NEWS: March 30, 2011

Finance | The Nation
Uneven Recovery Forecast for States
The states' recovery from the economic recession that began in 2007 is promising to be uneven. According to a new report from Wells Fargo Securities LLC Economics Group, Nevada and Florida will take the longest to recover, while two of the states worst-hit by the downturn--California and New York--will recover fastest.
>> Reuters
State and Local Tax Revenues Up 1.6 Percent
State and local government tax revenues grew by 1.6 percent, to $378.3 billion, during the last three months of 2010 compared to the same quarter of 2009, the Census Bureau reported.
>> Washington Post
California Governor Abandons Budget Talks with GOP
California's Democratic governor, Jerry Brown, said he has abandoned talks with Republicans on closing a $26.6 billion deficit, charging that GOP demands would make the deficit worse.
>> San Francisco Chronicle

Obama addresses federal employees

Efficiency | The Nation
Obama Seeks Workers' Input on Reorg
With less than three months before plans to reorganize a dozen trade and export agencies and offices are due to President Obama, he is asking federal employees to share their ideas, telling them in a new video message that "you know what works and what doesn't."
>> Washington Post

Public Workforce | Wisconsin
Judge Again Bars Implementation of Union Law
Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi made it clear: Any further implementation of Gov. Scott Walker's law limiting public-employee unions is barred. Sumi's statement appeared to be a warning to state agencies that have begin implementing the measure despite her March 18 temporary restraining order.
>> Wisconsin State Journal

Compensation | The Nation
Federal Execs' Pay System Called Impediment
The federal Senior Executive Service's pay-for-performance system is hampering agencies' ability to recruit and retain top employees, Congress was told. SES pay overlaps that of General Schedule employees, witnesses told Senate lawmakers, discouraging GS-14- and GS-15-level workers from applying for SES positions.
>> Government Executive

Tom Brady

Education | Providence, R.I.
School Superintendent Resigns
The city's school system was pummeled again as Superintendent Tom Brady announced his resignation and four more schools were designated among the state's worst. Brady is the city's fourth superintendent in 11 years.
>> Providence Journal
D.C. Schools Chief Seeks Cheating Probe
Acting Washington, D.C., Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson asked the city's inspector general to investigate reports that sharp gains in some standardized tests may have resulted from cheating.
>> Washington Post

Technology | New York City
City to Spend More on School Tech
Despite sharp drops in state aid and plans to eliminate 6,100 teaching positions, the city's education department plans to increase technology spending, including $542 million next year alone primarily for wiring and other upgrades to schools.
>> New York Times
Houston Gets Faster Wireless Network
Houston's municipal broadband provider launched a new 4G-speed wireless network that will allow remote control of traffic signals and monitoring of water meters while providing free Internet service for 300,000 residents.
>> Government Technology

Ray Scheppach

Federal-State Relations | The Nation
The Governors' Longtime Voice
in Washington Steps Down
Ray Scheppach officially steps down tomorrow as chief spokesman and negotiator for the nation's governors, ending a long career as one of the giants of Washington's public-policy arena. Scheppach has been executive director of the National Governors Association for 28 years, serving a total of 300 Republican and Democratic governors.
>> Stateline.org

Outsourcing | Pennsylvania
State Studies Privatizing Liquor Stores
Gov. Tom Corbett's administration took a preliminary step toward privatizing the sale of wine and spirits as an outside consultant began an analysis of the 620 state liquor stores. The study is one of several moves aimed at privatizing, or at least modernizing, the liquor system, which dates to the end of Prohibition in 1933.
>> Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

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QUOTABLE

Tim McCarthy after the 1981 shooting

“I'm glad I got to do it. I'm glad I got to do what I was trained to do. I wouldn't want it another way.”
Orland Park, Ill., Mayor Tim McCarthy, who as a Secret Service agent 30 years ago was shot in the chest in John Hinckley Jr.'s assassination attempt on President Reagan--the last agent to take a bullet for a president
>> Chicago Tribune

VIEWPOINT
Urban Affairs | William McGurn
A Requiem for a Once-Great City
Most Americans did not need to be told that Detroit is in a bad way, and has been for some time. Americans know all about white flight, greedy unions and arrogant auto executives. The recent census numbers, however, put an exclamation mark on a cold fact: A once-great American city today repels people of talent and ambition. Unlike New Orleans and Japan, the ruin we see in Detroit is entirely man-made.
>> Wall Street Journal

DATAPOINT
245,000
Number of users the Internal Revenue Service has signed up in two months for its IRS2Go mobile-phone application, which allows taxpayers to track the status of anticipated tax refunds
>> Federal Computer Week

UPCOMING
Center for American Progress and American Constitution Society
Discussion of the Historical and Constitutional Underpinnings of Birthright Citizenship
March 31, noon-1:30 p.m. ET | Washington, D.C.

International City/County Management Association
Web Conference on the Benefits of Baldrige: Practical Applications for Communities of Any Size
March 31, 1 p.m. ET

Governing magazine
Webinar on Shifting the Nation's Education Model: Transparency in Teacher Performance
March 31, 2 p.m. ET

National Association of State Procurement Officials and Governing magazine
How to Market to State Governments Meeting
April 3-5 | Boston

International City/County Management Association
National Brownfields Conference
April 3-5 | Philadelphia

>> Full events listings