Category Archives: MD Federation Event

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

Maryland Income Taxes Again by Dick Strombotne

Posted on December 26, 2018 | Comments Off on Maryland Income Taxes Again by Dick Strombotne

 

If you usually claim the standard deduction on your Maryland income taxes, you can skip this article. It is intended to inform and advise people who usually claim itemized deductions on Maryland income taxes.

What is the problem? The big increase in the standard deduction on Federal tax makes it attractive for people to claim it for 2018. It saves money on federal taxes. If you do that then you cannot claim itemized deductions on your MD taxes. You can estimate how much your MD state and local taxes will increase easily. Look up the amount of itemized deductions on the MD tax return for 2017 Subtract the amount of MD standard deduction: $4,500 for joint filers and $2,250 for single filers. Multiply the result by 8%. That is the amount of the increase in your MD state and local taxes for 2018, roughly. If you don’t like the result, read on.

Let your state legislators know that they need to roll back the increase in MD state and local income taxes on people who claim the Federal standard deduction. The Maryland General Assembly goes into its 90-day session January 9, just two days before our January 11 membership meeting. Call the toll-free number for the General Assembly, 1-800-492-7122, and tell the operator who you want to speak to. When you call a legislator’s office a staff member will usually answer. Say who you are and that you are concerned about not being able to claim itemized deductions on your Maryland taxes.

Key legislators are members of the House Ways and Means Committee (HW&M) and the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee (SB&T.) The Chair of SB&T is Senator Nancy King, District 39. The Chair of HW&M is Del. Anne Kaiser, District 14. Delegate-elect Julie Palakovitch Carr, District 17, will be a new member of HW&M. These senators and delegates have fellow members from their districts who can be called and asked to support legislation to fix the problem.

After legislation is introduced to address the problem there will be hearings by the relevant committees. Usually, there is only about two weeks notice of hearings. It is vitally important that NARFE members be present at those hearings to let the committee members know that the matter is important. You can park at the Navy-Marine stadium lot for $5 and ride a shuttle to the General Assembly area of Annapolis for $1. Hearings usually are scheduled to start at 1:00 pm and there is no telling when the bill of interest will be heard. Look for an email message from Chapter President Charlie Garfinkel to inform you about the key hearings. The website for Maryland General Assembly is at http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frm1st.aspx?tab=home

It is a marvelous source of information about committees, legislators, reports, etc.

Updated: 12/29/2018

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Posted in General Announcements, Legislative - State Blog, MD Federation Event

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Profiles in Civil Service Flip Book

Posted on November 6, 2018 | Comments Off on Profiles in Civil Service Flip Book

Profiles in Civil Service Flip Book has been updated to the 2018 version.  Please take a look on the right column!

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Posted in Legislative - Federal Blog, MD Federation Event, Profiles in Civil Service

NARFE – AARP District 8 Candidate Forum

Posted on September 21, 2016 | Comments Off on NARFE – AARP District 8 Candidate Forum

The Maryland Federation of Chapters of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE) and AARP Maryland (AARP/MD) convened a District 8 Congressional Candidates Forum and a Senatorial Candidates’ Forum on Saturday, September 17, 2016 at the Bioscience Education Center, Hercules Pinkney Life Sciences Park, on the Germantown Campus of Montgomery College.

The forums focused on issues important to current and retired federal employees and their survivors, as well as concerns central to seniors throughout the state of Maryland. As Congress continues to denigrate federal service and take action to cut the earned pay and benefits of federal workers and retirees, the forum sought answers to essential questions for a large constituency of Maryland. Additionally, seniors represented by AARP/MD, also a key constituency in the state of Maryland, gained insight from the candidates on their chief concerns.

Videos of the forum are available on YouTube.  The videos are on the Maryland Federation channel and are in four parts.  The descriptions below are links to the videos.  By clicking on a description you be taken to the YouTube video. The first link is a playlist that will allow you to view all four videos in sequence.

This a link to the Maryland Federation Channel where these videos and others can be seen – LINK.  You can also reach the channel by going to YouTube (www.youtube.com) and searching on “NARFE Maryland Federation”.  The four videos are there as Montgomery College Candidate Forum, parts 1 through 4.  Once on the channel you can subscribe to the channel by clicking on the red “SUBSCRIBE” icon on the upper right of the page.  This will allow you to get an email when new videos are posted.

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Posted in MD Federation Event

Call to Maryland Federation Training Day Thursday, October 29, 2015 – Bowie Comfort Inn

Posted on October 8, 2015 | Comments Off on Call to Maryland Federation Training Day Thursday, October 29, 2015 – Bowie Comfort Inn
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

 

The next training day for the Maryland Federation has been scheduled as follows:

Day/Date/Time: Tuesday, 29 October 2015 / 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Place: Comfort Inn, Bowie
NARFE_MD_Call_To_Training_Day_29Oct2015_paf

2015 Registration Form for Federation Training Day

For this event, the cost of registration, including lunch, will be borne by the Federation for all attendees from the Maryland Federation. Attendees from outside Maryland will have to pay the $20 registration/lunch fee. One driver from each Maryland chapter will be reimbursed for mileage at 45 cents per mile. Carpooling is strongly encouraged.

Pre-registration is required. Please inform Marty Strombotne promptly of your plans to attend this training. The Registration form is attached. Be sure to tell Marty whom you are riding with. In addition please give Marty your best guess as to how many will be attending each breakout track in the afternoon. This will help us size the groups to the available meeting rooms.

Deadline for registering is Friday, October 23.

Chapters will be billed for payment of No Shows

Because of the distance involved, 125 miles or more, the Federation will reimburse Chapters 410 West-Mar and 2274 Ocean Area for one or more rooms (up to 4) for October 28 at the hotel as necessary. These chapters should make their own reservations with the Comfort Inn. The Federation will pay mileage at 45 cents per mile for Chapters 410 and 2274 only.

All attendee names are needed on the registration form so that accurate lunch arrangements can be made and a proper number of training materials can be prepared.

Carpooling is strongly recommended.

Directions to Comfort Inn – 4500 Crain Highway, Bowie MD 20716 – 301-464-0089

From Route 95 N or S
Take Route 50 East to Exit 13 [about six miles from Washington Beltway]
Take US 301 South
Stay in right-hand lane
Make first right at intersection and immediate right onto access road to hotel

From Route 50 W
Take US 301 South [Exit 13]
Stay in right-hand lane
Make first right at intersection and immediate right onto access road to hotel

From US 301 N, South of US 50
Go north past intersection with MD 197, staying in left-hand lane. Rips Restaurant is on the right. Hotel is ahead about one mile on left.
Turn left at the light at Harbour Way, then immediate right onto access road

 Note: If you have any questions about this Call Letter, please call or email Secretary Pat Farmer, 301-776-4645 or buttonspaf@aol.com.

 

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Posted in MD Federation Event