Monthly Archives: September 2015

Please send letters to your Congressional delegation from narfe.org. Numbers count!

The following is a response to an important letter that a number of members have sent to their congressional delegation. It encourages our law makers not to miss treat Federal employees and Retirees as well as seniors in general unfairly in the budget process. If you have not yet sent such a letter to your Congressman and two Senators, I would ask you to logon to narfe.org and do so at your soonest convenience. Numbers do count!

“Thank you for getting in touch with me regarding our nation’s outstanding federal employees.  It’s great to hear from you on this important subject.

Federal employees are on the front lines every day, protecting our borders, taking care of our veterans, keeping our food safe, and developing life-saving technologies.  Federal employees should be thanked and recognized.  Instead, they’ve been the targets of unending attacks.

As Vice Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I am fighting hard for federal employees.  I think of Maryland’s federal employees every day.

First, I have been fighting for your safety and security following the OPM breach.  I have used the tools of the Appropriations Committee to fight for a stronger response from your government, and for the resources and reforms to prevent another breach from happening again.

My amendment providing federal employees impacted by the data breach with ten years of credit-monitoring and identity theft protection services as well as $5 million dollars in liability protection was adopted by the Senate Appropriations Committee during consideration of the Fiscal Year 2016 Financial Services Appropriations Bill (S. 1910) on July 23, 2015.  This bill was subsequently passed out of Committee.

In addition, my amendment to appropriate $37 million dollars for OPM cyber protection improvements will be considered by the full Senate when it takes up the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (S. 754) later this fall.  This bill would improve the security of federal cyber systems and expand protections for federal employees affected by recent data breaches.

I also joined Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) in introducing the RECOVER Act (S. 1746).  This bill would provide federal employees who were compromised by the data breach lifetime identity protection and $5 million in identity theft insurance.

Second, I am working hard to give you and your families a raise.  I am a co-sponsor of the FAIR Act (S.164).  This bill would build on the 1% raise that I fought hard to secure in Fiscal Year 2015 by increasing salaries by 3.8% in 2016.  The FAIR Act is currently pending in the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.  I also protected President Obama’s right to propose the recent federal employee cost of living increase for fiscal year 2016 by making sure no provision was included in the Senate’s Fiscal Year 2016 Financial Services Appropriations Bill to block a pay increase.  Most recently, I joined with Senator Cardin in introducing the Federal Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2015 (S.2035).  This bill guarantees retroactive pay to any federal employee furloughed by a government shutdown.

Finally, I am fighting government cuts to your pay and benefits and working to get a bipartisan budget deal to prevent dangerous cuts to your agency’s mission.  Congress must lift the discretionary budget caps, end sequester, and provide parity between defense and non-defense spending.

Thanks again for contacting me.  You can count on me to continue fighting for our hard-working federal employees. Please let me know if I can be of assistance to you in the future.”

Sincerely,
Barbara A. Mikulski
United States Senator

Call to Federation Board Meeting, 6 October 2015

NATIONAL ACTIVE AND RETIRED FEDERAL EMPLOYEES
MARYLAND FEDERATION OF CHAPTERS
  • DAN MCGRATH, PRESIDENT
  • GARY ROUNDTREE SR., 1st VICE PRESIDENT & LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR
  • JO ANNE GROVES,  2nd VICE PRESIDENT & MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR
  • PATRICIA FARMER, SECRETARY
    RICHARD STROMBOTNE, TREASURER
  • RON BOWERS, PAST PRESIDENT
  • TED JENSEN, IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT & PAST PRESIDENT

4 September 2015

TO: Federation Officers and Chairmen
Federation Board Members [Chapter Presidents]

FROM: Dan McGrath, President, 410-641-5570, mcgrathsop@aol.com

SUBJECT: Call to Federation Board Meeting, 6 October 2015

  1. The next meeting of the Maryland Federation Board has been scheduled as follows:
    Day/Date/Time: Tuesday, 6 October 2015 / 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
    Place: Comfort Inn, Bowie
    NARFE_MD_Call_To_Board_6Oct15_FINAL_9-6

2. All addressees are urged to attend this important meeting. Important items on the agenda include: 1) A briefing on the Federation’s new approach to our State Legislative Program, including a more aggressive approach to having our retirement income excluded from Maryland State Income Tax; 2) Peter Franchot, Maryland Comptroller, will be our Luncheon Speaker, and 3) We will have an update on the Federation’s plans for Forums leading up to the 2016 elections and the role that is envisioned for the chapters. Interested members, guests and past Chapter Presidents are welcome and encouraged to attend. Guests can pay at the door, but must have reservations.
3. The cost of lunch, and travel at 45c per mile, will be borne by the Federation for Federation Officers and Chairmen, and Board Members [or an Alternate Board Member when attending in lieu of the Board Member]. Per person costs to the Federation now exceed $26. The below-cost registration fee of $20, in effect, is an incentive from the Federation to increase attendance at the Board meeting and inform more members about Federation operations.
All chapter attendees are encouraged to carpool. Because of the distance involved, 125 miles or more, the Federation will reimburse Chapters 410 West-Mar, and 2274 Ocean Area for one night at the hotel so they can come the day before, on 5 October 2015. Registration, including lunch, will be $20 for each guest, payable at registration. Chapters will be billed for payment of no shows.
4. Since we have to advise the Comfort Inn of the number of lunch reservations, please make your reservations on the form included in the attachment above and mail it to Marty Strombotne, as soon as possible, or email the information below, but it should reach Marty Strombotne no later than Saturday, 26 September 2015. Cancellation without penalty is noon Saturday, 26 September 2015. If you need to cancel please do Marty the courtesy of letting her know ASAP. Call 240-632-9881 or send email to martystrom@comcast.net. Be sure to note the name of the driver you will ride with, as Treasurer Dick Strombotne plans to have mileage checks available that day.
5. According to Federation Bylaws, F-7s are needed immediately from any chapter that has made any changes, not already reported, in officers, chairmen, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, location, dues, etc., so the Secretary can update the Directory in time for this Board meeting. The Secretary also needs the name, telephone number and email address for the Chapter Alternate to Federation Board meetings. Please check the previous Directory for errors. If you are not using the NARFE electronic F-7, type and send by email or type and send by the post office, to each of the following, plus one for your chapter files:

Patricia Farmer, Secretary NARFE -7 Unit
13304 Briarwood Drive 606 N Washington Street
Laurel, MD 20708 Alexandria VA 22314-1914

Calvert County Chapter 1466 special event – September 17, 2015

1466 - Sep 2015 Asbury flyer v3