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Department/Agency:

DOC/NOAA National Weather Service

City:

Wilmington, NC

Ideas contributed by Community Member

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  Ideas to Make Other Parts of Government More Efficient and Effective »

  Save National Weather Service COOP Program for Long-Term Savings

  The NWS should restock Off-The-Shelf, modern observation equipment for the coop observation program so that the coop program doesn't deteriorate beyond repair and adversely affect climate data. The NWS Coop program is probably the most efficient use of federal-civil cooperation to meet any ends. To let it deteriorate would mean more costs in the long term, that's for sure. It takes very expensive equipment to replace ...more »

  The NWS should restock Off-The-Shelf, modern observation equipment for the coop observation program so that the coop program doesn't deteriorate beyond repair and adversely affect climate data. The NWS Coop program is probably the most efficient use of federal-civil cooperation to meet any ends. To let it deteriorate would mean more costs in the long term, that's for sure. It takes very expensive equipment to replace the human eye.

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Incorporate National Weather Service and the FAA

  The FAA pays substantially for weather services, including a "contract" which has National Weather Service technicians maintaining FAA-owned weather observation equipment. Most NWS equipment and most of the field offices are at Airports. For good reason, that's where weather observation is most critical. Save the taxpayers millions by folding the NWS into the FAA so the FAA doesn't have to keep subsidizing the NWS "under ...more »

  The FAA pays substantially for weather services, including a "contract" which has National Weather Service technicians maintaining FAA-owned weather observation equipment. Most NWS equipment and most of the field offices are at Airports. For good reason, that's where weather observation is most critical. Save the taxpayers millions by folding the NWS into the FAA so the FAA doesn't have to keep subsidizing the NWS "under the table."

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  End All Federal Bonuses for Big Savings $$

  Federal workers don't need, expect, or even deserve, bonuses. Bonus money is spread around like candy and offices are obliged to spend it. The bonuses are not that significant and it will not affect morale if the bonuses aren't there. Believe me. If someone gets "an attitude" over stopping bonuses, that someone would probably be frowned upon, particularly during these fiscal times.

  13 comments for Idea: End All Federal Bonuses for Big Savings $$

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Consolidate National Weather Service Engineering Services

  Some of the National Weather Service engineering, regarding weather radar in particular, is done at Norman, OKlahoma in coordination with the FAA and the US Air Force. Some engineering is accomplished at a main engineering facility in Silver Spring, MD.. Still other engineering is accomplished at the 6 regional headquarters offices and here and there and everywhere. The National Weather Service Logistics Center is located ...more »

  Some of the National Weather Service engineering, regarding weather radar in particular, is done at Norman, OKlahoma in coordination with the FAA and the US Air Force. Some engineering is accomplished at a main engineering facility in Silver Spring, MD.. Still other engineering is accomplished at the 6 regional headquarters offices and here and there and everywhere. The National Weather Service Logistics Center is located in Kansas City, MO. The National Weather Service, National Repair Center (NRC) is located in Kansas City, MO. The National Weather Service Training Center is located in Kansas City, MO. The Severe Storms Center is located in Kansas City, MO. The Central Region Headquarters is located in Kansas City, MO. When you think of where you could consolidate engineering services, Kansas City, MO comes to mind. It's not rocket science: if you have a highly-fractured engineering service, it's gonna probably be more ineffective and inefficient than it could be. I believe if NWS Engineering Services were to consolidate in KC, MO it would save millions and make our engineering services more, "productive".

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Don't Pay Women on Welfare Extra Money for Extra Children

  It's not rocket science. If a family is on public assistance it means they can't afford the children they have. There should be ZERO incentive for any additional children they have. Make it clear and enforce a simple policy which states that no additional funds will be granted for children born to families already on public assistance. Let them get by on what they've got, just like the working families that subsidize ...more »

  It's not rocket science. If a family is on public assistance it means they can't afford the children they have. There should be ZERO incentive for any additional children they have. Make it clear and enforce a simple policy which states that no additional funds will be granted for children born to families already on public assistance. Let them get by on what they've got, just like the working families that subsidize them.

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  15 comments for Idea: Don't Pay Women on Welfare Extra Money for Extra Children

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Hold Men Accountable for Their Offspring

  This isn't rocket science.. When a family applies for welfare of any sort involving federal money; the father(s) of the children should be named thereby holding those men accountable for all the children they have fathered, without regard for their care and upkeep. Those men will simply owe the US government every cent the US government is obliged to spend towards the welfare of those children. Those fathers will face ...more »

  This isn't rocket science.. When a family applies for welfare of any sort involving federal money; the father(s) of the children should be named thereby holding those men accountable for all the children they have fathered, without regard for their care and upkeep. Those men will simply owe the US government every cent the US government is obliged to spend towards the welfare of those children. Those fathers will face a lifetime of dealing with the IRS. Wage garnishments, seizing of property, their lives will be miserable. A grrrrrrreat way to make men think twice about fathering children with no intent to support. It's all legal too. No special laws required, just hold these guys accountable. That would be an incentive for the men. The women should be informed that, without exception, they will receive NO ADDITIONAL BENEFITS OF ANY SORT if they have children while already on public support. These two things would save billions and all it would take is for congress and the president to enforce those policies.

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Promote Hemp Production for Home-grown Fuel and New Revenue

  Fuel, fuel pellets and biodeisel can be derived from hemp in greater quantities per acre than corn. It requires little maintenance, no pesticides or fertilizers, and is easy to grow. Like Canada, we should allow promote the production of hemp and hemp products as our midwest is ideally suited for this. New taxes, domestic energy production, and great land use are all reasons to allow hemp production. Hemp can also be ...more »

  Fuel, fuel pellets and biodeisel can be derived from hemp in greater quantities per acre than corn. It requires little maintenance, no pesticides or fertilizers, and is easy to grow. Like Canada, we should allow promote the production of hemp and hemp products as our midwest is ideally suited for this. New taxes, domestic energy production, and great land use are all reasons to allow hemp production. Hemp can also be used for cloth and paper fibre production at a much greater yield per acre than either cotton or timber.

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  An Affordable Civil Defense Structure Would Serve Us Well

  ..retracted - too off topic....

  3 comments for Idea: An Affordable Civil Defense Structure Would Serve Us Well

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  An Ounce of Prevention...

  ...retracted - too off topic..

  2 comments for Idea: An Ounce of Prevention...

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  26 votes

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  Consolidate IT Services for Massive Savings $$

  There are people that collect data for whatever reason and there are people that store and analyze data. In between, there could be numerous "nodes" or "servers". Anywhere there is a "server", that "server" needs to be managed and it is very costly. Usually a GS-12 or 13 Information Technology (IT) Specialist is required. The problem is, most of these servers are truly unneccessary! With today's wideband communications ...more »

  There are people that collect data for whatever reason and there are people that store and analyze data. In between, there could be numerous "nodes" or "servers". Anywhere there is a "server", that "server" needs to be managed and it is very costly. Usually a GS-12 or 13 Information Technology (IT) Specialist is required. The problem is, most of these servers are truly unneccessary! With today's wideband communications and massive storage capabilities of main servers; all the little servers in between that may have at one time been legitimate "nodes" or "tokens" in Wide Area Networks (WANs) are probably all waste at this point. We need to gut the IT bureaucracy, the data empires, the "web farms" and consolidate Information Technology services.

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  2 comments for Idea: Consolidate IT Services for Massive Savings $$

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Establish GSA Recycling System for Huge Savings $$

  I work in an office of 24 people. One person has to worry about recycling oil and fluids. Another person has to worry about neon light bulbs, batteries. Still another person must deal with paper and trash. This is above and beyond their regular duties. Recycling responsibility currently is left to field offices, ill-equipped and with little or no system in place - other than unfunded directives on dealing with recyclables ...more »

  I work in an office of 24 people. One person has to worry about recycling oil and fluids. Another person has to worry about neon light bulbs, batteries. Still another person must deal with paper and trash. This is above and beyond their regular duties. Recycling responsibility currently is left to field offices, ill-equipped and with little or no system in place - other than unfunded directives on dealing with recyclables and "hazardous waste." If there were a slick, self-sustaining GSA recycling system in place with field offices in each major urban area, the federal government could collect and recycle materials like nobody's business. Savings would be in reduced trash consumption and reduced responsibilities for the office; and revenue would be generated from recyclables, with the money going right back into government coffers. The government shouldn't be paying companies to take our old used oil, paper, glass, plastics - they should be paying the government.

  There are numerous advantages to this idea. One result would be relief for the federal offices. The onus of all the "hazardous waste" such as lightbulbs, batteries, old computer monitors, etc. will be taken off the fed office and GSA will deal with it. Also, offices wouldn't need to worry about inventorying all the crap that they really want to get rid of but don't because they don't know the proper disposal procedures (or the procedures are too convoluted or difficult that they avoid doing it). Such a system would also minimize costly storage space required for all the excess crap that the office otherwise doesn't know what to do with.

  GSA should be handling all recycling and it would be a win-win situation for the government and thus, the taxpayer.

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Limit Tax Deductions to a Family of Four

  The government should have no business promoting large families anymore. Limit deductions per family to four.

  13 comments for Idea: Limit Tax Deductions to a Family of Four

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  15 votes

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  Move Service Agencies From Washington DC to Midwest

  In order to have service agencies such as the National Weather Service, The FBI, The USGS, the Army Corps, FEMA, etc. be more responsive to the people and less responsive to Washington lobbyists and corrupt political mechanisms, move critical agencies out of Washington DC and into the middle of the country. Kansas City, MO would be a good spot. Also it is more secure.

  1 comment for Idea: Move Service Agencies From Washington DC to Midwest

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Consolidate National Weather Service; Move HQ to Kansas City, MO

  For much better effectivity and efficiency, we should consolidate the National Weather Service. Eliminate the 6 regional headquarters and move the national headquarters to Kansas City, where the NWS Logistics Center; Repair Center; Training Center; and Severe Storms Center already exist. For an agency as geographically dispersed as the NWS a geographically central HQ makes sense.

  3 comments for Idea: Consolidate National Weather Service; Move HQ to Kansas City, MO

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Stop Paying More to Interstate Managers

  Managers automatically get an extra pay grade if their responsibilities cross state lines. Why? What difference does it make? What possible ramifications of having people in more than one state would merit an extra pay grade?

  1 comment for Idea: Stop Paying More to Interstate Managers

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Ask Not What Your Country Can do for You........

  Promote more voluntary public service. The National Weather Service works with thousands of cooperative observers - all volunteers - who make weather observations and submit them to the NWS. This a great collaborative effort between an agency and people that actually make a difference by going out of their way to help. The result is better weather forecasting, and in turn better commerce. This sort of effort could play ...more »

  Promote more voluntary public service. The National Weather Service works with thousands of cooperative observers - all volunteers - who make weather observations and submit them to the NWS. This a great collaborative effort between an agency and people that actually make a difference by going out of their way to help. The result is better weather forecasting, and in turn better commerce. This sort of effort could play out with the Army Corps of Engineers; National Parks, NOAA and other services. E Pluribus Unum.

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  1 comment for Idea: Ask Not What Your Country Can do for You........

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Make Filing Taxes Optional for Massive Revenue Enhancement

  Tell everyone that they don't have to file their taxes anymore, but forget to tell them that they won't get a refund if they don't. Wow! Think of all the money this would leave in the treasury when many people don't file!! (this one is all in good fun... all in good fun)

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  When Furloughing Federal Employees, DON'T PAY THEM!

  When the federal government is forced to furlough federal employees because of lack of funding, each employee either goes home and is essentially laid off, while the other federal employees are actually considered useful and necessary and simply continue to work, regardless of the fact that they are not going to get paid. I can understand why when all is said and done, the people who are required to work during a furlough ...more »

  When the federal government is forced to furlough federal employees because of lack of funding, each employee either goes home and is essentially laid off, while the other federal employees are actually considered useful and necessary and simply continue to work, regardless of the fact that they are not going to get paid. I can understand why when all is said and done, the people who are required to work during a furlough eventually get paid backpay, but why do they pay the people that stay home? Doesn't that defeat the purpose? If you furlough federal workers, don't pay the ones that don't work! Duh!

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  17 comments for Idea: When Furloughing Federal Employees, DON'T PAY THEM!

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Stop Sending Emails Regarding the Email Being Down

  C'mon IT folks. We know your thinking is limited, but if the Email system is down temporarily, or if the internet is down temporarily, don't even bother to write an email telling us, because we aren't going to get it until after the problem is fixed. Thank you.

  3 comments for Idea: Stop Sending Emails Regarding the Email Being Down

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Ban Racial Discrimination, Including Affirmative Action Please

  I don't understand why in this day and age I have to put my race on the application package for federal positions. But, when I put in an application with NOAA, my agency, they ask for my race. Supervisors throughout the government are rated in part on EEO (ie; affirmative action goals). There is open incentive for people with discretionary hiring powers to pick candidates who are "other than white male." Any time you ...more »

  I don't understand why in this day and age I have to put my race on the application package for federal positions. But, when I put in an application with NOAA, my agency, they ask for my race. Supervisors throughout the government are rated in part on EEO (ie; affirmative action goals). There is open incentive for people with discretionary hiring powers to pick candidates who are "other than white male." Any time you introduce incentive based on anything other than qualifications, it is bound to decrease effectivity because you might not necessarily get the best people. It might only have a small impact, this type of discrimination, but if we are interested in effectivity and efficiency we have to look at hiring practices along with everything else. Get rid of all racial discrimination and affirmative action. Affirmative action tactics and strategy up until this point have either worked, or not worked. In either case, is time to end it.

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  For Better Commerce and Energy Savings, Ban Tolls Near Bridges

  By simply banning toll barriers anywhere within 10 miles of any bridge or significant incline/decline; we can help ensure fuel efficiency and make travel easier. Putting tolls at the either side of a bridge is ridiculously wasteful. At some point, in these toll situations, vehicles lose all momentum and need to gain momentum again. Conserve fuel, conserve brakes, conserve peoples sanity by eliminating uneccessary tolls ...more »

  By simply banning toll barriers anywhere within 10 miles of any bridge or significant incline/decline; we can help ensure fuel efficiency and make travel easier. Putting tolls at the either side of a bridge is ridiculously wasteful. At some point, in these toll situations, vehicles lose all momentum and need to gain momentum again. Conserve fuel, conserve brakes, conserve peoples sanity by eliminating uneccessary tolls at bridges and abutments. The toll roads will just have to make up the loss somewhere else, by raising other tolls, etc.

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  1 comment for Idea: For Better Commerce and Energy Savings, Ban Tolls Near Bridges

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Discourage Irresponsible Behavior with New Welfare Policy

  #1 new rule needed: Once a family is on significant federal public assistance, that family should receive NO ADDITIONAL BENEFITS if they have another child or children while on assistance. It is too much to ask taxpayers to support other people's children and then support ignorant behavior too. If people cannot afford to have children, and can't support the children they have, they shouldn't have other children. If ...more »

  #1 new rule needed:

  Once a family is on significant federal public assistance, that family should receive NO ADDITIONAL BENEFITS if they have another child or children while on assistance. It is too much to ask taxpayers to support other people's children and then support ignorant behavior too. If people cannot afford to have children, and can't support the children they have, they shouldn't have other children. If they do, they'll have to juggle expenses and stretch budgets like everyone else does when they have more chidlren.

  #2 new rule change needed:

  When a mother with children needs to go on public assistance, she will name the father(s) of each of the children. That father, whether he can afford it or not, needs to be held liable and should owe the government every cent that the government spends on the support of their children. They may never be able to pay it back, but they will probably, eventually be able to pay something. Some limits may apply.

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  1 comment for Idea: Discourage Irresponsible Behavior with New Welfare Policy

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  A Fair Tax to Help the Struggling Middle Class

  The middle class continues to lose spending power and is seeing a continuing lowering of their standards of living. Eliminate at least part of the income tax and institute a national Sales Tax, Value Added Tax or other consumption tax so that the 50% of the population that currently pay little or no tax, will bear the same brunt, and thus have the same stake in, government spending affairs. It's not rocket science. If ...more »

  The middle class continues to lose spending power and is seeing a continuing lowering of their standards of living. Eliminate at least part of the income tax and institute a national Sales Tax, Value Added Tax or other consumption tax so that the 50% of the population that currently pay little or no tax, will bear the same brunt, and thus have the same stake in, government spending affairs. It's not rocket science. If I payed no tax then I probably I wouldn't care how much the government spends. In fact I'd probably benefit if they spent even more and offered bigger "Earned Income Credit" and such. Move some of the burden from the middle class and on to the lower and welfare classes.

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  1 comment for Idea: A Fair Tax to Help the Struggling Middle Class

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Create a National Health Insurance System as Next Stimulus

  We could scrap all current government-funded health insurance and health care and institute a self-sustaining National Health Insurance covering all citizens and paid for by all citizens, in part - with a National Sales Tax. This would be an immediate shot in the arm for American industry and business, as well as provide a new flexibility for American workers. No American should have to depend on anyone else for their ...more »

  We could scrap all current government-funded health insurance and health care and institute a self-sustaining National Health Insurance covering all citizens and paid for by all citizens, in part - with a National Sales Tax. This would be an immediate shot in the arm for American industry and business, as well as provide a new flexibility for American workers. No American should have to depend on anyone else for their health insurance. It makes sense. The only way to ensure all Americans are insured is to insure all Americans. I have a viable plan based on a 4% National Sales Tax, a 3% payroll tax and a 4% corporate EBITA tax. This would fully fund our health insurance needs - $5000+ per capita indemnity - and insurance companies who suffer economic damage can be compensated with health trust money and through eminent domain arbitration. The day after a self-supporting National Health Insurance plan is put into place, the federal budget will be closer to balance as well as many states. P.S. as part of this plan, everybody will have to pay reasonable but mandatory copays, even the "poor".

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  6 comments for Idea: Create a National Health Insurance System as Next Stimulus

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Take Fat People Off SSDI

  You don't need a study for this - many people are obviously eating themselves to the point where they are so fat they can't even walk. Then, I assume, they go on Social Security Disability. Make sure that obesity is not a claimable disability. These people must get off their fat buttocks' and work it off.Also drug addicts shouldn't be able to collect either.

  8 comments for Idea: Take Fat People Off SSDI

  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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