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Proposed organizational structures for improving the financial and general management of the federal government are discussed. Suggested organizational structures include an Office of Federal Management, which would be separate from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Financial management would be the Treasury Department's responsibility. An Office of the Federal Comptroller is suggested, along with reorganization of the OMB. The OMB's current structure would be retained, but more emphasis placed on the management function. Before any effective changes can occur, the following issues must be resolved: fragmentation of financial controls, continuity in management, the commitment of the government to meaningful improvements, the authority of the management agency, the relationship of the agency to budget activities, and the relationship of the agency to other management functions. Otherwise, the central management agency would simply be another layer of management, and hinder rather than help government efficiency.

Government agencies and private companies anticipate great problems on Jan 1, 2000 if the Y2K problem remains unsolved by that time. Computer systems around the world may malfunction on Jan 1, 2000 and distort critical data that would cost trillions of dollars to manage. The federal government appears most vulnerable to the Y2K problem because of its huge stored data.

Progressivity, the heart of the US tax system, can redistribute wealth from the rich to the poor, although government expenditures actually provide more funds to the rich through educational benefits, social security, and other programs. Although progressivity is important for strong government, analyzing every government action in terms of its progressivity can create a bias for large government. Government downsizing may be needed at times, although it will slow progressivity and have a regressive effect.

Direct marketers can earn additional revenue by tapping the government's credit card program for federal employees. Some marketers are already earning millions of dollars from federal employees because they were successful in tapping the program. Tips for direct-mail companies who want to increase their share of the federal market for goods and services are presented., Federal government employees are like the rest of us: When they need to make a purchase, they charge it to their Visa card. The scheme was first started in 1989 [...]

WASHINGTON -- Some travel firms in the federal government market furloughed a number of agents and asked others to take paid vacation time as a result of the six-day government […]

Efforts to reform the federal Sunshine Act by an Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS) committee ended when funding for the ACUS was terminated. The ACUS was mandated to improve administrative law and agency procedures for federal agencies. The committee undertaking the review of the Sunshine Act was never able to present its findings but published a final letter signed by a number of ACUS commissioners. The committee asserted that limiting the ability of agency members to meet in private undermined an open discussion of issues., AN ATTEMPT TO revamp the federal government in the Sunshine Act by a committee of the Administrative Conference of the United States came to an abrupt halt when ACUS lost [...]

Congress did not pass any health care and health insurance reform legislation in 1994. One reason that health reform as an issue died is that a national model for health care delivery is not effective. Better and more appropriate health care reform will be enacted by state legislatures. Also, many federal regulations and programs are failures because they do not effectively meet the needs of various local communities in various states. State legislatures also are finding innovative ways to deal with environmental issues and welfare., Health reform died of many causes and there are many differing views about what killed it. Yet, one fatal cause is seldom mentioned. Health reform died because it was proposed [...]