NEWS: April 27, 2010

Environmental Management | The Great Lakes Region
Supreme Court Won't Rule on Carp Invasion
Efforts to keep Asian carp out of Lake Michigan will be up to Congress after the U.S. Supreme Court said it would not hear a Michigan lawsuit to close off Chicago canals that lead from the Mississippi River to the Great Lakes.
MORE: Detroit Free Press
State: Stinky Indianapolis Water Is Safe
An unusually early algae outbreak is causing a bad taste and smell in Indianapolis' drinking water, but a state environmental agency spokeswoman said the algae does not make the water unsafe.
MORE: Indianapolis Star

Public Workforce | The Nation
DHS Employees: Performance Not Rewarded
A new survey shows that many Department of Homeland Security employees believe performance has little to do with raises and promotions and that poor performers are not effectively dealt with. Only 29 percent of employees said promotions are based on merit.
MORE: Federal Times
103,000 Leaving Repealed DOD Pay System
More than 103,000 civilian Defense Department workers fed up with the controversial National Security Personnel System will transition to the General Schedule pay system by the end of June, according to the office that oversees the congressionally repealed pay plan.
MORE: Washington Post

Law Enforcement | Arizona
Training Sought for New Immigration Law
The Arizona agency in charge of training guidelines for more than 15,000 police officers will seek ideas from local police and federal authorities on enforcement of the state's new immigration law, ranging from simple videos to racial-profiling sensitivity training.
MORE: Arizona Republic

Technology | The Nation
FTC May Become Stronger Internet Cop
The Federal Trade Commission could become a more powerful watchdog for Internet users under a provision in financial overhaul legislation that would allow the FTC to issue rules on a fast track and impose civil penalties on companies that hurt consumers.
MORE: Washington Post
Cap Costs for California Court System, CIO Urges
California's $1.3 billion statewide case management system, intended to link data from county superior courts, needs a cost cap and a comprehensive plan to ensure that courts actually use it, according to a review by the state chief information officer's office.
MORE: Government Technology
I.G.: FEMA Mismanaged $40 Million IT Project
The Federal Emergency Management Agency poorly managed a $40 million information technology program that has delivered an unproven system, according to a new inspector general's report.
MORE: Federal Computer Week

Public Officials | California

Maldonado

New Lt. Governor to Be Sworn In
State Sen. Abel Maldonado will be sworn in as lieutenant governor today, putting an end to five months of legislative limbo over filling the vacant post. The Santa Maria Republican won approval in the Senate Monday, 154 days after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger nominated him.
MORE: Sacramento Bee

Governmental Organization | Ohio
Counties Mull Move to Charter Government
Cuyahoga County's conversion to charter government, now under way, has sparked a renewal of interest across the state in that form of government, in which voters elect a countywide council and a county executive--the equivalent of a mayor--to oversee operations.
MORE: Toledo Blade

Finance | Miami
Fired Budget Chief Files Whistleblower Suit
Michael Boudreaux fired back at City Hall, filing a whistleblower lawsuit alleging he was ousted as budget director for refusing to mislead Securities and Exchange Commission investigators in an ongoing federal probe of the city's budget practices.
MORE: Miami Herald

Contracting | Los Angeles
Airport Vendors: Bid Evaluations Unfair
Three companies that have long provided places to eat, drink and shop at Los Angeles International Airport filed protests saying city officials unfairly evaluated bids from firms seeking to replace them.
MORE: Los Angeles Times

The Courts | Dallas County
Property-Crime Court to Tackle Backlog
County justice officials moved to clear up clogged jails and hasten trials for hundreds of repeat offenders believed responsible for most area property crime, creating a special court that will focus on moving cases faster and probably hand out stiffer sentences.
MORE: Dallas Morning News

More news, analysis, resources and events: GovManagement.com

QUOTABLE

“PowerPoint makes us stupid.”
Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis, the Joint Forces commander who is among many unhappy about over-use of the Microsoft presentation program in the military that has reached the level of near-obsession and resulted in a ban by at least one Army general in Iraq
New York Times | More quotes

ANALYSIS & COMMENTARY

Taxing and Spending | George F. Will
Trenton's Caesar

Gov. Christie

New Jersey's governors are the nation's strongest -- American Caesars, really -- who can veto line items and even rewrite legislative language. Gov. Chris Christie, who has cut $13 billion, is using his power to remind New Jersey that wealth goes where it is welcome and stays where it is well-treated.
MORE: Washington Post

DATAPOINT

64%
Percentage of Americans who say they are willing to pay more for infrastructure that is energy efficient and less wasteful, according to a survey by an infrastructure consulting firm
American City & County | More data

UPCOMING

American Society for Public Administration
Webinar on Performance Measurement and Accountability
Today, 1 p.m. ET

Public Technology Institute
Webinar on Local Governments and the State of Cloud Computing
April 28, 2 p.m. ET

National Association of State Chief Information Officers
Midyear Conference
April 28-30 | Baltimore

International City/County Management Association
Web conference on Achieving Performance Goals in Tough
Fiscal Times
April 29, 1-2:30 p.m. ET

American Productivity and
Quality Center
Knowledge Management Conference
April 29-30 | Houston

National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems
Annual Conference
May 2-6 | Las Vegas

Partnership for Public Service
Webinar on Mission Critical Occupations
May 3, 11 a.m.-noon ET

Full events listings