FederalDaily - October 12, 2006
Groups Create Scholarship Fund for Fed Families
A federal employees union and a group dedicated to helping civilian federal and postal workers on
Oct. 11 announced the creation of an endowed college scholarship fund that will provide annual educational
grants for federal families. The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) said it used administrative
funds that remained after payouts to recipients in its settlement of a class-action lawsuit against
the federal government to make an initial $726,363 contribution to the endowment. The Federal Employee
Education & Assistance Fund (FEEA) is co-creator of the new effort. At the start of the 2007 academic
year, the FEEA-NTEU Scholarship fund will provide five annual scholarships of $5,000 each. NTEU President
Colleen Kelley noted that the union’s contribution comes on the 20th anniversary of the launch
of FEEA, which was co-founded by NTEU in 1986. To see more, go to: www.nteu.org
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Association Defends Private IRS Debt Collectors
In the ongoing debate over the IRS’ move to hand over past-due tax collections to private agencies,
a private collection association defends the IRS effort and says program critics are attempting to
scare the public. ACA International (ACA), which represents credit collectors, on Oct. 10 said federal
employee unions had twisted the conclusions of an internal agency report on IRS computer data security.
The actual thrust of the report is that privacy has not been adequately maintained by IRS employees,
ACA said. The National Treasury Employees Union has been critical of the private initiative, which
started Sept. 7. “The public employees union representing IRS workers opposes strengthening privacy
for taxpayers by relying on private sector resources and has chosen instead to twist the facts in order
to purposely confuse and scare taxpayers,” said Jenifer Loon, ACA director of government affairs.
Loon noted the IRS report looked at agency computer security and not the security methods employed
by the private agencies. To see more, go to: www.acainternational.org/media.aspx?cid=9250
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Groups Unveil Tools to Follow the Money
Two government watchdog groups unveiled Web-based tools that allow users to analyze federal spending
from FY 2000 through FY 2005, among other tasks. OMB Watch, a Washington, D.C.-based open government
advocate, on Oct. 10 launched FedSpending.org, which allows the public to search, aggregate and investigate
all federal spending—including grants and federal projects. Another government watchdog, the
Center for Responsive Politics, announced updates to its government transparency Web site, OpenSecrets.org.
Users now will see overviews of lawmakers’ net worth as well as updated information on congressional
junkets taken by members that are financed by third parties. A planned new database will track “revolving
door” moves of government employees into lucrative jobs at lobbying firms inside the Beltway. “These
new tools help provide the sort of big picture view of the conduct and priorities of our elected officials,” said
Sean Moulton, director of information policy at OMB Watch. FedSpending.org makes available much of
the information that the recently passed Federal Accountability and Transparency Act will require the
Office of Management and Budget to eventually provide to the public. To see more, go to: www.ombwatch.org/article/articleview/3611/1/192?TopicID=5
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