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Editors Note: Often we hear from people who signed up, but aren't receiving the Texas Government Insider™. In nearly all cases, the problem turns out to be spam filtering on the receiving end. We strongly support the elimination of undesired email and applaud the use of technology to filter it. Occasionally, however, such filters prevent email that the recipient wants to receive. If you have been unable to receive the Texas Government Insider™ or suddenly stop receiving it, we urge you to contact your information technology department to see if this was the cause. 
Alford Named Chancellor of Baylor College of MedicineThe board of trustees of Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) has selected Dr. Bobby R. Alford to be chancellor. Alford, who had served as executive vice president and dean of medicine at BCM, will continue to serve as chair of the college's Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Communicative Sciences. Alford serves as chief of service in otorhinolaryngology at The Methodist Hospital, Ben Taub General Hospital and the DeBakey Veteran's Affairs Medical Center. He is also chair of the board and CEO of the National Space Biomedical Research Institute, a consortium of 12 universities. Alford is replacing Dr. William T. Butler as chancellor. Butler, the college's second president, will join Dr. Michael E. DeBakey as chancellor emeritus of BCM. DeBakey was the college's first president. State Announces $13 Million Commitment to Red River Army DepotGov. Rick Perry has announced that the state will commit $13 million for infrastructure improvements to the Red River Army Depot in an effort to secure continued and expanded missions as part of the federal Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process. The financial commitment is contingent on a U.S. Department of Defense decision to expand operations at the Red River Army Depot. The funds would be made available through the Texas Department of Transportation. Transportation Commission Approves Strategic PlanThe Texas Transportation Commission's approval this week of the strategic plan for the Texas Mobility Fund, which is funded primarily through traffic fines, paves the way for disbursement of $3 billion in new transportation funds. The plan gives high priority to toll roads and transit projects in Texas' eight metropolitan areas. The strategic plan directs that two-thirds of Mobility Fund bonds be used for transportation improvements in the metro regions. Candidate projects must be able to match mobility funds with tolls or other sources. For the first time, mass-transit lines are included on the list of eligibile projects. Principles guiding the plan include:
Also at its meeting, the commission approved the formation of a Regional Mobility Authority (RMA) for Cameron County. It will be the state's fourth RMA. 
EAA Appoints Danielson Interim General ManagerThe board of directors of the Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA) has appointed Velma R. Danielson to be interim general manager. Danielson, who is currently deputy general manager of the regulatory agency, has worked for the authority and its predecessor agency for the last 14 years. The authority's previous general manager, Gregory M. Ellis, resigned, with an effective date of October 4. He will serve as a consultant to the authority, which regulates pumping from teh aquifer across an eight-county region, until the end of the year. Deputy Director of Sunset Commission To Participate in Next Week's Legislative ConferenceKen Levine, Deputy Director of the Sunset Commission, will serve on a panel on Government Organization & Reform at next week's Legislative Communications Conference. Levine has served as Deputy Director since 1995. He has worked for the Sunset Commission and the Texas Legislature in various roles since 1981 and has performed or supervised policy evaluation projects in almost every functional area of state government. During the 78th legislative session, Levine assisted Senator Ellis and the Government Organization Committee. He also serves on the Government Technology Conference Advisory Board. Levine has a BA in Government from the University of Texas at Austin and a Masters in Public Affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. Registration is still open for the conference, which is jointly sponsored by SPI and the LBJ School of Public Affairs. The conference will be held October 7th at U.T.'s J.J. Pickle Center. Keynote speakers are Bruce Gibson, Chief of Staff for Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst, and Senator Steve Ogden. For more information on the conference or to register, visit SPI's website. TBPC Publishes Contract Management ManualAs reported in the State Contracting article in the August 13th Texas Government Insider™, SB 311 (77th session) directed the creation of a Contract Management Guide and HB 3042 (78th session) transferred the lead role for its creation to the Texas Building and Procurement Commission (TBPC). TBPC has informed the Insider that the Guide will be accessible from their home page - (www.tbpc.state.tx.us) by close of business today. SB 311 was authored by Sen. Judith Zaffirini who our readers will recall was recently asked to chair a new Senate Finance subcommittee on contracts. That subcommittee held its first hearing this week and a good deal of the focus was on determining the progress that had been made on the guide, training, and the activities of the Contract Advisory Team. The committee's next hearing is scheduled for October 11th at which the Chair has indicated they will begin looking at specific problem areas. State Juvenile Accountability Programs To Receive $8 Million in GrantsThe State has awarded $8 million in grants to 94 programs addressing juvenile delinquency. These grants are awarded under the federal Juvenile Accountability Block Grant program (JABG). Juvenile accountability programs focus on holding juvenile offenders accountable while providing intervention services. The grants will help establish juvenile drug court programs, conduct risk and needs assessments of young offenders, and hire necessary detention and corrections personnel. Funding will also be used for crime control and prevention training for law enforcement officers and court personnel. The grants are distributed by the Governor's Criminal Justice Division. Award recipients include:
For a complete list of awards, click here. Commission of 125 Issues Report on Future of UT-AustinThe Commission of 125, a group of citizens brought together to look at ways The University of Texas at Austin can best serve Texas and the larger society in the next 25 years, has recommended a review of the university's undergraduate core curriculum and a "more demanding standard for leadership" of its academic departments and research centers. In its final report presented this week to UT President Dr. Larry R. Faulkner the commission examined topics such as the university's enrollment size, admissions policies, the quality of undergraduate and graduate programs, and research endeavors The commission's vision for UT-Austin is: "The University of Texas will be the best in the world at creating a disciplined culture of excellence that generates intellectual excitement, transforms lives and develops leaders. The University of Texas will define for the 21st century what it means to be a university of the first class." The commission included business executives, poets, military officers, newspaper publishers, civic leaders, physicians, government officials and the former presidents of five major universities, including Texas A&M and Rice universities. This is the third time the university has convened a commission of citizens to look at ways the university can improve. To view the final report, click here. Austin Broadcaster Joins Comptroller's OfficeDick Ellis, former news anchor and reporter for KTBC-TV Channel 7 in Austin, has been named Communications Director for the Texas Comptroller's Office. In his new role, Ellis will oversee the agency's public information department. He will ensure that information of public interest regarding agency hearings, meetings and other news of interest from the Comptroller's office is disseminated to the public and news media. Ellis began his broadcasting career in Austin in 1970 at KTBC AM/FM/TV. After working his way up to Assistant News Director, he went to work as Assistant Director of the Public Information Office for the City of Austin in 1978. A few years later, he returned to broadcast media where he worked as a news director, anchor and reporter. During his broadcasting career, he co-anchored three newscasts which were named Best in America by United Press International (UPI). He also received an award for Best Spot News Coverage in America by UPI. El Paso Could Tap Into Enterprise FundEl Paso and other border cities have yet to receive any help from the $295 million Texas Enterprise Fund that lawmakers created last year to help lure jobs to Texas. But El Paso could soon tap into the fund, according to Jeff Moseley, director of the Texas Department of Economic Development. Community leaders are preparing El Paso's first application for enterprise funds. They have been meeting with two companies which could bring high-tech and high-paying jobs to El Paso. If a deal with one of the companies is reached, El Paso could land up to 500 high-tech- related jobs, each paying $50,000 a year. About $172 million of enterprise funds have been used, resulting in nearly 15,000 new jobs created by 12 companies and medical schools. Some border legislators have expressed anger that the funds have not been used in the border region. $10 Million in Texas Enterprise Funding Awarded To Internet2 ProjectNearly $10 million dollars from the Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF) has been awarded to the Internet2 project, a consortium of 207 universities, governments and industries working on advanced networks and development of new Internet technology. The Lonestar Education and Research Network, made up of 31 Texas colleges and universities, will use $7.5 million of the total award to create a sophisticated networking backbone in Texas that will be connected to the most advanced networks in the country, including the Internet2 network and National LambdaRail, a new coast-to-coast optical fiber network that will be four times as fast as existing technology. The rest of the grant money will be used to further develop the Texas Internet Grid for Research and Education and allow the universities to share high-performance computing, data storage and visualization resources. Regarding the award, Gov. Rick Perry said: "These funds, made available by the Texas Enterprise Fund, will put Texas institutions of higher learning on the cutting edge of network capabilities, help Texas compete for research dollars and jobs in new industries and enable the development of revolutionary Internet applications that will benefit academia, industry and the public." Next Legislative Session Drawing NearThe 79th Texas Legislature will convene in less than three and a half months - January 11, 2005. Hot topics are expected to be school finance and the reform of the Texas workers' compensation system. Some important upcoming legislative dates are:
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Strategic Partnerships, Inc. (SPI) is a Texas-based, nine year old research and knowledge based consulting firm offering business development and public affairs services. To learn more about SPI services click here or contact Crystal Kuhs at 512-531-3900.
Governor's Latest Appointments
Texas Receives $307.4 Million For HighwaysTexas received $307.4 million for highway construction when Congress approved an eight-month extension of temporary highway funding this week. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, a member of the conference committee seeking to create a six-year transportation bill, negotiated an extra $22 million for Texas above the Senate's highway funding offer, according to a press release issued by his office. Lawmakers are still trying to reach an agreement on the multiyear transportation bill. Trauma Centers Receive $18 MillionMore than $18 million has been distributed to trauma centers across Texas from the Texas Driver Responsibility Program (TDRP), according to Gov. Rick Perry. The program increases fines on habitually bad drivers with a portion of the penalties going to the state's trauma centers. In total, the program is expected to raise $1 billion for the state's trauma care centers through 2008. Trauma centers receiving funding include Parkland Health and Hospital System in Dallas ($2.3 million), Ben Taub General Hospital in Houston ($1.8 million), University Hospital in San Antonio ($1.1 million) and Brackenridge Hospital in Austin ($483,349). For a complete list of trauma funding recipients, click here. Event LinksLegislative Communications Conference - 10/7/2004 Texas Municipal League Annual Conference - 10/27/04 - 10/29/04 Fall 2004 Biometrics Summit - 10/26/04 - 10/28/2004 Mobile & Wireless Technology Forum for Texas Government - 10/28/04 Texas Association of Secondary School Principals Fall Institute - 11/7/04 - 11/9/04 2004 UST Management & Compliance Assistance Seminar 12/09/04 WIN TEXAS GOVERNMENT BUSINESSFor a FREE TRIAL of SPI's Future Opportunity Analysis and Bid Monitoring services click here. 
SPI has a dedicated Information Services (IS) Division that researches governmental entities and analyzes data for future and current business opportunities. Our team studies and reviews strategic plans, legislative appropriations requests, appropriations bills, and budgets to identify potential business projects. IS provides these key services and products:
Please contact SPI's Crystal Kuhs at ckuhs@spartnerships.com for more details. Past ABJ articles by Mary Scott NabersTexas cities looking to rails to solve traffic woes - 9/24/2004 Biometrics growth identified as future windfall - 9/10/2004 Contractors can capitalize on military growth - 8/27/2004 Texas Government Insider ArchivesVolume 2 Issue 38 - 09/24/04 Volume 1 and Volume 2 Archives - 11/7/03 - 9/17/04 News from Strategic Partnerships, Inc.
Brian Kelsey Joins SPI's Research Team
ResourcesWho Represents Me? Texas Districts By Address Financial Review of Two Cost Recovery Programs at the Department of Information Resources Diagram of Legislative Process in Texas Diagram of Texas' Biennial Budget Cycle Public Hearings/MeetingsHouse Committee on Ways and Means--10:00am, October 4, Capitol Extension, E2.010 House Select Committee on Child Welfare & Foster Care--10:00am, October 4, Capitol Extension, E1.010 Senate Finance Committee--9:00am, October 4 and 5, Capitol Extension, E1.036 Senate Intergovernmental Relations Committee--9:00am, October 6, Capitol Extension, E1.028 Senate International Relations and Trade Committee--9:30am, October 6, Texas A & M International University, Student Center Ballroom, 5201 University Blvd., Laredo House Committee on Human Services--10:00am, October 7, Capitol Extension, E2.014
Signing Up for the Texas Government Insider™We welcome you to add your friends and co-workers to the Texas Government Insider™ distribution. Simply click the Sign up for our mailing list icon near the top of this issue. Occasionally, we learn about people who signed up, but didn’t get the Texas Government Insider™. In nearly all cases, the problem turned out to be spam filtering on the receiving end. We strongly support the elimination of undesired email and applaud the use of technology to filter it. Occasionally, however, such filters prevent email that the recipient wanted to receive. If you have been unable to receive the Texas Government Insider™ or suddenly stop receiving it, we urge you to contact your information technology department to see if this was the cause. |
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Governor's Volunteer Leadership ConferenceThe Governor's Volunteer Leadership Conference is one of the largest gatherings of volunteer managers and community leaders in Texas. The conference provides excellent training and technical assistance for volunteer managers, program directors and administrators. Representatives from state, national and corporate volunteer programs as well as community, faith-based, education, and volunteer centers participate. The conference will be held Oct. 6-7 at the Renaissance Austin Hotel. For more information or to register, click here. TML Annual Conference & ExhibitionThe Texas Municipal League (TML) will host their annual conference October 27 - 29 at the AmericanBank Center in Corpus Christi. Presentations include: Capital Project Planning from A to Z: The Players, The Processes and The Products and Toward E-Government: Planning and Investing for Success. For more details, visit: www.tml.org. E-Records 2004: Compliance and Conversion SolutionsThe Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) and the Department of Information Resources (DIR) will host a one-day conference on November 18 for state government officials involved in the management of electronic records. This e-records conference seeks to improve electronic records management in Texas government through the use of statewide standards and best practices. The conference will focus on the conversion from paper records to electronic records. The conference will be held at The Commons Center on the University of Texas' J.J. Pickle Research Campus in Austin. For more details, click here. EWTG 18th Annual Professional Development ConferenceThe 18th Annual Executive Women in Texas Government (EWTG) Professional Development Conference will be held on November 22 at the Renaissance Austin Hotel. EWTG is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that develops and encourages leadership among women in Texas government and higher education. The theme of this year's conference is: Leadership for a Changing Texas. Texas Commissioner of Education Dr. Shirley J. Neeley will be the morning keynote speaker and Mary Scott Nabers, president and CEO of Strategic Partnerships, Inc. will give the afternoon keynote address. For more information on the conference, click here. |
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