Eliminating Government Waste – is this a Sham?

Recently on the Office of Managemet and Budget (OMB) Blog, Director Peter R. Orszag wrote:

one of the steps we are taking to cut waste in government and boost performance is establishing a Do Not Pay List, a single source through which all agencies can check the status of a potential contractor or individual, so that a barred or ineligible individual or organization is not paid erroneously.

He cited the $100 Billion dollars that the US Government loses from improper payments, the vast majority of which is in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The website www.PaymentAccuracy.gov was launched as a resource for government buyers and payment processors to check-up on contractors, but since over 95% of the issues with improper payments happen within th HHS, government contractors aren’t really the issue. The real issue, I speculate, is with erroneous entitlement payments and federal programs that seem to be bleeding money.

Federal Contractors may get tighter scrutiny as a result of this site, and it certainly seems that they are getting thrown under the bus. The true issue, when you view the website is in the broken federal programs, not dishonest government contractors.

Keeping Your Energy High in the Office Setting

I know this is not a post about GSA Contracts or getting on schedule but in order to succeed in business you need drive, and your daily drive to succeed is fueled by energy. So, I have a tip on how to keep your energy high while you sit in the same chair for hours on end. Lat week I traded my comfortable, probably very ergonomic office chair for an exercise ball. This probably seems crazy to some, but there are benefits you may want to consider before passing judgement. By sitting on an exercise ball, you are in a constant state of balancing, and this has many healthful advantages:

1. Improved Circulation – Blood flow is increased to all parts of your body throughout the day.
2. Better Balance – every time you move, you must re-balance. Imagine how much your balance will improve with 8+ hours of practice, 5 days a week.
3. Spine Alignment – On an exercise ball, you are constantly balancing your body. The perfect spinal posture is coincidently the easiest to balance with.
4. Higher Energy – In addition to burning 350 calories each day, your energy will increase. It has been proven that staying in one position, will make you more tired, while moving around and being active with give you more energy.

The long-term effects of sitting on an exercise ball throughout the day are extraordinary, and you can harness the improved health and energy level into drive to land the big federal contracts.