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November 12, 2002
GovPro Newsletter
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Tuesday, November 12, 2002 Volume 2, Issue 22
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. You have received this e-newsletter because you are a subscriber to Government Product News or Government PROcurement Journal. If this message was sent in error or you wish to unsubscribe, see the unsubscribe information below.
Sponsored by Ford Motor Co.
CONTENTS Touch Screens Tally Votes Tank Testers Spring Leak Panhandle Punishment Pesticide Fruitless Against Anthrax Survey SaysMore Money for Parks News of the Weird FEATURES GEORGIA MAKES HISTORY WITH TOUCH-SCREEN ELECTION The State of Georgia completed the countrys first uniform statewide election on November 5 through the deployment of more than 22,000 electronic touch-screen voting stations throughout the state, allowing 3.7 million registered voters in 159 counties to cast their votes. Georgia officials finalized a $54 million agreement with Diebold Election Systems for the Accuvote-TS voting stations in May, 2002 to replace the states outdated election equipment with more than 19,000 new state-of-the-art, touch-screen voting stations. An additional 3,052 units were subsequently purchased by individual counties across the state. Each voting station is equipped with a 15-in., touch-screen monitor, and is capable of supporting up to 5,000 different ballot styles. Each station also provides full, private ballot access to visually impaired voters using a voice-guidance system and a standard keypad. The success of this pioneering feat is due primarily to the overall preparedness of election officials, poll workers, and voters, as well as Diebold going above and beyond the call of duty to help the state implement this enormous endeavor, says Secretary of State Cathy Cox. Key to the success of this election was an aggressive voter education program designed to familiarize citizens with the new equipment before they arrived at the polls. Diebold put nearly 6,000 poll workers through thousands of hours of training, and positioned more than 360 professionals, including 190 field technicians, 160 county support technicians, and a dozen regional support managers throughout some 3,000 precincts across the state. For more information on the voting stations visit: http://www.dieboldes.com
UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK FIRM FLUNKS TEST The nations largest Underground Storage Tank (UST) company was sentenced in federal district court in Austin, TX, to pay a $1 million criminal fine and restitution of $1.29 million to the United States for UST testing services performed by its employees, the Justice Department and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced. Tanknology pled guilty on August 29 to 10 felony counts of presenting false claims and making false statements to federal agencies. The company, headquartered in Austin, admitted in its plea and at sentencing that from January 1997 until December 1999, company employees had performed false tests at federal installations across the country, including U.S. Postal facilities, military bases, and a NASA facility. Todays sentencing demonstrates that the United States will not hesitate to prosecute those who falsify reports that can result in injury to the environment and to the health of our citizens, says Tom Sansonetti, assistant attorney general for the Justice Departments Environment and Natural Resources Division. Underground storage tanks contain petroleum products, including gasoline, and all UST owners and operators are required by law to have their tanks tested to ensure that their systems are not leaking any petroleum into the soil or groundwater. Leaking USTs can present other health and environmental risks, including the potential for fire and explosion. Accurate information is central to ensuring compliance with the underground storage tank requirements, says John Peter Suarez, EPAs Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. Falsifying reports can undermine the very purpose of these important regulationsto protect public health and the environment. The pleas and sentence arose from an extensive investigation carried out by several federal criminal investigative agencies in which agents observed Tanknology testers at government facilities across the country. The false tests ranged from failing to follow required test protocols to drive-by tests, where a Tanknology tester was videotaped driving up to a federal facility, driving away after a few minutes and then submitting false data. In addition to paying the criminal fine and restitution, the company will serve a term of probation for five years. Under the plea agreement, Tanknology also will implement a quality management system to ensure that false and improper testing practices do not occur again. The EPA has extensive information on underground storage tanks and federal requirements at: http://www.epa.gov/compliance/newsroom and http://www.epa.gov/swerust1/overview.htm.
SOUTHERN STATES FIGHT CRIME WITH GPS The States of Mississippi and Florida monitor the movement of misdemeanor offenders and individuals on pre-trial release for felonies using a newly deployed GPS tracking system. The monitoring systems will used first in the Gulfport/Biloxi area, the most populated region of Mississippi. Deployment will continue throughout the rest of the state and into the Florida panhandle near Santa Rosa County and Ft. Walton Beach. Court Programs, Inc., a probation and house arrest services company, will deploy iSECUREtracs tracNET24 monitoring system. We are going to be the first court in the State of Mississippi and probably the only municipal court in the United States to use GPS monitoring on offenders, says Judge Tom Payne, Chief Judge for the Gulfport Municipal Court and Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Southern Mississippi. As the largest municipal court in Mississippi, we handle over 40,000 cases per year, many of which involve domestic violence, and stalking. The tracNET24, with its GPS monitoring capabilities, provides us with a clear map of an offenders movements, helping us prevent serious assaults or possibly even deaths. There is no doubt that this new technology will increase public safety in the City of Gulfport. Court Programs will place tracNET24 units on a wide range of offenders including deadbeat dads and juveniles. Individuals involved in domestic violence and misdemeanor cases will also be monitored. The tracNET24 allows authorities to monitor, via a satellite system, the whereabouts of offenders who are outfitted with 12-oz. personal tracking units (PTU). A PTU receives signals from the Department of Defenses GPS satellite system and after the PTU is docked for charging, the PTU downloads the offenders movements into a database accessed by correction officials. Visit the companys web site at: http://www.isecuretrac.com
Ford Motor Co. Ford Motor Company is more than a global corporation. Its a world of people nearly 400,000 strong, connecting with customers every day. Ford offers the widest variety of trucks built for commercial applications. Everything from E-Series cargo vans and wagons to Super Duty F-Series trucks and chassis cabs that can be tailored to meet specific vocational needs. 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. What Line of Work Are You In? So Are We! http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;4019820;6935957;t?http://www.commtruck.ford.com
RESOURCES
Supplier Directory: a searchable database of more than 3,500 companies selling to the government market. http://www.govpro.com/default.asp?Section=supplier_directory
2003 FUEL ECONOMY GUIDE, IN PRINT AND ONLINE This fall the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency jointly released the Model Year 2003 Fuel Economy Guide. Published annually at the start of the new model year, the guide displays fuel economy data for light-duty vehicles, including passenger cars and most pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. Additions to this years version include annual fuel cost data for each vehicle and a new advanced technology section featuring fuel cell vehicles. To order a hard copy, call 1-800-423-1DOE. To view or download the guide, visit: http://www.fueleconomy.gov.
TAG EXTREME Plan to attend the Training & Gear Extreme Expo & Interactive Conference (TAG Extreme), on April 4 to 7, 2003, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV. The event boasts one critical mission: to build consensus among local and national, domestic and foreign defense, enforcement and security agencies on how to facilitate communication, cooperation, and personnel safety. For more information on TAG Extreme, visit: http://www.tagexpo.com
NEWS ANTHRAX DECONTAMINATOR TAKEN OFF SHELVES The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ordered companies to stop marketing unregistered anthrax decontamination products. The EPA issued a stop-sale order to both Aerotech Laboratories Inc., Phoenix, AZ, and American Security and Control Inc., Falls Church, VA, to cease advertising and selling their respective products which allegedly protect against anthrax. The companies both marketed their unregistered pesticides over the Internet. Selling or distributing unregistered pesticides is generally prohibited under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, which authorizes the EPAs stop-sale. The agency has no pesticides registered for the control of anthrax. The EPA continues to inspect advertisements on the Internet and other marketing venues to identify unregistered pesticides being illegally sold to the public. Within the past 10 months, the agency has ordered 4 companies, including Aerotech and American Security, to stop marketing and illegally selling pesticides for use against anthrax. On Sept. 28, the EPA ordered Aerotech to stop selling the unregistered pesticide, Modec Decon Formulation (MDF). The company included MDF in its supposed Bioterrorism Response Kit. The label claimed the pesticide, Decontaminates & Mitigates Chemical & Biological Weapons Agents.
PROMISED PARK DOLLARS POSTPONED A new omnibus survey of top congressional staffers has revealed that a majority of Democrats and Republicans agree that President Bush should fulfill his campaign promise to provide $4.9 billion to restore and renew Americas national parks. The survey, Congressional e-Cloakroom, is a bipartisan research partnership of Market Strategies and Greenberg Quinlan Rosner. Additionally, congressional candidates across the country, most recently in Colorado and Tennessee, have spoken on record about the need to fund the national parks, and Representatives Mark Souder (R-4-IN) and John Lewis (D-5-GA) are circulating a letter from members of the House to appropriators supporting additional funds for parks. Research has shown that the national parks are operating, on average, with only two-thirds of the funding needed, creating a wide variety of critical needs ranging from deteriorating infrastructure to the loss of wildlife. Museum artifacts and archaeological sites are not being adequately preserved, visitor education programs are being reduced, and irreplaceable historic structures are crumbling. Results from the Congressional e-Cloakroom, a representative Internet-based survey of 155 Senate and House staffers, indicate that 88 percent of Democrats and 69 percent of Republicans surveyed think it is extremely, very, or somewhat important that the president keep his campaign promise. The study was conducted from September 9, 2002 to October 4, 2002. The margin of error was plus/minus 6.5 percent. Led by the National Parks Conservation Association, the coalition of Americans for National Parks includes more than 250 private businesses, trade associations, local governments, and nonprofit organizations from across the country, working with Congress and the administration to address the funding needs of the national parks, including a $600-million annual operating shortfall. Information is available at: http://www.americansfornationalparks.org.
NEWS OF THE WEIRD Bizarre but true stories about real. http://www.govpro.com/articleviewer/articleviewerCTRL.asp?action=get_content&article_id=52701
Sentry Protection Products Column Sentry from Sentry Protection Products Nothing protects your facilitys columns, equipment, and people from expensive damage and injury like Column Sentry. For information, visit: http://www.sentrypro.com
LINKS PENTON MEDIA OFFERS A FREE SOLUTION TO MANUFACTURERS EQUIPMENT NEEDS: Find needed used equipment and machinery or sell your surplus equipment. Over 75,000 items are listed by over 800 dealers nationwide. This is a free service http://www.buyused.com
Garland Co. Looking for GSA-certified roofing and flooring solutions? The Garland Company, Inc. offers high-performance systems and field support services. Contact GSA Administrator Karl W. Sooy, 1-800-321-9336, ext. 3645 or visit: http://www.garlandco.com
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT Caterpillar: Bid specification site helps governmental customers efficiently specify equipment needs by building a well-defined RFP. http://www.govbidspec.com Onspot of North America: Automatic tire chain systems. http://www.onspot.com Rotary Lift: Specializes in a wide range of vehicle lifting products including automotive lifts, hydraulic car lifts and automotive hoists. http://www.rotarylift.com Xerox Corp.: Provider of solutions to help manage paper, electronic, and online documents. http://www.xerox.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. http://subscribe.penton.com/gn Copyright 2002 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. You have received this e-newsletter because you are a subscriber to Government Product News or Government PROcurement Journal. If this message was sent in error or you wish to unsubscribe, see the unsubscribe information below.
Sponsored by Ford Motor Co.
CONTENTS Touch Screens Tally Votes Tank Testers Spring Leak Panhandle Punishment Pesticide Fruitless Against Anthrax Survey SaysMore Money for Parks News of the Weird FEATURES GEORGIA MAKES HISTORY WITH TOUCH-SCREEN ELECTION The State of Georgia completed the countrys first uniform statewide election on November 5 through the deployment of more than 22,000 electronic touch-screen voting stations throughout the state, allowing 3.7 million registered voters in 159 counties to cast their votes. Georgia officials finalized a $54 million agreement with Diebold Election Systems for the Accuvote-TS voting stations in May, 2002 to replace the states outdated election equipment with more than 19,000 new state-of-the-art, touch-screen voting stations. An additional 3,052 units were subsequently purchased by individual counties across the state. Each voting station is equipped with a 15-in., touch-screen monitor, and is capable of supporting up to 5,000 different ballot styles. Each station also provides full, private ballot access to visually impaired voters using a voice-guidance system and a standard keypad. The success of this pioneering feat is due primarily to the overall preparedness of election officials, poll workers, and voters, as well as Diebold going above and beyond the call of duty to help the state implement this enormous endeavor, says Secretary of State Cathy Cox. Key to the success of this election was an aggressive voter education program designed to familiarize citizens with the new equipment before they arrived at the polls. Diebold put nearly 6,000 poll workers through thousands of hours of training, and positioned more than 360 professionals, including 190 field technicians, 160 county support technicians, and a dozen regional support managers throughout some 3,000 precincts across the state. For more information on the voting stations visit: http://www.dieboldes.com
UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK FIRM FLUNKS TEST The nations largest Underground Storage Tank (UST) company was sentenced in federal district court in Austin, TX, to pay a $1 million criminal fine and restitution of $1.29 million to the United States for UST testing services performed by its employees, the Justice Department and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced. Tanknology pled guilty on August 29 to 10 felony counts of presenting false claims and making false statements to federal agencies. The company, headquartered in Austin, admitted in its plea and at sentencing that from January 1997 until December 1999, company employees had performed false tests at federal installations across the country, including U.S. Postal facilities, military bases, and a NASA facility. Todays sentencing demonstrates that the United States will not hesitate to prosecute those who falsify reports that can result in injury to the environment and to the health of our citizens, says Tom Sansonetti, assistant attorney general for the Justice Departments Environment and Natural Resources Division. Underground storage tanks contain petroleum products, including gasoline, and all UST owners and operators are required by law to have their tanks tested to ensure that their systems are not leaking any petroleum into the soil or groundwater. Leaking USTs can present other health and environmental risks, including the potential for fire and explosion. Accurate information is central to ensuring compliance with the underground storage tank requirements, says John Peter Suarez, EPAs Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. Falsifying reports can undermine the very purpose of these important regulationsto protect public health and the environment. The pleas and sentence arose from an extensive investigation carried out by several federal criminal investigative agencies in which agents observed Tanknology testers at government facilities across the country. The false tests ranged from failing to follow required test protocols to drive-by tests, where a Tanknology tester was videotaped driving up to a federal facility, driving away after a few minutes and then submitting false data. In addition to paying the criminal fine and restitution, the company will serve a term of probation for five years. Under the plea agreement, Tanknology also will implement a quality management system to ensure that false and improper testing practices do not occur again. The EPA has extensive information on underground storage tanks and federal requirements at: http://www.epa.gov/compliance/newsroom and http://www.epa.gov/swerust1/overview.htm.
SOUTHERN STATES FIGHT CRIME WITH GPS The States of Mississippi and Florida monitor the movement of misdemeanor offenders and individuals on pre-trial release for felonies using a newly deployed GPS tracking system. The monitoring systems will used first in the Gulfport/Biloxi area, the most populated region of Mississippi. Deployment will continue throughout the rest of the state and into the Florida panhandle near Santa Rosa County and Ft. Walton Beach. Court Programs, Inc., a probation and house arrest services company, will deploy iSECUREtracs tracNET24 monitoring system. We are going to be the first court in the State of Mississippi and probably the only municipal court in the United States to use GPS monitoring on offenders, says Judge Tom Payne, Chief Judge for the Gulfport Municipal Court and Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Southern Mississippi. As the largest municipal court in Mississippi, we handle over 40,000 cases per year, many of which involve domestic violence, and stalking. The tracNET24, with its GPS monitoring capabilities, provides us with a clear map of an offenders movements, helping us prevent serious assaults or possibly even deaths. There is no doubt that this new technology will increase public safety in the City of Gulfport. Court Programs will place tracNET24 units on a wide range of offenders including deadbeat dads and juveniles. Individuals involved in domestic violence and misdemeanor cases will also be monitored. The tracNET24 allows authorities to monitor, via a satellite system, the whereabouts of offenders who are outfitted with 12-oz. personal tracking units (PTU). A PTU receives signals from the Department of Defenses GPS satellite system and after the PTU is docked for charging, the PTU downloads the offenders movements into a database accessed by correction officials. Visit the companys web site at: http://www.isecuretrac.com
Ford Motor Co. Ford Motor Company is more than a global corporation. Its a world of people nearly 400,000 strong, connecting with customers every day. Ford offers the widest variety of trucks built for commercial applications. Everything from E-Series cargo vans and wagons to Super Duty F-Series trucks and chassis cabs that can be tailored to meet specific vocational needs. 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. What Line of Work Are You In? So Are We! http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;4019820;6935957;t?http://www.commtruck.ford.com
RESOURCES
Supplier Directory: a searchable database of more than 3,500 companies selling to the government market. http://www.govpro.com/default.asp?Section=supplier_directory
2003 FUEL ECONOMY GUIDE, IN PRINT AND ONLINE This fall the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency jointly released the Model Year 2003 Fuel Economy Guide. Published annually at the start of the new model year, the guide displays fuel economy data for light-duty vehicles, including passenger cars and most pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. Additions to this years version include annual fuel cost data for each vehicle and a new advanced technology section featuring fuel cell vehicles. To order a hard copy, call 1-800-423-1DOE. To view or download the guide, visit: http://www.fueleconomy.gov.
TAG EXTREME Plan to attend the Training & Gear Extreme Expo & Interactive Conference (TAG Extreme), on April 4 to 7, 2003, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV. The event boasts one critical mission: to build consensus among local and national, domestic and foreign defense, enforcement and security agencies on how to facilitate communication, cooperation, and personnel safety. For more information on TAG Extreme, visit: http://www.tagexpo.com
NEWS ANTHRAX DECONTAMINATOR TAKEN OFF SHELVES The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ordered companies to stop marketing unregistered anthrax decontamination products. The EPA issued a stop-sale order to both Aerotech Laboratories Inc., Phoenix, AZ, and American Security and Control Inc., Falls Church, VA, to cease advertising and selling their respective products which allegedly protect against anthrax. The companies both marketed their unregistered pesticides over the Internet. Selling or distributing unregistered pesticides is generally prohibited under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, which authorizes the EPAs stop-sale. The agency has no pesticides registered for the control of anthrax. The EPA continues to inspect advertisements on the Internet and other marketing venues to identify unregistered pesticides being illegally sold to the public. Within the past 10 months, the agency has ordered 4 companies, including Aerotech and American Security, to stop marketing and illegally selling pesticides for use against anthrax. On Sept. 28, the EPA ordered Aerotech to stop selling the unregistered pesticide, Modec Decon Formulation (MDF). The company included MDF in its supposed Bioterrorism Response Kit. The label claimed the pesticide, Decontaminates & Mitigates Chemical & Biological Weapons Agents.
PROMISED PARK DOLLARS POSTPONED A new omnibus survey of top congressional staffers has revealed that a majority of Democrats and Republicans agree that President Bush should fulfill his campaign promise to provide $4.9 billion to restore and renew Americas national parks. The survey, Congressional e-Cloakroom, is a bipartisan research partnership of Market Strategies and Greenberg Quinlan Rosner. Additionally, congressional candidates across the country, most recently in Colorado and Tennessee, have spoken on record about the need to fund the national parks, and Representatives Mark Souder (R-4-IN) and John Lewis (D-5-GA) are circulating a letter from members of the House to appropriators supporting additional funds for parks. Research has shown that the national parks are operating, on average, with only two-thirds of the funding needed, creating a wide variety of critical needs ranging from deteriorating infrastructure to the loss of wildlife. Museum artifacts and archaeological sites are not being adequately preserved, visitor education programs are being reduced, and irreplaceable historic structures are crumbling. Results from the Congressional e-Cloakroom, a representative Internet-based survey of 155 Senate and House staffers, indicate that 88 percent of Democrats and 69 percent of Republicans surveyed think it is extremely, very, or somewhat important that the president keep his campaign promise. The study was conducted from September 9, 2002 to October 4, 2002. The margin of error was plus/minus 6.5 percent. Led by the National Parks Conservation Association, the coalition of Americans for National Parks includes more than 250 private businesses, trade associations, local governments, and nonprofit organizations from across the country, working with Congress and the administration to address the funding needs of the national parks, including a $600-million annual operating shortfall. Information is available at: http://www.americansfornationalparks.org.
NEWS OF THE WEIRD Bizarre but true stories about real. http://www.govpro.com/articleviewer/articleviewerCTRL.asp?action=get_content&article_id=52701
Sentry Protection Products Column Sentry from Sentry Protection Products Nothing protects your facilitys columns, equipment, and people from expensive damage and injury like Column Sentry. For information, visit: http://www.sentrypro.com
LINKS PENTON MEDIA OFFERS A FREE SOLUTION TO MANUFACTURERS EQUIPMENT NEEDS: Find needed used equipment and machinery or sell your surplus equipment. Over 75,000 items are listed by over 800 dealers nationwide. This is a free service http://www.buyused.com
Garland Co. Looking for GSA-certified roofing and flooring solutions? The Garland Company, Inc. offers high-performance systems and field support services. Contact GSA Administrator Karl W. Sooy, 1-800-321-9336, ext. 3645 or visit: http://www.garlandco.com
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT Caterpillar: Bid specification site helps governmental customers efficiently specify equipment needs by building a well-defined RFP. http://www.govbidspec.com Onspot of North America: Automatic tire chain systems. http://www.onspot.com Rotary Lift: Specializes in a wide range of vehicle lifting products including automotive lifts, hydraulic car lifts and automotive hoists. http://www.rotarylift.com Xerox Corp.: Provider of solutions to help manage paper, electronic, and online documents. http://www.xerox.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. http://subscribe.penton.com/gn Copyright 2002 Penton Media, Inc.
