FC: Federal agency hijinks: IRS, Post Office, Navy, and more

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

George () Orwellian Org was the first to send along the link to the WSJ 
article on the Al Qaeda computer nab:
http://www.msnbc.com/news/679996.asp?0dm=C247B

Duncan Frissell adds this article:
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,2001570021-2001606703,00.html

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Postal Service mismanaging e-commerce efforts
The Postal Service's ability to harness the power of the Internet is being 
hampered by mismanagement, according to the General Accounting Office.
In a new report, "U.S. Postal Service: Update on E-Commerce Activities and 
Privacy Protections," (GAO-02-79) GAO argued that the Postal Service has 
not met its expectations for e-commerce programs, such as electronic bill 
payment and online stamp sales. The Postal Service expected to generate 
$104 million from e-commerce initiatives last year. According to data 
provided to GAO, e-commerce initiatives generated less 1 percent of that in 
actual revenue.
"USPS continues to have difficulty defining, identifying and classifying 
its Internet-related initiatives, including e-commerce initiatives. 
Additionally, inconsistency remains in the implementation of its processes 
and controls for developing, approving and monitoring the performance of 
e-commerce initiatives," the report said.
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0102/010202.htm

IRS misses 2001 telephone customer service goals
Taxpayers who called the IRS last year for help waited longer to speak to 
agency representatives than they did during the 2000 tax filing season, 
according to a new report from the General Accounting Office.
Despite the agency's continued efforts to improve customer service over the 
phone, taxpayers remained on hold an average of approximately 36 seconds 
longer during the 2001 tax filing season than they did in 2000, GAO 
reported. Although the IRS slightly improved its response rate to the 
number of phone calls it received during the 2001 tax season, it failed to 
meet its 2001 performance targets for providing taxpayers with correct 
answers to their questions.
"Overall, IRS made limited progress in the 2001 tax-filing season toward 
its goal of providing world-class telephone service," said the report, "IRS 
Telephone Assistance: Limited Progress and Missed Opportunities to Analyze 
Performance in the 2001 Filing Season (GAO-02-212).
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0101/010201m1.htm

"On July 30, 2001, we testified before the Subcommittee on Government 
Efficiency, Financial Management, and Intergovernmental Relations on the 
results of our review of internal controls over purchase card activity at 
two Navy units in San Diego, California.1 In our testimony, which is 
reprinted in appendix I, we reported that the two Navy units we reviewed 
had a significant breakdown in internal controls over the $68 million in 
fiscal year 2000 purchase card transactions that we tested, leaving the 
Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) Systems Center and the 
Navy Public Works Center2 vulnerable to fraudulent, improper, and abusive 
purchases and theft and misuse of government property."
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d0232.pdf

U.S. Warns Sites Selling Biowarfare Protection Products
The FTC has warned 71 Web sites selling products that claim to protect 
against biowarfare agents to remove any claims they cannot support with 
scientific evidence or risk legal action.
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-8340388.html

Court OKs FTC's Power to Investigate Internet Advertising
A federal appeals court has upheld the Federal Trade Commission's
authority to investigate Internet advertising claims, even in cases where
such claims are made by companies already facing scrutiny from securities
regulators.
http://www.washtech.com/news/regulation/14414-1.html

Judge's Order Keeps Interior Department Sites Shut Down
The abrupt shutdown of Internet Web sites run by the U.S. Department
of the Interior four weeks ago has left Americans in the dark about
activities on millions of acres of federal lands, national parks and
monuments.
http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-000000666jan03.story

Military tribunal proposal loses some rough edges
Many details of a revamped plan to try terrorists before U.S. military 
tribunals remain unclear. One change -- requiring the tribunal's unanimous 
vote before any death entence can be imposed -- appears aimed at easing the 
concerns of America's European allies.
http://www.free-market.net/rd/654616413.html

Model state bio-terror law stirs controversy
A model bio-terrorism law is drawing criticism over the enormous power it 
grants state officials. These include the broad power to involuntarily 
quarantine and vaccinate citizens, as well as authority "to control, 
restrict and regulate ... food, fuel, clothing and other commodities, 
alcoholic beverages, firearms, explosives, and combustibles..."
http://www.free-market.net/rd/659136647.html

Scrutiny on lynx fraud grows
Federal agencies are joining forces for a joint investigation to determine 
why government employees planted evidence of a threatened wildcat species 
in national forests. The fraud could have resulted in the closure of the 
forests to many common activities.
http://www.free-market.net/rd/689378582.html

Maryland police seek law for easier wiretaps
Law enforcement officials from across Maryland are proposing legislative 
changes that would expand their power to monitor private telephone 
conversations. "There is reason to be concerned that the police will become 
Big Brother," said ACLU spokesman Dwight Sullivan.
http://www.free-market.net/rd/649006114.html




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