In Depth Newscast – July 19

• The Thrift Savings Plan’s budget is raising a bit of controversy, Federal Times reports. Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board chairman Andrew Saul says he will vote against a proposed 12 percent increase to the budget. The TSP budget increased 24 percent in 2008, 6 percent in 2009 and 14 percent in 2010.
• The Army is taking a break from its enterprise e-mail project, Federal Computer Week reports.The project between the Army and DISA is taking a month long technical timeout. DISA and the Army both said there have been problems as they put the Army’s IT networks into a private cloud-based system.
• The two largest federal unions are urging feds to stand up against proposed cuts to their pay and retirement. AFGE National President John Gage says Congress is considering basing federal retirement calculations on a “high-5” rather than a “high-3,” meaning significantly lower retirement payouts for most workers. Meanwhile, NTEU rallied in New York to show pride in government work and protest any furloughs and layoffs that would be part of a deal to reduce the federal deficit.
• The U.S. Postal Service should put one of its 9 thousand pieces of real estate up as collateral, Federal Times reports.The agency’s inspector general says they should do this just in case the mail carrier has to shutdown. If the agency is unable to meet its debt obligations the proceeds from the property will to be able to cover some $55 billion in unfunded liabilities.
• Six senior Pentagon staff members have filed a complaint with the Defense Department Inspector General, according to Federal Times. The complaints are against the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, retired Marine Major Gen. Clifford Stanley for fraud, waste and abuse, and incompetence. The IG complaints are unsubstantiated, however they can warrant an investigation.
• One of the military’s top leaders says DoD IT is in the Stone Age. Joint Chiefs Vice Chairman Gen. James Cartwright says speeding up the military’s acquisition system is one hold-up to keeping its competitive edge. Federal Computer Week reported General Cartwright is praising the new cybersecurity strategy in a speech today.

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