Warning signs of an impending critical plague of bankruptcies and near-bankruptcies that will infect political jurisdications countrywide. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/28/nyregion/to-pay-new-york-pension-fund-cities-borrow-from-it-first.html
Category Archives: Governmental Triage
NY Promises Reforms After IT Audit
Government usually can’t outbid the private sector for top-notch IT talent. So, beyond a substantial cadre of talented altruists–the IT shop gets run by the second team. New York State’s second team allegedly wined, dined, wheeled and dealed with select vendors, which is a no-no in government though not uncommon in business. Government Technology, February 28, 2012. New York Officials Promise Reforms After Scathing IT Audit.
Doctor shatters Medicare patient records
Something to be said for statistical analysis to root out potential fraud, though in this case the absolute body count would have sufficed. See Los Angeles Times: Doctor charged in nation’s largest healthcare fraud scam.
NY + NJ = Double-Dysfunctional
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey–a ninety year old agency with two governmental parents who’ve never let go–is up to a four billion and counting cost overrun for the Freedom Tower complex rising on the World Trade Center site. The two first-term governors–New Jersey’s Christie and New York’s Coumo–want better management, but somehow overlook how political tentacles winding through the Port Authority from each state do much to gum up the works. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/08/nyregion/port-authority-called-dysfunctional-by-auditors.html
Cops in Cars Crash
The LAPD actually does more to improve officer driving skills than most departments. For police officers, few things are as dangerous, or can cause as much collateral damage, as a high speed chase. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lapd-traffic-20120123,0,109161.story