Posted by Marc Hodak on August 10, 2010 under Government service, Stupid laws | 
New, higher disclosure standards for executives
Imagine that one of your large customers, say you’re a supplier to Target or Whole Foods, wants you to disclose how much you and your senior officers make? You’re a private company, you may not even tell your kids or siblings how much you make, but these strangers want to know, and they want to place that information on the Internet. How would you feel about that?
Well, that is exactly what the Federal government is requiring of its contractors and sub-contractors via rules in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR).
Posted by Marc Hodak on June 7, 2010 under Government service, Politics |
Most people would agree that the federal budget is a cesspool of waste. The few who disagree are those who directly benefit from the spending, i.e., our members of Congress. The agencies that spend the money know how utterly wasteful some of it is. Some of it is so useless that even the agencies don’t have the stomach to spend it all. Unfortunately, few agencies have an incentive to not spend money. In my brief stint in government, I’ve experienced the last quarter rush to “use it or lose it.” It is an ugly, cynical process.
Now, the White House is asking for an incentive to not spend it all:
The proposed change would let agencies that save money redirect half the savings to other initiatives, with the rest going toward deficit reduction, an administration official said on Sunday…
“The president’s goal has been to change Washington’s focus from figuring out how to spend money to how to save money, and we are going to incentivize savings instead of spending,” Mr. Emanuel said Sunday.
At least the administration understands economics and incentives as it applies to the decision-making right before their eyes.
Alas, the article suggests the source of opposition to this measure:
It is likely to be welcomed by deficit hawks but could attract opposition from members of Congress who appropriate money, as it would take away some of their control of the federal purse…
Brad Dayspring, a spokesman for Rep. Eric Cantor (R., Va.), said the latest plan sounded “too complex” and “constitutionally questionable.”
“If this administration and Congress is serious about lowering the debt, they should start cutting spending immediately,” he said.
Which proves that economic ignorance/political cynicism is not monopolized by Democrats.
Posted by Marc Hodak on March 26, 2010 under Government service |
Boston Scientific, maker of those ultra-cool, implantable defibrillators, made some minor changes to the way they manufactured them. There was nothing wrong with the devices under the old manufacturing method–they just felt that they could do better. Unfortunately, the company ran afoul of the bewilderingly complex FDA documentation rules that require any manufacturing changes to be reported to them. As a result, Boston Scientific has been forced to recall a bunch of perfectly good, life-saving devices, and submit their manufacturing changes for FDA review before being allowed to resume manufacturing. FDA review times run from 8 to 30 days.
Boston-Scientific tried to calm their medical customers (and investors) by hinting that the urgency of this matter should warrant a shorter review period. During this period, doctors are doing without the device (”Hang in there Charlie! We’ll get that thing implanted in the next few weeks.”), and Boston-Scientific is losing $5 million a day. If ever we needed those high-priced government services, this would be it, right?
FDA officials said in an interview that they have given Boston Scientific’s applications a preliminary look and the submissions appear to be in order. But the officials said the agency hasn’t begun an in-depth review of the material and the company will have to wait its turn.
Boston Scientific’s filings are “in the queue, and we’re going to take it when it comes up,” said Gladys Rodriguez, an enforcement director at the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health who is involved in the review. “At this point, we’re not expediting.” The FDA has 30 days to do a review, Ms. Rodriguez said.
Translation from bureaucrat lingo: “We can’t be bothered.” I mean, c’mon, it’s not like its their lives or money on the line.
