The NewsRoom
News Story
Date: February 15, 2005

The letter to the editor below is in response to an article in the New York Times and the Cleveland Plain Dealer that erroneously stated MMS spent $22 million in public relations contracts.  Our letter sets the record straight.  Unfortunately, at this time, neither the Times nor the Plain Dealer have been willing to publish this letter, therefore, it is provided here to ensure the public has access to the facts.

Letter to the Editor:

In your article, “Spinning Frenzy: P.R.'s Bad Press,” by Timothy L. O'Brien, you cite a study prepared by the Democratic staff of the House Government Reform Committee that was misleading in stating that the Minerals Management Service spent $22 million on Public Relations contracts last year.  These are not MMS contracts.  What the report failed to identify is that GovWorks, which is an independent franchise operated by MMS, administered these contracts for other government agencies separate from MMS.

GovWorks operates under the Federal Franchise Fund authority to provide common administrative services to federal agencies including contracting and grant services.

GovWorks assists federal agencies in acquiring products and services for their programs, cooperative agreements and grants. The requesting agency is responsible for the products and/or services, but uses GovWorks to manage the contract process for the customer. After receiving funds and a concise description of the agency’s requirements, GovWorks acts as the requesting agency’s procuring organization for acquiring their products and/or services. 

Again, let me reiterate, none of these contracts were with MMS.  

Sincerely,  

Johnnie Burton, Director

Relevant Web Sites

MMS Main Website
 

Media Contacts

Gary Strasburg
(202) 208-3985

MMS: Securing Ocean Energy & Economic Value for America
U.S. Department of the Interior