News Briefs

THE DAILY FED

News Briefs

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The following news summaries are from OPM AM, the daily newsletter of the Office of Personnel Management. OPM AM is available on OPM Mainstreet, the agency's electronic bulletin board, at 202-606-4800.

DIRECTOR KING--"James B. King, an old-line Kennedy Democrat from Massachusetts, left Washington yesterday with a legacy that would make a conservative beam with pride. While director of the Office of Personnel Management, he cut the staff by 48 percent and reduced spending on salaries and expenses by 33 percent" (The Washington Post).

THE FEDERAL DIARY--Today's column covers several issues including the Thrift Savings Plan, FERS vs. CSRS and the AFGE convention (The Washington Post).

PRIVATIZATION--"A little-watched case pending in the Court of Appeals could save the jobs of thousands of public employees by making it harder for government to turn over their jobs to private contractors" (The Sun).

THE FEDERAL TIMES--Each agency must decide how to enforce new White House guidelines on religious freedoms...President Clinton has until September 1 to propose any federal raise he wants, but he and Congress have long agreed on an overall 2.8 percent GS raise...Energy RIFs possible (The Federal Times, 9/1).

OTHER VIEWS--Janice Lachance sworn in as OPM Deputy Director (Journal Tribune, Biddeford, ME, 8/13/97)...OPM unveils USACareers on computer (The Chief-Leader, 8/22/97).

OF INTEREST--A mildly retarded man demands $40,000 in back federal disability benefits after he gambles it all away (The Washington Post)...President Clinton quietly seeks a dialogue to plan Social Security repairs (The Washington Times)...Welfare changes mean job ready' recipients in Wisconsin will lose their benefits (The Washington Post).

CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENTS

Access America Conferences

The National Performance Review (NPR), will launch a series of informational conferences aimed at providing government employees and private industry IT officials with techniques and strategies for implementing the goals of Access America, an NPR report outlining steps to increase access--via the Internet--to government services. The first conference will be held September 25 in Baltimore, Md. and then will travel to other cities across the country. Expert panels will discuss IT topics, including Internet/Intranet successes, the future of Distance Learning and collaboration, IT acquisition and procurement reform, and privacy and security.

DTIC Annual Conference

The Defense Technical Information Center is presenting its Annual Users Meeting and Training Conference on Nov. 3-6, 1997 at the DoubleTree Hotel, National Airport, Arlington, Va. The conference theme is Information in the New Millenium. Contact Ms. Julia Foscue at 703-767-8236 or by e-mail at jfoscue@dtic.mil.