My consultant friends want to talk about what Elance could do to their career about as much as my single friends want to talk about who will be changing their diapers in 30 years. (No. Paying someone to change your diapers is no way to live or die.) As Elance, Guru, DoMyStuff, oDesk, Mechanical Turk, et…
Posts
(I Hate) Blogging…Online ID and Curating
This is the third blog I’ve tried to start over the years. It’s like joining a gym. Every few years someone talks me into joining them at their gym. I end up walking out repeating, “Now, I remember why I didn’t join a gym the last time I went to one.” Going to the gym…
Write-up of a web project recently completed
Below is a piece I did for a newsletter. We did later complete the content management system phase mentioned at the end of the piece. <<DCCA’s Membership Management System A citizen’s association’s core responsibility is to communicate with its members and community. Realizing the Dupont Circle Citizen Association’s (DCCA) membership management system (using Microsoft Access…
I’m not running for City Council
I pulled this off the front page of the Halligan Projects site and am not running for City Council. << We need new leadership in the Ward 2 Council seat. I’m at a crossroads and am looking for input. I’m seriously considering a run for the Washington, DC City Council Ward 2 seat in the…
Book Demonstrating Municipal Financing Evils
This book talks about how the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) financing Jack Evans throws around like confetti is making the rich richer at our expense: Free Lunch: How the Wealthiest Americans Enrich Themselves at Government Expense (and Stick You with the Bill). David Cay Johnston even uses building baseball stadiums as an example. Listen to Terry Gross interview the…
Lawrence Lessig Lecture
I had a great day for my interest in the collision of technology and government. I was pumped to listen Lawrence Lessig, meet the Sunlight Foundation staff and an EveryBlock staffer, and to sit next to Joe Trippi. Watch: here
Resigning from ANC to take DCCA Presidency
My election as President of the Dupont Circle Citizens Association is looking certain. I’m going to resign my ANC seat this month. I’ve enjoyed being a commissioner more than I could have imagined. If you knew me four years ago, you wouldn’t likely have guessed that I’d be the DCCA President. All this started for…
Flame Response
Response to someone flaming me on the DupontForum: <<…Previously, Dupont didn’t have an open forum. An official BCCing his/her mailing list is a lot safer than one posting where anyone can reply-to-all. The fact is, a commissioner can blow off anything he or she chooses with very little chance at repercussions. My posting got the issue to…
Will Mayor Williams Leave Us a Mountain of Bad Debt?
The below piece was in this Month’s DC North. The DC Fiscal Policy Institute does great work pushing the political conversation in a responsible direction. The DC City Council passes 1000 to 1500 laws and resolutions each year. If they would stick to pressing issues, we would see some serious improvements in this city.
FW: How many DC bureaucrats does it take to change a light bulb?
In celebration of DDoT Director Dan Tangherlini’s promotion to interim head of Metro, I resurrect an old email to him. Rob Halligan —–Original Message—– From: Rob Halligan (ANC 2B01 Commissioner) Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2003 2:07 PM To: [email protected] Cc: Bill Rice; Ann Simpson-Mason Subject: How many DC bureaucrats does it take to change a…