Gov Pubs Hot Topics

H1N1 (aka Swine Flu)

2009-10-08T13:33:00.000-07:00

Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, recently encouraged Americans to get the H1N1 flu vaccine when it becomes available. The government, through the coordinated efforts of the CDC, White House, and other agencies, has published the website Flu.gov to inform Americans about flu prevention, treatment, and more.

Multiple congressional committees have held hearings on H1N1:

"H1N1 Flu: Protecting Our Community" (Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, September 2009)
"Preparing for the 2009 Pandemic Flu" (House Committee on Energy and Commerce, September 2009)
"The Swine Flu Epidemic: The Public Health and Medical Response" (Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions, April 2009)

So how well is the government doing in responding to the pandemic? The Government Accountability Office has released two reports in response to that question:
"Influenza Pandemic: Continued Focus on the Nation's Planning and Preparedness Efforts Remains Essential"
"Influenza Pandemic: Gaps in Pandemic Planning and Preparedness Need to Be Addressed"

And for the inside scoop on H1N1, look at the report that Congress recently requisitioned from the Congressional Research Service:
"The 2009 Influenza Pandemic: An Overview" (released September 10, 2009)

Special Interest Groups

2009-07-16T11:13:00.000-07:00

Interested in researching connections between contributions by special interest groups, legislators, and legislation/bills? Check out MAPLight.org where you can find supporters and opponents of specific bills, top contributors to individual legislators, and top recipients of special interest contributions. Also check out their contributing site, OpenSecrets.org from the Center for Responsive Politics.

If you want to go straight to the source, take a look at these Federal disclosure databases:
For Campaign Finance data, the FEC's Campaign Finance Disclosure Database
For information on lobbyists, the US Senate's Lobbying Disclosure Act Database

Interested in lobbying and campaign contributions in the California state political arena? MAPLight.org also has information for the California state level. You can also look at the California Secretary of State's Cal-Access which offers information on campaign finance, of both elected officials and propositions/ballot measures, and California lobbyists.

And if you're researching independent expenditures in California campaigns, be sure to read the report Independent Expenditures: The Giant Gorilla in Campaign Finance Reform from the California Fair Political Practices Commission.

For further resources, see the Politics page on the UCSC Government Publications & Law website.

Immigration Enforcement and 287(g)

2009-03-04T12:33:00.000-08:00

The 287 (g) program, which allows state and local law enforcement agencies to receive authority for immigration enforcement from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), is under new scrutiny since the recent release of a GAO report recommending better oversight on the part of ICE.

The program was authorized by Section 133: Acceptance of State Services to Carry Out Immigration Enforcement of Public Law 104-208. For the relevant US Code Section, see 8 USC 1357.

Immigration reform, including border security and enforcement activities, has been the topic of many congressional hearings. Some hearings held prior to the passage of PL 104-208 include: "Proposals for immigration reform" (1994) and "Border Security" (1995). Since the implementation of the 287(g) program, congress has held additional hearings concerning immigration enforcement efforts of local and state entities. These include: "State and local authority to enforce immigration law : evaluating a unified approach for stopping terrorists" (2004), "The 287(g) Program : ensuring the integrity of America's border security system through federal-state partnerships" (2005) and "Empowering local law enforcement to combat illegal immigration" (2007).

You can also find information on the implementation of the 287(g) program in the Annual Report of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

As for California, the State recently announced a change in its parole policies for illegal immigrants. On February 27, 2009 the Secretary for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) sent a letter to the Secretary of Homeland Security notifying her of the State's new policy. Click here to read the letter or to see the official CDCR press release.

Revisiting the Kyoto Protocol

2009-01-30T09:56:00.000-08:00

Former Vice President Al Gore was on capitol hill recently to testify before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in preparation for UN sponsored climate change talks scheduled to take place in Copenhagen at the end of this year. For more information on these new climate change discussions, see the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. You can view Mr. Gore's testimony and read his prepared statement at the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing "Addressing Global Climate Change: the Road to Copenhagen".

For some background information on the Kyoto Protocol, including a chronology and bibliography, see this report from CQ Press "Global Warming Treaty" (available through CQ Researcher, OCA required). The full text of the Kyoto Protocol is available through the "Official Documents of the United Nations" database. For other UN resources, see our International & United Nations Resources page.

Congress has a held a number of hearings regarding the Kyoto Protocol. You can see which hearings are publicly available online and in print at McHenry library by searching in Cruzcat. Or you can search for hearings and reports in Lexis Nexis Congressional (OCA required).

The Environmental Protection Agency also offers a number of reports regarding the Kyoto Protocol through their now archived page on Global Warming. This is a useful resource for finding older documents related to climate change. For more recent climate change documents and resources, see the EPA's new Climate Change page.

For additional climate change government resources and information, check out the US Climate Change Science Program/US Global Change Research Program and for California-centric information, visit the California Climate Change Portal. Also check out the other resources listed at Gov Info by Topic: Environment.

Government Calculators

2009-01-23T10:29:00.000-08:00

With tax season upon us, many people are discovering the variety of free forms and tools available on the IRS website. Some of the tools available include the Sales Tax Deduction Calculator and the IRS Withholding Calculator.

Many government agencies offer calculators to assist people in making plans or assessments on a wide variety of topics. Here are just a few examples:

Money

Budget Calculator from the US Dept. of Education

Calculators for Investors (retirement savings, loans, mutual funds, etc.) from the US Securities & Exchange Commission

Inflation Calculator from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Home Ownership calculators (buy vs. rent, affordability, etc.) from Ginnie Mae

Cost of Raising a Child calculator from the US Dept. of Agriculture

Health

Personal Health calculators (BMI, physical activity recommendations, etc.) from the US Dept. of Health & Human Services

Drug Cost calculator (money spent on alcohol, tobacco, etc.) from the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration

Breast Cancer Risk Assessment tool from the National Cancer Institute

Estimating Your 10-year Risk of Having a Heart Attack from the National Institutes of Health

Environment

Home Energy Saver calculator from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Household Emissions calculator from the Environmental Protection Agency

Hybrid Electric Vehicle Cost calculator from the US Dept. of Energy

And here's a fun calculator from the Maine State Library: What is Your Library Worth to You?

Presidential Proclamations: New Marine National Monuments

2009-01-09T14:13:00.000-08:00

On January 6, 2009, President Bush issued three proclamations establishing the Rose Atoll, Pacific Remote Islands, and Marianas Trench Marine National Monuments. These proclamations were issued under 16 USC 431-433, also known as "The Antiquities Act" which grants the President authority to declare national monuments. For more information about the Antiquities Act, including its history and monument profiles, see the National Park Service Archeology Program page.

The management of these marine national monuments will be overseen by both the Department of the Interior and the Department of Commerce through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

To learn more about presidential proclamations and to find proclamations from 1789 through the present, check out UC Santa Barbara's American Presidency Project's page on presidential proclamations.

To learn more about national monuments, check out the article, "A National Monument, Memorial, Park . . . What's the Difference?" from the National Atlas of the United States.

Effects of Recession in California

2009-01-05T15:34:00.000-08:00

U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer released a report about the impact of the recession on the California economy titled "The Realities of Recession in California". The report is based on interviews the Senator's staff held with representatives from all 58 counties and 20 selected cities.

The report is available in two forms: the full report includes data on unemployment and foreclosures, as well as a one-page narrative outlining economic conditions in each county. The supplemental "quick guide" includes charts which provide a color coded snapshot of budget deficits, program cuts, layoffs, foreclosures, crime, unemployment, and credit.

Senator Boxer's report is a helpful source for examining impacts on cities and counties. Additionally, several California State agencies take a big-picture look at the budget and economy, such as the Office of the Governor, and the California Department of Finance. Other state agencies who track and analyze the budget include the California State Controller, and the State Treasurer.

Of course, the Federal government also tracks data and analyzes government, consumer and business spending for both the nation and states. A variety of federal agencies gather, analyze, and report economic conditions: The Commerce Department, including the U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Treasury Department, the White House Office of Management and Budget and the Presidents National Economic Council.

Presidential Nominations & Confirmations

2009-01-05T09:34:00.000-08:00

Senate confirmation hearings for President-elect Obama's cabinet nominees are scheduled to begin later this week. For an overview of this process, check out "Senate Confirmation Process: A Brief Overview" (2008) from the Congressional Research Service. To read the full text of Senate rule XXXI, see the Rules of the Senate on the website for the Senate Committee on Rules & Administration. For information on Presidential nominations from the 100th congress onward, check out the Presidential Nominations database from LOC's THOMAS.

California Cellular Phone Laws

2008-12-23T10:17:00.000-08:00

A number of new California laws will go into effect beginning January 2009. One of the better known new laws is the "Texting while driving" law. To see a legislative history of this new law, click here.

This new cellular phone law will compliment the currently enforced "Hands-free" law which has been in effect since July 1, 2008; during which time, the California Highway Patrol has issued over 40,000 citations for violations. You can read the legislative history of the "Hands-free" law and California Vehicle Code section 23123.

Some research has been conducted on the possible benefits of these cellular phone laws. The National Conference of State Legislatures issued "Cell Phones and Highway Safety" in 2005 (prior to the passage of the bill leading to the "Hands-free" law). More recently, the Public Policy Institute of California issued "What to Expect from California’s New Hands-Free Law" in May 2008. To find more recent research on cellular phone laws or motorist behavior, try searching the collections of the National Transportation Library and the Research and Development Publications issued by the California DMV.

World AIDS Day

2008-12-04T09:49:00.000-08:00

December 1, 2008 marked the 20th annual World AIDS Day.

There are numerous government sources for information on HIV/AIDS research, community resources, and data.

California Resources:

Office of AIDS: links to community HIV/AIDS resources including testing and other services and general information about HIV/AIDS

US Resources:

AIDS.gov: access to US Government HIV/AIDS information from a variety of Federal sources

National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention: from the Centers for Disease Control

HIV/AIDS Today Factsheets: weekly fact sheets from the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

United Nations Resources:

UNAIDS: joint venture of ten UN system organizations, information on international HIV/AIDS policies and practices

World Health Organization and HIV/AIDS: information on international HIV/AIDS occurrence, prevention, and treatment

For statistical information on HIV/AIDS:

HIV/AIDS Monthly Statistics (for California)

HIV/AIDS Statistics and Surveillance: US statistics from the CDC

UNAIDS/WHO Global HIV/AIDS Online Database: "collates the most recent country-specific data on the spread and impact of the virus, together with information on risk behaviours"

New Report on Gulf War Syndrome

2008-11-18T11:24:00.000-08:00

The Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses formally presented a major report on veterans' Gulf War illnesses to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on November 17, 2008. It is reported that the findings presented by the committee differ from previous reports (such as those from the Institute of Medicine) by implicating exposure to specific chemicals as the cause of Gulf War syndrome.

The federal government has been involved in the investigation of Gulf War illnesses for over a decade. In 1995, President Clinton issued Executive Order 12961 establishing the Presidential Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses. Although the Committee was terminated in 1997, you can still access the archived website complete with meeting transcripts and reports.

Congress established the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses in 1998 by Public Law 105-368 known as the "Veterans Programs Enhancement Act of 1998." For some insight into the legislative history behind this act, you can read the following hearings and committee print available at McHenry library:

"Persian Gulf War illnesses" (1997)

"Full committee hearing to receive updates on research, investigations, and programs involving Persian Gulf War veterans' illnesses" (1998)

"Report of the Special Investigation Unit on Gulf War Illnesses" (1998)

Congress has held subsequent hearings on the topic of Gulf War illnesses. To find other congressional materials, try searching in Lexis Nexis Congressional (OCA Required) and CQ Public Affairs Collection (OCA Required) is also a great place to find legislative chronologies.

Other government agencies and departments have also completed research in this area. The Government Accountability Office has released reports such as "Gulf War illnesses: DOD's conclusions about U.S. troops' exposure cannot be adequately supported" (2004) and "Department of Veterans Affairs: federal Gulf War illnesses research strategy needs reassessment" (2004).

You can also use the DTIC database to find Department of Defense reports and the Homeland Security Digital Library (OCA Required) to access documents from a variety of security-related entities.

The California Initiative Process

2008-11-06T10:08:00.000-08:00

Californians had the opportunity to vote on 12 ballot measures in the November 2008 election. Voters passed 7 out of the 12 measures. Many are already looking forward to the 2010 election, as petitions for new initiatives are already circulating.

For more information on the California initiative process and how citizens participate in this form of direct democracy, take a look at the "Statewide Ballot Initiative Handbook" from the California Secretary of State for a brief overview on the statewide initiative process. For a more in-depth discussion, see "California's statewide initiative process" from the California Research Bureau (CRB).

For a history of California state ballot initiatives, see: "A history of California initiatives" (2002) from the California Secretary of State and "The initiative and referendum in California, 1898-1998" (2000) from Stanford University Press (requires OCA). To find the text of past ballot initiatives, search the "California Ballot Propositions (1911-present)" database from UC Hastings College of Law for state ballot propositions and these reports on the outcome of past County and Municipal initiatives from the California Secretary of State.

The California initiative process is the subject of research and discussion. The Public Policy Institute of California (a San Francisco based think tank) has produced a number of papers on the initiative process, such as "The California Initiative Process: Background and Perspective" (2000) and "The California Initiative Process-How Democratic Is It?" (2002). The PPIC recently released a survey of Californians' thoughts on the initiative process. You can find the results of that survey here. The Center for Governmental Studies (a Los Angeles based think tank) has also researched the initiative process and just recently released "Democracy by Initiative: Shaping California's Fourth Branch of Government, 2nd Edition".

Belugas and the Endangered Species Act

2008-10-28T14:34:00.000-07:00

NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) listed the Cook Inlet beluga whales as endangered under the Endangered Species Act earlier this month.

NOAA has been monitoring the status of the beluga whale for quite some time. A "Status Review and Extinction Assessment of Cook Inlet Beluga Whales" was reported in 2006 and again in 2008. You can also take a look at NOAA's "Aerial Surveys of Belugas in Cook Inlet, Alaska, June 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004."

Cook Inlet belugas have also been studied by the Minerals Management Service. Some examples of their studies include "Persistent Chlorinated Compounds and Elements in Tissues of Cook Inlet Beluga Whales, Delphinapterus leucas" (2000) and "Distribution of Cook Inlet Beluga Whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in Winter" (1999).

The Fish and Wildlife Service's Endangered Species Program experienced some bad press in 2007 when an investigation found misconduct on behalf of the deputy assistant secretary involving manipulation of reports used to make decisions on endangered species.

The Bush administration has recently announced its desire to make some modifications to the Endangered Species Act (among other proposed regulatory changes). California Attorney Jerry Brown has submitted a public comment opposing the proposed modifications. If you're interested in commenting on these (or any) proposed regulations, you can make comments and get current information at Regulations.gov.

Election Crimes: Voter Fraud and Intimidation

2008-10-09T11:10:00.000-07:00

As the 2008 general election draws near, we have seen increased discussion about election crimes, including voter fraud and voter intimidation, from both Republican and Democratic camps. Unfortunately, statistics on the occurrence of voter fraud and voter intimidation can prove difficult to find.

The US Department of Justice established the Ballot Access and Voting Integrity Initiative in 2002 to aid in the investigation and prevention of election crimes. According to "Fact Sheet: Protecting Voting Rights and Preventing Election Fraud" released in 2008, over 140 people have been charged with election fraud in the past 6 years.

The government has conducted multiple investigations in the area of election crime. After the 2000 general election, congress established the National Commission on Federal Election Reform. The commission was responsible for investigating "federal election system, election administration, and constitutional and federal election law issues." You can read the commission's final report here. The commission also released a series of task force reports on specific issues ranging from voter registration to verification of identity. You can also read transcripts from the hearings that were held before the commission.

The US Election Assistance Commission (EAC) was established by the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002. In 2006, the EAC released the report "Election Crimes: An Initial Review and Recommendations for Future Study" which focused on the issues of voting fraud and voter intimidation. However, this report is the subject of some controversy. The New York Times reported that the panel altered the report section on voter fraud between the draft report and the final release.

Congress is also investigating election crime issues. In the past few years, a number of hearings have been held:

"Protecting the right to vote : election deception and irregularities in recent federal elections" (March 2007) (Includes testimony and statement from Barack Obama)

"Prevention of deceptive practices and voter intimidation in federal elections" (June 2007) (Includes testimony from Barack Obama)

"In Person Voter Fraud: Myth and Trigger for Disenfranchisement?" (March 2008) (available in webcast with some published testimony and statements)

"Protecting the Right to Vote: Oversight of the Department of Justice's Preparations for the 2008 General Election" (September 2008) in the Senate (currently available in webcast with some published testimony and statements)

"Joint Hearing on: Federal, State and Local Efforts to Prepare for the 2008 Election" (September 2008) in the House (this hearing includes some discussion of ACORN), currently available in webcast with some published testimony and statements

"Ensuring the Rights of College Students to Vote" (September 2008) (currently available in webcast with some published testimony and statements)

And for a nice overview of election crime issues and proposed legislation, see the Congressional Research Service report "Election Reform: Issues and Legislative Proposals in the 109th Congress" (February 2007).

For guides and more information on voter rights and election laws, see the Voting Section Home Page from the US DOJ, the Voter Fraud Protection Handbook and the Voter Bill of Rights from the California Secretary of State, and our Elections page.

The New US Citizenship Test

2008-10-01T15:51:00.001-07:00

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has just introduced its redesigned naturalization test. Although there is some mixed reaction to the exam format, USCIS will begin administering the new test today. The redesigned test will pose 10 questions from a list of 100 potential questions. Applicants must correctly answer 6 of these 10 questions in order to pass the exam. For information on other portions of the naturalization process, check out "Pathway to US Citizenship" from the USCIS.

The Office of Citizenship offers a variety of free study guides and materials to assist applicants in preparing for the exam. These materials are available electronically in PDF formats and in print at McHenry library in the Government Publications section under SuDoc number HS 8.2:C 49/2/TOOLKIT.

For some brief background information on immigration and naturalization in the United States, check out the report "Immigration and Naturalization Fundamentals" from the Congressional Research Service (2003).

For the most recent naturalization statistics, check out "Naturalizations in the United States: 2007" and these tables from the Yearbook of Immigration Statistics: 2007, both from the USCIS. For a more historic perspective on United States naturalization, take a look at "Mapping Trends in Naturalizations: 1980 to 2003" from the Office of Immigration Statistics.

And congress has recently been investigating the delays in the naturalization process. You can take a look at their January 2008 hearing "Naturalization delays: causes, consequences, and solutions."

Funding for Health Care Services in California Prisons

2008-09-23T15:16:00.000-07:00

One of today's big news items is the Governor's signing of the California budget. The adoption of the state budget seems to have refueled a dispute between California Health Care Services (Receiver J. Clark Kelso) and California government executives.

Although a Receivership of California's prison health care services was established back in 2005, friction between the parties became particularly apparent in August of 2008 when Receiver J. Clark Kelso filed a motion to compel the state to begin funding the $7.9 billion needed for the extensive reform of California's prison medical system. You can read the motion and supporting documents here (look for 8/13/08 date).

In response to the motion, State Controller John Chiang issued this statement. Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. also responded to the motion by filing his own motion in opposition.

In support of his motion, Attorney General Brown references the Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA). The PLRA was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1996 and signed into law as Title VIII in Public Law 104-134 (see page 67 in the PDF). The PLRA is also referenced in the full report issued by the Legislative Analyst's Office "Update of the California Prison Receivership: 2007".

For more background information on the Receivership, take a look at the website of the California Prison Health Care Services and their collection of documents related to the case of Plata v. Shwarzenegger. You can also look at the Receiver's reports on the status of the California prison medical system. For a point of comparison to these reports, you can look at a 1998 report by the California Research Bureau "Health Care in California State Prisons."

January 2009 Update:

"Improper" spending-

A recent report by the State Auditor concludes, "staff at Prison Health Services ignored state contracting laws, as well as the alternative contracting requirements established by a federal court, when it acquired $26.7 million in IT goods and services in a noncompetitive manner..."

Safety of Bisphenol A (BPA)

2008-09-19T09:09:00.000-07:00

Recent controversy has been brewing regarding the use of the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) in consumer products ranging from water bottles to the lining in cans. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has created a task force to further investigate the possible health effects of BPA, but has released a draft assessment stating that it currently considers it safe. Some consider the conclusions in this draft assessment to be in discordance with a report recently released by the National Toxicology Program and an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Congress is also interested in the safety and use of BPA. Senate Bill 2928 was introduced as the "BPA-Free Kids Act of 2008" in April. Both the House and the Senate have held recent hearings regarding BPA. While these hearings have not yet been published, audio webcasts and printed testimonies are available. The hearing on "Safety of Phthalates and Bisphenol-A in Everyday Consumer Products" was held before the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection on June 10, 2008. The hearing on "Plastic Additives in Consumer Products" was held before the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs, Insurance, and Automotive Safety on May 14, 2008. Also, the Congressional Research Service released the report "Bisphenol A (BPA) in Plastics and Possible Human Health Effects" in May.

Questions about the safety and use of BPA are not necessarily a recent development. Check out the "Informational hearing on the health effects of phthalates and bisphenol-A on children" held before the California Assembly Committee on Health back in 2006.

You might also want to review this BPA fact sheet from the CDC. And if you're interested in what other countries are doing about BPA, take a look at this page from the Government of Canada.

Some Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) basics

2008-09-18T15:47:00.001-07:00

Recent discussions about the financial stability of major banking institutions, such as Washington Mutual, have prompted increased attention on the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the strength of its insurance fund. One of the FDIC's principle responsibilities is the insurance of bank deposits for at least $100,000. In order to get a better understanding of the FDIC's consumer protection measures, check out the following publications:

FDIC Consumer News (quarterly)

"Your Insured Deposits: FDIC's Guide to Deposit Insurance Coverage"

And to calculate your FDIC insurance coverage, check out EDIE (Electronic Deposit Insurance Estimator).

Although the FDIC has undergone multiple changes since its inception under the Banking Act of 1933 (Public Law No. 73-66, 12 USC Sec. 227), a recent major reform was signed into law in 2006 as the Federal Deposit Insurance Reform Act of 2005.

Congress has held a number of hearings concerning the Federal Deposit Insurance System. Here are some of the more recent ones:

"Viewpoints of the FDIC and select industry experts on deposit insurance reform" (2001)

"Viewpoint of select regulators on deposit insurance reform" (2001)

"Deposit insurance reform : hearing before the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit of the Committee on Financial Services" (2001)

"The Federal Deposit Insurance System and recommendations for reform" (2002)

"The Federal Deposit Insurance System : hearing before the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs" (2003)

"Oversight of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation" (2004)

"The consideration of regulatory relief proposals" (2005)

"Consideration of regulatory relief proposals" (2006)

"H.R. 698 : the Industrial Bank Holding Company Act of 2007" (2007)

"Recent events in the credit and mortgage markets and possible implications for U.S. consumers and the global economy" (2007)

And here's a congressional report regarding the Reform Act of 2005:

"Federal Deposit Insurance Reform Act of 2005 : report (to accompany H.R. 1185) (including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office)" (2005)

The Government Accountability Office (the investigative branch of congress) has also issued a number of reports on the FDIC. Here are two of the most recent ones:

"Deposit Insurance: Assessment of Regulators' Use of Prompt Corrective Action Provisions and FDIC's New Deposit Insurance System" (2007)

"Management Report: Opportunities for Improvements in FDIC’s Internal Controls and Accounting Procedures" (July 2008)

And the Congressional Budget Office (responsible for estimating budget effects of proposed legislation) published this report in 2005.

If you're interested in other aspects of FDIC oversight, you might want to check out the website for the FDIC Office of the Inspector General.

And if you're curious about similar federal insurance for credit unions, check out the National Credit Union Administration.

Minerals Management Service Scandal

2008-09-11T09:57:00.000-07:00

There has been much reporting on the recently completed investigation of the Minerals Management Service, an office within the Department of the Interior, which include various allegations ranging from drug use to conflict of interest violations. The investigations were conducted by the Department of the Interior's Office of the Inspector General. You can find the three reports presented to congress by the OIG here.

It appears that this is not the first time that congress has looked into the operations of the Minerals Management Service. Here are just a few congressional hearings regarding the MMS and/or the DOI:
"Oil and Gas Royalty Management at DOI" (PDF)
"Interior Department: a culture of management irresponsibility and lack of accountability?"
"Reports, audits, and investigations by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Office of Inspector General (OIG) regarding the Department of the Interior"

You might also want to look at some of the reports issued by the US Government Accountability Office:
"Litigation over Royalty Relief Could Cost the Federal Government Billions of Dollars"
"Data Management Problems and Reliance on Self-Reported Data for Compliance Efforts Put MMS Royalty Collections at Risk"

If you're interested in government ethics and conflicts of interest, you might want to take a look at the website for the Office of Government Ethics, which includes their advisory opinions. California has a state government level equivalent in the Fair Political Practices Commission; find their advice summaries here.

Possible Pay Cuts for State Workers

2008-09-09T15:02:00.001-07:00

Back on July 31, 2008, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued Executive Order S-09-08 which effectively ordered a reduction in the pay of over 175,000 California State workers to the federal minimum wage of $6.55 per hour. The precedent for this action was set in 2003 under then-Governor Gray Davis. Schwarzenegger cites the decision of the California Supreme Court in the case of White v. Davis, 30 Cal. 4th 528 (Cal. 2003) in his executive order. However, State Controller John Chiang stated that he would not comply with the order. To see the most recent information on the legal battle between Governor Schwarzenegger and Controller Chiang, including the papers filed with the court in the case of Gilb v. Chiang, check out The State Worker.

During the similar situation in 2003, Assembly Bill 1535, which would have ensured regular pay for state workers, was proposed, though never passed. To see what the current legislature is doing in this regard, check out this informational hearing held before the California State Senate on August 4, 2008. And to get the gubernatorial/executive perspective on the matter, check out this article from the Department of Personnel Administration and the Governor's speech from August 31, 2008.

California Emergency Response Teams

2008-09-08T08:44:00.000-07:00

It's hurricane season, and even though California doesn't experience hurricanes, California sends help to areas affected by hurricanes, other natural disasters, and acts of terrorism. The help is in the form of Task Forces who operate under FEMA and are coordinated by local fire protection districts. There are eight task forces in California, and approximately 28 nationwide.

The Task Forces are composed of "firefighters and paramedics rescue specialists, emergency room physicians, structural engineers, heavy equipment specialists, canine search dogs and handlers, hazardous materials technicians, communications specialists, and logistics specialists. This unique technical rescue team responds with 70,000 pounds of prepackaged search and rescue tools and medical equipment to conduct around the clock search and rescue operations at domestic and international disasters, both natural and man-made."

Task Force 3, the task force closest to Santa Cruz, is based out of the Menlo Park Fire Protection district and specializes in urban search and rescue. Task Force 3 teams were deployed to Louisiana for Hurricane Gustav, and to Texas in preparation for Hurricane Ike. Currently there are eight national Task Force groups being sent to help with Hurricane Ike, including Task Force 8, from San Diego.

If you like to watch money or markets...

2008-09-03T10:43:00.000-07:00

...but don't have the patience to wade through detailed economic reports, then you'll want to take a look at the Beige Book released by the Federal Reserve Board on Wednesday Sept. 3rd.

The Beige Book is released eight times a year and consists of comments (a.k.a. anecdotal information) gathered from contacts in business, agriculture, and labor as well as banks and advisory councils outside the Federal Reserve Board.

What's the big deal? The Beige Book provides a snapshot of market conditions and economic issues that may signal how the Federal Reserve Board will act to set monetary policy. The Beige book is released two weeks before the Federal Reserve Board of Governors meets, and is one of many indicators (in addition to detailed national forecasts) used by the Board to gauge the economy. Topics covered include: consumer spending and tourism, nonfinancial services, manufacturing, real estate and construction, banking and finance, agriculture and natural resources, and prices and wages.

It's not a perfect indicator, but it contains a wealth of interesting information about the economy - and it includes information nationally as well as by region (Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Richmond (VA), Atlanta, Chicago, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Dallas, San Francisco). Not bad for an economic source!

Visit the Federal Reserve Board's Education page to learn more about the Federal Reserve Board, consumer banking, basic information on loans and credit, interest rates and other personal financial information.

Natural Disasters

2008-08-29T10:55:00.000-07:00

With September being National Preparedness Month and storm Gustav approaching the Gulf Coast, it might be prudent to list some government sources for disaster information.

For general information on types of disasters and currently declared disasters, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is a good starting point. For general information on disaster preparedness, try Ready.gov.

For information specific to hurricanes, NOAA's National Weather Service operates the National Hurricane Center.

For earthquake specific information, try the Earthquake Center from the US Geological Survey.

For disaster mapping (including fires and hurricanes), check out geodata.gov.

California also offers some information on local disasters and preparedness tips from the Governor's Office of Emergency Services.

Minimum Drinking Age

2008-08-26T09:27:00.000-07:00

The Amethyst Initiative, a group composed of college chancellors and presidents interested in re-opening the debate on the minimum drinking age in the United States, has recently generated increased media attention.

The law that effectively established a national minimum drinking age of 21 was enacted in 1984 and can be found in Title 23, Part 158 of the US Code. This statute allows for the withholding of Federal funds from any state that does not have a law in effect that establishes a minimum drinking age of 21.

For some background information on 23 USC 158, take a look at the house report "Minimum Drinking Age" and the congressional hearings "Prohibit the Sale of Alcoholic Beverages to Persons Under 21 Years of Age," "Measures to Combat Drunk Driving," and "National Minimum Drinking Age" (all available in microfiche at McHenry library). Also see these reports from the Congressional Research Service: "Drunk Driving and Raising the Drinking Age" (1983) and "National Minimum Drinking Age: Provisions and Analysis" (1984).

Congress continues to investigate underage drinking and alcohol abuse. For a more recent perspective, watch the webcast of the Senate committee hearing "Oversight Hearing on Effectiveness of Federal Drunk Driving Programs" held in October 2007 and read the hearings "Under the influence : the binge drinking epidemic on college campuses" from 2002 and "Underage drinking : research and recommendations" (also available in print at McHenry library) from 2003.

California established a minimum drinking age of 21 long before this federal legislation; section 25658 of the California Code of Business and Professions was enacted in 1953.

A number of government agencies, ranging from the Department of Justice to the Centers for Disease Control to the Department of Transportation have investigated this issue (see the GAO report: "Underage Drinking: Information on Federal Funds Targeted at Prevention"). Therefore, the following list of publications represents only the tip of the iceberg:

For a law enforcement perspective, try "Underage Drinking" and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services at the US Department of Justice.

For a traffic safety perspective, take a look at "Traffic Safety and Alcohol Regulation" and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website.

For alcohol related statistics, see the National Center for Health Statistics and the corresponding links to various surveys on alcohol use.

For general information on alcohol and alcoholism, see the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism website (particularly the publication "Alcohol Research & Health: Focus on Young Adult Drinking") and the Alcohol Policy Information System for information on State and Federal alcohol policies.

If you're interested in California-specific alcohol policies and statistics, try SafeState from the California Attorney General's Office and the California Alcohol & Drug Programs website where you can browse their publications.

For an international perspective on alcohol policies, check out the World Health Organization's page on Alcohol.

FDA Allows Irradiation of Spinach and Iceberg lettuce

2008-08-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

The FDA announced they are close to approving a rule that allows food processors to irradiate fresh spinach and iceberg lettuce. The announcement was issued in the Federal Register for Friday August 22nd 2008. This rule is available both in pdf and html versions.

For a more concise report, take a look at this article in the Washington Post: "FDA Allows Irradiation of Some Produce" and this statement posted by the FDA. This is a new development for fresh food. Previously, the FDA only allowed irradiation of some types of meat (like ground beef, due to E. coli) and a few spices.

Want to share your opinion or other comments about this with the FDA? The comment period is open until September 22, 2008, and may be submitted using the comment form at Regulations.gov. Be sure to include the docket number FDA-1999-F-2405 so the agency will know what rule you are commenting on.

The Federal Register contains a wealth of information about the rules, proposed rules and notices from government agencies. In fact, the Federal Register for this rule includes background information, safety information and summary of comments received to date. If you decide to submit comments, be sure to take a look at the Comment Summary in order to make your comments stronger and more relevant.

Curious about what else the FDA is doing? Take a look at Recalls.gov/food for safety alerts from both the FDA (food, pet food) and the USDA Food and Safety Inspection (meat, poultry, eggs). [Thanks to Laura McClanathan for the link suggestion!]

The California Budget

2008-08-20T12:17:00.000-07:00

As we venture into the 2008/09 fiscal year, increasing attention is being paid to our current lack of an approved state budget.

Interested in the budget process? Take a look at this flowchart and explanation from the Department of Finance. You may also want to take a look at these answers to frequently asked questions about the California budget. And if you want to read about the constitutional requirements of the budget procedures (including the "super majority" requirement), start with Article 4, Section 12 of the California Constitution.

If you want to find some of the documents in the aforementioned flowchart and explanation, here is:

The Governor's proposed and revised budget summaries and details

The Governor's State of the State address (2009)

Documents from the Legislative Analyst's Office (including "Analysis of the Budget Bill" and "Perspectives and Issues")

State Assembly Budget Committee Reports

For other perspectives on the California budget, check out
The California Budget Project: "CBP provides fact-based, nonpartisan analyses of state fiscal and tax policies and their implications for all Californians, especially low- and middle-income residents." For an education-centered perspective, see this overview and this March report from the California Postsecondary Education Commission.

For the latest information on the budget, you can:
Read the Governor's press releases and conferences, watch the California Channel webcasts of legislative floor sessions and press conferences, and read the Sacramento Bee's CapitolAlert

Update: February 3, 2009

The Public Policy Institute of California recently reported survey results indicating that a majority of Californians now support reducing the state budget vote threshold to a 55% majority rather than the current 2/3 super majority (see page 23 of "Californians and Their Government" January 2009). California is among only a handful of states that has a super majority requirement for budget passage. To learn more about budget procedures for the various states, check out the Legislative Budget Procedures page from the National Conference of State Legislatures.

NAFTA and CAFTA Starting Points

2008-08-13T09:33:00.000-07:00

Doing some research on free trade agreements such as NAFTA and CAFTA-DR? Here are some good places to start:

Find summaries and the full text of NAFTA and CAFTA-DR agreements (among others), advisory reports, press releases, fact sheets, etc. at the Office of the United States Trade Representative Website.

CQ Public Affairs Collection is a great place to find legislative chronologies and summaries of trade agreements. See Public Affairs Topics: International Trade & Development. (Requires OCA Access)

Interested in the environmental impacts of NAFTA? Check out the Commission for Environmental Cooperation.

For a wealth of resources on trade in the Americas, including links to statistical data sources, research on trade and gender, etc., visit the Organization of American State's Foreign Trade Information System.

Congress has held a great deal of hearings on NAFTA and CAFTA-DR agreements. Find them in electronic and/or print format using the UCSC library catalog Cruzcat. Try the subjects "Free Trade-- North America" and "Free Trade-- Central America." And for information on finding Congressional Research Service reports, check out the Gov Pubs Reference Shelf: Congress & CRS.

For practical business-oriented information on exporting under free trade agreements, try Export.gov.

Keep in mind that this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to these trade agreements. For additional assistance in finding information on more specific aspects of these and similar trade agreements, you can visit the reference desk in McHenry library, speak with a UCSC librarian via IM or email, and/or contact the government publications staff.

Offshore Drilling and Oil Exploration

2008-08-07T12:28:00.000-07:00

With oil prices hitting record highs (see this May 2008 Economic Newsletter from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas), there seems to be increased discussion about offshore oil drilling.

Here are some recent congressional hearings on the subject of oil drilling, exploration, in/dependence, etc.:
"Energy security and oil dependence : recommendations on policies and funding to reduce U.S. oil dependence"
"The Minerals Management Service’s proposed five-year program for oil and gas leasing on the outer continental shelf" (also available in print at McHenry library).

A number of congressional committees, including the House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources and the Senate Committee on Appropriations, are investigating this subject.

The White House has published a Fact Sheet: Allowing Offshore Exploration to Help Address Rising Fuel Costs; also be sure to check out the White House Energy page,.

To get some historical perspective, check out:
Former President George Bush's "Statement on Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Development" on June 26, 1990 and Former President Clinton's "Remarks to the National Oceans Conference in Monterey, California" on June 12, 1998 (both from the American Presidency Project at UCSB)
Public Law 101-512, passed November 5, 1990.
The brief Congressional Research Service report "Outer Continental Shelf: Debate Over Oil and Gas Leasing and Revenue Sharing" published October 2005.

The following government agencies also offer some information on offshore oil drilling and oil exploration:
Energy Information Administration
Minerals Management Service
US Department of Energy
California Coastal Commission
US Commission on Ocean Policy (active 2000-2004)

Also try searching in these library (OCA required) databases:
Lexis Nexis Congressional
CQ Weekly
CQ Public Affairs Collection

And keep watching the news headlines.

Foreclosures and the Subprime Mortgage Market

2008-08-06T10:13:00.000-07:00

With as many as one in every 151 homes receiving a foreclosure notice (July 25, 2008 press release from RealtyTrac), much attention is being given to home foreclosure activity and the mortgage market including the subprime mortgage market.

For foreclosure and mortgage statistics, a good starting point is Liber8, from the librarians at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. See "Current Economic Indicators" and "Recent Research."

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York has developed Dynamic Maps of Nonprime Mortgage Conditions in the United States.

For a slightly more local perspective, see the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco's website. They've set up a Foreclosure Resource Center page. You can also find a PDF version of "Identifying Issues in the Subprime Mortgage Market: The Bay Area" (a presentation by Carolina Reid, PhD) which includes quite a few charts and some statistics.

Keep in mind that it takes the government some time to compile these statistics, so more detailed statistics may not yet be freely available. For more information on finding statistics, see our guide on How to Find Statistics.

Research publications are continuing to emerge.
"Foreclosures in California" from the California Research Bureau Oct. 2008 (this is also available in print at McHenry library).
"Understanding Mortgage Foreclosure: Recent Events, the Process, and Costs" (Nov. 2007) from the Congressional Research Service (CRS)
"Subprime Mortgages: Primer on Current Lending and Foreclosure Issues" (Mar. 2007) from the CRS
"Information on Recent Default and Foreclosure Trends for Home Mortgages and Associated Economic and Market Developments" (Oct. 2007)from the Government Accountability Office
Turbulence in mortgage markets, implications for the economy and policy options" (Sep. 2007)

Congress is also holding hearings on foreclosures and the mortgage market. Recently published congressional hearings include:
H.R. 5679 : the Foreclosure Prevention and Sound Mortgage Servicing Act of 2008" (Apr. 2008)
Accelerating loan modifications, improving foreclosure prevention, and enhancing enforcement" (Dec. 2007)
"Progress in administrative and other efforts to coordinate and enhance mortgage foreclosure prevention" (Nov. 2007)
"Legislative Proposals on Reforming Mortgage Practices" (Oct. 2007)
"Legislative and regulatory options for minimizing and mitigating mortgage foreclosures" (Sep. 2007)
"Evolution of an economic crisis? : the subprime lending disaster and the threat to the broader economy" (Sep. 2007)
"Possible responses to rising mortgage foreclosures" (Apr. 2007)

How well is congress responding to the crisis? Check out "TROUBLED ASSET RELIEF PROGRAM: Status of Efforts to Address Defaults and Foreclosures on Home Mortgages" from the Government Accountability Office (Dec. 2008).

Many of these hearings are being held before the House Committee on Financial Services and the US Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. In the state of California, check out the publications from the State Senate Committee on Banking, Finance and Insurance. Transcripts from many of these hearings are also available in print at McHenry library.

The following databases (available on-campus or through OCA access) may also be useful in finding additional information:
Academic Search Complete from Ebsco
Regional Business News from Ebsco Host
EconLit

You can also search our collection of newspaper databases.

November 2009 Update:
Check out this bibliography on the Foreclosure Crisis from the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau: Tap the Power: Foreclosure Crisis