Monthly Archives: February 2019

USM Forum

Posted on February 9, 2019 | Comments Off on USM Forum

More information on the USM Forum in March

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Posted in General Announcements, Legislative - State Blog, Non-NARFE Events, USM

NARFE/MD: Join Us in Ocean City for the Biennial Conference

Posted on February 9, 2019 | Comments Off on NARFE/MD: Join Us in Ocean City for the Biennial Conference
February 8, 2019

Build, Strengthen, Advocate and Lead

Maryland Federation 44th Biennial Conference

May 5-7, 2019

Dunes Manor Hotel & Suites

2800 Baltimore Ave.

Ocean City, Maryland 21842

To make reservations, call 800-523-2888. Must call hotel by April 4.  All rooms are $89.00 + $9.35 = $98.35 per night for all week. Come early or stay a day or more after and enjoy Ocean City.

It’s about Communication and Education.

Conference Objective 1:  To present the latest in Advocacy Training and Technological Training from a scientific perspective.

Conference Objective 2:  To introduce a new model for effectively using Social Media and Advocacy Training to Communicate with Your Elected Lawmakers in Congress and the Maryland General Assembly.

Come and hear and get to know some of the most interesting speakers of our time in government and beyond.

Barbara Sido, NARFE HQ Executive Director; James Marshall, NARFE Federal Benefits Institute; Peter Franchot, Maryland Comptroller; John C. Wobensmith, Maryland Secretary of State; George Owings, Maryland Secretary of Veterans Affairs; Craig Renner, Senior Director Communications of Maryland Environmental Service; Nancy Gaither, Professional, Talent & Leadership Development; Faye Green, Maryland Author; Ahmed Salem, Special Agent/Assistant Director National Security Programs, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), U.S. Department of Commerce; Gee Williams, Mayor, Berlin, Maryland; Rick Meehan, Mayor, Ocean City, Maryland; Tammy Bresnahan, AARP Maryland Associate Director of  Advocacy; Meagan Sekscinski, Estate Planning; Ronald Rolfe, Deputy Assistant Director, Nuclear & Missile Technology Division, BIS; Kathy Adams, NARFE Region II Vice President; Delegate Wayne Hartman, Maryland House of Delegates, District 38C (Worcester and Wicomico counties); and Ryan Snow, Eastern Shore Representative – Governor Lawrence Hogan.

Goals of the Biennial Conference: 

Goal #1: Learn               Goal #2: Connect               Goal #3: Apply

Registration:  For a copy of the Conference Call Letter with detailed information on registration, please contact your chapter president or the NARFE/MD Secretary Pat Farmer at buttonspaf@aol.com.

Updated: 2019-02-09

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Posted in Chapter Events, Conference Info, General Announcements, MD Federation Event

SHUTDOWN: SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT

Posted on February 9, 2019 | Comments Off on SHUTDOWN: SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT

February 8, 2019

At the Maryland Federation Board Meeting on February 5, there were several members who asked what NARFE did during the partial government shutdown. Our Maryland President Dr. Gary Roundtree Sr. made National President (NatPres) Ken Thomas aware of these concerns through our Region II Vice President KathyAdams. In response, National President Thomas has provided a list of what he and NARFE did during that time.  See below.  There is also email following from the Region II Vice President and from a member expressing his concerns.

Setting the Record Straight

During the partial government shutdown:

NARFE’s natpres’ partial government shutdown statements were quoted in more than fifty media pieces distributed by national media outlets and carried by the Washington Post, NPR, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, UnionTrack, Federal News Network, Federal Times, Huffington Post, Government Matters, and others;

The natpres participated in a live thirty minute round table shutdown discussion with Maryland’s two U.S. senators carried by several media outlets including WBAL;

The natpres was interviewed and participated in a live fifty minute Mike Causey government shutdown radio show carried by WTOP and the Federal News Network;

The natpres was interviewed and filmed about the government shutdown for forty-five minutes by reporters from local CBS affiliate WUSA-TV9 and was the lead in story for the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. news hours, and for two additional TV stories on the government shutdown;

The natpres was interviewed about the government shutdown during a live broadcast by WMAU;

The natpres with Jessica Klement conducted the forty minute “NARFE Shutdown: Get Answers-Take Action” webinar broadcast to all NARFE members;

The natpres issued/tweeted eleven government shutdown related messages;

The natpres was instrumental in the NARFE/FEEA shutdown emergency grant program which distributed more than $41,000 to over four hundred furloughed or excepted service government employees/NARFE members;

The natpres contacted the District of Columbia and Maryland federations’ presidents to ask their members’ assistance during the shutdown with distributing NARFE related material at Metro stations and government facilities in their area; and, unlike my good friend Mr. Cox at AFGE,

The NARFE national president was not arrested, dragged out of the Hart Senate Office Building in handcuffs, taken to D.C. Jail, and bonded out for failure to comply with a lawful order to vacate a federal building. Guess I missed an opportunity.

Ken Thomas

From: Kathleen Adams
Sent: Wednesday, February 6, 2019 7:11 PM
To: Kenneth Thomas
Cc: Barbara Sido; Kathryn Hensley
Subject: Fwd: Clarification

Hi Ken:  I spent Monday and Tuesday with the Maryland Federation and some felt NARFE missed a great opportunity.  Please see attached.

Kathy Adams

RVP Region II

Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message from NARFE/MD member:

Date: February 6, 2019 at 5:47:16 PM EST

Subject: Clarification

Gary,

After yesterday’s session, I thought it important to clarify something with you. When I raised the issue of the rally to support the feds subjected to the government shutdown, I was not in any way referring to you.. It was not your responsibility and it is important to me that you understand that I was not talking about you in any way.

I was talking specifically about the national president and for good reason. The attendees at the rally were not identified as Democrats or Republicans; they were all impacted federal employees. They were all also active feds, the very group of people we want to recruit for membership and about whom we continually complain we can’t reach because we can’t get access within the federal agency.

We missed a golden opportunity to have NARFE join in as a partner with AFGE, NTEU, NFFE and other participating federal organizations who support the shutdown victims and who had their presidents address the massive turnout. We were not there and, regardless of whatever we have done as on organization in support of these feds, nothing would have provided NARFE with the notoriety that participation by our president would have.

It was an opportunity to get our name the exposure needed to attract new members and our national president was likely in Alexandria instead of joining with the other organization presidents to make us known among all of those current federal employees participating in the rally or watching the coverage by the news media..

 I find any missed opportunity to be disturbing.

 Kathy – I have no problem if this is shared with the national president and I hope, if you do, he finds it constructive.

Paul

Updated: 2019-02-09

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Posted in General Announcements, Legislative - Federal Blog, MD Federation Board Meeting

(REVISED)PRESS RELEASE: 002-2019

Posted on February 7, 2019 | Comments Off on (REVISED)PRESS RELEASE: 002-2019

CONTACT:   EDWARD HOLLAND, Public Relations Chair

hollandnmd@aol.com / #301.848.3476

!!CALL TO ACTION!!

POSSIBLE IMPACT ON YOUR BUDGET

On Wednesday, February 13, 2019, 1:00pm, the Maryland Federation, National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association will throw its support behind House Bill 327: Income Tax – Itemized Deductions. In reviewing HB 327 on the General Assembly’s website – “Allowing an individual to itemize deductions to compute Maryland taxable income whether or not the individual itemizes deductions on the individual’s federal income tax return; providing that, for an individual who does not itemize deductions on the individual’s federal income tax return, Maryland itemized deductions shall be determined as if an individual itemized deductions on the federal income tax return; applying the Act to taxable years after 2018; etc.”

To ensure that you appropriately support HB 327, you need to sign-in to speak before the Ways & Means Committee in Room 131, the House Building. The House Building is located at 6 Bladen Street, Annapolis, Maryland 21401. The deadline to sign-in is 12:00pm, February 13.

NARFE MD Federation President Dr. Gary Roundtree has approved the reimbursement of your parking and a shuttle ride to the House Building in Annapolis. Should you have questions regarding HB 327, parking, and overall strategy, please contact Maryland Federation State Legislative Committee Chair Paul Schwartz at pksyanks@aol.com.

The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE) was founded in 1921 with the mission of protecting the earned rights and benefits of America’s active and retired federal workers. One of the largest federal employee/retiree organizations, NARFE represents the interests of 5 million current and future federal and postal annuitants, spouses and survivors.

Updated: 2019-02-07

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Posted in General Announcements, Legislative - State Blog, MD Federation Board Meeting, Press Releases

PRESS RELEASE: 001-2019

Posted on February 7, 2019 | Comments Off on PRESS RELEASE: 001-2019

CONTACT: EDWARD HOLLAND, Public Relations Chair
hollandnmd@aol.com / #301.848.3476

NARFE MD Federation Board Meeting – Taxes and Public Safety

On Tuesday, February 5, 2019, the Maryland Federation, National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association will hold its Board Meeting at the Comfort Inn – Bowie. Per Federation Secretary Patricia Farmer, registration has reached a respectable number. However, Federation President Dr. Gary Roundtree has cleared off on getting the word out that space is still available for additional NARFE members.

According to the Maryland Federation Program Committee:

Former-IRS Commissioner John Koskinen

“Opening speaker former-IRS Commissioner John Koskinen is looking forward to speaking to many members about his time with the Obama Administration and the nuisances of taxes especially as the tax season is fast approaching. Mr. Koskinen hopes that you have questions.”

Are you kidding me? A chance to pepper someone who had a front seat at the Obama Administration table. You definitely want to show up and zing questions at the Commissioner.

Maryland State Police Secretary Colonel William Pallozzi

“Executive Office of Maryland Secretary of State Police’s Colonel William Pallozzi looks forward to briefing NARFE members.”

To point out the importance of the Colonel’s position, you need to remember that he oversees all of the state police barracks throughout Maryland. From the mountains to the seas/lakes he stays busy checking up on the barracks throughout his empire. Yet, he has found time to speak to us during lunch. Are his helicopters truly on duty or only during certain hours? Show up to find out.

***********************************************************

If you have a member sitting on the fence, please have them contact Federation Secretary Pat Farmer now and let’s pack the room for the Honorable John Koskinen and the Honorable William Pallozzi.

Updated: 2019-02-07

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Posted in General Announcements, MD Federation Board Meeting, Press Releases