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RAIN 817 Weekly Update: Government (19)



Government Computer News 8/2/02
South Dakota puts most state forms on Web
http://www.gcn.com/vol1_no1/daily-updates/19505-1.html


Federal Computer Week 8/5/02
A new take on the paperless office
Industry consortium views SSA project as springboard
BY Brian Robinson
The goal of a paperless office often seems elusive, but the Social Security Administration recently completed a proof-of-concept project that could lay
the groundwork for an all- electronic agencywide environment.
The project, involving medical records related to disability claims, focused on a major obstacle many agencies face: how to create a system that provides both the technical features needed to digitize a paper-intensive process and the privacy and security controls needed to work with sensitive information.
http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2002/0805/tec-paper-08-05-02.asp



The Economist 8/8/02
There's always someone looking at you—and the people don't like it
A new national database has sparked a rare outbreak of civil
disobedience
IN THE late 1970s, nervous residents of Suginami-ku, one of Tokyo's western wards, were battling the municipality's plans to load their personal records into electronic databases, fearing the move would make it easier for the government to invade their privacy. To bypass the protests, local officials simply had the menacing new computers
smuggled into the ward's offices—at 3am. A quarter-century later, Suginami-ku's residents are at it again, fighting fiercely to protect their privacy. This time, however, the local government is eagerly taking the residents' side. And to the embarrassment of Japan's national officials, the municipality is keen to wage this campaign in broad daylight.
http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displayStory.cfm?story_id=1273582


FCW 8/12/02
Survey: City/county e-gov growing
http://www.fcw.com/geb/articles/2002/0812/web-icma-08-12-02.asp


GCN 8/12/02
Power over paper
By Patricia Daukantas
GCN Staff
Antitrust lawyers rein in their documents The Justice Department's Antitrust Division has made a case for document management.
Systems analyst Lisa Sarubbi, office automation chief Cheryl Porpora and co-workers are testing DeskSite 6.01a software from iManage Inc. of Foster City, Calif., in preparation for use throughout the Antitrust Division later this year.
http://gcn.com/21_23/tech-report/19542-1.html


Fox News 8/13/02
Arkansas Bails Out of FOIA Restrictions
LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management has abandoned proposed changes to the state's freedom of information law. The changes would have restricted public access to documents the agency deems a public safety risk.
ADEM spokeswoman Jennifer Gordon said Tuesday the idea was dropped on orders from Gov. Mike Huckabee.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,60289,00.html


Mobile Register 8/14/01
Gulf Shores regulates distribution of public information
Members of public must now fill out forms and possibly pay fees prior to obtaining public information
By CHRISTMAS McGAUGHEY
GULF SHORES -- City Council members voted this week to regulate how Gulf Shores dispenses public information and also approved a 5-year capital improvements plan.
At their meeting Monday night, Gulf Shores council members voted unanimously to regulate access to public information.
http://www.al.com/news/mobileregister/index.ssf?/xm...f/html_standard.xsl?/base/news/1029316575104330.xml


The Express-Times 8/14/02
McGreevey loosens noose on records
By TERRENCE DOPP
The Express-Times
TRENTON -- Want to know where that endangered wood turtle lives? Now you can, according to state officials.
Gov. James E. McGreevey announced Tuesday he has dropped more than 500 planned exemptions from New Jersey's revised Open Records Act. In an executive order that he said was part of anti-terror efforts, McGreevey initially sought to place 580 types of government documents outside of the new right-to-know law.
http://www.nj.com/news/expresstimes/nj/index.ssf?/base/news-0/10293159025944.xml



North Jersey News 8/14/02
McGreevey reopens public records
By BRUNO TEDESCHI
Trenton Bureau Chief
Bowing to pressure from public interest groups and newspapers, Governor McGreevey on Tuesday rescinded portions of an executive order he signed last month that critics said gutted the state's new Open Public Records Act.
McGreevey signed a new executive order flanked by many of the groups that last month questioned his commitment to open records, including the New Jersey Press Association, New Jersey Foundation for Open Government, and Common Cause New Jersey.
http://www.bergen.com/page.php?level_3_id=7&page=4628444



The Morning Call 8/14/02
Study calls for changes in Northampton County records offices
Council personnel panel to review report criticizing workers.
By Scott Kraus
Of The Morning Call
Northampton County officials say an internal study of work processes in the prothonotary and recorder of deeds offices has come up with a list of ''constructive criticisms'' of both offices.
But the report, which was provided to County Council members Monday, says the county needs only to hire one additional employee to ensure adequate staffing for the two departments, said County Executive Glenn Reibman Tuesday.
http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-b2_3report-4aug14.story?coll=all%2Dnewslocal%2Dhed



Associated Press 8/15/02
NAACP files records request in battle over Rebel flag
By The Associated Press
GULFPORT, Miss. — As part of its plan to force the removal of the Rebel flag from a public beach display, the NAACP has filed a public-records request in Harrison County.
The Eight Flags display sits along U.S. 90 at the border of Biloxi and Gulfport. It has been the source of debate for years because the display includes the Confederate battle banner.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People wants to review documents regarding county contracts, employment complaints and policies for awarding minority contracts.
http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=16738


Times-Union 8/16/02
Sleuths invade military computers with ease
Security consultants find sensitive government data not secure
enough
By ROBERT O'HARROW JR., Washington Post
First published: Friday, August 16, 2002
SAN DIEGO -- Security consultants entered scores of confidential military and government computers without approval this summer, exposing vulnerabilities that specialists say open the networks to electronic attacks and spying.
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=55533&category=FRONTPG&newsdate=8/16/2002


GCN 8/16/02
Auditors: More IRS computers are missing
http://www.gcn.com/vol1_no1/daily-updates/19682-1.html


Washington Post 8/16/02
Audit Shows More PCs At the IRS Are Missing
Machines May Contain Sensitive Information
By Albert B. Crenshaw
The Internal Revenue Service has lost to thieves or has misplaced another batch of computers, adding to the thousands already missing from that and other government agencies.
In the latest case, there are fears that some of the missing machines might carry private taxpayer information and Social Security numbers.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24030-2002Aug15.html



The Times 8/17/02
Army computer files broken
into
By Tim Reid
US ARMY and government computers filled with military procedures, personnel records and weaponstargeting data were broken into by a private company that used standard software and no passwords.
Consultants at ForensicTec, a California-based security company, stumbled upon the military computer network when they were checking security for a private client.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-385803,00.html



People's Daily 8/17/02
Hong Kong's Public Records Office to Go On-line
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government's public document archive containing a cache of 800,000 documents is set to go on-line in October, a senior archivist told Xinhua Friday.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200208/17/eng20020817_101611.shtml


FCW 8/19/02
NARA rethinks e-records
Proposal defines records management, retention as the responsibility of agencies
BY William Matthews
Aug. 19, 2002
Most of the federal government's file clerks are gone now. So are the file cabinets they presided over. And the deluge of paper records that the clerks dutifully filed has
diminished. They've all been replaced by computers, hard drives, backup tapes, electronic documents and e-mail.
Yet the policies for preserving records remain focused on paper documents.
http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2002/0819/pol-nara-08-19-02.asp



FCW 8/19/02
NARA seeks ideas for erecords archive
BY William Matthews
After devoting three years and spending more than $20 million to research and build
some of the basic components of an electronic records archive, the federal
government is asking private companies to submit any ideas they might have to help
turn the idea into reality.
http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2002/0819/news-nara-08-19-02.asp


The Jordan Times 8/14
SSC database to track citizens' civil status records
AMMAN (Petra) –– The Social Security Corporation (SSC) and the Civil Status and Passports Department signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Wednesday whereby the department is to supply the SSC with citizens' civil status records and their updates.
The corporation requires the records to “simplify its procedures and speed
transactions” by relying on electronically stored information rather than paper
documents and files.
http://www.jordantimes.com/Wed/homenews/homenews6.htm

Peter A. Kurilecz CRM, CA
pakurilecz@aol.com
Richmond, Va