The General Services Administration’s conference spending scandal shows no signs of quitting. House Republicans have chomped down on it hard as an example of out-of-control government waste, and GSA officials are dropping left and right. The fallout is bound to affect federal employees across the government, and change how agencies think about travel and conferences. We’d like to hear from you. What’s your take on GSA’s conference spending? Is it a big deal to you, or does it just reflect the status quo in the government? Has your office instituted any changes yet? Are you already getting pressure to rein…
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The General Services Administration’s infamous Las Vegas conference is turning into a viral video bonanza. The clip of a GSA employee rapping about becoming commissioner and blowing cash exploded last Thursday, even reaching the Daily Show. And today, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., released another video in which GSA employees sing about going green to the tune of Patti LaBelle’s “Ready for a Miracle.” This new one … well … let’s just say it’s no “When I’m Commissioner.” At this point, I’m not sure what’s worse — the government waste or the butchering of a gospel classic. And the awards-show banter…
Last night, the Daily Show’s Jon Stewart weighed in on the General Services Administration’s conference spending scandal and zeroed in on what may be its most appalling angle: The sheer lameness of the crap GSA bought with $822,000 in taxpayer dollars. Said an outraged Stewart: Canteens, clowns and bicycles? You’re in Vegas! Unless those canteens were filled with cocaine […], you are a disgrace to corruption everywhere. I think I’m less upset about the waste of money than I am with the waste of opportunity. […] Yearbooks! They got yearbooks! The people in government known for efficiency and cost-cutting made…
UPDATED WITH GSA STATEMENT: This may be the last thing the beleaguered General Services Administration needed after its lavish conference-spending scandal. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee just released a prize-winning music video from that conference in which an employee raps about all the cool stuff he’s going to buy when he’s the boss. Which really doesn’t look good in retrospect, considering that infamous Las Vegas conference cost GSA $822,000 and brought down Administrator Martha Johnson and several other top officials. The irony in the video runs a mile deep. After a languid ukelele intro laying out his dream…
Unedited and in its entirety. For an updated GSA story click here. Dear GSA: Today, I am joining your team to serve as your Acting Administrator. I recognize that this is not easy, but I am confident that you will not allow circumstances to slow your momentum or progress in the many important areas of the federal government where GSA plays a vital role. As the Assistant Secretary for Management and CFO of the Treasury Department and GSA customer for the last three years, I am impressed by the progress of this agency, as both a service provider and a…
While most of the scandal around GSA’s lavish 2010 conference in Las Vegas revolves around overpriced mind readers, ridiculously expensive team-building activities and expensive meals, GSA also spent more than $130,000 just to pick the spot where they were going to blow more than $686,000. So for your reading pleasure, a timeline of all the scouting trips GSA employees took to plan for the conference. The morning of Monday, October 25, and all of Friday, October 29, were travel days. GSA published a notice of its planned procurement on February 2, 2009. The subsequent conference planning meetings included the following:…
As many as 20 cloud computing vendors will be certified for federal use under a new security assessment program when it launches in June. The General Services Administration, which manages the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP), has said that companies already providing cloud technology to agencies under GSA’s Infrastructure-as-a-Service contract will be among the first to have their technology vetted through the program. Vendors on GSA’s upcoming Email-as-a-Service contract will also be given priority. After being vetted and meeting any additional standards to ensure security, companies are approved to offer their products and services for sale to agencies.…
The General Services Administration has selected Hewlett-Packard to help manage its USAccess program, which provides identity credentials to more than 500,000 federal employees and contractors. Under the one-year contract, which has a $47 million ceiling, Managed Service Office will use an HP technology solution to help manage the delivery of Personal Identity Verification (PIV) credentials to federal agencies, according to HP. PIV cards issued through the GSA program meet the Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 12– Policy standards. The 2004 order by President George W. Bush said all employees and contractors must have a common ID card including a photo and…
A new inspector general report questions how much revenue the General Services Administration is setting aside for operations and future investments. GSA Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) officials say the agency hasn’t met its goals for funding reserve accounts that pay for administering, managing and improving the schedule program. But the account thresholds have not been reviewed in several years and may not reflect actual needs, according to a report released last week by the GSA deputy assistant inspector general for acquisition audits. The inspector general last audited GSA’s revenues – earned by charging agencies for use of its schedule contracts –…
The General Services Administration is considering a procurement for tablet computers that meet federal security standards and can easily integrate with various email platforms like Google and Microsoft Outlook. GSA issued a request for information to vendors this week for tablet computers that are manufactured by U.S.-based small businesses and meet federal encryption standards set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. “The General Services has received many statements of interest from customers within the agency and across government for tablet computers,” GSA said in the RFI posted on fbo.gov. Vendors have until Feb. 20 to respond. Vendors are asked to include…