Month

United States Postal Service: Strategy Needed to Address Aging Delivery Fleet (open access)

United States Postal Service: Strategy Needed to Address Aging Delivery Fleet

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The United States Postal Service (USPS) has the world's largest civilian fleet, with many of its delivery vehicles reaching the end of their expected 24-year operational lives. USPS is subject to legislative requirements governing the federal fleet, including a requirement in the Energy Policy Act of 1992, which provides that 75 percent of USPS's vehicle acquisitions be alternative fuel vehicles, capable of operating on a fuel other than gasoline. USPS is also facing serious cost pressures in maintaining a national network of processing and retail operations. Asked to review USPS's delivery fleet, GAO (1) profiled the fleet; (2) assessed USPS's response to alternative fuel vehicle requirements and described its experiences with these vehicles; (3) identified USPS's approach for addressing its delivery fleet needs, including trade-offs; and (4) determined options to fund a major acquisition of delivery vehicles. GAO analyzed USPS data; visited USPS facilities in three locations; and interviewed officials from USPS, the Department of Energy, and other organizations, including fleet operators and manufacturers."
Date: May 5, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Veterans' Education Benefits: Enhanced Guidance and Collaboration Could Improve Administration of the Post-9/11 GI Bill Program (open access)

Veterans' Education Benefits: Enhanced Guidance and Collaboration Could Improve Administration of the Post-9/11 GI Bill Program

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "With the passage of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 (Post- 9/11 GI Bill), Congress created a comprehensive education benefit program for veterans, service members, and their dependents pursuing postsecondary education. Since implementation, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has provided just over $5.7 billion for the Post-9/11 GI Bill to fund education expenses for about 381,000 veterans, service members, and their dependents through fiscal year 2010, and estimates it will provide almost $8 billion in fiscal year 2011--an amount that would represent about 71 percent of all expected costs for education benefits. From the passage of the law to August 1, 2009, the start of the first semester in which funds were available, VA had about 13 months to implement the program. The Post-9/11 GI Bill program is substantially different from previously authorized VA education benefits or GI Bill programs that characteristically provide monthly payments to eligible claimants. The Post-9/11 GI Bill, by contrast, includes a more complex payment system that channels funds to both students and schools. GAO and VA have reported on various challenges VA faced when implementing the new program, including claims …
Date: May 5, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Department of Transportation Found That It Improperly Obligated Motor Carrier Grant Funds (open access)

The Department of Transportation Found That It Improperly Obligated Motor Carrier Grant Funds

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In May 2010, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) alerted your offices that it might have violated statutory restrictions when obligating funds to states for its Commercial Vehicle Information Systems and Networks (CVISN) program. CVISN awards grants to state offices to support improved information technology exchanges between government agencies and the motor carrier industry to enhance motor carrier safety and other efforts. In 2005, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) provided $25 million annually in contract authority and established funding restrictions for CVISN awards. FMCSA temporarily shut down the CVISN program in May 2010 to determine whether it violated funding restrictions and to prevent exacerbating any problems; it has not determined when it will restart the program. In response to congressional request, this report addresses (1) whether FMCSA complied with statutory requirements when awarding CVISN grants to states and (2) actions that the agency is taking to manage the award of CVISN grants effectively."
Date: May 5, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Visa Waiver Program: DHS Has Implemented the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, but Further Steps Needed to Address Potential Program Risks (open access)

Visa Waiver Program: DHS Has Implemented the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, but Further Steps Needed to Address Potential Program Risks

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) allows eligible nationals from 36 member countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for 90 days or less without a visa. In 2007, Congress required the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to implement an automated electronic travel authorization system to determine, prior to travel, applicants' eligibility to travel to the United States under the VWP. Congress also required all VWP member countries to enter into an agreement with the United States to share information on whether citizens and nationals of that country traveling to the United States represent a security threat. In 2002, Congress mandated that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) review, at least every 2 years, the security risks posed by each VWP country's participation in the program. In this report, GAO evaluates (1) DHS's implementation of an electronic system for travel authorization; (2) U.S. agencies' progress in negotiating informationsharing agreements; and (3) DHS's timeliness in issuing biennial reports. GAO reviewed relevant documents and interviewed U.S., foreign government, and travel industry officials in six VWP countries."
Date: May 5, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Intelligence Issues for Congress (open access)

Intelligence Issues for Congress

To address the challenges facing the U.S. intelligence community in the 21st century, congressional and executive branch initiatives have sought to improve coordination among the different agencies and to encourage better analysis. In December 2004, the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act (P.L. 108-458) was signed, providing for a Director of National Intelligence (DNI) with substantial authorities to manage the national intelligence effort. The legislation also established a separate Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Date: May 5, 2011
Creator: Best, Richard A., Jr.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Insourcing Functions Performed by Federal Contractors: An Overview of the Legal Issues (open access)

Insourcing Functions Performed by Federal Contractors: An Overview of the Legal Issues

Recent Congresses and the Obama Administration have taken numerous actions to promote "insourcing," or the use of government personnel to perform functions that contractors previously performed on behalf of federal agencies. Among other things, the 109th through the 111th Congresses enacted several statutes requiring the development of policies and guidelines to ensure that agencies "consider" using government employees to perform functions previously performed by contractors, as well as any new function.
Date: May 5, 2011
Creator: Manuel, Kate M. & Maskell, Jack
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Building the Capacity of Partner States Through Security Force Assistance (open access)

Building the Capacity of Partner States Through Security Force Assistance

This report provides the following elements: An overview of the SFA rationale focused primarily on Department of Defense support for and relations with foreign security forces. Description of the possible employment of U.S. conventional forces and platforms in support of the SFA mission. Exploration of current operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Resident training capability in U.S. forces as a tool for geographic combatant commanders. Issues Congress may consider. The report summarizes congressional reaction to SFA proposals and provides a detailed account of the issues raised by SFA concepts and programs.
Date: May 5, 2011
Creator: Livingston, Thomas K.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
International Climate Change Financing: Needs, Sources, and Delivery Methods (open access)

International Climate Change Financing: Needs, Sources, and Delivery Methods

This report discusses the domestic and international efforts to increase foreign assistance to address climate change. Proponents maintain that such assistance could help promote low-emissions and high-growth economic development in lower-income countries, while simultaneously protecting the more vulnerable countries from the effects of a changing climate. The fundamental dispute concerning international financing for climate change centers upon who should pay for it and how.
Date: May 5, 2011
Creator: Lattanzio, Richard K. & Leggett, Jane A.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Greensheet (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 42, No. 164, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 5, 2011 (open access)

The Greensheet (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 42, No. 164, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 5, 2011

Free weekly newspaper that includes business and classified advertising.
Date: May 5, 2011
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Newspaper
System: The Portal to Texas History
Port Aransas South Jetty (Port Aransas, Tex.), Vol. 42, No. 18, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 5, 2011 (open access)

Port Aransas South Jetty (Port Aransas, Tex.), Vol. 42, No. 18, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 5, 2011

Weekly newspaper from Port Aransas, Texas on Mustang Island that includes local, state and national news along with extensive advertising.
Date: May 5, 2011
Creator: Judson, Mary Henkel
Object Type: Newspaper
System: The Portal to Texas History
The Greensheet (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 42, No. 165, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 5, 2011 (open access)

The Greensheet (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 42, No. 165, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 5, 2011

Free weekly newspaper that includes business and classified advertising.
Date: May 5, 2011
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Newspaper
System: The Portal to Texas History
Texas Jewish Post (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 65, No. 18, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 5, 2011 (open access)

Texas Jewish Post (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 65, No. 18, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 5, 2011

Weekly Jewish newspaper from Fort Worth, Texas that includes local, state and national news along with extensive advertising.
Date: May 5, 2011
Creator: Wisch-Ray, Sharon
Object Type: Newspaper
System: The Portal to Texas History

[75th Anniversary Commemorative Quilt]

Color photograph of a quilt commemorating the 75th anniversary of Cleveland, Texas's incorporation as an independent municipality. The quilt's surface has been stitched with hand prints, each representing one of 53 individuals that were citizens of Cleveland in 1935. Each hand print bears the name and birth year of its corresponding owner. A young girl and a woman stand to the right of the quilt.
Date: May 5, 2011
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History
Texas Attorney General Opinion: GA-0857 (open access)

Texas Attorney General Opinion: GA-0857

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Authority of commissioners court with regard to working hours, overtime and compensatory time, and timekeeping by county employees (RQ-0930-GA)
Date: May 5, 2011
Creator: Texas. Attorney-General's Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Texas Attorney General Opinion: GA-0858 (open access)

Texas Attorney General Opinion: GA-0858

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Whether section 271.121, Local Government Code, prohibits a governmental entity from requiring a contractor or other vendor to sign a project labor agreement as a condition of submitting a bid (RQ-0931-GA)
Date: May 5, 2011
Creator: Texas. Attorney-General's Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Texas Attorney General Opinion: GA-0859 (open access)

Texas Attorney General Opinion: GA-0859

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Whether a sheriff or a fire department is responsible for determining where to land a helicopter during the investigation of a traffic accident (RQ-0932-GA)
Date: May 5, 2011
Creator: Texas. Attorney-General's Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Texas Attorney General Opinion: GA-0860 (open access)

Texas Attorney General Opinion: GA-0860

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Information must be provided by the Texas Youth Commission to an independant school district pursuant to article 15.27, Code of Criminal Procedure (RQ-0933-GA)
Date: May 5, 2011
Creator: Texas. Attorney-General's Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
The Greensheet (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 35, No. 33, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 5, 2011 (open access)

The Greensheet (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 35, No. 33, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 5, 2011

Free weekly newspaper that includes business and classified advertising.
Date: May 5, 2011
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Newspaper
System: The Portal to Texas History
The Greensheet (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 42, No. 161, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 5, 2011 (open access)

The Greensheet (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 42, No. 161, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 5, 2011

Free weekly newspaper that includes business and classified advertising.
Date: May 5, 2011
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Newspaper
System: The Portal to Texas History
The Greensheet (Arlington-Grand Prairie, Tex.), Vol. 35, No. 31, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 5, 2011 (open access)

The Greensheet (Arlington-Grand Prairie, Tex.), Vol. 35, No. 31, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 5, 2011

Free weekly newspaper that includes business and classified advertising.
Date: May 5, 2011
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Newspaper
System: The Portal to Texas History
The Greensheet (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 35, No. 32, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 5, 2011 (open access)

The Greensheet (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 35, No. 32, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 5, 2011

Free weekly newspaper that includes business and classified advertising.
Date: May 5, 2011
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Newspaper
System: The Portal to Texas History
Alvarado Star (Alvarado, Tex.), Vol. 14, No. 43, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 5, 2011 (open access)

Alvarado Star (Alvarado, Tex.), Vol. 14, No. 43, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 5, 2011

Weekly newspaper from Alvarado, Texas that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.
Date: May 5, 2011
Creator: Parker, Kristi
Object Type: Newspaper
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cooper Review (Cooper, Tex.), Vol. 137, No. 18, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 5, 2011 (open access)

Cooper Review (Cooper, Tex.), Vol. 137, No. 18, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 5, 2011

Weekly newspaper from Cooper, Texas that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.
Date: May 5, 2011
Creator: Palmer, Roger
Object Type: Newspaper
System: The Portal to Texas History
The Olney Enterprise (Olney, Tex.), Vol. 103, No. 9, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 5, 2011 (open access)

The Olney Enterprise (Olney, Tex.), Vol. 103, No. 9, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 5, 2011

Weekly newspaper from Olney, Texas that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.
Date: May 5, 2011
Creator: Kimbro, Mindi
Object Type: Newspaper
System: The Portal to Texas History