PEOPLE ON THE MOVE * Jonel C. Hill was named interim general manager of the newly created Los Angeles Information Technology Agency. Hill, appointed by Mayor Richard Riordan, was with Southern California Gas Company for 20 years and will serve until a permanent general manager is chosen. * Craig L. Brown has been appointed director of the California Youth Authority by Gov. Pete Wilson. Brown, who is on Government Technology Conference's Justice and Technology advisory board, was the agency's undersecretary since 1987. * Long-time Port Authority of New York and New Jersey administrator Anthony J. Barber was named vice president of intelligent transportation systems for Lockheed Martin IMS. * ProCAT named Rodney J. Nesbit as a court specialist. He will be responsible for nationwide marketing of records management products and educating court administrators in what and how technology can assist courts in operating more efficiently. * Vicky Noble has been named program assistant of the National Association of Information Resource Executives. She will work in NASIRE's conference management and committee support areas. * Compression Labs Inc. has named John Turner as director of education and health care, vertical markets group, which is a subdivision of the company's videoconferencing business unit.
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Atlanta Officers Armed With More Laptops ATLANTA - More field officers here will be using laptop computers, saving them from the scourge of paperwork. Mayor Bill Campbell announced that 116 police officers will get laptop computers and remote access to databases to help with community policing duties. "Community policing is the answer to making our neighborhoods safer," said Campbell. "Equipping our field officers with this technology brings us one step closer to bringing more bicycle and foot patrols to our neighborhoods." Users will be able to use the laptops to record incident reports and field interviews, and gain access to criminal databases to get information on repeat offenders.
Law-Enforcement Records Help a Phone Call Away SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The federal Bureau of Justice Statistics awarded a grant to SEARCH for assisting state efforts to improve criminal record management, implement the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act and other information technology projects. SEARCH will provide on-site assistance to states and concentrate on improving record disposition rates, as well as working on the completeness, accuracy and timeliness of criminal history records. The assistance is part of the federal National Criminal History Improvement Program. SEARCH will utilize contracted experts and its own staff expertise. For more information, call SEARCH's Sheila Barton at 916/392-2550.
Boston's Pay-By-Phone Funding Scholarships BOSTON - A scholarship fund set up by the mayor was boosted recently by a major credit card company from funds gained through the city's pay-by-phone system. Visa U.S.A. donated $20,000 recently to the Mayor's Scholarship Fund, twice as much as an original agreement between the company and the city. The money came from a system enabling persons to pay traffic tickets using a telephone and credit card. The program has been a great success, with $125,000 in traffic ticketspaid in June alone.
ITAA Forms State and Local Committee ARLINGTON, Va. - The Information Technology Association of America has formed a committee on state and local government. The industry association announced in a news release that the committee will promote a "public policy agenda which fuels market growth and speeds the delivery of information technology products and services to state and local customers."
The association includes 6,700 direct and affiliate members. A state and local government track will be offered at the group's conference Oct. 8-11 in Nashville.
100-200 wds ***EBT System Nears Judgment Day WASHINGTON D.C. - The Southern Alliance of States is anticipating a ruling this month on a federal lawsuit challenging the method being used to select a vendor for its regional electronic benefits transfer system. The federal judge hearing the case in D.C. District Court said he would issue an opinion Oct. 17. Transactive Corp. of Texas filed a lawsuit challenging the use of a procurement method which only allows financial institutions to respond. The Southern Alliance is using a U.S. Treasury Department procedure called an Invitation for Expressions of Interest to select a vendor for EBT transactions. A Treasury spokeswoman told Government Technology that the department has been proceeding with the selection process on the assumption that the judge would rule in its favor. A few dozen financial institutions had responded to the Southern Alliance's Invitation for Expressions of Interest by mid-August. In related news, Mississippi has joined the regional EBT agreement.
***Locals Fare Well in House Telecomm Bill WASHINGTON D.C. - Local government representatives are relatively pleased with the House's version of telecommunications reform passed in July, especially regarding the rights-of-way issue, which has been a prominent concern to cities and counties. Local governments did "very well," Barrie Tabin, an advocate for the National League of Cities, told Government Technology. "I can't put enough 'verys' in front of it," she said. Local governments would retain franchising authority under the House bill. The Senate version allows local control over rights-of-way and compensation, but not as much as the House bill. But local government didn't fare quite as well on some other issues. An amendment to strike a provision in the bill which gives the federal government the potential to control the placing of cellular phone towers didn't make it to the floor, and the provision remains in the bill. Tabin said this and other local issues may be worked out in conference committee. These include concerns over deregulating cable rates and local taxation. The House bill and the previously passed Senate version now go to a conference committee where members will attempt to iron out the differences. A single bill must then be approved by both houses before it is sent over for President Clinton's signature. Clinton has threatened to veto the bill because of concerns over a number of issues, including language which would lift restrictions on ownership of broadcast media in the same market.
New Law Enforcment IT Resource *** VIENNA, Va. - Sun Microsystems Inc. recently announced a new unit dedicated to providing law enforcement with information technology solutions, including imaging products and software. The company was already making inroads in the huge justice market on an ad hoc basis, but formalized efforts by creating the Criminal Justice Organization this summer. "Passed and pending crime legislation, bolstered by strong, worldwide public opinion on the need to address criminal justice issues have combined to create a rapidly growing market for effective information systems solutions," said John Marselle, president of Sun Microsystems Federal Inc. The new organization helps educate federal, state and local law enforcement and public safety agencies on what Sun offers, then can help agencies develop and implement solutions in conjunction with third-party vendors.
Another First: Campaign Contributions Online SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The state legislator most responsible for getting California legislative data online for public access has unilaterally raised the stakes. After the state Assembly defeated a Senate bill requiring legislators to file campaign contribution reports electronically, Assemblywoman Debra Bowen put her reports on the Internet. "Since I'm constantly beating the drum for electronic access to public records, I decided to put my money where my mouth is," said the Southern California Democrat. "I hope it won't be long before everyone follows suit." Bowen's records can be found at: http://www.mother.com/Bowen Public office holders are required by state law to periodically report campaign contributions on paper forms. If the information was submitted electronically, the information could be easily made available online. The defeated Senate bill was the second attempt by state Sen. Tom Hayden, a long-time "good government" activist, to require electronic submissions of campaign financing.
Poor Using More Online Job Searches WASHINGTON, D.C. - While inner city and rural poor households are least likely to have computers and modems, low-income persons are more likely to use computers and modems for education and to look for jobs. The survey - conducted by the U.S. Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration - is available at: http//www.ntia.doc.gov
Electric School Buses On the Way BALTIMORE - The Blue Bird Corp., whose buses have transported generations of school children, signed an agreement with Westinghouse Electric Corp. to build electric school and transit buses. Westinghouse will build electric drive trains, while Blue Bird will build the buses. The buses use 112 advanced lead acid batteries and have a range of 60 to 80 miles. The companies have collaborated in the past, and delivered an electric bus to a California school district last year. That electric bus costs about 10 cents per mile to operate, compared to up to 14 cents per mile for diesel.
Nation Building and the Web PRETORIA, South Africa (NB) - In another development in this country that was inconceivable a decade ago, the commission writing a new constitution here is using the World Wide Web to both gather and disseminate information. South Africa, which held its first all-inclusive election last year, is drafting a new constitution to replace an interim agreement currently in place. Included on the Web site, which is in English, are various proposals for constitutional provisions and drafts of the document. Given that most South Africans don't have Web access, the commission's idea is to distribute as much information as possible in various formats to encourage participation as the nation emerges from decades of exclusionary policies. The site can be reached at: http://www.constitution.org.za
Online TV Service Tested NEW YORK CITY (NB) - In an experiment that provides a glimpse at the not-so-distant future, Time Warner is testing a high-speed online service for personal computers via cable TV wiring in the Elmira, N.Y., area. The service began this summer, and eventually 500 schools, homes, libraries and government offices in Time Warner's Paragon Cable system will be online. The initial charge will be about $15, and the system provides a range of services, including news from around the globe, shopping, sports, weather, and electronic-mail. For an additional $10 per month, customers get full access to the Internet. Included in the basic monthly charge is cable modem rental. By using both the special modem and the broadband capacity of the fiber and coaxial network, users will be able to access information 100 times faster than through standard telephone lines, Time Warner said. Other online services available to customers through the new cable modems will include access to Time's Pathfinder, and online services like CompuServe.
Can't Get Lost PARK RIDGE, N.J. (NB) - Driving in unfamiliar cities can be a frustrating experience, as a wrong turn may lead a driver miles off course and hopelessl y lost. Car rental companies know this, and have responded by installing onboard navigation devices in some metropolitan areas. Hertz is the latest entrant, and has begun renting some cars with a "NeverLost" navigation device in nine metro regions across the country. NeverLost provides turn-by-turn driving instructions to virtually any location in each area via an in-car video screen, and computer-generated voice instructions. The units are manufactured by Rockwell Intl., with software provided by Zexel USA. The hardware and software use signals from a global positioning system.
Student Flunks Counterfeiting 101 LUBBOCK, Texas (NB) - A counterfeiting ring that allegedly used a PC and printer to make $50 bills was broken by the Secret Service here. A 20-year-old Texas Tech student allegedly scanned a real $50 bill into his PC, then printed the image to an Epson inkjet color printer. Agents said the money looked real at a distance but up close the designs were blurred, the coloration was faulty, and the paper was slick and didn't have a watermark strip. The PC and color printer were confiscated by the Secret Service, and the student and six other men were charged with manufacturing, possessing and distributing counterfeit money. Investigators also found a suitcase containing almost $260,000 in fake $50 bills at the student's house. Agents said only about $1,000 of the approximately $3,000 in fake currency remains in circulation.
Federal Online Resources Book WASHINGTON D.C. (NB) - Making effective use of federal online databases has been difficult because of different access methods, levels of service and support and types of data available. Each government department or agency that has gone online has generally done so independently, and the result is a lack of a common gateway or index to the resources. But in his new book, Washington Online 1995, Bruce Maxwell attempts to provide a comprehensive, clear and uniform access point to all government information accessible via the Internet. The recently published volume is the second of a two-part series. The first book Washington Online - How to Access the Government's Electronic Bulletin Boards deals with access to dial-up information databases maintained by government departments. The book is a 350-page catalog of government and government-related databases connected to the Internet. Maxwell has collected the information for both books as an investigative journalist and author covering Washington and the Federal Government. Washington Online 1995 is published by Congressional Quarterly Books at $19.95. For more information, call 1-800-638-1710.
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Bar Scrutinizes Technology, Privacy Protection WASHINGTON D.C. (NB) - The American Bar Association has created a task force to examine how personal privacy will be affected by emerging technology used by law enforcement investigators. Soon, the association said, walls will not be barriers to overhearing conversations or observing activity. Devices under development can scan a person from a distance for a concealed weapon. Criminal organizations may be able to hide transactions through sophisticated encryption. The ABA says little attention has been given to these developments and their impact on the balance between privacy and law enforcement. "Our homes and our persons - once considered safe havens - may no longer be protected by Fourth Amendment requirements," which protect against unreasonable search and seizures, says Sheldon Krantz, chairman of the new task force on technology and law enforcement. "Technological advances for law enforcement are both desirable and inevitable," said Krantz, "but we need informed discussion of the appropriate restrictions that should be placed on their uses. Existing statutes, case law, and administrative regulations do not begin to address the problems created by the new technologies." The task force will analyze existing and potential standards on such matters as visual surveillance, wiretapping and surveillance of electronic communication, search and seizure of data in computer systems, and the use of encryption by criminal organizations. Recommendations are expected to be made in about 24 months. The task force is composed of representatives from federal and state law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, the criminal defense bar, the judiciary and privacy experts.
Parental Control, Not Internet Cops Washington D.C. (NB) - Software companies and online providers demonstrated parental control technology on Capitol Hill this summer as the House debated ways to protect children from television and online programs deemed inappropriate by parents. A spokesman for America Online, which participated in the demonstration, said the companies "wanted to show that the private sector can provide tools to make online services and the Internet safe. There [are] currently tools in place for parents to block out material available today, rather than having some type of governmental intervention which will take a long time to activate." In one demonstration, an attempt to reach an Internet sex shop peddling "marital aids" was blocked by software called WebTrack from Webster Network Strategies. "Access-control solutions that are mandated by a slow-moving government bureaucracy to address the Internet simply won't work," said Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Calif.). "Regulators just can't keep up with this fast-paced technology. We need solutions that include parents, teachers and the online industry as part of the equation." "It's now clear that with readily available software, America's parents can child-proof the family computer," said Rep. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). Cox and Wyden cosponsored amendments to the House telecommunications reform bill to encourage online providers to make content blocking possible for parents. The amendment was added to the bill on a 420-4 vote in early August. The Senate bill, meanwhile, contains language sponsored by Sen. James Exon, D-Neb., which would hold Internet providers responsible for content available on or passing through their servers. "The Senate bill is doomed to fail because their idea of a Federal Internet Police will make the Keystone Cops look like crack crime fighters," Wyden said.
***Clarification An August item reporting Bill Malone's new position as state and local government account manager with Texas Instruments should have specified that his territory is Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana.
