A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The cleanup of contaminated Department of Defense (DOD) sites could cost billions of dollars. Private contractors or lessees that may have contributed to such contamination may also be responsible for cleanup costs. DOD and other responsible parties either agree to a cost sharing arrangement with the responsible parties conducting the cleanup or DOD conducts the cleanup and attempts to recover the other parties' share after the cleanup. On the basis of a GAO study, DOD issued guidance requiring its components to identify, investigate, and pursue cost recoveries and to report on them in the Defense Environmental Restoration Program Annual Report to Congress. The data on cost recoveries from non-Defense parties included in the Department's report for fiscal year 1999 were inaccurate, inconsistent, and incomplete. As a result, neither Congress nor DOD can determine the extent of progress made in recovering costs or the extent to which cost recoveries may offset cleanup costs. Data on cost recoveries included throughout the annual report were also missing from the appendix. Thus, DOD may not know whether all potential cost recoveries have been actively pursued and reported."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO's recent performance and accountability series report on the Small Business Administration (SBA) described major management challenges and program risks to efficient delivery of services. However, that report did not discuss how well SBA's organization was aligned to achieve its mission. GAO found that SBA's current structure contributes to the challenges SBA faces in delivering services to the small business community. In particular, ineffective lines of communication; confusion over the mission of district offices; complicated, overlapping organizational relationships; and a field structure not consistently matched with mission requirements combine to impede the effective deliver of services. Restructuring efforts by other federal agencies may prove instructive in addressing the problems with SBA's current structure. Efforts at other agencies also demonstrate the need for buy-in from both internal and external stakeholders and the importance of agency efforts to consider the human impact of restructuring activities, including the closure of field offices."

Photograph taken at a concert by The Gospel Gurls, sponsored by The Black Academy of Arts and Letters in Dallas, Texas.

Photograph taken at a concert by The Gospel Gurls, sponsored by The Black Academy of Arts and Letters in Dallas, Texas.

Photograph taken at a concert by The Gospel Gurls, sponsored by The Black Academy of Arts and Letters in Dallas, Texas.

Photograph taken at a concert by The Gospel Gurls, sponsored by The Black Academy of Arts and Letters in Dallas, Texas.

Photograph taken at a concert by The Gospel Gurls, sponsored by The Black Academy of Arts and Letters in Dallas, Texas.

Photograph taken at a concert by The Gospel Gurls, sponsored by The Black Academy of Arts and Letters in Dallas, Texas.

Photograph taken at a concert by The Gospel Gurls, sponsored by The Black Academy of Arts and Letters in Dallas, Texas.

Photograph taken at a concert by The Gospel Gurls, sponsored by The Black Academy of Arts and Letters in Dallas, Texas.

Photograph taken at a concert by The Gospel Gurls, sponsored by The Black Academy of Arts and Letters in Dallas, Texas.

Photograph taken at a concert by The Gospel Gurls, sponsored by The Black Academy of Arts and Letters in Dallas, Texas.

Photograph taken at a concert by The Gospel Gurls, sponsored by The Black Academy of Arts and Letters in Dallas, Texas.

Photograph taken at a concert by The Gospel Gurls, sponsored by The Black Academy of Arts and Letters in Dallas, Texas.

Photograph taken at a concert by The Gospel Gurls, sponsored by The Black Academy of Arts and Letters in Dallas, Texas.

Photograph taken at a concert by The Gospel Gurls, sponsored by The Black Academy of Arts and Letters in Dallas, Texas.

Photograph taken at a concert by The Gospel Gurls, sponsored by The Black Academy of Arts and Letters in Dallas, Texas.

Photograph taken at a concert by The Gospel Gurls, sponsored by The Black Academy of Arts and Letters in Dallas, Texas.

Photograph taken at a concert by The Gospel Gurls, sponsored by The Black Academy of Arts and Letters in Dallas, Texas.

Photograph taken at a concert by The Gospel Gurls, sponsored by The Black Academy of Arts and Letters in Dallas, Texas.

Photograph taken at a concert by The Gospel Gurls, sponsored by The Black Academy of Arts and Letters in Dallas, Texas.

Photograph taken at a concert by The Gospel Gurls, sponsored by The Black Academy of Arts and Letters in Dallas, Texas.

Photograph taken at a concert by The Gospel Gurls, sponsored by The Black Academy of Arts and Letters in Dallas, Texas.

Photograph taken at a concert by The Gospel Gurls, sponsored by The Black Academy of Arts and Letters in Dallas, Texas.