Throw the bond of sisterhood to the wind in California as Republican women step into the political arena only to face ranks of Republican women that are not so eager to support them. When I first read the headline, "California looks to Republican Women", I instantly thought, "Great! Nothing like watching fellow ladies climb to the top!"
However, reading the article in its entirety, I soon discovered that Republican women in California aren't so quick to jump on board to support Republican women candidates for office based purely on gender. The reason is simple: For a considerable bloc of California's female GOP voters, ideology trumps gender - and some Republican women activists say they're still waiting for proof of the candidates' conservative bona fides.
"Volunteering in America" Report
Open Government & Innovations Conference
(Day 1: July 21, 2009)
In the spirit of substantial change in America, Obama is chipping away at education reform. Obama is laying out the guidelines today for states to apply for funding to reform K-12 education through Race to the Top. Race to the Top provides $4.35 billion which is by far the largest pot of discretionary funding for K-12 education reform in the history of the United States.
In an effort to boost graduation rates and improve the overall quality of K-12 education, Obama is taking a courageous jump forward for education. Status quo is no longer an option for education according to Obama. His strong commitment to bringing change to America is clear. As events enfold, it will be interesting to see what kind of fundamental change can be accomplished by the Obama adminstration.
We are all pretty familiar with the use of social media networks and innovative tools in our private lives. We are witnessing the increased popularity of these tools amongst businesses, nonprofits, and campaigns. But what about the government? How can the government whose job it is to protect Americans dispense potentially private information to the public via social networks?
Today, at the
Open Government and Innovation Conference at the DC Convention Center, countless experts divulged their knowledge to find ways to marry innovation and government. Collaboration is power, and the government will not be left out of this powerful arena. The government is finding useful and beneficial ways to collaborate and communicate within networks.
Beyond agencies and departments finding ways to incorporate social media networks into their communication plan, I stumbled across a few other innovative and unique approaches to collaboration that caught my attention. For instance, Steve Ressler created a social network that is specific to government:
GovLoop. Prior to the sites existence, Ressler noticed a lack of conversation amongst agencies and different departments. To fill this void, GovLoop facilitates a conversation and interaction amongst 15,000 users today. Connections are forged through cool features such as:
- Member of the Week
- Project of the Week
- Ask the Design Expert
- A Leader Board complete with a Hall of Fame for active members
Overall, the two themes of Ressler's approach to government networking and innovation are fun and hardwork. The site clearly needs continual updating, and consequently, a constant supply of fresh and fun ideas.
GovLoop truly indicates how far we have come in social media. The government which is considerably a conservative body has found inventive ways to connect and communicate via progressive social media networks. The forum is open: what will this openness and collaboration mean for the government?
The National Conference of State Legislatures in Philadelphia this week is addressing many interesting and relevant topics. Among one of the most important, but seemingly most overlooked, is the role of the federal government in mega disasters. While I am sure most agree this should be on the short list of priorities, the American public's attention span is short, and with mega disasters such as hurricanes Katrina and Rita becoming more and more of a distant memory, the immediacy of the issue falls to the wayside being over shadowed by the economy, foreign policy, and health care.
At the NCSL they are focusing on the findings of the
Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government on this topic. In
this publication, produced in a total of seven reports, quantified the lessons learned, and made suggestions on how to amend national legislation such as the Stafford Act. One of the more interesting ideas was authorizing the President to appoint and "officer-in-charge" with pre-authorized funding to deploy experts (including experts from other government agencies).
"In the end, Katrina and Rita produced two disasters. The first was the immediate crisis created when the hurricanes made land fall. The second was the difficulty various levels of government had in working together to respond to the crisis."
- Karen Rowley, Author
Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government
Posted by: Lynn Stinson in NCSL on
Jul 20, 2009
The National Conference of State Legislatures is currently in progress in Philadelphia to discuss the many issues that are facing state government today. A wide range of issues are on the docket to be analyzed and reviewed by those that play an integral role in state legislatures. Issues that will be tackled are as follows, and range from state and local issues to using media and technology to working with the federal government to create successful legislation:
- "Rail Security Partnerships: Enhancing State Rail Security Through Innovation and Technology" - Railroad systems are on the fast track of using innovation to resolve previous issues. CSX Transportation discusses the merits of using advanced technology to create transparency and increased security on railroads.
- "Keys to Effective Media Relations and Message Development" - In politics, understanding how to work with the media is incredibly important to highlight crucial policy ideas and gain momentum in public support. Additionally, with the emergence and popularity of new media, a thorough understanding of social media networks is a skill that should be mastered when working in state government.
- "The Federal Poverty Agenda: A View from the White House" - Martha Coven, Special Assistant to the President, Mobility and Opportunity, and Wisconsin Representative Ruth Kagi will begin to wrestle with the ways the administration can address the poverty issue at a national level.
It should be an interesting and hopefully productive week here at the NCSL!
Posted by: Bryce Cullinane in health care on
Jul 18, 2009
Health care is issue number one this week in Washington. To help you weed through both sides of the debate, I spent some time collecting comments, articles and videos, that I think demonstrate both sides of the health care argument. It is my hope that after reading and listening to these, you will have a better sense of what both sides are saying in this monumental health care debate.
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We are all familiar with the exuberant message of Barack Obama's campaign: change. However, in light of a recent decision by Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, to construct a 7 mile road in Alaska, causing destruction to 381 acres of rainforest, I start to wonder.
Vilsack's approval of this, the first roadless logging contract in Alaska's Tongass National Forest, is no different than the policies of President Bush. The Tongass National Forest, about to be seriously diminished, is home to both endangered species and native Alaskan tribes. I have to wonder if this is the change the American people craved or just more of the same.
So tomorrow it's finally here: GSPM and Democratic GAIN's Progressive Political Career Bootcamp! The event looks like it is going to be great, we have some of the best people in progressive politics coming to share how they got to where they are today. Here's a look at the final agenda:
12:00 pm: Careers in Advocacy with:
