERVICES MAKES CENTS
Historically, contracting for the public sector has involved extensive details on how to perform a service or provide a product. It is the job function of the procurement official to provide the proper specifications to various suppliers to find the best price and best overall value.
While specifications work wonders for products such as rifles and tanks, they sometimes are hard to quantify when used for services. For example, you can specify a particular air conditioner or heating unit, but in reality it may or may not do what you really want it to doprovide a comfortable, year-round interior temperature. Or how do you decide on the best roofing system when there are hundreds of options? http://www.govpro.com/GPRONewsletter/Article/27701/
TEMPLATE BALANCES STATE BUDGET
As the state budget deficit grows daily and lawmakers struggle to find common ground on a solution, a new budget plan demonstrates how Californias $26 billion to $35 billion budget deficit can be turned into a surplus by 2005 without raising taxes or cutting vital services.
Dubbed the Citizens Budget, the plan calls for the permanent adoption of a two-year state budget process, currently used by 23 states, and includes a line-by-line analysis of the state budget that reveals nearly $16 billion in potential cost savings in state programs. Another $1.1 billion could be saved with a 5 percent reduction in state personnel costs through attrition, renegotiation of employee contracts, limits on overtime, and reduction in staff levels to compensate for excessive growth in recent years. The report, prepared by the Reason Foundation and the Performance Institute, uses cost and savings benchmarks from other states and the federal government to offer a total of more than $18 billion in possible savings. But, by balancing the budget over two years, the plan requires that $11.7 billion in spending reductions be made.
This plan rejects the false notion that the only way to balance the budget is through massive tax increases or draconian cuts in education and state services to those who need them the most, said Carl DeMaio, president of the Performance Institute and senior fellow at the Reason Foundation. The real challenge is how to provide the same or better services at a lower cost to the state.
Our plan offers a menu of more than $18 billion in spending reductions that state lawmakers can pick and choose from to balance the budget, stated Adrian Moore, vice president of research at Reason Foundation and co-author of the report. Californians pay more in taxes, but get less services than taxpayers in other states. We have to confront the states inefficiency and prevent a crisis like this from happening again.
Instead of implementing across-the-board budget cuts, the plan advocates evaluating the importance and effectiveness of each state program and then consolidating and streamlining state agencies accordingly. To aid in that process, a California Sunset Commission would be created to review 20 percent of the states agencies each year. Since its inception, a similar program in Texas has abolished 44 agencies and consolidated another 11.
To avoid comparable shortfalls in the future, the report proposes several constitutional reforms, including: a Taxpayer Bill of Rights, limiting increases in state revenue growth to population and inflation increases; a modified version of the Gann Spending Limit; and an automatic balanced budget adjustment trigger that would make proportional spending reductions to discretionary programs when revenues fall short of expectations.
The full report, Citizens Budget 2003-2005: A 10-Point Plan to Balance the California Budget, is available online at: http://www.rppi.org/calstatebudgetproposal.pdf and a summary can be found at http://www.rppi.org/calstatebudgetproposal_execsum.pdf.
Reason Foundation is a nonprofit think tank based in Los Angeles. The Performance Institute is a private think tank that studies government performance and reform.
C&H DISTRIBUTORS
For over 60 years, C&H has been a leading supplier of industrial products such as material handling, shop equipment, maintenance equipment, material storage, shipping supplies, safety products, dock equipment, and more. Contact C&H at 1-800-558-9966 or visit our Web site at: http://www.chdist.com
EVENTS
AMBASSADOR PAUL BREMER TO ASSESS RISKS TO U.S.
The former Ambassador-at-Large for Counter Terrorism, Paul Bremer, will be among the speakers debating what technologies and methodologies are working and which are not in protecting the nation from the threat of nuclear and biochemical terrorist attacks at the Global Homeland Security Conference & Expo to be held in the Washington, D.C. September 25-26.
Presented by the Security Division of E.J. Krause & Associates, the Global Homeland Security Conference and EXPO will be held at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. For further information on the conference, contact Corry Capps at E.J. Krause & Associates at 301-493-5500 or e-mail at: capps@ejkrause.com.
NEWS
STATE BUDGET CRISIS HITS SOME SCHOOLS HARDER
According to a new forecast released today by MCH Education Data, the budget pressures gripping nearly every state will have an unequal impact on schools next year. The company has evaluated each state's budget and educational funding methods to determine which school systems will be hit hardest.
The company scored each state on numerous factors to assign them a budget pressure score from 0 to 7, the worst impact.
MCH predicts that schools in on state will suffer "Critical Pressure," six states will suffer "Severe Pressure," and 34 states will undergo "Major Pressure." Only nine states fall into the lowest category of "Minimal Pressure." The company has posted supporting documentation of its forecast on its Web site, http://www.mailings.com.
While these averages are telling at the state level, the impact will vary significantly at the district level. State funding formulas are designed to put more money into low income districts. Ironically, this means that wealthy districts - which are mostly funded at the local level -- will avoid the harshest effects of state budget cuts.
The company's analysis is based on information from state budget offices, census data, published accounts, and its own proprietary database of education data.
The budget woes have a secondary impact on companies that provide goods and services to schools. The hardest hit districts are likely to restrict spending on a variety of budget items including books, supplementary materials, sports programs, and travel.
THIS WALKIE TALKIE TAKES FINGERPRINTS Singapore Straits Times (04/24/03); Soh, Natalie
A new high-tech version of the walkie talkie, soon to be deployed by Motorola, Nokia, and Marconi, will be able to send and receive data and pictures, and even take fingerprints. The new units resemble a mobile phone and use Terrestrial Trunked Radio (Tetra) technology. The Singapore Prison Services has already ordered the new technology for the Changi Prison currently being built. In addition, the new walkie talkies are much more secure than ordinary ones.
"Because the information is digitalized, it can be encrypted, and only with the risk keys can someone unscramble the information," says Balbir Singh, senior director of business development and operations at Motorola in Singapore. "So no-one can tap into the communication channel." American and European police are also using the devices to take fingerprints and mug shots of suspects at crime scenes. The information is transmitted back to the data center and compared against files. The technology enables police to know right away who they are dealing with, helping them make informed decisions on the beat, according to Singh. He also notes, "Four times as many users can send and receive information with the same channel." Motorola announced the Tetra system should be up and running by November this year. Source: NLECTC Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology News Summary
NEWS OF THE WEIRD: Bizarre but true stories about real people. http://www.govpro.com/GPRONewsletter/Article/28993/
UTILITY METALS Since 1955, Utility Metals has been a manufacturer of outdoor lighting products. To handle your urgent lighting needs, we maintain a substantial inventory of area lighting poles and brackets, available for immediate shipment. Specializing in custom fabrication, we also offer unique solutions for your one-of-a-kind applications. Various finishes are available including powdercoat and hot dip galvanized. Call us now @ (800) 627-8276 and request your free copy of our catalog or visit us online: http://WWW.UTILITYMETALS.COM
LINKS
Crown Equipment designs, manufactures, distributes, services, and supports material handling products that provide customers with superior value. http://www.crown.com/gsa1
Custom-designed Meyer snow plows fit exact vehicle frame and weight specifications for exceptional performance in all applications. Visit: http://www.meyerproducts.com">http://www.meyerproducts.com
Safety Storage, the first choice for custom and pre-fabricated hazardous storage buildings. http://www.safetystorage.com
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
Bend-Pak: Lifts, pipe benders, wheel balancers. http://www.bend-pak.com
eBid Systems: Online contract sourcing and management. http://www.ebidsystems.com
Houston Galveston Area Council: Cooperative purchasing program. http://www.hgacbuy.com
KI: Office furniture. http://www.ki.com
Pelco: Video security solutions. http://www.pelco.com
Find information on advertising in the GovPro Newsletter on http://www.govpro.com or contact rhowlett@penton.com.
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://www.submag.com/sub/gn To subscribe to Government Procurement visit: http://www.submag.com/sub/gp
Copyright 2003 Penton Media, Inc.
