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2000 Census: Coverage Measurement Programs' Results, Costs, and Lessons Learned

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "To help measure the quality of the 2000 Census and to possibly adjust for any errors, the U.S. Census Bureau (Bureau) conducted the Accuracy and Coverage Evaluation (A.C.E.) program. However, after obligating around $207 million for A.C.E. and its predecessor program, Integrated Coverage Measurement (I.C.M.), from fiscal years 1996 through 2001, the Bureau did not use either program to adjust the census number… more
Date: January 29, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Accounting Firm Consolidation: Selected Large Public Company Views on Audit Fees, Quality, Independence, and Choice

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The largest accounting firms, known as the "Big 4," currently audit over 78 percent of U.S. public companies and 99 percent of public company annual sales. To address concerns raised by this concentration and as mandated by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, on July 30, 2003, GAO issued a report entitled Public Accounting Firms: Mandated Study on Consolidation and Competition, GAO-03-864. As part of that study, G… more
Date: September 30, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Acquisition Management: Agencies Can Improve Training on New Initiatives

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The federal government is dramatically changing the way it purchases goods and services by relying more on judgment and initiative versus rigid rules for making purchasing decisions. Congress has enacted a series of reforms to help the government adapt to this environment. GAO was asked to assess strategies agencies are using to ensure that their acquisition workforces are receiving the training needed to oper… more
Date: January 15, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Agricultural Conservation: USDA Needs to Better Ensure Protection of Highly Erodible Cropland and Wetlands

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Annually, over a billion tons of soil erodes from the nation's cropland, and thousands of other acres, including wetlands, are converted to new cropland. Soil erosion reduces the land's productivity and impairs water quality; drained wetlands reduce flood control. Under the 1985 Food Security Act, farmers risk losing federal farm payments if they do not apply conservation practices to reduce erosion or if they… more
Date: April 21, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Agricultural Research: USDA's Outreach to Minority-Serving Institutions Could Improve Grant Competition

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awards more than $200 million annually to universities and colleges to support its research, education, and extension missions. USDA's largest grant program is the National Research Initiative (NRI). GAO was asked to examine the (1) success of minority-serving institutions in competing for NRI research grants, (2) factors that could improve their success in competing f… more
Date: May 14, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Airline Labor Relations: Information on Trends and Impact of Labor Actions

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Labor negotiations in the airline industry fall under the Railway Labor Act. Under this act, airline labor contracts do not expire, but instead, become amendable. To help labor and management reach agreement before a strike occurs, the act also provides a process--including possible intervention by the President--that is designed to reduce the incidence of strikes. Despite these provisions, negotiations betwee… more
Date: June 13, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Airline Ticketing: Impact of Changes in the Airline Ticket Distribution Industry

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "In 2002, when major U.S. airlines posted net operating losses of almost $10 billion, they paid over $7 billion to distribute tickets to consumers. Of these total distribution expenses, airlines paid hundreds of millions of dollars in booking fees to global distribution systems--the companies who package airline flight schedule and fare information so that travel agents can query it to "book" (i.e., reserve and… more
Date: July 31, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Airport and Airway Trust Fund: Financial Outlook Is Positive, but the Trust Fund's Balance Would Be Affected If Taxes Were Suspended

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The multibillion dollar Airport and Airway Trust Fund (Trust Fund) provides most of the funding for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The Trust Fund relies on revenue from 10 taxes, including passenger ticket, fuel, and cargo taxes. Concerns about the financial outlook of the Trust Fund have emerged recently given the downturn in passenger air travel, requests from the airlines to suspend some of the … more
Date: September 15, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Airport Passenger Screening: Preliminary Observations on Progress Made and Challenges Remaining

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Passenger screening is critical to the security of our nation's aviation system, particularly in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is tasked with securing all modes of transportation, including the screening of airline passengers. TSA has met numerous requirements in this regard, such as deploying more than 50,000 federal screeners at o… more
Date: September 24, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Alaska Native Villages: Most Are Affected by Flooding and Erosion, but Few Qualify for Federal Assistance

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Approximately 6,600 miles of Alaska's coastline and many of the low-lying areas along the state's rivers are subject to severe flooding and erosion. Most of Alaska's Native villages are located on the coast or on riverbanks. In addition to the many federal and Alaska state agencies that respond to flooding and erosion, Congress established the Denali Commission in 1998 to, among other things, provide economic … more
Date: December 12, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Ambulance Services: Medicare Payments Can Be Better Targeted to Trips in Less Densely Populated Rural Areas

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently implemented a Medicare ambulance fee schedule in which providers are paid a base payment per trip plus a mileage payment. An adjustment is made to the mileage rate for rural trips to account for higher costs. CMS has stated that this rural adjustment may not sufficiently target providers serving sparsely populated rural areas. The Medicare, Medicaid, … more
Date: September 19, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Architect of the Capitol: Management and Accountability Framework Needed for Organizational Transformation

Description: A chapter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Office of the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) plays an important role in supporting the effective functioning of the Congress and its neighboring institutions. With a budget of $426 million, AOC is responsible for the maintenance, renovation, and new construction of all buildings and grounds within the Capitol Hill complex. GAO was mandated by the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2002, to conduct a c… more
Date: January 17, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Aviation and the Environment: Strategic Framework Needed to Address Challenges Posed by Aircraft Emissions

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Although noise has long been a problem around airports, the anticipated growth in demand for air travel has also raised questions about the effect of airport operations on air quality. Aviation-related emissions of nitrogen oxides, which contribute to the formation of ozone, have been of particular concern to many airport operators. A federal study at 19 airports estimated that, by 2010, aircraft emissions hav… more
Date: February 28, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Aviation Finance: Implementation of General Aviation Entitlement Grants

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "In 2000, Congress created general aviation entitlement grants to provide funding up to $150,000 per fiscal year to individual general aviation airports. These grants fund capital improvements and repair projects. GAO was asked to (1) assess the amount of funding airports used, (2) identify the types of projects undertaken, and (3) convey suggestions made by interested parties to improve the grants in preparati… more
Date: February 11, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Aviation Infrastructure: Challenges Related to Building Runways and Actions to Address Them

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Aviation experts believe that building runways is one key way to address airport capacity issues and prevent delays that can affect the entire U.S. economy, but runway projects are often controversial and time-consuming. GAO was asked to examine how much time airports spend completing runways, what challenges airports and other stakeholders experience during this process, and what airports and other stakeholde… more
Date: January 30, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Aviation Safety: Advancements Being Pursued to Improve Airliner Cabin Occupant Safety and Health

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Airline travel is one of the safest modes of public transportation in the United States. Furthermore, there are survivors in the majority of airliner crashes, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Additionally, more passengers might have survived if they had been better protected from the impact of the crash, smoke, or fire or better able to evacuate the airliner. As requested, GAO addr… more
Date: October 3, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Aviation Safety: FAA Needs to Update Curriculum and Certification Requirements for Aviation Mechanics

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The safety of millions of airline passengers depends in part on aviation mechanics--known as A&P mechanics--that are certified to inspect, service, and repair the aircraft's body (airframe) and/or engine (powerplant). The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) establishes the requirements to become certified as an A&P mechanic. Concerns have been raised in the aviation industry about having a sufficient number … more
Date: March 6, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Aviation Safety: Undeclared Air Shipments of Dangerous Goods and DOT's Enforcement Approach

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "When shipments of dangerous goods (hazardous chemical substances that could endanger public safety or the environment, such as flammable liquids or radioactive materials) are not properly packaged and labeled for air transport, they can pose significant threats because there is little room for error when something goes wrong in flight. To better understand the risks posed by improper ("undeclared") air shipmen… more
Date: January 10, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Aviation Security: Federal Air Marshal Service Is Addressing Challenges of Its Expanded Mission and Workforce, but Additional Actions Needed

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "To help strengthen aviation security after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Congress expanded the size and mission of the Federal Air Marshal Service (the Service) and located the Service within the newly created Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Between November 2001 and July 1, 2002, the Service grew from fewer than 50 air marshals to thousands, and its mission expanded to include t… more
Date: November 19, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Bank Tying: Additional Steps Needed to Ensure Effective Enforcement of Tying Prohibitions

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Investment affiliates of large commercial banks have made competitive inroads in the annual $1.3 trillion debt-underwriting market. Some corporate borrowers and officials from an unaffiliated investment bank have alleged that commercial banks helped their investment affiliates gain market share by illegally tying and underpricing corporate credit. This report discusses these allegations, the available evidence… more
Date: October 10, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Bank Tying: Additional Steps Needed to Ensure Effective Enforcement of Tying Prohibitions

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Investment affiliates of large commercial banks have made competitive inroads in the annual $1.3 trillion debt-underwriting market. Some corporate borrowers and officials from unaffiliated investment banks have alleged that commercial banks helped their investment affiliates gain market share by illegally tying and underpricing corporate credit. This report discusses these allegations, the available evidence r… more
Date: October 10, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Best Practices: Improved Knowledge of DOD Service Contracts Could Reveal Significant Savings

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Department of Defense (DOD) spending on service contracts approaches $100 billion annually, but DOD's management of services procurement is inefficient and ineffective and the dollars are not always well spent. Recent legislation requires DOD to improve procurement practices to achieve savings. Many private companies changed management practices based on analyzing spending patterns and coordinating procurement… more
Date: June 9, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Best Practices: Setting Requirements Differently Could Reduce Weapon Systems' Total Ownership Costs

Description: A chapter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "For fiscal year 2003, the Department of Defense (DOD) asked for about $185 billion to develop, procure, operate, and maintain its weapon systems. This request represents an increase of 18 percent since 2001 for the total ownership costs of DOD weapon systems. Often, DOD systems need expensive spare parts and support systems after they are fielded to meet required readiness levels. DOD has been increasingly co… more
Date: February 11, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Bioterrorism: Information Technology Strategy Could Strengthen Federal Agencies' Abilities to Respond to Public Health Emergencies

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The October 2001 anthrax attacks, the recent outbreak of the virulent Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), and increased awareness that terrorist groups may be capable of releasing life-threatening biological agents have prompted efforts to improve our nation's preparedness for, and response to, public health emergencies--including bioterrorism. GAO was asked, among other things, to identify federal agenc… more
Date: May 30, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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