July 1st, 2011

Did you just hear a sigh of relief coming from the direction of defense contractors or oil corporations? If so, it might be because yesterday marked the last day at the office (at least for the time being) for Mandy Smithberger, our national security / oil royalties investigator extraordinaire. POGO, of course, will miss her dearly (though who knows—we may be able to lure her back soon). Mandy started out as an intern in 2006 and she’s heading off to do some foreign policy work full-time. The Watercooler caught up with her to get her perspective on POGO and the time she spent here.

Watercooler: You’ve been at POGO since 2006. How has the organization changed since that time?

Mandy Smithberger: We’ve obviously grown a lot. I think we’ve also become better at our investigations. When I first interviewed, Keith and Danni asked me a question about how I would feel if I spent days or weeks looking into something, only to find out there really wasn’t any “there” there—I feel like that doesn’t happen as much anymore, but that may be because Jake’s such a rockstar with whistleblower intake!

Social media has also exploded since I first started, and I think that’s been really exciting because of the new opportunities to discover and connect with the good government underground.

Watercooler: What has been your favorite project that you worked on over the course of your half-decade-tenure?

MS: It’s tough, but I think there’s something special and exciting about your first big investigation, which for me was looking at multi-year procurement issues and conflicts of interest with the F-22. I was only an intern, but it was the first time I found the needle in the haystack (the head of the Institute of Defense Analyses, charged with providing “independent” analysis on the multi-year procurement decision, heading up a subcontractor for the F-22 program) and digging into procurement law minutiae (specifically cost savings requirements—Senator McCain’s reform to that requirement is still powerful today and greatly informed our opposition of multi-year procurement for the DDG-51 in the most recent Defense Authorization bills). It also turned me on to looking at semi-governmental institutions and the opportunities and challenges they present.

Watercooler: Where would you like to see POGO be in another five years?

MS: For one, I hope we’ll have won the fight for protections for federal whistleblowers!

I’m also looking forward to seeing how we further the debates about contracting and outsourcing services and war. I hope that we build a narrative that allows for both the government and businesses to be more publicly minded–both have failed taxpayers and consumers.

As much as I love the muckraking, my heart is really in achieving our policy goals. In my own investigation areas, I’m hoping the Interior department can get its auditing shop in order to get taxpayers their fair share, that we can get our major weapons programs on track, and that we can give auditors across the government the independence they need to succeed and really find savings for taxpayers.

And as great as the investigations were, I’d like for us to be known for more than toilet seats and vodka butt shots.

Watercooler: You’ve been prolific on POGO’s blog. Give us your top five favorite posts you’ve authored.

MS:

1. Recently I loved writing this one.
2. A bunch of the blogging on the Deepwater Horizon spill, I think, really looked at a different side of the issues than what the mainstream press was covering, but maybe the best was pointing out the lunacy of an oversight-oriented agency giving awards to industry.
3. There are only so many ways of saying “The Minerals Management Service (MMS) doesn’t do anything about program heads snorting meth off of toasters.” But this was a fun way to try to switch it up.
4. One of the things I admire most about POGO is that we don’t check off our accomplishments and never look back—we follow through and make sure that agencies don’t just say they’ll fix an agency, but actually look at what they do to accomplish it. This post on the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) and the concerns with their reform efforts seems like a good example.
5. It turns out the problems at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and their coziness with industry may be even worse than what we saw at MMS before the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
6. Bonus: Also not technically a blog post, but I had a lot of fun creating these oversight valentines. And here’s something I generated as an intern that I’m also really proud of.

Watercooler: Anything you’d mention to lawmakers, given the chance?

MS: When it comes to hearings, don’t book it in the afternoon. And especially not on a Friday. I always think of that when I lament that Senator [Claire] McCaskill’s great contracting subcommittee hearings are always booked in the afternoon. By the afternoon, most press deadlines have passed. On Friday, the hearing risks getting bumped off the news broadcast in lieu of another celebrity adoption. A congressional oversight hearing is newsworthy business—let it get the copy it deserves.

Photo: Danni Downing Photography.

June 22nd, 2011

Fair warning to foreign lobbyists and defense contractors: POGO’s just added some major firepower to its national security team. In June we were joined by Ben Freeman—a corruption-busting, night-lecturing, Floridian who earned his Ph.D. in political science from Texas A&M University. The Watercooler recently caught up with Doc Freeman to find out how he wound up here, what it was like to write a book, and where his allegiances were in the NBA Finals, among other things. Read on, but don’t forget to follow Ben on Twitter.

Watercooler: What got you interested in working for POGO and in the realm of national security?

Ben Freeman: POGO was an easy choice. I’ve always been very patriotic and concerned with making our government the best it can possibly be. POGO has been doing precisely this for 30 years. What I like most about POGO is that the organization doesn’t just identify problems and complain about them, it tells policymakers and American taxpayers precisely how the system can be fixed. This is an invaluable service to America and a very noble calling. POGO’s task is not easy because it often works to change entrenched systems filled with very powerful people that thrive within those systems. POGO does what’s right regardless of who’s doing what’s wrong, and that makes me immensely proud to be a part of POGO.

I study national security and U.S. foreign policy because America enjoys phenomenal influence over the entire world—more so than any other country ever has. The flip-side is that with globalization, technological advances, and heightened political interconnectedness, America is also more open to foreign influence than it has ever been. So, it’s vital for us, as Americans, to be concerned about national security and to consider the impact of U.S. foreign policy on other countries. There’s just so much at stake on both counts that it’s impossible for me to NOT investigate national security and U.S. foreign policy.

Watercooler: What brought you to Texas?

Ben Freeman: I ended up in Texas because I fell in love with studying politics. I’m one of those crazy people who actually loves numbers, math, and statistics, so I was drawn to the Political Science Department at Texas A&M University, which has a top-notch quantitative methods program. Although I definitely missed Florida, where I was born and raised, Texas was awesome! Some of the greatest people in the world live in the great state of Texas. Aggieland and Austin, where I lived for a year, will always have a place in my heart.

Watercooler: Why did you decide to write a book, and what is it about? How was the experience of writing a book like? Continue Reading »

May 24th, 2011

These days, POGO’s been thinking a lot about the revolving door and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). So much so, in fact, that POGO staffers were inspired to compose a villanelle about some of the findings in our latest report and accompanying database:

The SEC officials shuttle fast through the revolving door
219 raced from the government to Wall Street
They promised they hadn’t worked on these issues before

Stopping the Stanford Ponzi Scheme seemed like a chore
Spencer Barasch saw a get rich scheme and wanted a place at the teat
The SEC officials shuttle fast through the revolving door

Peter Simonyi’s work at Goldman Sachs would be different, he swore
His work on the issues at the SEC was marginal, discrete
They promised they hadn’t worked on these issues before

One left for industry after two days, one after three, another after four
For ACA Compliance, Deloitte, KPMG
The SEC officials shuttle fast through the revolving door

Peter Bresnan went from Enforcement to represent Bank of America Corp
And got his clients a settlement the judge found too sweet
But he promised he hadn’t worked on these issues before

Industry coziness doesn’t temper their roar
That financial collapse wasn’t because they didn’t have the fire to their feet
They promised they hadn’t worked on these issues before
So what if the SEC officials shuttle fast through the revolving door?

Any bards out there in the crowd? We’d welcome any, limericks, haiku, talkin’ blues ramblings, or other forms of poetic expression dedicated to the revolving door from our readers.

April 22nd, 2011

There is no better way to enjoy the warm weather than with a day spent out in the sun. With the endless options of outdoor activities in the city, it can be hard to choose just one thing. We wanted to find out what the POGO staffers would consider their favorite activity when they get out of the office and get to enjoy the spring weather.

Chris Pabon, Director of Development: Ziplining at GoApe up in Rock Creek.

Paul Thacker, Investigator: I like getting together with a bunch of friends and taking a long bike ride together on the weekend. For the last one, six of us rode up Beach Drive through Rock Creek Park to the very edge of Silver Spring.  We then hopped on the Crescent Trail, down to Bethesda, and stopped for ice cream.  We continued riding down the Crescent Trail along the Potomac and the C & O Canal until Georgetown.  The trip back up to Mt. P. was a bit difficult as it was uphill and we had to deal with traffic, especially on the mean streets of DuPont Circle.

Danni Downing, Editor: Although spring does mean lots of pretty flowers and budding trees to photograph and lots of local trails to bike (Mount Vernon is a good one, as are the Paint Branch/Indian Creek trails, which connect up to each other and a bunch of other trails), spring really means an indoor sport for me: hockey! Every year hope springs eternal that the Washington Capitals will not only make the playoffs, but go deep into them—possibly all the way to lifting the Cup. This year, so far so good, but I’m not uncrossing my fingers until June.

Bryan Rahija, Blog Editor: I always enjoy hanging out by the drum circle in Meridian Hill Park.

Johanna Mingos, Data Specialist: Eastern Market on Saturday/Sunday mornings! We can’t have pets in our apartments, so my husband and I like to play with the dogs out for their morning walk.

Abby Evans, Development Associate: Playing disc golf in Bluemont Park in Arlington!

Danielle Brian, Executive Director: The Grief statue in the Rock Creek Cemetery.

Jake Wiens, Investigator: I like to bike in Rock Creek Park.

Joe Newman, Director of Communications: I like to to get out of the city and head to my favorite hikes on Old Rag or the Billy Goat Trail.

Neil Gordon, Investigator: Wheaton Regional Park and Brookside Gardens, which are just a short walk from where I live.

Keith Rutter, Director of Operations: Kennilworth Aquatic Gardens National Park is a hidden gem of the city.

Angela Canterbury, Director of Public Policy: The kids and I like to bike the Capital Crescent Trail from Bethesda to Georgetown. It’s 11 miles (at a gentle grade downhill). We stop for a treat on the Potomac waterfront (them ice cream, me a beer)—and then we take the metro from Foggy Bottom or Farragut North back up!

Image by Flickr user Keith Ivey, used under Creative Commons License

April 15th, 2011

Spring is in the air and that means the perfect weather to sit in the shade and dive into a great book. If you’re looking for the perfect story to read underneath the cherry blossoms, how about one from the POGO spring reading list? We asked POGO staffers what they’re currently reading and in return got a great variety of some ideal spring time books.

Pam Rutter, Web Manager: Dragonfly In Amber by Diana Gabaldon, it is second in her Outlander series.  Can’t put it down…18th century Scotland, highlander adventures, Scottish clans, lots of kilts and a time traveler!

Neil Gordon, Investigator: Tales from the 5th Street Gym: Ali, the Dundees, and Miami‘s Golden Age of Boxing by Ferdie Pacheco. Accounts of the legendary 5th Street Gym in Miami Beach, where many world-class boxers, most notably Muhammad Ali, used to train. Fight doctor Ferdie Pacheco, Ali trainer Angelo Dundee and others who were there during the gym’s existence from the 1950’s through the 1980’s share their stories.

Chris Pabon, Director of Development: Final Crisis Legion of 3 Worlds by Geoff Johns. Its a tale of how endings can turn out to be new beginnings. And past mistakes can in the end be redeemed.

Angela Canterbury, Director of Public Policy: Who needs books when you can read bills, letters, and reports stranger than fiction!

Danielle Brian, Executive Director: I’m reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett and Prague Golem: Jewish Stories of the Ghetto.

Paul Thacker, Investigator: I usually read multiple books at the same time.  I know; it’s weird. The Last Good Kiss, by James Crumley – just a great book.  You can understand why Crumley had such a large influence on other writers.  Would recommend it to anyone. City of Bones, by Michael Connelly – another in the series about LAPD homicide detective, Harry Bosch.  Let me guess.  He gets the girl, loses the girl and solves the city’s biggest crime by ignoring his superiors, breaking every rule, and following his internal moral compass?  Even though I know this is how it’s gonna end, it’s still great reading.On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society, by David Grossman – an historical and sociological exploration of how the military trains young men to commit taboo.

Nick Schwellenbach, Director of Investigations: The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. Original Meanings: Politics and Ideas in the Making of the Constitution by Jack Rakove. Fighting Power: German and U.S. Army Performance, 1939-1945 by Martin van Creveld.

Danni Downing, Editor: Black and Blue, by Ian Rankin: Two teens are killed at a private school by a Scottish Army vet who then kills himself. Detective Rebus investigates to find out why.

Joe Newman, Director of Communications: Griftopia by Matt Taibbi of Rolling Stone. I like what I’ve read so far. Taibbi looks at Wall Street’s crimes and misdemeanors and wonders pointedly why no one is in jail?

Bryan Rahija, Blog Editor: Homicidal Psycho Jungle Cat, by Bill Watterson.
Revisiting an old classic.

Rebecca Rotenberg, Intern: The Information, by James Gleick. Basically it is about everything and how everything is taught and communciated in our world today. Kind of a weird read at first, but tough to put down as you get deeper into understanding the message Gleick is trying to get across.

Image by Flickr user Helen Cook, used under Creative Commons License

April 1st, 2011

A lot of organizations have metrics by which they measure their performance. For example, how many widgets were produced in a month or how many thingamajigs sold in a week.

Here at POGO, I gauge our productivity by the amount of coffee consumed. When things are hopping, the energy level is maintained by coffee. It is a pure and simple indicator of work production.

Today is a Friday. Lots of groups have a casual Friday, or a more relaxed atmosphere on Friday. It’s now around 2:30. There are 17 folks in the office today, and we have consumed 2 pots of coffee, plus 15 coffees from Cosi, Starbucks, or our office favorite—Sip of Seattle. This does not count caffeinated teas. I myself had one coffee from Cosi—used a gift card from Christmas—and one cup of caffeinated tea…and we’ve still got a lot of daylight left.

So what are we crashing on? That’s what’s great about POGO: we are always up to something. To find out more, you need to go here, here, here, and here.

How many cups of coffee has your office consumed today?

(Please note, all grounds from coffee brewed at POGO are composted. Also, all paper coffee cups, plastic lids, and cup wrappers are recycled.)

– Keith Rutter

March 25th, 2011

At POGO, we take food very seriously. So where do POGO staffers like to go when they aren’t enjoying a POGO taco lunch or POGO waffle breakfast? The Watercooler endeavored to find out. Below find some of our staffers’ favorite spots around the office, some of their favorite dishes, and find out which establishment deserves credit as D.C.’s original food truck.

Chris Pabon, Director of Development: Mine would be food trucks. The ones I favor when around are Porc, Dangerously Delicious Pies, DC Slices, and Sweet Bites.

Bryan Rahija, Blog Editor : Slightly lame, but the Cosi across the street. Every morning begins with a jalapeno cheddar bagel and cream cheese.

Paul Thacker, Investigator: Bistro du Coin – Great atmosphere, good food, fair prices. Best French restaurant in the city. Feels almost like I’m at Balthazar. Distrito Federal – Only reasonably priced place in the city with authentic tacos. El Rinconcito – Loved this place…’til it became the new hipster spot.

Neil Gordon, Investigator: Cafe Mozart – great German lunches (a sausage with choice of potato salad and red cabbage or kraut; also runs about $6-7). And near the Cafe Mozart   is the “Italian Deli”, which has pretty good subs and all kinds of gourmet snacks.

Danielle Brian, Executive Director: Dangerously Delicious Pies- Baltimore Bomb!

Keith Rutter, Chief Operations Officer: The Greek Deli, with Kostas directing the ship, is still the all-time best.

Abby Evans, Development Associate: The Cap Mac food truck for beef bolognese pasta!

Danni Downing, Editor: Ha’ad Thai for the pad thai, CapMac truck for the CapMac’n'Cheese with Cheese-It crumble, Dangerously Delicious Pies for the S.M.O.G. pie (steak, mushrooms, onion, and Gruyere cheese) and Potbelly’s, oatmeal chocolate chip cookie!

Michael Smallberg, Investigator:Restaurant: hot dog stand on the corner (a.k.a the original food truck)
Meal of choice: half-smoke with mustard + chips for under $3

March 7th, 2011

Rhya Ghose joined POGO as our newest intern in February 2011. Before coming to POGO, she spent a semester in Quebec and she is currently finishing out her gap year in D.C. The Watercooler inteviewed Rhya about her travels as well as her aspirations for the future.

Watercooler: How did you hear about POGO?

Rhya Ghose: I have a really awesome gap year coordinator who took note of my interests in the planning stages of this year. I knew that I really wanted to work against government corruption but had no idea that I could do so at my age and with my lack of experience. POGO sounded like an amazing opportunity to get some real work in.

Watercooler: What inspired your choice to take a gap year?

RG: As my senior year of high school came to a close, I found myself burnt out and not exactly looking forward to launching right into (at least) four more years at a desk. My decision to take a gap year by no means discounts the value of classroom learning, but rather recognizes that there are other opportunities for a different kind of education. The natural break between high school and college seemed like the perfect time to take advantage of those opportunities.

Watercooler: Tell us about your work in Quebec!

RG: My work in Quebec was hands-down the coolest (literally…it was so cold!) thing I’ve ever done! I worked at a wildlife rehabilitation facility for 10 weeks. During my time there I learned to handle bear cubs and birds of prey, survive in the wilderness, dogsled, and implement natural horsemanship. My two favorite memories: watching the release of the fawns that I had bottle-fed for eight weeks and “mushing” the first dogsled ride of the season.

Watercooler: What do you like so far about being an intern at POGO?

RG: I don’t know if this is unique to interns, but my experience has been that everyone here goes out of their way to make me feel welcome and introduce themselves. They are willing to help me understand investigations and figure things out. It really means a lot and eases my transition.

Watercooler: What do you hope to get out of your time at POGO?

RG: POGO stands for not only exposing corruption, but also affecting positive change. If my work here can help accomplish either of those goals I will be ecstatic. As far as tasks here, I am up for everything—as much experience as possible.

Watercooler: Best part of being in DC?

RG: I’m never bored! Also, the public transportation can’t be beat.

Watercooler: Favorite pastime?

RG: I love to read and write. I try to journal every day. Beyond that, I’ve made it my goal to visit at least one museum or historically significant site every weekend that I am here.

Watercooler: Goals for the future?

RG: For the fall I’m looking forward to attending college and actually figuring out what I want to do with my life. I want to do something fulfilling, and my gap year has opened my eyes to the many options that I have.

February 18th, 2011

Joe Newman became POGO’s Director of Communications in January 2011. The Watercooler recently interviewed Joe about social media, food trucks, and his master plan for the year ahead.

Watercooler: Why POGO?

JN: When I was considering whether to make the move to POGO from my previous job, I wanted to make sure that POGO would be a) a place where I could continue to grow professionally b) a good fit in terms of culture and working atmosphere and c) an organization whose mission I could fully embrace and believe in. POGO passed all bars with flying colors. There is a “David vs. Goliath” esprit de corps here that is refreshing and energizing. I’m very happy to be here.

Watercooler: How do you see social media connecting to nonprofit work/POGO?

JN: I think there has been a dramatic shift in the last two years of how people communicate with each other, whether it’s texting, twittering or through Facebook. Today, we can harness social media to get our message out in ways that as recently as five years ago would have been only possible through mainstream media coverage or paid advertising. Our activists and supporters can now interact with us directly, and vice versa. That’s exciting because it gives us the chance to inform and mobilize large numbers of people around our issues, while instantaneously being able to study our web metrics to see what resonates and what doesn’t. By the way, have you connected with us on Facebook? You can do that here.

Watercooler: What’s your favorite food truck?

JN: I’m partial to the CapMac truck.

Watercooler: Tell us about your t-shirt business!

JN: Ha. You’ve got good sources. My friend and I used to brainstorm about things that might look good on a t-shirt and, eventually, we hired an artist to create some designs for us. Occasionally, I’ll pass someone on the street wearing one of our designs—I always get a kick out of that. It was a tough business though and we decided there were easier ways to make a buck.

Watercooler: How did your interest in the media begin?

JN: I’ve been a storyteller as long as I can remember. I think it goes back to being a voracious reader. In high school, I joined the newspaper staff and from there, I was hooked. I majored in journalism at the University of Florida and have either worked in newspapers or nonprofit media strategy my whole career.

Watercooler: In your opinion, how can social media aid in the transparency of the government?

JN: I think President Obama, our Members of Congress, and federal agencies have, to varying degrees, embraced social media as a tool to inform and engage citizens. Anything that improves the flow of information between the public and their elected leaders is a good thing. Corporate lobbyists still have a major advantage over your average citizen when it comes to accessing the halls of power but social media is helping to even the playing field, if just a bit.

Watercooler: Before POGO, you worked for the Orlando Sentinel. What was your favorite story you got to cover?

JN: Well, before coming to POGO, I worked at Public Citizen but before that I worked at the Orlando Sentinel as a part of the enterprise reporting team. I had a lot of favorite stories and am not sure I can pick just one. I covered several hurricanes and I really enjoyed being out in the field covering the big event. After a storm, when you’re walking through a community that has suffered a great loss, there is no shortage of compelling human interest stories. At those times, as we saw with the Katrina disaster, it’s so important for the press to get the stories of the victims out to the world.

Watercooler: What are your goals for the years ahead?

JN: I’m really looking forward to increasing POGO’s presence in the social media spheres. We’ve done a good job on Twitter and Facebook but we’ve barely scratched the surface of where we need to be with those platforms. One of my top priorities will be increasing our reach to activists, which is essential when it comes to putting pressure on lawmakers and the Obama Administration to consider our policy recommendations. Have you signed up for email updates? You can do that here.

Another area where I think you’ll see a big difference by the end of the year is our presence on YouTube. We’re planning to really ramp up our video work. And, of course, we’ll continue to do what POGO excels at—providing insightful blogging and getting the mainstream media to take notice of all our great work.

Watercooler: What is one thing that we don’t know about you yet?

JN: My first job at 13 years old was fishing golf balls out of a lake at the local country club. I had to wear a yellow hard hat because the golfers on the driving range used me as target practice.

February 15th, 2011

POGO Development Associate Abby Evans recently took some R&R in Brazil. Over the course of her travels, she walked the bustling streets of São Paulo and lounged on the lovely beaches of Guarujá. The Watercooler caught up with Abby and asked her five quick questions about her trip. You can find her answers, along with photos of some great Brazilian street art, below.

Watercooler: What was your favorite Brazilian street food?

AE: Fresh coconut water.

Watercooler: Did you notice any fun trends in Brazilian popular music?

AE: Well, there is a somewhat recent trend in Brazilian music called baile funk, as sampled here. This unmelodic trend started in the favelas of Rio de Janiero in the 1980’s. Artists such as Diplo, M.I.A and Major Laser have adapted baile funk to their music. Check out M.I.A’s “Bucky Done Gun.”

Although this doesn’t answer your question, it’s worth checking out these two Brazilian legends:

• Caeteno Veloso and his rendition of Michael Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean’
• Os Mutantes (“A Minha Menina”)

Watercooler: Did you encounter any fun fashion trends?

AE: Many people in Brazil wear a figa necklace or hang a figa on their door. This clenched fist is similar to the evil eye. My understanding is that wearing or displaying this charm helps keep away bad luck. This is not a fad as it’s been going on for many years, but it is fascinating to see that it is as popular today as it was two hundred years ago.

Also, there is a fabulous purse and shoe store in Sao Pãulo called Corello. I love it!

Watercooler: Did you pick up any Brazilian slang?

AE: Nossa! It is equivalent to “Oh my God!” The word is short for the phrase: “Nossa Senhora da Aparecida,” which means: “Our Lady of Appearance,” the patron saint of Brazil.

Watercooler: Did you see anything that made you think of POGO?

AE: In the muito-legal (Portuguese for “very cool”) neighborhood of Vila Madelana, there is this alley where street artists flock to graffiti the walls. While there, I saw this giant whistle on a wall entrapping a woman. I couldn’t help but look at this graphical depiction and think of the fate that falls on so many federal whistleblowers.

Not too far from that wall, there was a freshly painted image of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, along with the words “Free Assange.” I found this especially timely since Danielle was about to talk about the Wikileaks disclosures at a conference held by Harvard’s Nieman Foundation for Journalism.