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Volume XXIII,
Number 26
July 30, 2002
1015 15th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005
202-347-7474
Fax
202-898-0068
www.acec.org
E-mail acec@acec.org
Ellen
Mullally, Editor
Francis George, Production Manager
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Business
ACEC's Market Watch: July/August Edition Enclosed FREE
This edition of Last Word includes a complimentary issue of ACEC's Market Watch bulletin reporting on the latest economic trends and market developments that impact the design industry. Don't miss out on insightful analysis of market trends, clients to watch and spending forecasts that impact your business. Subscribe today by calling ACEC Publications at 202-347-7474 or by visiting www.acec.org/publications.
Next Market Forecast Series Event Features NAVFAC's Wright
James Wright, chief engineer and director for capital improvements for the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC), will be the speaker for the next Market Forecast Series event on Thursday, Sept. 12. Join us at ACEC headquarters or participate via teleconference and the Internet as Wright discusses how the new fiscal year and new budget can translate into business for your firm.ACEC's Market Forecast Series goes right to the source to bring you federal market opportunities. For full details visit www.acec.org or email mfs@acec.org.
ACEC Discounts Let Members Ship For Less
Airborne Express is offering ACEC members savings of up to 25 percent on express shipping.
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Program highlights include guaranteed delivery, dedicated member support, and complete Internet shipping. To participate, call 1-800-MEMBERS (1-800-636-2377) and identify yourself as an ACEC member to receive your FREE Airborne Express Starter Kit. |
Other benefits and discounts offered through ACEC include:
- Insurance through the ACEC Business Trust, Life/Health Trust and Retirement Trust
- Discounted Hewlett-Packard, IBM and other brand-name products
- ACEC/MBNA MasterCard
- Sprint Long Distance
- Pennywise Office Products
- Hertz Car Rental
- And many more
OMB Director Daniels Says Outsourcing High On Bush Agenda
The OMB director emphasized that outsourcing offers "the opportunity for short-term savings...typically in the 20 percent to 50 percent range...and immediate payoff in terms of better service." Daniels also said that the various anti-outsourcing measures ACEC has defeated in recent weeks are "very anti-taxpayer…we should be pushing in just the opposite direction." The full text of the discussion will appear in the September/October issue of Engineering Inc. ACEC Strikes Down Another TRAC Amendment — Competitive Sourcing Fight ContinuesThe House of Representatives rejected another effort by Rep. Al Wynn (D-Md.) to attach a TRAC amendment to the F.Y. 2003 Treasury-Postal Appropriations Bill. Wynn authored two pieces of TRAC legislation last year that were defeated.The House did adopt an amendment offered by Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.), Frank Wolf (R-Va.) and Constance Morella (R-Md.) that seeks to halt the Bush administration's efforts to increase government efficiency by opening up more functions to competition from private industry. The amendment had been rejected last month during consideration by the House Appropriations Committee. Similar language was inserted at the committee level in the Senate version of the bill by Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.). OMB Director Mitch Daniels indicated he will recommend that the president veto the F.Y. 2003 Treasury-Postal Appropriations Bill if language restricting the administration's competitive sourcing initiative remains in the final version. The bill is scheduled for conference in September. ACEC will continue working with the administration and supporters on Capitol Hill to ensure that the Dorgan amendment is stripped from the final version of the bill. Go to the "Legislative Action Center" on www.acec.org to ask your senator to oppose the Dorgan amendment. ACEC's High-Priority Airport Streamlining Bill Passed By HouseLegislation passed by the House earlier this month will streamline the lengthy environmental review process for getting airport projects off the ground. ACEC heavily promoted the Airport Streamlining Approval Process Act of 2002 (H.R. 4481), which greatly improves the environmental review process and facilitates needed airport improvement projects.ACEC President Dave Raymond testified before the House Aviation Subcommittee last year, calling "insufficient coordination among multiple government agencies" the major underlying problem leading to construction delays. "We need to expedite airport improvements to alleviate congestion, and to save taxpayer money," he said. Raymond commended the House for addressing ACEC's concerns in H.R. 4481's passage: "The strong bi-partisan support for this legislation underscores the widespread recognition in Congress that needed airport upgrades are being unnecessarily delayed at the environmental review stage. The action by the House takes a long overdue step toward correcting this problem." The focus now shifts to the Senate, where a similar bill (S. 633) has been passed by the Senate Commerce Committee and awaits floor action. Go to the "Legislative Action Center" on www.acec.org to contact your senators today about S. 633. ACEC Backs Baucus Highway Funding InitiativeACEC is actively soliciting co-sponsors for the Maximum Economic Growth for America through the Highway Trust Fund (MEGA TRUST) Act (S. 2678). The bill, introduced by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), would boost highway spending by more than $2.5 billion per year by capturing the interest in the Trust Fund and correcting the revenue lost due to the ethenol subsidy.Passage of this bill is an important first step in boosting transportation funding. Go to the "Legislative Action Center" on www.acec.org to contact your senator about co-sponsoring S. 2678, or contact T.J. Schulz (202-347-7474 or tschulz@acec.org) for more information. ACEC, NSPE Sign MOU To Avoid Duplication Of EffortsACEC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) on July 16 that calls for the organizations to "collaborate more effectively, maximize use of resources, and avoid duplication of efforts."The agreement, signed by ACEC Chairman Dan DeYoung, ACEC President Dave Raymond, NSPE President Daniel Clinton, Jr., and NSPE Executive Director Patrick Natale, "clearly recognizes the major areas of focus for both organizations," DeYoung said. "As called for under ACEC's new strategic plan, it asks ACEC to take the lead as the industry's primary legislative advocate and resource for business practice information." Former Presidential Press Secretaries To Keynote ACEC Fall Conference
"Politics and the Economy" will be the theme when former U.S. Presidential Press Secretaries Joe Lockhart (Clinton administration) and Marlin Fitzwater (Reagan and Bush administrations) headline the keynote luncheon at ACEC's Fall Conference. The conference, focused on how to revitalize business in an uncertain economy, is
being held Oct. 23-26 at the breathtaking Westin Rio Mar Beach Resort in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.
Other top officials-including Jose Izquierdo, Puerto Rico's secretary of transportation; former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney Slater; and Dwight Beranek of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and chair of The Infrastructure Security Partnership-will be featured at sessions on "Bolstering America's Infrastructure." Slater will also receive ACEC's Distinguished Award of Merit. In addition, attendees will get the latest intelligence on "Changes in Strategy, Finance and Management," and "Surviving HR and IT Challenges." Go to www.acec.org, for more program details.
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