Government Technology - August 2008 - (Page 8)

the last mile Group Publisher: EDITORIAL Editor: Associate Editors: DON PEARSON dpearson@govtech.com BY C HA D VA NDER VEEN ASSOCIATE EDITOR STEVE TOWNS stowns@govtech.com EMILY MONTANDON emontandon@govtech.com CHAD VANDER VEEN cvanderveen@govtech.com MIRIAM JONES mjones@govtech.com KAREN STEWARTSON kstewartson@govtech.com JIM MCKAY jmckay@govtech.com ELAINE RUNDLE erundle@govtech.com ANDY OPSAHL aopsahl@govtech.com MATT WILLIAMS mwilliams@govtech.com HILTON COLLINS hcollins@govtech.com CORTNEY TOWNS ctowns@govtech.com TOD NEWCOMBE tnewcombe@govtech.com MERRILL DOUGLAS, KAYT SUKEL Chief Copy Editor: Managing Editor: Justice and Public Safety Editor: Copy Editor: Features Editor: Assistant Editor: Staff Writer: Editorial Assistant: Contributing Editor: Contributing Writers: DESIGN Creative Director: Senior Designer: Graphic Designers: Illustrator: Production Director: Production Manager: Internet Director: PUBLISHING VP Strategic Accounts: VP Bus. Development: Should the Inside be Out? s I write this I am feeling mixed emotions. I’m sure most of my fellow Sacramento Kings fans are as well. News broke that disgraced NBA referee Tim Donaghy, convicted of betting on games he officiated, claimed in court documents that a certain seven-game playoff series in 2002 was rigged for the league’s benefit. The only series from that year to go seven games was the fabled contest between the Kings and the vile Los Angeles Lakers. It just so happens that Game 6 of that series went down as one of the most shoddily officiated games in sporting history — so much so that observers across the country suspected it of being rigged to ensure a Lakers victory. In fact, it was so bad consumer advocate Ralph Nader filed a letter with the NBA demanding the league investigate the “notorious officiating.” This latest incident is another black mark for the NBA, a company that goes to great lengths promoting a fan-friendly image. And since the Donaghy scandal, the NBA says its operations have become more transparent. It’s this transparency that league commissioner David Stern maintains is guarding against corruption. But the truth is there have long been suspicions that NBA officials routinely and purposely alter the course of certain games. When it comes down to brass tacks, the NBA is a business enterprise first and an athletic competition second. That being the case, it certainly makes financial sense that large market teams like Los Angeles reach the league’s pinnacle series. It also makes financial sense for high-profile series to be extended as long as possible. And from a business perspective, it makes no sense at all for the NBA to actually be transparent. In government, there is a constant call for agencies to be transparent. Many people argue they should be able to see where money is coming from, where it is, and where it goes. After all, government is of the people, by the people and for the people, right? Earlier this year, The Sacramento Bee provoked outrage when it published a California state employee database that listed names, positions and salaries. The newspaper argued public employees’ salary information is, in fact, public. However, many public employees were furious, claiming their privacy had been violated. Had it? Did it ever exist in the first place? Despite the outrage, the question remains: Shouldn’t the public be able to find out whatever it wants regarding government? As for the private sector, if business is on the upand-up, there shouldn’t be anything to hide. That’s dangerous logic. Besides, it’s far easier to not be transparent and probably more profitable too. Why would any organization be transparent if it doesn’t have to be? Government could take a page from the NBA by simply appeasing the masses with an illusion of transparency. That must have been what Stern thought. That is, until a man he thought he’d seen the last of called foul. KELLY MARTINELLI kmartinelli@govtech.com CRYSTAL HOPSON chopson@govtech.com MICHELLE HAMM mhamm@govtech.com JOE COLOMBO jcolombo@govtech.com TOM MCKEITH tmckeith@govtech.com STEPHAN WIDMAIER swidm@govtech.com JOEI HEART jheart@govtech.com JUDE HANSEN jhansen@govtech.com JON FYFFE jfyffe@govtech.com TIM KARNEY tkarney@govtech.com EAST PAM FYFFE pfyffe@govtech.com WEST, CENTRAL LESLIE HUNTER lhunter@govtech.com EAST SHELLEY BALLARD sballard@govtech.com WEST, CENTRAL MELISSA CANO mcano@govtech.com EAST ERIN HUX ehux@govtech.com WEST, CENTRAL GLENN SWENSON gswenson@govtech.com KRISTA O’SULLIVAN kosullivan@govtech.com LISA DOUGHTY ldoughty@govtech.com SABRINA SHEWMAKE sshewmake@govtech.com CHRISTINE CHILDS cchilds@govtech.com ANDREA KLEINBARDT akleinbardt@govtech.com WHITNEY SWEET wsweet@govtech.com LANA HERRERA lherrera@govtech.com KARIN PRADO kprado@govtech.com STACEY TOLES stoles@govtech.com JIM MEYERS jmeyers@govtech.com VIKKI PALAZZARI vpalazzari@govtech.com PETER SIMEK psimek@govtech.com MICHELLE MROTEK mmrotek@govtech.com JULIE DEDEAUX jdedeaux@govtech.com GOSIA USTASZEWSKA subscriptions@govtech.com Sr. Director of Sales: Regional Sales Directors: Account Managers: Business Development Dir.: Bus. Dev./Sales Associates: Regional Sales Admins: Dir. of Marketing: Dir. of Custom Events: Associate Dir. of Custom Events: Custom Events Coordinator: Dir. of Custom Publications: Custom Publications Writer: Dir. of Web Products and Services: Web Services Manager: Proj. Manager, Web Products and Services: Web Advertising Manager: Subscription Coordinator: CORPORATE CEO: Executive VP: Executive VP: CAO: CFO: VP of Events: Marketing Director: DENNIS MCKENNA dmckenna@govtech.com DON PEARSON dpearson@govtech.com CATHILEA ROBINETT crobinet@centerdigitalgov.com LISA BERNARD lbernard@govtech.com PAUL HARNEY pharney@govtech.com ALAN COX acox@govtech.com DREW NOEL dnoel@govtech.com Government Technology is published by e.Republic Inc. Copyright 2008 by e.Republic Inc. All rights reserved. Government Technology is a registered trademark of e.Republic Inc. Opinions expressed by writers are not necessarily those of the publisher or editors. Article submissions should be sent to the attention of the Managing Editor. Reprints of all articles in this issue and past issues are available (500 minimum). Please direct inquiries to the YGS Group: Attn. Erik Eberz at (800) 290-5460 ext.150 or governmenttechnology@theygsgroup.com. Subscription Information: Requests for subscriptions may be directed to Circulation Director by phone or fax to the numbers below. You can also subscribe online at www.govtech.com. 100 Blue Ravine Rd. Folsom, CA 95630 Phone: (916) 932-1300 Fax: (916) 932-1470 www.govtech.com AUG_08 PRINTED IN THE USA 8 http://www.govtech.com http://www.govtech.com http://www.govtech.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Government Technology - August 2008

Government Technology - August 2008 Contents Point of View The Last Mile Big Picture On the Scene Four Questions for... Net Gains A Government Technology® Industry Profile: CA CA Contents IT Network Management: State and Local Governments Face New Challenges MyFloridaNet Arkansas Department of Information Systems Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Government Tightens Its Belt Rocking the Vote High-Speed Portal Project On Track Wi-Fi on a Shoestring From Paintball to Video Virtually Vulnerable How It Works Products signal:noise

Government Technology - August 2008

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