F.A.A. to Review Rules on Use of Electronic Devices

The following is an excerpt from an article in 

The New York Times
Wednesday, August 29, 2012

F.A.A. to Review Rules on Use of Electronic Devices

By JAD MOUAWAD

Air travelers carrying smartphones, digital tablets and other electronic devices have long complained about having to turn off their gadgets until reaching an altitude of 10,000 feet.

On a clear day with no air traffic, that could mean shutting off the devices for 20 minutes or so. But if a flight is delayed, this form of electronic solitary confinement can last a lot longer — and pose a significant hardship for those desperate to connect.

“People are addicted to their phones and there is a lot of dead time when you are taxiing or in the air,” said Anne Banas, the executive editor of SmarterTravel.com, a consumer travel Web site.

Now the Federal Aviation Administration may be softening a bit on the restrictions, taking a first step in possibly accommodating the growing pervasiveness of digital technology.

The agency has initiated a review of its policies about electronic devices in all phases of flight, including takeoff and landing. The F.A.A. said Monday that it would set up a group composed of technology manufacturers, plane makers, pilots and flight attendants to examine the issues this fall. The group would report back within six months.

Their mission will be to figure out whether electronic devices can cause interference with the cockpit and when to allow their use without compromising safety. The F.A.A. said it was not considering lifting the prohibition on the use of cellphones during flight.

For more, visit www.nytimes.com.

Former Upper Big Branch Mine Superintendent Pleads Guilty to Felony Conspiracy 

U.S. Attorney’s OfficeMarch 29, 2012

Southern District of West Virginia(304) 345-2200

BECKLEY, WV—Gary May, 43, of Bloomingrose, West Virginia, pleaded guilty today in federal court before U.S. District Judge Irene C. Berger to conspiracy to impede the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s (MSHA) enforcement efforts at Massey Energy Company’s Upper Big Branch mine (UBB) between February 2008 and April 5, 2010. Upper Big Branch was the site of a fatal explosion on April 5, 2010 that killed 29 miners. May was the mine’s superintendent at the time of the explosion.

In February 2012, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia R. Booth Goodwin, II filed a one-count information against May, charging him with conspiracy to defraud the United States by impeding MSHA in carrying out its lawful functions.

“People who run coal mines have a fundamental obligation to be honest with mine regulators,” said U.S. Attorney Goodwin. “When mine operators resort to tricks and deceit to keep government officials in the dark, our mine safety system unravels and miners are put in harm’s way. The least we can do for coal miners is protect the integrity of the laws designed to keep them safe.”

“I’m pleased that Mr. May is cooperating with our investigation,” U.S. Attorney Goodwin continued. “We hope he can give us a better picture of what was going on at this company.”

May admitted that he and others conspired to impede MSHA in administering and enforcing mine health and safety laws at UBB. He acknowledged giving advance warning of MSHA inspections, often using code phrases to avoid detection. May also admitted to concealing health and safety violations when he knew inspections were imminent. The violations concealed included poor airflow in the mine, piles of loose and combustible coal, and scarcities of rock dust, which prevents mine explosions.

May also acknowledged that he ordered a mine examination book to be falsified. May said he told miners to rewire the methane gas detector on a piece of mine equipment so the equipment could run illegally.

May faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced on August 9, 2012.

The FBI and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General are handling the investigation. Counsel to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia Steve Ruby is handling the prosecution.

Accenture Upgrades Technology to Help Massachusetts Manage $45 billion Annual Budget

March 08, 2012

 

Accenture Upgrades Technology to Help Massachusetts Manage $45 billion Annual Budget

 

Commonwealth Raises Standards for State Budgeting and Forecasting

  

BOSTON, Mass.; March 8, 2012 –At a time when state governments face unprecedented challenges in meeting the needs of their citizens, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has implemented a new budget system and adopted standards that enhance the state’s ability to project and allocate financial resources throughout the fiscal year.

 

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) worked with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office for Administration and Finance (ANF) to complete the Commonwealth’s annual budget process using the new “Massachusetts Budget Application.”  

 

The system enhances the state’s ability to provide a uniform, consistent and comprehensive budget process for the state’s 156 agencies by creating a common approach to project budget needs and reviewing and approving budget proposals. A detailed workforce-planning capability now enables agencies to project spending by individual positions and full-time employee staffing levels.

 

The new system also provides administration officials with a powerful tool that creates the foundation for more informed decisions about allocations to support programs and services while providing increased visibility on how agencies match financial and personnel resources to critical services and needs.

 

“Our goal was to build a foundation for better analysis and continual enhancements of the state’s performance, leveraging information to improve outcomes and fulfill missions of each state agency as well as the Commonwealth’s fiscal responsibilities to its citizens,” said Matthew Gorzkowicz, Massachusetts undersecretary for Administration and Finance.

 

Additional features and benefits of the new system include:

• Ability to do detailed workforce planning and position-based budgeting
• All funds (Operating, Federal, Trust) budgeting and reporting capabilities
• Visibility into the budget development, review and approval process
• Detailed point-in-time capabilities that reconcile budgeted costs to actual expenditures
• Increased accuracy to project cash flow to better identify spending patterns

 

“State governments face new fiscal constraints and increased pressure to control costs,” said Pallavi Verma, Accenture senior executive. “Massachusetts has demonstrated leading-edge fiscal management and a commitment to its citizens.”  

 

Accenture will continue working with the Commonwealth on other budget-related projects, including consolidating the state’s budget technology platform, implementing a planning application for capital budgets, creating budget management dashboards for state executives and the production of the governor’s budget.

 

Learn more about Accenture’s work with governments on cost reduction and budget transformation and delivering Public Service for the Future.

 

About Accenture

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with more than 244,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries.  Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments.  The company generated net revenues of US$25.5 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2011.  Its home page is www.accenture.com.

 

# # #