Public Administration

More 911 calls won't get in-person response starting Sunday - chicagotribune.com

NM legislation to take federal lands - Ruidoso News

Demotion Of Police Chief Causing A Stir In Monroeville : PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — In a matter of 24 hours, the man who ran the Monroeville Police Department has been demoted from chief to sergeant, and it’s causing a political stir in the community

Port Authority management raises rescinded after a day : Fired CEO Steve Bland gave non-union employees 2.25 percent raises during his last day on the job.

Former Monroeville police chief now a sergeant, new chief says : Search is on for permanent replacement for K. Douglas "Doug" Cole.

National Weather Service fires official four days after Washington Post quoted him

Exposing Fraud in New Jersey’s Broken Pension System : Timothy Carroll retired at age 33. He claimed he was “totally and permanently” disabled by the trauma of seeing dead bodies while working as a sheriff’s officer in Morris County, New Jersey. “I suffer from crime scene flashbacks and hallucinations due to all the years I served as a crime scene detective,” stated Carroll in his disability application. The real shock is Carroll then started a business that cleans up gory crime scenes, a New Jersey Watchdog investigation found.

Pittsburgh police chief orders new policy on officers’ weapons use : Pittsburgh Police Chief Nate Harper announced via email on Friday that he is putting a new policy regarding when officers use their weapons into effect.

PWSA workers reject latest contract offer : The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority and its blue-collar workers will head back the bargaining table after the union rejected an offer.

Monroeville police chief removed 'without cause' | Allegheny Co. News - WTAE Home

Obama admin. proposes new menus for students

Got Glue? Restoring civic attachment and mainstreaming revolution : By Larry Sand UnionWatch LOS ANGELES – Back in 2010, the American Enterprise Institute launched “The Program on American Citizenship.” It’s a worthy project that is dedicated to strengthening the foundations of American freedom and self-government by renewing our understanding of American citizenship. The ultimate goal of the Program is to deepen Americans’ appreciation for [...]

SHARING A LAUGH: THE ROLE OF HUMOUR IN RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN POLICE OFFICERS AND AMBULANCE STAFF : Abstract Purpose - This paper explores the nature of humour within two different organisations, policing and ambulance work, whuich are linked by their focus on emergency work. Design/methodology/approach - Semi structured interviews with 45 police officers and ambulance staff sought to understand more about the relationships between these two distinctly different professions who work together closely and regularly in often very difficult situations. Findings - Interviews with police officers and ambulance staff revealed that humour is a key component in the working relationship of police officers and ambulance staff. The humour of superiority and the humour of exclusion are used to both cope with the demands of their work, reinforce group values and to strengthen the shared bonds between the two occupations. Originality/value - Humour has been studied within organisations but thi...

Postal Service says it’s immune from local traffic laws | The Lookout - Yahoo! News

Pennsylvania’s $41B public employee pension shortfall could lead to more school cuts, layoffs : By Ashleigh Costello EAGnews.org HARRISBURG, Penn. – School districts across Pennsylvania may face another round of budget cuts if public employee pension costs are not reined in, warned Gov. Tom Corbett. According to a press release from the Pennsylvania Office of the Budget, the state’s two major pension plans—the State Employees’ Retirement System and the [...]

Pennsylvania union threatens to walk out on students over health insurance : NORTH POCONO, Penn. – Pennsylvania has earned the title of “teacher strike capital of America.” It seems if a school board member or administrator just looks at a union rep wrong, they’ll go on strike. The issue in the North Pocono district is employees paying a portion of their health insurance. Via The Times-Tribune: North [...]

Labor Department Incorrectly Calculates Davis–Bacon Wage Requirements : Should government agencies use the best information possible? For more than 80 years, the Labor Department has answered that question in the negative. The Davis–Bacon Act (DBA) of 1931 requires federal construction contractors to pay their workers at least the “prevailing wage” in their locality. The Act charges the Labor Department with estimating these prevailing wage rates. Fortunately, the Labor Department has a dedicated agency that specializes in calculating such labor statistics. Regrettably, the Labor Department does not use that agency—the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)—to calculate Davis–Bacon rates.

Pennsylvania education department lists low-achieving schools - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Soda, candy out under USDA's proposed school snack rules - The Hill's Healthwatch

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: Responses to Frequently Asked Questions

Medicare Primer

Okla. Chief Pleads Guilty to Credit Card Crime : Purcell's fire chief was charged for spending $1,100 on personal fuel with a city credit card.

N.Y. Gov. Backs 2 Percent Raise Cap For Firefighters, Cops : The cap on arbitration awards, proposed by Governor Cuomo as part of the state budget, would apply only to municipalities whose property taxes are among the 25 percent highest in the state.

PWSA workers reject contract proposal : Workers' bargaining committee says the proposed contract was vetoed by every category of PWSA workers.

Lawsuit filed over Washington Blvd. flooding deaths : Relatives of two women and two girls killed in flash flooding in Highland Park are suing the city, the county, PennDOT and even Chrysler Group, saying the deaths could have been prevented.

Port Authority CEO Bland Fired : PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Steve Bland is no longer the CEO of the Port Authority.

State colleges, faculty resume talks Friday :

Edward I. Koch, Ex-Mayor of New York, Dies - NYTimes.com

Give a Little or Lose a Lot? The Effects of Increased Transparency on Local Applications for Federal Grant Funds : In this article, I examine the effects of the increased transparency and reporting requirements on the decisions of local education agencies (LEAs) to draw down federal dollars allocated to state programs in nonmission areas. Data from LEAs and program expenditures are used to develop a model detailing how transparency impacts the decisions of LEAs in two states in drawing down funds from a federal grant program. Findings suggest that rather than the theoretical expectation that managers act in an anticipatory manner, managers are more concerned with immediate financial needs.

Building Social Cohesion: Family, Friends, and Corruption : While material gain continues to be a leading motivator for corrupt acts, this study shows that social status and kinship responsibilities should also be considered possible precursors to corruption. This finding has important implications for constructing an appropriate understanding of corruption, designing anticorruption policies, and achieving ethical governance in developing democracies.

Cheers, fears for liquor store proposal :

Pittsburgh police revise policy on shooting at moving vehicles : Officers may not "discharge a firearm at or into a moving vehicle or its occupants unless there are shots being fired from that vehicle."

Monroeville interim manager McKinney sets priorities : Monroeville's new interim manager, Lynette McKinney, said Thursday that her primary concern will be public safety.

Pittsburgh controller urges city to handle cash better : City Controller Michael Lamb on Thursday reiterated his call for better cash-management practices across city departments.

State stores’ privatization faces old foe in employees union : By Brad Bumsted, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review HARRISBURG — The political landscape is far different for Gov. Tom Corbett’s proposed liquor privatization plan from what it was when then-Gov. Dick Thornburgh started ...

School Choice Pays Off, Literally - Patrick Wolf & Michael Q. McShane - National Review Online

Something’s Missing in Mall Accord :   When the County, Robinson Township, and the Montour School District signed off on a tax increment financing deal way back when (the feasibility study for the site was in August of 1999 and the time of approval was December 1999; even the mention of the "Kaufman's Department Store" seems like a relic) they probably never thought going to court would be the way the mall and its peripheral development would arrive at the assessed value needed to retire the TIF bonds on time.

An Update on Municipal Finances in Allegheny County :

Control issues? Port Authority boss may be ousted : Allegheny County's top fiscal watchdog says a shuffle at the top of the Port Authority has nothing to do with what's best for mass transit: "What you're seeing is a factor of absolute control."

County Councilman Gastgeb gets airport job : The Bethel Park Republican will be director of corporate and community relations with the Allegheny County Airport Authority.

Duquesne School District gets extension on recovery plan deadline : Secretary of Education Ronald Tomalis announced that he has granted an extension until Feb. 11.

America’s Suicidal Cities - John Fund - National Review Online

Faced with ultimatum to fire police chief, Monroeville manager quits : The Monroeville manager says he was given an ultimatum from some council members to fire the police chief.

Local officials never quite know how to prepare for winter's onslaught : Getting ready for frigid weather involves a certain amount of guesswork that begins, of all times, in the summer.

Monroeville council accepts resignation of municipal manager, appoints interim manager - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Monroeville council accepts resignation of municipal manager, appoints interim manager - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Va. Dept. Questioned About Loss of Home to Fire : After losing all their belongings and their home to fire, the couple took the issue to the Wytheville Town Council and questioned the Wytheville Fire Department's performance.

Some Unions Grow Wary Of Health Law They Backed - WSJ.com

North Park improvement plans move forward : By Bethany Hofstetter, Pine Creek Journal Plans are starting to take shape for the improvement of North Park. With the completion of the North Park Lake Area Master Plan last year, ...

Jerry Sandusky's appeal for new trial denied : A judge in Pennsylvania has denied an appeal by Jerry Sandusky for a new trial, The Associated Press reported.

Corbett's budget to affect state employee pensions : While little is known of the plan being proposed, Budget Secretary Charles Zogby said it's a continuation of two years of cuts.

Duquesne schools recovery officer asks for deadline extension : Paul B. Long said today that he requested an extension so that he can hear Gov. Tom Corbett's budget proposal next week.

Alcosan submits massive stormwater plan to EPA : The plan submitted today by the Allegheny Sanitary Authority is designed to address chronic stormwater overflows.

Corbett proposes full sell-off of PLCB system :

Officer's car to be destroyed : A murdered police officer's bullet-ridden cruiser will be destroyed and not sold by an online auction site.

Governor: 'Antiquated' liquor system must end : The governor calls the current system "ludicrous" and says most Pennsylvanians agree. He wants to privatize the state wine and liquor store stores and open up beer sales to supermarkets and convenience stores.

Some Pension Funding Proposals You May Not Have Heard Of

Union Membership Still Skidding :

Governor Corbett Announces Liquor Privatization Plan Highlighting Consumer Choice and Convenience; $1 Billion Proceeds to Education.pdf : Governor Corbett Announces Liquor Privatization Plan Highlighting Consumer Choice and Convenience; $1 Billion Proceeds to Education

Report: IRS hiring new employees faster - The Hill's On The Money

North Dakota struggles to cope with its oil-boom prosperity | StarTribune.com

Apollo-Ridge’s ex-food services director charged with stealing $46,000 : By Chuck Biedka, Valley News Dispatch The longtime Apollo-Ridge School District food services manager is accused of taking almost $46,000 from the district. Kathleen A. Smathers, 48,

Corbett's budget proposal to require public-employee pension savings : Budget Secretary Charles Zogby said it is likely to include changes to pension earnings that workers have yet to accrue.

Fallen officer's police vehicle up for auction : Officials in Penn Hills say they want the bullet-riddled vehicle of fallen police Officer Michael Crawshaw destroyed, not resold in an online auction.

Calif. Fire Chief Pleads For New Fire Trucks

Railroad files second lawsuit over planned Strip District development

County Priorities Set for 2013

Chief Harper Expected To Return To Work Amid Corruption Allegations : PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Pittsburgh Police Chief Nate Harper is expected to return to work today, even as a federal grand jury is investigating him for possible corruption.

Fire companies receive state financial aid : By Valley News Dispatch Volunteer fire and emergency response organizations in the Alle-Kiski Valley have been awarded grants from the state. Funding comes from the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency ...

Cost of putting police in Valley schools $3.4M for 1st year : By Jodi Weigand and Rachel Weaver Training and stationing a new police officer in every public school in the Alle-Kiski Valley for one year would cost taxpayers millions, a Valley News

Restoration envisioned for Allegheny County courthouse : This year marks the 125th anniversary of the opening of the courthouse, and county officials want to make sure it can still hold its own.

Wisconsin sheriff urges residents to arm themselves | Fox News

How Long Americans Work to Pay Their Taxes [Infographic] - StumbleUpon

World War II Spending Did Not End the Great Depression :

EPA Email Scandal Is Worse than Originally Thought

Contractor Bids : How to outbid all the competition

Taking One for the Team by Richard Rider : Phil Mickelson points the way for rich folks: get out of California, quietly.

Judge rules EPA can’t mandate use of nonexistent biofuels | The Daily Caller

Tenn. Trooper Killed When Fire Truck Flips Onto Cruiser : Trooper Michael Slagle, 53, lost control of his patrol car on Longmeyer Road in Knox County in eastern Tennessee shortly before 7 a.m. while driving to work.

Wilkinsburg School District running out of money : In the past two years, the Wilkinsburg School District has closed an elementary school and laid off nearly one-third of its employees, but the district is still on the brink of running out of money.

PLCB chief to retire, then return as consultant : State policy allows agencies facing an "emergency" to rehire retirees for up to 95 days in a calendar year without loss of their annuity.

Port Authority board vote to fire CEO delayed : An effort by Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald to oust Port Authority CEO Steve Bland has been set back for at least a week.

Pittsburgh police chief Harper denies payments from entrepreneur Bedway : Chief Nate Harper declined to comment in detail on the federal investigation into a contract for Pittsburgh police radio installation.

Pittsburgh creates state-ordered task force to study nonprofit gifts to government : The task force is to examine how other cities handle nonprofit contributions and make recommendations. A report is due in June.

City panel explores nonprofit contributions : The city of Pittsburgh has convened a task force to examine how tax-exempt nonprofits should contribute to the city's coffers.

Advocates Miss the Bus :