Federal Eye - February 28, 2010

Cussing captain among 6 fired by Navy since Jan.

The Navy has fired six commanding officers since the start of the year -- triple its usual monthly rate -- including a foul-mouthed captain who was dismissed for subjecting her crew to "cruelty and maltreatment" aboard a warship in the Pacific.

By Ed O'Keefe | March 6, 2010; 9:54 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Agencies and Departments, Workplace Issues
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Census goes NASCAR this weekend

NASCAR fans might notice a different paint job whipping around Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend. The U.S. Census Bureau is sponsoring Greg Biffle's No. 16 car for the next three Sundays as part of the agency's advertising and outreach efforts.

By Ed O'Keefe | March 5, 2010; 5:09 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Census
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Police, workers react to Pentagon shooting

Commuters made their way to work the morning after two Pentagon police officers were wounded after being shot by a single assailant.

By Ed O'Keefe | March 5, 2010; 2:49 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Video Report, Workplace Issues
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More professionals applying for temporary Census jobs

By The Post's census and demographics correspondent Carol Morello: For Susan Williams, the road to working as a serial temp for the U.S. Census Bureau ran through law school and a recession that has stalled many a professional career. After...

By Ed O'Keefe | March 5, 2010; 1:48 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Census, Workplace Issues
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Eye Opener: Violence at federal facilities

Happy Friday! Last night's shooting at the main entrance of the Pentagon is the fourth attack or security scare at a federal facility this year.

By Ed O'Keefe | March 5, 2010; 6:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Eye Opener
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'Census mailer' bill passes with GOP support

A bill that bans mailings deliberately designed to look like material from the U.S. Census Bureau cleared a House committee Tuesday with Republican support -- even though a recent GOP fundraising appeal inspired the measure.

By Ed O'Keefe | March 4, 2010; 2:36 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Census, Congress
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Justice Dept.: Census confidentiality laws trump the Patriot Act

Provisions of the Patriot Act pertaining to information-gathering and -sharing do not override federal confidentiality laws when it comes to the U.S. Census, the Justice Department said this week.

By Ed O'Keefe | March 4, 2010; 1:39 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Agencies and Departments, Census
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GAO starts podcasting its reports

The Government Accountability Office has started podcasting highlights of its recent investigations -- because who doesn't enjoy listening to some government oversight while riding the subway or using the treadmill?

By Ed O'Keefe | March 4, 2010; 12:50 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Oversight
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FAA confirms 2nd kid in JFK control tower

A second child communicated with passenger jets at John F. Kennedy International Airport in mid-February, the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed Thursday morning.

By Ed O'Keefe | March 4, 2010; 7:41 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (48)
Categories: Agencies and Departments
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Eye Opener: Repeal 'don't ask' now or wait?

Senate Democrats are taking steps that could eventually lead to a vote on repealing the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy against the wishes of Pentagon leaders and Republican lawmakers who want the military to finish a review of the policy before a vote.

By | March 4, 2010; 6:10 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Eye Opener
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'Burrowing-in' by political appointees is rare, GAO says

Burrowing-in, the practice of political appointees getting civil service positions, generally gets some ink before elections. While it’s an issue worth watching, a recent report by the Government Accountability Office indicates these conversions aren’t really a big deal.

By Joe Davidson | March 3, 2010; 1:09 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Workplace Issues
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Rep. Chaffetz proposes firing federal workers who are tax cheats

Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R- Utah) proposes firing federal workers who don't pay their income taxes.

By Joe Davidson | March 3, 2010; 1:03 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (30)
Categories: Congress, Workplace Issues
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New pressure to get a Customs commissioner

Three former directors of the nation's border patrol agency have called on senators to quickly confirm a new leader for Customs and Border Protection, arguing lawmakers have delayed action on a critical national security pick for too long.

By Ed O'Keefe | March 3, 2010; 12:49 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Congress, Revolving Door
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Magazine ranks 5 best Cabinet secretaries

We couldn't let this one get away without allowing Federal Eye readers to weigh in: U.S. News & World Report has ranked President Obama's top five Cabinet secretaries based on an informal survey of Beltway junkies.

By Ed O'Keefe | March 3, 2010; 12:00 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Administration
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The Federal Eye on PBS NewsHour about the Postal Service (Video)

The Federal Eye appeared on Tuesday's PBS NewsHour to discuss the future of the U.S. Postal Service with senior correspondent Jeffrey Brown and Stanford University economist Frank Wolak. Watch Brown's setup piece followed by a spirited conversation about the...

By Ed O'Keefe | March 3, 2010; 9:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Video Report
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FAA suspends two after kid performed JFK Airport control tower duties

A Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controller and supervisor were placed on administrative leave Wednesday after allowing a young child to direct flights at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Feb. 17.

By Ed O'Keefe | March 3, 2010; 7:08 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (116)
Categories: Agencies and Departments
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Eye Opener: Ronald Reagan on the $50 bill?

The Gipper soon may be coming to a wallet near you, if a Republican lawmaker has his way.

By Ed O'Keefe | March 3, 2010; 6:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (95)
Categories: Eye Opener
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LaHood calls DOT workers back to work Wednesday

The Senate approved a bill extending unemployment benefits and highway funding on Tuesday night and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood called furloughed workers back to work.

By Ed O'Keefe | March 2, 2010; 9:30 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: Agencies and Departments, Workplace Issues
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Scott Brown named to Senate government affairs panel

Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.), who campaigned on the idea of freezing federal worker salaries to control the deficit, may get to explore the topic further soon now that he's joining the Senate's government affairs committee.

By Ed O'Keefe | March 2, 2010; 2:29 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Congress, Workplace Issues
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Chat With The Eye!: Sen. Bunning, Post Office, Rahm Emanuel

Highlights of Tuesday's Post Politics Hour, a chat dominated by the U.S. Postal Service's grim news and Sen. Jim Bunning's continued opposition to an unemployment bill.

By Ed O'Keefe | March 2, 2010; 12:00 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: About the Blog
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The Postal Service's grim route forward

The U.S. Postal Service issued a worst-case scenario cry for help on Tuesday, anticipating $238 billion in losses in the next 10 years if lawmakers, postal regulators and unions don't give the mail agency more flexibility in setting delivery schedules, price increases and labor costs.

By Ed O'Keefe | March 2, 2010; 9:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Agencies and Departments, Congress
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Margaret Spellings defends 'No Child Left Behind' (Video)

Former education secretary Margaret Spellings spoke on Monday with The Washington Post's Jo-Ann Armao and responds to her successor, Arne Duncan, and his description of the Bush administration's "No Child Left Behind" act as a "toxic brand."

By Ed O'Keefe | March 2, 2010; 8:30 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Agencies and Departments, Video Report
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Eye Opener: Pentagon changes line of succession

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has reorganized the Pentagon's line of succession, reverting back to a pre-Rumsfeld pecking order that emphasizes civilian service chiefs and adds new positions.

By Ed O'Keefe | March 2, 2010; 6:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Eye Opener
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CNBC asks: Which agencies are worth cutting? (Video)

The Eye's ... eyes... caught an interesting CNBC debate on Monday between Matt Welch, Reason magazine editor-in-chief; Mark Walsh, "Left Jab" co-host; and the "Power Lunch" crew about federal agencies the government should consider trimming. Watch above and then...

By Ed O'Keefe | March 1, 2010; 6:58 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Agencies and Departments, Video Report
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Federal Eye: February 28, 2010 - March 6, 2010