From: Leslie & Downe [rlsd@io.com] Sent: Sunday, December 01, 2002 8:58 PM To: mtownsend@tmlirp.org; hvbrow@aol.com; mrice@resi.tamu.edu; Howard Balanoff; ps07@swt.edu; blodgett@mail.utexas.edu; Becky Berryhill; vicki.skinnere@co.travis.tx.us; blain.keith@co.travis.tx.us; Joseph_Brown@baylor.edu; rherzog@sfasu.edu; kathyr@ci.waco.tx.us; Stuart Grifel; Ray Alvarez; bradley.g.englert@accenture.com; mmkhan@bangla.net Subject: CenTex ASPA e-Blast! Holiday "Toyraiser" Thurs. Dec. 5 ======================================================================= CenTex Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) e-Blast! 1 December 2002 ======================================================================= In this CenTex ASPA e-Blast!: * Holiday "Toyraiser" December 5 * General Membership Meeting January 31 * CENTEX PA NEWS Note * National Membership Reminders * Calendar "TOYRAISER" DECEMBER 5 The next networking gathering will be the Annual Holiday "Toyraiser" (voluntary donations to a local charity accepted) on December 5 at Vinny's Restaurant, 1003 Barton Springs Road, Austin, 5:30-7:00 p.m. -- free snacks, cash bar. Members are also encouraged to bring a toy or donation to local charity. For more information or to help with the event, contact Kris Mohajer, Membership Chair, CenTex ASPA, at kris.mohajer@tdh.state.tx.us or (512) 490-2523. GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING The annual general membership meeting for election of officers will be on January 31. Anyone interested in serving or with items of business for the agenda should contact Roberta Byram, President, at roberta.byram@ci.austin.tx.us. What items of business might CenTex ASPA consider? In the past, CenTex ASPA has taken some stands on issues important to the public and our profession (see http://www.main.org/aspa/policy.htm ). Should CenTex ASPA make a public statement about the elimination of privacy protections for ordinary citizens and of many civil service protections for federal employees in the new Homeland Security Department? What about how the decision was made to privatize hundreds of thousands of federal jobs? At the state level, should CenTex ASPA help draw more public attention to the recent State Auditor's report that found this:? Employee pay lags the market, even though the State's salary schedules provide competitive salary ranges....because state agencies are unable financially or culturally to fully use the tools available to them. See http://www.sao.state.tx.us/Reports/report.cfm/year/2002/report/03-701. At the local and regional levels, might CenTex ASPA have some helpful insights to offer on the looming competition for limited revenues by rural vs. urban counties and rich vs. poor school districts? CENTEX PA NEWS NOTE The Nov./Dec 2002 and Jan./Feb. 2003 issues of CENTEX PA NEWS will be combined. Special deadline for copy is the 10th of January. Members should receive the special combination issue in the mail around January 20. NATIONAL MEMBERSHIP REMINDERS 1. VOTE. Ballots for voting on ASPA's national leadership have been mailed and all members should have received them by now. CenTex ASPA has endorsed CenTex Chapter's Parliamentarian Alan Bojorquez for District 4 National Council representative, who is running unopposed. Also on the ballot are two candidates for Vice President: Donald C. Menzel and William E. Solomon. Ballots must be received by January 16. 2. SOUND OFF. Christine McCrehin, national ASPA Communications Director, reminds the large sample of ASPA members who were sent surveys: "If you have completed and returned your survey, thank you. Your input is greatly appreciated and will allow us to focus our energies on the issues and concerns that are most important to our members. If you have not yet returned your survey, please take a few minutes this week to do so...." CALENDAR December 5 - CenTex Chapter's Annual "Toyraiser", 5:30-7:30, Vinny's Restaurant, 1003 Barton Springs Road, Austin, Texas. December 5-8, Washington, DC - ASPA's mid-year leadership meetings. See http://www.aspanet.org/conferences/2002mym.html for agendas and reports. CenTex Vice President Ken Matwiczak will be attending the task force on national conference site selection. January 10 - Deadline for nominating outstanding government organizations, projects and programs for the Public Service Excellence Awards which are presented annually in Washington, DC, during Public Service Recognition Week. See http://www.theroundtable.org/awards/nomination.htm for details and complete application form. January 16 - Deadline FOR RECEIPT of ballots to vote for ASPA National Council District 4 Representative and Vice President. January 31 - CenTex Chapter's Annual General Memberhip Meeting, including officer/council election. Interested in serving? Contact Roberta Byram, CenTex Chapter President, at roberta.byram@ci.austin.tx.us. March 16-18 - ASPA's National Conference in Washington, DC. See http://www.aspanet.org for more. May 5-11 - Public Service Recognition Week. See http://www.theroundtable.org/psrw.html. For more about ASPA see - the latest print edition of CenTex PA News online: http://www.io.com/~rlsd/ASPA-PANewsSept2002/sept2002-p1.htm; - the CenTex ASPA website: http://www.main.org/aspa; or - ASPA's national website http://www.aspanet.org. ====================================================================== e-Blast! is the email news bulletin of CenTex Chapter of ASPA. Ads and news in CenTex ASPA's award-winning bi-monthly print newsletter, CENTEX PA NEWS, are USUALLY (see note above) due the 15th of odd-numbered months. See more details at http://www.io.com/~rlsd/ASPA-PANewsSept2002/sept2002-p6.htm. ====================================================================== Reuben Leslie, Jr. Newsletter Editor, CenTex Chapter of ASPA rlsd@io.com or (512) 837-6181