Strategic Petroleum Reserve Suspends Oil Deliveries

In an attempt to reduce pricing pressure for oil, the government has decided to stop the delivery of oil to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. See it at chron.com.

"We Don’t Want A Cookie-Cutter Building”

When cost is the fifth of five evaluation factors on this $500 million project, let's hope those words don't come back to haunt the project engineer. See it at fayobserver.com.

Cold Streak

The Air Force has selected its contractor for the GPS III satellite system. See it at stltoday.com.

Contractor Defends Contract

At a hearing before the California State Assembly, a office supply contractor defended its contract. See it at mercurynews.com.

University Gets Audit Help

An audit revealed some shortcomings in a university's contracting. See it at suntimes.com.

Here They Come

The news articles are coming out already on this morning's hearing on Defense Base Insurance. See it at kdka.com.

More On The FCPA

The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) is being used against companies and now individuals. Here is an article at law.com. Here is the latest press release on such a case from the Department of Justice. Notice in the Justice press release that Justice is using a Deferred Prosecution Agreement. Those were the subject of a congressional hearing earlier.

I Can Hear The Sounds Of A Circus

There is going to be a hearing today on Defense Base Act Insurance. There are investigations underway, the hearing, and the press has been notified. Allegedly, the Army has already issued a statement that I could not locate. We are talking circus time here. I'm not sure if the hearing will be webcast but it surely will be discussed later. See the article at nashuatelegraph.com.

Helicopters Damaged At Contractor Facility

Damage to helicopters in contractor's plant is being investigated. See it at philly.com.

Sierra Forest Legacy v. Rey

Appeals Court stops work on three logging contracts that were intended to raise funds for fire prevention. See the decision at ca9.uscourts.gov. (pdf)

Committees Come And Go But A Warehouse Stays

Someone needed that warehouse in Southwest Washington but no one seems to remember who. See it at columbian.com.

To Some, $100,000 Looks Big

Florida Public Service Commission has a few words for small and minority businesses. See it at news-press.com.

Another Chance

Look who is waiting for news from the Air Force on this week's expected award announcement for satellites. See it at chicagotribune.com.

Indian Tribes Seek Changes In Self-Government

Indian Tribes want basic support but improvements in their contracts. See it at casperstartribune.net.

Do Me A Favor

Maine's Office of Program Evaluation and Governmentwide Accountability (OPEGA) was saved from extinction. In truth, it was not saved because of its usefulness but because eliminating it now would have looked bad during an election year. Anyway, you can see the word "accountability" in its name. More than likely, that came from the Government Accountability Office (GAO). That was one of the last Comptroller General's achievements. (The agency was once the General Accounting Office.) Another of that Comptroller General's achievements was to change the name of "Human Resources" to "Human Capital." Needless to say, after the former Comptroller General called GAO's employees "capital," it was only a matter of time before he would be the only Comptroller General whose "capital" formed a labor union.

Well, that brings me to the favor I'm asking. While I was at the GAO, I was called accountant, auditor, analyst, and evaluator before I was branded "capital." There never was a change in what the "professionals" were called after GAO was renamed the Government Accountability Office. I felt they should be called "accountabilists."

So, the next time a GAOer visits your office "to help you," ask the "capital"if it is an "accountabilist."

The article about the Maine office is at keepmecurrent.com.