Posted on 03/05/2009 7:54:35 PM PST by Golden Eagle
The White House press office announced today that Vivek Kundra, the current chief technology officer of Washington DC, will be assuming the position of Federal Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the White House.
The appointment of a top CIO is another first: the position did not exist in any previous administrations. Kundra will also have final say on government technology purchases , and will have the authority to overrule his peers at subordinate agencies.
(Excerpt) Read more at technologizer.com ...
Just another power grab. I am not surprised.
Well, Obama is the first foreigner to be elected POTUS. The first President to give stock tips. The first President to pick a fight with the radio show host... I can hardly wait to see what he does next...
There’s very little info out about this right now, but in a worst case scenario he’s appointed someone to a newly created position with incredible power to control the IT technology tree throughout the entire Federal government. If it’s a leftist that believes in replacing everything with software that requires by license that all future development of the code be given away to everyone on earth for free, it’ll be the biggest robbery of US government technology in history.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vivek_Kundra
Vivek Kundra was born in India in the city of New Delhi. He grew up in Tanzania and speaks Swahili as his first language.
Congress approves Cabinet appointments — Obama is over reaching his powers (again) — the Bureaucrats will ignore the Appt.
Is he a former H1B Indian Import ?
So DC is the model of tech achievement?
But this doesn't appear to be an actual cabinet position, so he can pick some guy who may not even be a US citizen and give him complete control over the Federal government's entire IT operation without having to ask anyone it doesn't look like. It's absolutely absurd to claim a 30 year old from a foreign country is the best qualified person available in the entire US for this task as well. While the government could always use some fresh ideas this selection is outrageous.
I have worked as Contractor for Major Software Services corps on Fed. Computer Contracts. The employees of IRS SOCSEC CMS agencies can’t do Software very well themselves. No talent Bureaucrats who can’t write Software or manage Same. Fed employees retired on the job. Nothing will come of this....the Bureaucrats are un-movable objects.
Interesting. Does anybody remember the Reinventing Government initiative headed by AlGore? Does anybody remember a single reinvention coming therefrom?
Remember the IRS computer “Rewrite Redesign” of the 80’s ?
10 years and 3 Billion ...and nothing delivered. Vaporware.
The Bureaucrats tried and Failed.
Enter IBM CSC MARTIN MARIETTA LOCKHEED etc....They control compuyerized progress, not the Bureaucracies.
I'm not so sure, this is an incredible amount of power to give someone in a newly created position who doesn't even have to be confirmed. I fully expect US data and software to begin flowing to foreign governments at a torrid pace.
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 5, 2009
President Obama Names Vivek Kundra Chief Information Officer
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, President Barack Obama named Vivek Kundra the Federal Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the White House.
The Federal Chief Information Officer directs the policy and strategic planning of federal information technology investments and is responsible for oversight of federal technology spending. The Federal CIO establishes and oversees enterprise architecture to ensure system interoperability and information sharing and ensure information security and privacy across the federal government. The CIO will also work closely with the Chief Technology Officer to advance the President's technology agenda.
President Obama said, "Vivek Kundra will bring a depth of experience in the technology arena and a commitment to lowering the cost of government operations to this position. I have directed him to work to ensure that we are using the spirit of American innovation and the power of technology to improve performance and lower the cost of government operations. As Chief Information Officer, he will play a key role in making sure our government is running in the most secure, open, and efficient way possible."
IBM and Sun are the two main companies who want the government processes all converted to open source, so that same software can be used by foreign governments, who will then purchase the necessary hardware from them, or at least they’re willing to sell us out in that hope.
http://digg.com/tech_news/Sun_s_McNealy_tells_Obama_that_US_needs_CIO_and_open_source?t=23711923
Data can’t even flow between agencies . . .US government Applications Software reflect US regulations and laws.....Is there someone who wants 15 yr old outdated Software ?
You’re missing the parts I keep highlighting that this 30 year old Indian will apparently have full control over all Federal IT systems, including the National Security Agency, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, NASA, etc, unless you’re claiming all of the software developed by these agencies and more is worthless and outdated?
Guy is 34 and Obama says he brings “breadth of experience”
Its Worth a lot....to the US GOVERNMENT.
anyone else in Europe want the IRS TAX CODE logic ?
How about Socsec administration 80 char. header/trailer input file design left over from Punched Cards ?
Now the Military is another Issue...They have good Sofware....written by Contractors.
Who is the CIO GONNA call ?
Software firms/outside contractors made the NASA PROJECTS work.
The CIO commands Idiot Bureaucracies and not the Corporations that builds the Computer systems.
So does the NSA, the DOE, NASA and others, which is why I keep mentioning them. And strict control of Contracts, which he'll probably abuse or mismanage, is supposedly one of his top interests. But if there's nothing to see here you might as well move along.
It’ll be a good thing if Obama’s brash young Indian geek encounters some resistance if you ask me.
http://radar.oreilly.com/2009/03/vivek-kundra-federal-cio-in-hi.html
“We look at federal IT spending, the federal government is the largest single buyer of technology in the world at $71 billions dollars annually. Going through, as the president and director Orszag promised, going through line item by line item looking at the budget and ensuring that those resources are spent effectively and that we hold agencies accountable for how that money is spent is going to be a big part of my role here, and secondly, I’m going to be working very closely with all federal CIOs in terms of the agency level to ensure that they are advancing an agenda that embraces open government....we also want to focus on how do we look at the backend system, whether that is in the Department of Defense or Health and Human Services, and ensure that we’re having a wholistic view of [information technology] and not just focusing on e-government.
One example is the National Institute of Health working with other world bodies when they published the Human Genome Project data online. What that did is it created an entire revolution in personalized medicine where you ended up having over 500 drugs that were created and that are in the pipeline coming into the FDA. Second, is what happened in the geospatial community when the defense department decided to release data around satellites you created this GPS revolution where now you could go to your local car rental company and get a GPS device or your iPhone and get directions.
In the same way, in the same spirit, there is a lot of data that the federal government has and what we need to do is, we need to make sure that all that data that is not private that is not restricted for national security reasons can be made public.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.