november 06-narfe-1-9/5 · 2017. 3. 3. · winchester,va22601-2913 tel:540-665-9715...
TRANSCRIPT
Misses Sizes:S(6-8) M(10-12) L(14-16)
*Women’s Sizes (just $4 more each):XL(18-20W) 2XL(22-24W) 3XL(26-28W)
Card # _______________________________________Exp.: ______/_____
Mr. Mrs. Ms. ___________________________________________________
Address ___________________________________________ Apt. # ______
City & State_______________________________________ Zip ___________
Email ____________________________________________________________100% Satisfaction Guaranteed or Full Refund of Purchase Price at Any Time!
VisaMC Discover® Network AmEx Check
Haband.comShop Online:
In GA add salestax.
Imported
Haband #1 Bargain Place, Jessup, PA 18434-1834Send _____ jackets. I enclose $________purchase price plus $5.99 toward postage.
America’s Favorite Fabric: Denim!All Cotton Denim with charming embroidered vinesand flowers on the pockets and stylish jeans-weartop-stitching. A joy to wear, it’s soft and pre-shrunk,it comes out of the washer just as it went in!Roomy patch pockets, sleek collar and handsomebutton front. In stock and ready to ship.Just 19.99 — Choose your colorand OrderToday!
Missesand
Women’sSizes!
Missesand
Women’s Sizes!
2 for37.95
Duke HabernickelDuke Habernickel#1 Bargain Place#1 Bargain PlaceJessup, PA 18434-1834Jessup, PA 18434-1834
Duke Habernickel#1 Bargain PlaceJessup, PA 18434-1834
White
Blue Denim
NO IRON
Wash ’n Wear!
ORDER
HER
E!ORDER
HER
E!
On-Line Quick OrderWHAT SIZE?
HOW MANY?
WHITE09BLUE DENIM5Q
7FT–D4K04
When you authorize us to use information from your check to clear it electronically, funds may be withdrawn from your account as soon as the same day we receive your payment, and you will not receive your check back from your financial institution.
7FJ-D4KO4
Cover design by Jim Richards
COLUMNS8 Message From the
National President
28 Managing Money
30 LiveWell
45 From the Secretary’sDesk
46 Report From theRegions
visit us online atwww.narfe.org
For Active and Retired Federal Employees
RETIREMENT LIFE MAY 2008, Volume 84,Number 5
SPECIALSECTIONS
41 National Candidates’Statements
41 2008 NARFENational Convention
50 National ExecutiveBoard Minutes
LEGISLATIVE REPORT10 No Federal Retirement Cuts in Congressional
Budget Resolutions
12 The Presidential Candidates and FEHBP
13 Legislative Briefs
15 August Is “MeetYour Candidates Month”
16 ProtectingYour “Entitlements”
18 Civics 101: Restoring a Full House
32 Questions &Answers
40 Out &About
44 Faces of NARFE
49 NARFE News
52 Letters
56 For the Record: COLAChart,TSP Investments, Milestones
57 At Last! Past Times & Present Pursuits
58 Brain Game & Bookend
DEPARTMENTS
COVER STORY22 Judy Park Retires After 40Years.The
Association’s Legislative Director looks back atfour decades at NARFE.
24 Making a DifferenceThrough PoliticsFEATURE STORY
EditorMargaret M. Carter
Assistant EditorDonna J. St. John
Contributing DesignersCharlene GridleyJim Richards
Editorial Board:Margaret L. BaptisteNathaniel L. BrownRichard C. Ostergren
Editorial OfficeNARFE, Attn: NARFEmagazine606 NorthWashington St.Alexandria, VA 22314-1914Phone: 703-838-7760Fax: 703-838-7781E-mail: [email protected]
Advertising SalesWarren BergerMedia People Inc.
122 East 42nd Street, Suite 725New York, NY 10168212-779-7172, ext. 223
E-mail: [email protected]
National HeadquartersNARFE Phones Open
8 a.m.—4:45 p.m. (ET) Monday—FridayTelephone: 703-838-7760Fax: 703-838-7785E-mail: [email protected]
The Association, since July 1970, has beenclassified by the IRS as a tax exempt labor or-ganization [not a union]; however, dues andgifts or contributions to the Association arenot deductible as charitable contributions forincome tax purposes.
Web site: www.narfe.org
NARFE on Tape
Monthly issues ofNARFEmagazine are avail-able on cassette in selected areas of thecountry through theNational Library Servicefor the Blind and Physically Handicapped.To find out about availability in your area,call toll-free 1-800-424-8567 and ask for theReference Section.
REGIONALVICEPRESIDENTS
NATIONALOFFICERSMARGARETL. BAPTISTE, President
NATHANIELL. BROWN, [email protected]
RICHARDC. OSTERGREN, [email protected]
NARFE (ISSN 0034-6179) is published monthly by the National Active and Retired Federal EmployeesAssociation (NARFE), 606 N. Washington St., Alexandria,VA 22314. Periodicals postage paid atAlexandria, VA, and additional mailing offices. Members: Annual dues includes subscription.Non-member subscription rate $33. Postmaster: Send address change to: NARFE Attn:Member Records, NARFE, 606 N.Washington St., Alexandria,VA 22314.To ensure promptdelivery,members should also forward changes of address without delay. Because of thevolume involved,NARFE cannot acknowledge nor be responsible for unsolicited pictures
and manuscripts, although every reasonable precaution is taken.All submissions become the property of NARFE.Contents of this magazine are copyrighted © 2008.Advertisements in the magazine are not endorsements ofproducts and/or services by NARFE,unless officially stated in the ad.We shall accept advertising on the same basisas other reputable publications: that is,we shall not knowingly permit a dishonest advertisement to appear inNARFE,but at the same time we will not undertake to guarantee the reliability of our advertisers.
REGION I Augie Stratoti(Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, NewHampshire, New York, Rhode Island andVermont)16 Birch Hill DriveNashua, NH 03063-2537Tel: 603-889-1073Fax: 603-882-8144E-mail: [email protected]
REGION II CharlesW. Saylor(Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland,New Jersey and Pennsylvania)205 E. Joppa Road, Apt. 1509Towson, MD 21286-3225Tel: 410-938-8783E-mail: [email protected]
REGION III Robert S. Harrell(Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi,Puerto Rico, South Carolina and VirginIslands)25112 Kingston DriveAthens, AL 35613-7382Tel, Fax: 256-232-2013E-mail: [email protected]
REGION IV Tom Johnson(Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio andWisconsin)10429 Oak Branch TrailStrongsville, OH 44149-1278Tel: 440-878-1833Fax: 440-268-9540E-mail: [email protected]
REGIONV RichardG. Thissen(Iowa, Kansas,Minnesota,Missouri,Nebraska, NorthDakota and SouthDakota)P. O. Box 485Lake Ozark, MO 65049-0485Tel: 573-365-5679Fax: 573-964-5074E-mail: [email protected]
REGIONVI JerryD. Hatfield(Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma,Republic of Panama and Texas)231 Inwood RoadTexarkana, TX 75501-9082Tel, Fax: 903-832-1120E-mail: [email protected]
REGIONVII Russ Boor(Arizona, Colorado, NewMexico, Utah andWyoming)5843 Agave LaneLas Cruces, NM 88012-7002Tel: 505-382-7478Fax: 505-382-2145E-mail: [email protected]
REGIONVIII ForneyA. Lundy(California, Guam, Hawaii, Nevadaand Republic of Philippines)769 Ambrose DriveSalinas, CA 93901-1061Tel: 831-758-4888Fax: 831-758-6308E-mail: [email protected]
REGION IX LannyG. Ross(Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon andWashington)7450 Illahee Road NEBremerton,WA 98311-9431Tel: 360-692-9741Fax: 360-662-0384E-mail: [email protected]
REGIONX JosephA. Beaudoin(Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee,Virginia andWest Virginia)527 Old Fort RoadWinchester, VA 22601-2913Tel: 540-665-9715Fax: 540-722-2290E-mail: [email protected]
4 MAY 2008 | NARFE
Just Arrived From “Down Under”
The New 2008 Silver Koala!
ustralia’s Silver Koalas are back! They traveled halfway across the globe toreach America—and now you have the opportunity to make the new 2008 Silver Koala coins from “Down Under” part of your collection!
FIRST-EVER, Exclusive U.S. ReleaseThanks to an exclusive agreement with Australia’s world-famous Perth Mint, New York Mint has secured the rightsto the first 8,000 coins struck of this brand new SilverKoala issue. This is the first-time this offer has been released in the United States. Plus, each legal-tendercoin is struck in a full ounce of .999 pure silver
and has been certified in Gem Brilliant Uncirculated condition by the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC).
Incredible “First Strike” Specimen—Guaranteed!Featuring an engaging vignette of a Koala mother and her cuddly cub clingingto her back, each coin has also been certified by the Mint Master at theprestigious Perth Mint to be one of the first 8,000 coins struck. The combina-tion of this one-year-only design and its silver purity as well as the pristinecondition and desirable “First Strike” status has collector interest running skyhigh. Like its Panda counterpart, the Silver Koala coins will feature a new design each year, and this 2008 issue is sure to please collectors worldwide!
Don’t Miss Out—Order Now!A sell-out is expected, so don’t miss your chance to acquire this popular,limited-edition silver coin. And if you act now, you can acquire these silver gemsat a special issue price as low as $29.95 (+S&H). These coins are sure to haveenormous appeal among coin collectors everywhere as well as gift buyers andinternational travelers on the lookout for treasures that symbolize Australia.
30-Day Money-Back Satisfaction GuaranteeOrder now while our limited supply lasts. Once these coins are gone, they may never be available again at this low price. Your satisfaction is guaranteed by our 30-day money-back guarantee. Call today to order yours!
1-800-585-9240 ext. 4608New York Mint • Edina, Minnesota
©2008 Not affiliated with the U.S. Government
Exclusive U.S. Release from New York Mint:
A
As Low as $29.95!1 – $39.95 each + S&H 5 – $32.95 each + S&H3 – $35.95 each + S&H 10 – $29.95 each + S&H
NEW RELEASEOne-Year-Only DesignOrder Today!
6 MAY 2008 | NARFE
For help with any Association issue,
CALL NARFE AT 703- 838-7760
Whenwriting to NARFEHeadquarters,use the following address:
NARFE (specify officer, department or staff member)606 NorthWashington St.,Alexandria, VA 22314-1914
If you have e-mail access, use the following listto direct your inquiries or comments.
BUDGETANDFINANCE:
COMMUNICATIONS:NARFEmagazine’s editorial andprint production operations
FEDERATION AND CHAPTER SERVICES:Officer ros-ters (F-7 & F-7A), chapter openings/closings, bylaw revi-sions, anniversary & distinguished service certificates
HUMANRESOURCES:[email protected]
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY:
LEGISLATION: Legislative efforts, state taxation of annu-ities and Social Security issues
[email protected]: Fulfillment of F-18 orders for printed supplies
MEMBER RECORDS: Change of address, membershipstatus, dues, and death notification
NARFE PROGRAMS:Calendar &Greeting Card Program,Disaster Fund, Scholarship Program, Pre-Retirement Sem-inar Program
NATIONAL PRESIDENT:NARFE-Alzheimer’s [email protected]
NARFE PERKS:NARFE-sponsored services; see NARFEPerks pages in this issue
PUBLIC RELATIONS:Media inquiries, general public re-lations information and assistance
RECRUITMENT & RETENTION: Pre-retirement seminarmaterial and information, table top displays, and generalrecruiting and retention assistance
RETIREMENT BENEFITS: Annuities, Medicare and fed-eral health and life insurance benefits, federal taxes, thriftsavings and court ordered benefits; service officers
To obtain NARFE’s Legislative Hotline by phone, call:
(TOLL-FREE) 1-877-217-8234
HERE’S HOWTO CONTACT US:CHANGE OF ADDRESS: If you change youraddress, please notify Member Records toll-free at1-800-456-8410, send an e-mail message [email protected], or mail the notification toNARFE Headquarters, ATTN:Member Records.Q&A: To obtain an answer to a retirement benefitsquestion, call 703-838-7760 and ask for theRetirement Benefits Service Department, send an e-mail to [email protected], or mail your questionto NARFEHeadquarters, ATTN: Retirement Benefits.Out & About: Submit photo and caption informa-tion by mail to NARFE Headquarters, ATTN: Outand About, or by e-mail to [email protected] Milestones: Submit names (both firstnames), wedding anniversary (50th only) and chap-ter name/number/state by mail to NARFEHeadquarters, ATTN: Anniversaries, or by e-mail [email protected] to the Editor: Letters may be edited forgrammar, clarity and length. Because of the volumereceived, they will not be acknowledged. All lettersmust be signed. Mail to NARFE Headquarters,ATTN: Letters to the Editor, or e-mail, [email protected].
NARFEWelcomesYour Input and Questions
To receive the Legislative Hotline as well as importantfederation information by e-mail, please ensure thatyour e-mail address is accurate on your NARFE mem-bership record. To add, change or remove your e-mailaddress use the Update link on the NARFE Web site, orcall or e-mail Member Records.
HowToContactUs
SAFETY GRIPSAFETY GRIP
MAKE ANY SHOWER/TUB
SAFE & SECURE
BUY 1 GET 1 FREE
Dep
t.60
137
©20
08D
ream
Prod
ucts
,Inc
.
$1697$1697Only
FREESHIPPING
BUY 1 GET 1 FREE
Ext
ra
Large Suction Cups
Ext
ra
Large Suction Cups
Powerful SuctionProvides A Sturdy
Grip In Tubs & Showers
Powerful SuctionProvides A Sturdy
Grip In Tubs & Showers
Bathtub
EXTRA HELP WHEN & WHERE YOU NEED ITAdded confidence at your fingertips! TheSafety Bath Grip provides the extra helpsometimes needed getting in and out of thebath tub or shower. Simply mount on anysmooth surface and press the tabs down se-curely attaching the extra large suction cupsin place. No tools are required so it canbe easily removed and placed almost any-where. 111⁄2”L x 31⁄2”W. For each SafetyBath Grip you buy at $16.97 you’ll receivea second one FREE! and your shipping isFREE!Satisfaction Guaranteed or Return For Your Money Back
CA residents must add 7.25% sales tax
TOTAL $
$
$
Dept. 60137Safety Bath Grip
Please Print Clearly
(95833)
/
Name
Address
City ST Zip
�Check or money order payable to: Dream Products, Inc.Charge my: � VISA � MasterCard � Discover®/NOVUSSMCards
Card# Expiration Date
Dream Products, Inc.412 DREAM LANE, VAN NUYS, CA 91496
SENDORDER
TO:
____Safety Bath Grip(s) @ $16.97 ea.For each Safety Bath Grip I buy,
I will get one FREE
Add $1.00 Handling (no matter how many you order!)
$ FREE
$ 1.00
FREE SHIPPING
www.DreamProductsCatalog.com WEB OFFERSMAY VARY( )
8 MAY 2008 | NARFE
Ido a lot of reading, especially e-mails and lettersfrommembers. I also read many chapter and fed-eration newsletters, andmarvel at the great job theeditors of these newsletters do in keepingmembersinformedof needed information. Their job is doubly
important as attendance at chapter meetingscontinues to decline.But this month, I read something else that
disturbed me. Let me explain. Every few years,we do a limited mailing of a questionnaire to asmall, randomly selected group of NARFEmembers. Responses from about 40 percent ofthose members who received it tell us whatthey are truly interested in and how they feelabout thewayNationalHeadquarters respondsto their needs. The responses also provide uswith other useful information about meetingattendance and level of involvement.But what bothered me was the response to
the question, “Is your spouse a member ofNARFE?” Only 8 percent responded in the affir-mative. I don’t know why you wouldn’t wantyour spouse to participate in NARFE activities.But I can tell you thatwhenmy latehusband,Al,retired, he very quickly signedup both of us forNARFE. Working for NARFE was one of themany thingsweenjoyeddoing together, and at-tendingNARFEmeetingswas important tobothof our futures. I am very glad he signed me up! So, please,consider signing up your spouse if he or she is not already aNARFEmember. The future NARFE strives to protect is im-portant to both of you and is well worthworking for.
MAY 30 WILL BE A SAD DAY around NARFE Headquar-ters as our Legislative Director Judy Park retires on thatday. Our Legislative Department will be in superb handswith Dan Adcock as our new director, ably assisted by JillCrissman, Chris Farrell and Laura Scott. But it won’t bequite the same.There are some people who think Judy has been here
since NARFE began. But, actually, she has been at NARFEfor slightly less than half of our 87-year history. She hasdone a magnificent job, and is very highly regarded onCapitol Hill and by all the associations weworkwith. It hasbeen my pleasure to be associated professionally and per-
sonally with Judy for more than 20 years. Herbreadth of political knowledge is staggering.Personally, she is just great fun to spend timewith, and I am going tomiss our luncheswhenwe discuss our respective book clubs, thelatest sale at Nordstrom and where we wouldlike to travel next. We all wish her well.
AS YOU WILL READ ELSEWHERE in thismagazine, former National President SteveMorrissey diedMarch 1. Stevewas the first Na-tional President I got to know when I becamereally active in NARFE. I first met him at a Fed-eration Presidents Meeting in Louisville in1989. Over the years, Al and I got to knowSteve and his wife, Shirley, and they were agreat couple. In 1994, Steve and I ran againsteach other for Region III Field Vice President.The four of us had a good time that year vis-iting the federations in Region III. I will alwayscherish the memory of Steve as a good andcourteous gentleman. At the St. Louis Con-vention, when it was announced that I had
won, Al turned to hug me, and I felt this little tap on myshoulder–Steve coming down the aisle because hewantedto be the first to congratulate me. Now that’s the wayNARFE elections should be. With Steve’s passing, I, andNARFE, have lost a dedicated friend.
One Thought at a Time
AMessage From theNational President
PLEASECONSIDER
signing up yourspouse forNARFE
membership.
Margaret L. [email protected]
Your TSP won’t last forever.* Make sure your assets continue to
work for you throughout your retirement. So roll over your TSP
to a TIAA-CREF IRA. Here’s why:
We offer highly competitive investments and the broadest
range of retirement income options in the industry.1
No fees and no minimum investment requirements.2
TIAA-CREF IRAs have similar investments as the TSP,
including an option that guarantees your savings.3
TIAA-CREF IRAs come with personalized objective
advice at no additional cost.
Call 1-866-681-0051 or visit
www.tiaa-cref.org/tsp today.
DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOUR
TSP RETIRES?
1Past performance is no guarantee of future results. 2There is no account fee to own a TIAA-CREF IRA; however, brokerage transaction fees may apply. In addition, investors are subject to the underlying funds’ portfolio management fees and expenses. 3Any guarantees under annuities issued by TIAA are subject to TIAA’s claims-paying ability. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC, and Teachers Personal Investors Services, Inc., Members FINRA, distribute securities products. Advisory services are provided by Advice and Planning Services, a division of TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC, a registered investment advisor. C40824 © 2008 Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association-College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA-CREF), New York, NY 10017.
*Please see TSP rules at www.tsp.gov. Consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. Call 877-518-9161 or visit tiaa-cref.org for a current prospectus that contains this and other information. Read it carefully before investing.
10 MAY 2008 | NARFE
Neither the Senate nor the House proposed re-
ducing federal civil service retirement or health
benefits in their respective fiscal year (FY) 2009
Budget Resolutions. However, Rep. Paul D. Ryan,
R-WI, offered an amendment rejected by the House that would have
cut such earned compensation by $4.679 billion over five years.
� Call it brain drain,boomerbust or a sign of the widelyheralded retirement tsunami,but a glance at theOffice ofPersonnel Management’srecently released StatisticalAbstracts for FY 2006 bears outthe increase of federalworkers retiring in recentyears.In fiscal year (FY) 2006,103,292 new retirees wereadded to the rolls,almost a40-percent increase over the74,153 who retired five yearsearlier.
� And,credit longevity or luck,but during the same five-yearperiod,the number ofsurvivors added to theretirement rolls decreasedannually.In fact, in FY 2006,the total number ofindividuals drawing survivorannuities (620,754) was thesmallest in the past decade.
LEGISLATIVE HOTLINEToll-free! (24 Hours):1-877-217-8234Legislative Action Center:www.narfe.org
TheHouse voted alongmainly par-tisan lines to pass its tax and spendingplan (H. Con. Res. 312) 212-207 onMarch 13, and the Senate approved itsversion of the budget blueprint (S. Con.Res. 70) by a near party-line vote of 51-44 on March 14. As this issue went topress,HouseandSenatebudget leaderswere slated to settle the differences be-tween the twomeasures in a compro-mise bill to be approved by both cham-bers in April. The resulting resolutionwill serve as guidance for spending andrevenue decisions for the year ahead.
Although there are differences inthe details, each plan sets aside morediscretionary spending than the $988.6billion President Bush had recom-mended in his budget. Discretionaryspending funds the daily operation ofgovernment. The House would allow$25.3 billion more than the president,while the Senate would permit $21.8billionmore to be spent. Last year, con-gressional Democrats lost a standoffwith theWhiteHousewhen they triedto appropriate $23 billion more than
the president suggested.However, thisyear theDemocraticmajoritymaypasstemporary spending bills until Presi-dent Bush’s term expires for the pur-pose ofmaking a final agreement withthe new president next January.
HOUSE SUPPORTS PARITYTheHouse also rejected the admin-
istration’s proposed disparity in 2009pay raises between federal civilianworkers (2.9 percent) and active dutymilitary personnel (3.4 percent).WhileH. Con. Res. 312 sets no specific payraise percentage, it includes a “sense ofthe House” resolution in support ofpay parity between federal civilian em-ployees and the military. The Senate-approvedbudget resolution is silent onpay. NARFE and other civilian-em-ployee defenderswill work together toassure pay parity in relevant appropri-ations bills later this year.
ENTITLEMENTSOnly the House version of the
budget resolution suggested a cut in
LEGISLATIVEREPORT
No Fed Retirement CutsIn Budget Plans HouseRejects
ReductionAmendment
GMPc
LegislativeReport
12 MAY 2008 | NARFE
entitlement spending: $750million over six years inmanda-tory programsunder the jurisdictionof theHouseWays andMeans Committee. An entitlement is a legal obligation ofthe government tomake specific payments based on the el-igibility criteria set in law (see story, p. 16). Federal retireesare entitled to a civil service annuity andhealth benefits be-cause theyworked a sufficient number of years for the gov-ernment andmade contributions to the retirement system.Entitlements are also referred to as “mandatory spending.”
Although not stated in the budget resolution, the com-mittee is likely to propose that private Medicare plans—known as Medicare Advantage (MA)—be cut to offset thecost of preventing a 10-percent reduction inMedicare pay-ments to physicians. Most federal annuitants enroll in tradi-tionalMedicarebecause theprogram’s coverage coordinatesbetter with Federal Employees Health Benefits Program(FEHBP) benefits thanwithMA. Recent studies have shownthatMAplans arepaidmore than theaverage traditional fee-for-serviceMedicare plan in their area. NARFE and its older-American coalition partners have urged lawmakers to cut
overpayments toMA, ensuring equitable funding and treat-ment of all beneficiaries byMedicare.
ATTEMPT TO CUT FEDS FAILSDuring the House’s consideration of H. Con. Res. 312,
Rep. Ryan offered the Republican substitute amendmentthat would have cut entitlement spending by $412.4 billionover five years. Included in this amount was an instructionto theOversight andGovernment ReformCommittee to re-duce mandatory programs under its jurisdiction by $4.679billionover fiveyears. Because federal civil service retirementandhealthbenefits are theonly entitlementprogramsunderthe committee’s jurisdiction, federal annuity cost-of-livingadjustments and the FEHBP could have been targeted forsuch cuts had the Ryan amendment passed.
TheWisconsin lawmaker’s substitute to theHouseversionwas defeated by an overwhelming vote of 157-263,with 153Republicans and four Democrats voting for the amendmentand 225Democrats and 38Republicans voting against.
By DanAdcock,Assistant Legislative Director
Indebates and on the presidential campaign trail, Sen.Hillary Clinton, D-NY, often says she wants to giveAmericans “the same choice of health plan optionsthat members of Congress receive.” Clinton’s state-
ment is relevant to federal employees and annuitants sincethe health coverage she refers to is the Federal EmployeesHealth Benefits Program (FEHBP). The 435 representativesand 100 senators who serve in Congress are eligible to en-roll in the FEHBP because they are federal employees.
ProvidingAmericans the samehealth coverage their law-makers enjoyhas longbeen a rallying cry for health care re-formers.What goes unsaid, however, is that the FEHBPwasfirst created 48 years ago as the staff health plan for federalworkers, annuitants and their families. Members of Con-gress, the focus of the political remarksmade about FEHBP,make up only a minute fraction of the nearly nine millionenrollees covered by the program.
While the NARFE Legislative Program for the 110thCongress (2007-2008) supports access to comprehensivehealth care for all Americans, the Association is concernedabout any proposal that would eliminate the earnedhealth security federal workers and retirees receivethrough the FEHBP–or that would result in higher pre-
miums, reduced coverage or fewer plan choices.NARFE’s concerns stemfromproposalsmadeover thepast
several yearsbymembersofCongress fromboth sidesof theaisle to open the FEHBP to individuals other than federalworkers and retirees.AlthoughNARFEdoesnotobject to thisconcept in general, the Association has repeatedly insistedthat any proposal to open the FEHBP to the publicmust in-clude separate riskpools. Separate riskpools arenecessary forassessing and adjusting the insurance risk of a new enroll-ment community.Without theopportunity to studynonfed-eral enrollees in a separate FEHBP riskpool, the introductionof anynewcommunity into theFEHBPcould result inunan-ticipated premium increases. NARFE would be particularlytroubled if participation in theprogramwerebroadened to in-dividualswhowouldnototherwise receivecoverage, therebymaking FEHBP the insurer of last resort.
CLINTON’S SEPARATE POOLUnder Clinton’s plan, every Americanwould be required
to have health care coverage. Income-related tax subsidieswouldbeavailable tomakehealth caremoreaffordable. Pre-sumably, the lower your income, the higher your subsidy.Americans who are underinsured or uninsuredwould have
Presidential Candidates and FEHBP
options through a new “Health Choices Menu” operatedthrough theFEHBP.Nevertheless,Clinton’s campaign said inFebruary that a separate risk pool would be set up for non-federal employees andemployers to purchase insurance. Forthose who like their current plan in FEHBP, nothing willchange, her campaign said. Nonfederal enrollees would notbe required to join the FEHBP-like plans, and they could re-main in group insurance provided by their employer and inpublicprograms likeMedicare. Largeemployerswouldbe re-quired to offer health insurance to their employees or con-tribute to the cost of coverage under Clinton’s “HealthChoicesMenu.”
OBAMA’S COVERAGE SIMILAR TO FEHBPWhileClinton’sDemocratic rival, Sen. BarackObama,D-
IL, would not require all Americans to have insurance (ex-cept children), he would compel employers to offer em-ployee health benefits or contribute to the cost of the newpublic plan that would provide coverage to small businessworkers and individualswithout access to other public pro-grams or employer-sponsored insurance.
“TheObamauniversal health care planwill create a new
public health plan that will provide coverage similar to thecoverage provided to federal employees through FEHBP,”said Obama campaign Policy Director Heather Higgin-bottom. “However, Obama’s plan does not open up theFEHBP program to nonfederal employees.”
McCAIN LEAVES FEHBP ALONEThe presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Sen.
JohnMcCain,R-AZ,wouldnotopenFEHBPtononfederal en-rollees nor has he proposed creating a new FEHBP-like planfor the uninsured or underinsured. However, he would pro-vide tax breaks, promote insurance andhealth care providercompetition, increase use of preventive care,make improve-ments in the care of chronic disease, end fee-for-service ap-proaches to medicine, and reformmedical malpractice liti-gation tomake health caremore affordable and accessible.
According to the McCain campaignWeb site, McCain’splan would “reform the tax code to eliminate the bias to-ward employer-sponsoredhealth insurance, andprovide allindividuals with a $2,500 tax credit ($5,000 for families) toincrease incentives for insurance coverage.”
What that means is that Americans would receive a tax
NARFE | MAY 2008 13
LegislativeBriefsFERS Sick Leave:Rep.James P.Moran,D-VA,introducedH.R.5573, legislation to provide Federal Employees Retire-
ment System (FERS) workers’ accumulated sick leave to be partially“cashed out” at retirement.The proposed ben-efit would begin for accrued sick leave exceeding 500 hours.FERS employees would receive 15 percent of the value oftheir remaining sick leave in their final salary.FEHBPDependent Eligibility:House FederalWorkforce SubcommitteeChairmanDannyK.Davis,D-IL,introduced
H.R.5550,legislation to increase themaximumage from22 to 25 to qualify for coverage as a“child” under the FederalEmployees Health Benefits Program.Introduced at this point in the second year of a two-year Congress, the Moran and Davis bills are not likely to win
enactment.Both bills could be reintroduced in the next Congress.
CSRS Part-Time Fix: OnMarch 13,theHouseOversight andGovernment ReformCommittee approved legislation(H.R.2780) thatwouldaddress the inequity that lowers theannuitiesof certainCivil ServiceRetirementSystememployeeswhoworkpart timetoward theendof their careers.Unfortunately,thecommitteeapprovedaversionof thebill passedbythe FederalWorkforce Subcommittee in September,which excludes current retirees from the remedy.“We agree that allowing employees to work part time is a proven and successful management tool,particularly for
workers nearing retirement who remain on the job and continue to contribute their skills, talents and experience,”NARFENational PresidentMargaret L.Baptistewrote toCommitteeChairmanHenryWaxman,D-CA.“However,wecannot support a decision thatwould leave in place a glaring inequity imposedon current retireeswhose annuities havebeen lowered by asmuch as 20 percent.“NARFEwill continue to urge legislators to reassess H.R.2780,as amended,since it ignores the harm done to cur-
rent federal retirees who have dedicated their careers to service to our nation,” Baptiste said.
LegislativeReport
14 MAY 2008 | NARFE
credit for health insurance regardless ofwhether theywerecovered by their employer’s plan or bought it on the indi-vidual insurance market. The tax credit would be adjustedfor general inflation but not for health care inflation. Sincehealth care inflation has substantially outpaced general in-flation, the benefit of the proposed tax credit could erodeover time.However,McCain Senior Policy AdvisorDouglasHoltz-Eakin said the comprehensive reformhis bosswouldmake to the health care system should reduce health careinflation to the same rate as general inflation.
At the same time, McCain’s plan would make the em-ployer contribution to ahealth insurancepremium fully tax-able income and replace it withMcCain’s previously men-tioned taxcredits.Whetherworkers and retireeswhoarecur-rently enrolled in their employer’s health insurance wouldpaymore, the sameor lessunder theArizona lawmaker’splanwoulddependonwhether the tax creditswere large enoughtooffset the lossof tax-free employerpremiumcontributionsandwhether his tax credits would be eroded by inflation.
Clinton’s plan would continue to exclude employer-sponsored health premiums from income tax, except for“the high-end” portion of very generous plans for thosemaking more than $250,000 a year. Obama has not com-mented on tax treatment of such insurance.
DETAILS, WHAT DETAILS?While Clinton,McCain andObamadiffer on health care
issues, all of their proposals are long on concepts and goals,and short on details. But few, if any, political campaigns pro-vide the specificity necessary to turn their broad policy out-
lines intohundreds, if not thousands, of pages of legislation.That does not mean their health care plans are hollow. Infact, voters reading the issue papers of all three campaignswill learnmore about the competing philosophies each can-didate is trying to promote.Nevertheless,manyof the ques-tions federal workers and annuitants and other voters willask about the various health initiatives cannot be answeredpreciselyuntil a candidate is elected andhis or her proposalsare put into legislative language and debated.
In themeantime, voters can review the candidates’ posi-tions onhealth care andother issues by visiting their respec-tiveWeb sites: www.johnmccain.com, www.barackobama.com, www.hillaryclinton.com. In addition, the nonpartisanHenry J. Kaiser Family Foundation has created a site to pro-vide individualswith the Foundation’s analysis ofwhere thepresidential candidates stand on health care policy. ThatWeb address is www.health08.org.
MORE ON THE CANDIDATESIn the coming months, NARFE President Margaret L.
Baptistewill ask the remainingmajor party presidential can-didates to complete a questionnaire on issues important tofederal workers and retirees. The candidates’ responseswillbe published verbatim inNARFEmagazine if received by apublication deadlinewell in advance of theNovember gen-eral election. NARFE does not endorse presidential candi-dates. The sole purpose of this questionnaire will be tobetter inform the 4.6 million federal employees and annui-tants represented by NARFE.
By DanAdcock,Assistant Legislative Director
Please send check, money order or creditcard information to:
Attn: Budget & FinanceNARFE
606 N. Washington St.Alexandria, VA 22314-1914
Card Type: � Mastercard � VISA� Discover � AMEX
Card #
Expiration Date
Name on Card (Print)
Signature Date
I support NARFE•PAC, the Retiree’s Fund for the FutureI support NARFE•PAC, the Retiree’s Fund for the Future
Enclosed is my NARFE-PAC contribution: $Enclosed is my NARFE-PAC contribution: $
Federal law requires political committees to report the name, mail-ing address, occupation and name of employer for each individualwhose contributions aggregate in excess of $200 in a calendar year.
Please circle: Mr. Mrs. Miss Ms.
Name
Address
City, State, ZIP
NARFE Membership #
� For my contribution of $20 or more, please send a NARFE-PAC pin.
Only members of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association may contribute to NARFE-PAC. NARFE will neitherfavor nor disadvantage anyone based on the amount of a contribution, or the failure to make a voluntary contribution to this non-parti-san political action fund. NARFE-PAC contributions are not deductible for federal income tax purposes.
NARFE | MAY 2008 15
Each year, the halls of Capitol Hill go quiet in Au-gust as members of Congress abandon Wash-ington for their summer recess. Last year, Augustwas designated as “NARFE Lobby Month.” This
year, with a hotly contested presidential election on thehorizonandwithanumberof closelywatchedcongressionalraces across the country,manymembers ofCongresswill betrading the summerheatof thenation’s capital for theheatofpolitical activity in theirownstatesandcongressionaldistricts.August 2008 will be a prime time for NARFE members tomeet their local candidates andmake sure they are aware ofour organization and our concerns. This year, NARFE is des-ignating August as “Meet Your CandidatesMonth,” and it’snot too early tomake plans for doing so.
NARFEmembers will havemany opportunities to meetcandidates in August. There is not a one-size-fits-all optionthatworks for every chapter and federation.Hosting amulti-
chapter candidate forum or inviting candidates to a chaptermeeting are goodways to bring candidates toNARFEmem-bers. Other ideas include organizing a group ofmembers forameeting at a candidate’s office or evenan informalmeetingat a local coffee shop. The venue and event are not as impor-tant as spending some face timewith your candidates.
AsAugust approaches,NARFEHeadquarterswill providemore information and direction onMeet Your CandidatesMonth. Chapter and federation officers can expect word inearly summer. For now, learn who the candidates are andstart thinking about ways tomeet your candidates.
Next year—with a new Congress and a new president intheWhite House—will be the year for major legislative ini-tiatives and change. This year is the time to position our-selves to cultivate relationships with and help choose themenandwomen tobest represent us in the 111thCongress.
By Laura Scott,LegislativeAssistant
Save the Dates for Political Activism
August:‘Meet Your Candidates Month’
LegislativeReport
16 MAY 2008 | NARFE
Protecting Your ‘Entitlements’
One of NARFE’s missions is to protect theearned benefits of active and retired federalemployees, and their families. “Entitlements”is another way of describing those earned
benefits. Entitlement programs refer to government pro-grams that provide individuals whomeet certain eligibilitycriteria with personal financial benefits to which they havea legal right. These are specified in the laws authorizing theprograms. Some examples of federal entitlement programsinclude Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, most Depart-ment of Veterans Affairs programs, federal employee andmilitary retirement plans, unemployment compensationand food stamps.
Funding for these entitlement programs falls into the cat-egory of “mandatory spending.” TheCivil ServiceRetirementSystem (CSRS), the Federal Employees Retirement System(FERS) and the annuitant portion of the Federal EmployeesHealth Benefits Program (FEHBP) all fall into this category.
Since the middle 1980s, entitlement programs have ac-counted for more than half of all federal spending. Thegrowth in the share of government spending dedicated toentitlement programs has ledmany to call for “entitlementreform.”Whilemany of these calls are prudently issued outof a sense of theneed for fiscal responsibility, some so-calledreform plans are merely advanced as a way to eliminate orseverely curtail existing programs.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR ME?The prospect of a newly elected president arriving in
Washington in early 2009 alongside a new Congress, bothwith amandate to address the nation’s pressing issues, is al-ready greatly influencing the amount of attention devotedonCapitolHill and in themedia to thebudgetary issues sur-rounding entitlement programs. A widespread consensusexists among elected officials, policymakers and the publicthat certain changes are needed for cost-containment rea-sons and to ensure that these programs stay in step withtoday’s work force, and its retirement and health needs.
Additional urgency to tackle these issues is stemmingfrom the status of the Medicare Part A Fund–the HospitalInsurance Program (HI), which is primarily funded by em-ployer andworkerMedicare payroll taxes. UnderMedicareactuaries’ best estimates, annual payments from theMedicare HI Trust Fund will exceed annual income intothe Fund, beginning in 2011. Starting in 2019, the Fundwill not have sufficient monies to cover the entire cost of
inpatient hospital care and other Part A services, requiringtransfers from general revenue. The projection of the HITrust Fund exhaustion in 2019 does notmean that the en-tire Medicare Program will be “broke,” nor that there willbe insufficient funds to pay Medicare beneficiaries’ Part Abenefits. Rather, it means that there will be insufficientfunds to meet obligations within the Fund, requiring newlegislation to address the shortfall. A national conversationand solvency debate has long ensued over the Social Secu-rity program, where annual costs will exceed income pay-ments in 2017, resulting in a projected Social Security TrustFund exhaustion date in 2041.
REFORM LEGISLATIONSeveral bills having to do with entitlement reform have
been introduced in the 110th Congress (2007-2008). Theyinclude:
• H.R. 5439–To Establish a Civil ServiceReformCom-mission.Rep.William “Mac” Thornberry, R-TX, introduced abill February 14, 2008, calling for the creation of a CivilService Reform Commission, which would be tasked withstudying the federal employeecompensationsystem.Areportwould be issued, alongwith proposed legislation, to be con-sidered byCongress under special expedited procedures.
• S. 2063/H.R. 3655–To Establish a Bipartisan TaskForce forResponsible Fiscal Action. Sens. Kent Conrad, D-ND, and JuddGregg, R-NH, andReps. JimCooper,D-TN, andFrankWolf, R-VA, introduced similar bills to create a com-mission to recommendcuts to Social Security,Medicare andothermandatory spendingprograms. (SeeApril 2008NARFEmagazine, p. 14.) The111thCongress (2009-2010)wouldacton the commission’s report under a special expeditedprocess.
While there is little likelihood that the Thornberry leg-islation will progress this year, NARFE is concerned aboutthe support for BudgetCommitteeChairmanConrad’s pro-posal for a bipartisan commission, as the congressional pro-cedures and expedited process imposed on the resultinglegislation could result in substantial cuts in 2009 to earnedretirement benefits for seniors, including federal annuitants.NARFEwill be closelymonitoring all related developmentsfollowing the November 2008 elections to ensure that allNARFEmembers, alongwithNARFEHeadquarters, are pre-pared to “go to bat,” if necessary, for earned retirement ben-efits in 2009.
By Jill Crissman,Legislative Representative
AdjustableClosure For A
Perfect Fit
_____Comfort Terry Health Slippers(s) @ $12.97 Pr.
CA residents must add 7.25% sales tax
TOTAL $
$
Dream Products, Inc. 412 DREAM LANE, VAN NUYS, CA 91496
Dept. 60136COMFORT TERRY HEALTH SLIPPERS
Please Print ClearlyMail Order To:
#192
#193
$ 1.00Add $1.00 Handling (no matter how many you order)
So Soft & Comfy You Won’tBelieve Your Feet!
Experience unbelievable comfort and stylewith our ultra soft Comfort Terry HealthSlippers. Instantly, the memory foam soleforms to the shape of your foot while theluxuriously soft polyester/cotton liningsoothes and massages with every step youtake. Thick EVA sole makes them greatfor both indoor and out while providingnon-slip security. Open toe design withadjustable closure make this fashionimport perfect for diabetics and sore,swollen feet. Hurry, order today and getFREE SHIPPING.
Satisfaction Guaranteed or Return For Your Money Back
$1297ONLY
BRING NEW LIFE TO YOUR SORE TIRED FEET
Add Shipping : $3.95 FREE
$
COMFORT TERRYHEALTH SLIPPERS
Dept
.601
36©
2008
Drea
mPr
oduc
ts,I
nc.
MEMORYFOAMINSOLES
Indoor/OutdoorNon-Slip Sole
FREESHIPPING
MenʼsS (71⁄2-81⁄2)
____
MenʼsM (9-10)
____
MenʼsL (101⁄2-111⁄2)
____
MenʼsXL (12-13)
____Ladiesʼ
S (61⁄2-71⁄2)____
LadiesʼM (8-9)
____
LadiesʼL(91⁄2-101⁄2)
____
LadiesʼXS (5-6)
____
INDICATE NUMBER OF PAIRS ORDERED UNDER SIZE
ULTRA SOFT LININGCRADLES YOUR FEET IN
PILLOW SOFTCOMFORT
/
Name
Address
City ST Zip
�Check or money order payable to: Dream Products, Inc.Charge my: � VISA � MasterCard � Discover®/NOVUSSMCards
Card# Expiration Date
GREAT FOR THOSE WHO SUFFER FROM:•ARTHRITIS•DIABETES•SWOLLEN OR SENSITIVE FEET
www.DreamProductsCatalog.com WEB OFFERSMAY VARY( )
LegislativeReport
18 MAY 2008 | NARFE
While the ongoing battle for theDemocraticpresidential nomination gets the lion’sshare of media attention, special congres-sional elections are filling the six vacant
seats in the House of Representatives.
ILLINOIS SPECIAL ELECTIONOnMarch 8,Wyoming Democrats voted at county con-
ventions. That same day, 10 times as many votes were castin the special election in the Illinois district of former HouseSpeakerDennisHastert asbyWyomingDemocrats.Voters inthe 14thDistrict elected a scientist, Democrat Bill Foster, by anarrowmargin over a Hastert-backed businessman, Repub-lican JimOberweis. This seatwas the first to changeparties ina special election this cycle. Foster was sworn inMarch 11.
TWO VACANCIES IN LOUISIANAAlso onMarch8, Louisianaheld special primary elections
in two congressional districts. These specials in the first andsixth districts only narrowed the field for the April 8 runoffelection.Winners of the runoff will meetMay 3.
SPECIAL IN INDIANAIn Indianapolis, a special election onMarch 11 was won
by André Carson, who succeeds his grandmother, the late
Julia Carson. Carson was sworn inMarch 13.
CALIFORNIA, MISSISSIPPI VACANCIESThedeathofRep.TomLantos,D-CA, and theappointment
ofRep.RogerWicker, R-MS, to fill the Senatevacancycreatedby the resignation of Trent Lottmeant two additional specialelections. InMississippi’s1stDistrict,neitherparty’s specialpri-maryonMarch11produced a clearwinner. The two leadingvote-getters ineachpartywere set tomeet inanApril 1 runoff(after this issue went to press in lateMarch). The winners ofthe runoffwere tomeet inanApril 22 special general election.California was set to hold a special election on April 8. If nocandidate gets amajority, a runoffwill be held on June 3, thesame date as the regular California congressional primary.
FINANCIALLY COMPETITIVE DISTRICTSSpecial elections attract some national media coverage
because of their timing andpotential significance.Most con-tests for the House do not get the same attention becausetheir outcomes are in little doubt. House incumbents tendto dominate the resource battle with their opponents. Bydefinition, an incumbent has won once by raising at leastenough campaign money to compete in an expensive en-terprise. Upon being sworn in, most members of Congressstart fundraising for the next election. Senators have six
years; representatives have just two. Houseincumbents, as a group, are so accomplishedat fundraising that their campaignwar chestsdiscourage most potential opponents. Manyincumbents will run in November without amajor party opponent.
EXCEPTIONS TO THE RULEA review of year-end campaign finance fil-
ings of all House candidates finds 23 incum-bents with less than $100,000 cash on handand 83 nonincumbents (open seats and chal-lengers) with $100,000 ormore cash on hand.NARFE-PACwillmonitor thesedistricts closely,as it is ourgoal always toprovide the lastdollarto the candidatewhowins by one vote.
By Christopher Farrell,Legislative Representative
Restoring a Full HouseT H E I N F O R M E D C I T I Z E NC I V I C S 1 0 1 :
CongressionalDistricts VacantByDeathorResignation
State- Previous Rep Reason StatusDistrictCA-12 TomLantos Died Special Election 4/8
(6/3 if needed)IL-14 Dennis Hastert Resigned 3/8 victor Bill FosterIN-7 Julia Carson Died 3/11 victorAndré CarsonLA-1 Bobby Jindal Resigned, Primary Runoff 4/8,
NowGov. General 5/3LA-6 Richard Baker Resigned Primary Runoff 4/8,
General 5/3MS-1 RogerWicker Resigned, Runoff 4/1,General 4/22
Now Sen.
How Does the Exerciser 2000 Elite™ Work?Enjoy the benefits of passive exercise—just lie down, place your
ankles on the ankle rest and let the machine do the work.
When you turn the machine on, it creates a 2 inch, right to left movement that gently moves the body back and forth.
This gentle swinging motion cycles up through the whole body, creating an exercise movement
without stress or impact on the joints.
Receive some of the benefits of aerobic
exercise without stress or impact on the joints!
StressHeadachesHigh Blood PressureArthritisFibromyalgiaJoint Pain
Stiff MusclesPoor CirculationInsomniaSleep Apnea
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Not intended to treat, cure or prevent any diseases.
Oxygenation of the blood
Increase circulation throughout the body
Relaxation of the back muscles
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.
Helps relieve stiffness from head to toe
ConstipationBack PainDiabetesNeuropathyEdema
Stress Headaches
Stiff Muscles Poor Circulation
Constipation Back Pain
If you suffer from
Features
15 pounds
selections
ankle rest
labor warranty
How Does the Exerciser 2000 EliteEnjoy the benefits of passive exercise—just lie down, place your
ankles on the ankle rest and let the machine do the work.
When you turn the machine on, it creates a 2 inch, right to left movement that gently moves the body back and forth.
This gentle swinging motion cycles up through the whole body, creating an exercise movement
without stress or impact on the joints. without stress or impact on the joints.
How Does the Exerciser 2000 EliteEnjoy the benefits of passive exercise—just lie down, place your
When you turn the machine on, it creates a 2 inch, right to
Receive some of the benefits of aerobic
exercise without stress or impact on the joints!
Relaxation of the back musclesRelaxation of the back musclesRelaxation of the back musclesRelaxation of the back musclesRelaxation of the back musclesRelaxation of the back muscles
You will enjoy using the
How Does the Exerciser 2000 EliteHow Does the Exerciser 2000 EliteReceive some of the
You will enjoy using You will enjoy using You will enjoy using You will enjoy using Exerciser 2000
15 pounds
How Does the Exerciser 2000 Elite™ Work?Enjoy the benefits of passive exercise—just lie down, place your
ankles on the ankle rest and let the machine do the work.
When you turn the machine on, it creates a 2 inch, right to left movement that gently moves the body back and forth.
This gentle swinging motion cycles up through the whole body, creating an exercise movement
without stress or impact on the joints. without stress or impact on the joints.
Features
15 pounds
How Does the Exerciser 2000 Elite™
Exerciser 2000 Exerciser 2000 Exerciser 2000 ™
Increased mobility
Don’t be fooled by cheap imitations
After using the Exerciser 2000
Elite™ twice a day for one
week the swelling in my ankles
went away. It has also helped
my breathing, as I can get
out and walk without having
to stop and catch my breath!
Thank you. —Shirley H., Florida
After having a stroke, I could no longer exercise the way I used to. As a result, I developed edema. A friend of mine introduced me to the Exerciser 2000 Elite™. I loved it and I purchased one for myself. After using the machine dailyfor a few weeks, my symptoms of edema were completely gone. I now use the machine twice a day for 16 minutes each time on speed 3. What a wonderful way to exercise.—Robert M.
I am in my late 80’s and have diabetes. The first thing I noticed when Istarted using my machine was that my feet were warm when I went to bed. They were always ice cold before. Because one of my problems is poor circulation, I use the machine three times a day for 10 minutes each; in the morning, late afternoon and just before bed. I almost forgot to mention that I have not been able to lift my arms above my head. Now I can do it. You think that’s no big deal until you can’t do it anymore. —Ralph K.
As a Chiropractor, I would like to say that the Exerciser 2000 Elite™ enables people to benefit themselves at home. It is a valuable asset in moving lymph fluid, oxygenating the blood, increasing immune system function, maintainingmobility in the spine, andadditionally freeing up a spine that has become stiff andarthritic. —Garry Gorsuch, D.C.
I had suffered with sleep apnea for many years and had been taking drugs for it. I was told I would have to use a breathing apparatus. In the meantime, I was introduced to the Exerciser 2000 Elite™ and decided to purchase one. Within two weeks, I was sleeping more deeply and restfully than ever before. —David B.
can’t do it anymore. —Ralph K.
I had suffered with sleep apnea
My husband and I have been into natural
products all of our lives but nothing has
ever affected us like the Exerciser 2000
Elite™. My husband is 72 and delivers
flowers. He carries 5 gallon buckets of
water. Since using the machine, his back
hasn’t hurt him at all. My hips would hurt
if I stood too long and I would get weak
and have to sit down. Now I can walk
and sit as long as I want. I don’t take pain
medication anymore. In the morning,
when I get out of bed I’m not stiff
anymore. At 65, wow, this is great! Thank
you for offering such a great machine. We
are going to tell everyone we
know about it. —Cheryl J.
The ad I saw almost sounded “too good to be true”. With your no risk money back guarantee I figured I had nothing to lose so I purchased the machine…and boy, am I glad I did! I am 75 years old and suffer from sciatica, which makes my back and legs tighten up and causes numbness. I wastaking 8-10 Aleve™ every day. After using the machine for only 4 minutes, I noticed my lower back loosening up. Since I have been using the machine I haven’t taken any pain pills and have been pain free. My sciatica is not giving me problems anymore and my body stays loosened up. I have also had a snoring problem for quite some time, however, since using the machine my snoring has subsided. My wife is so excited! I cannot tell you how much this machine has turned my life around. —C. Cummings
mobility in the spine, and additionally freeing up a spine that has become stiff and arthritic.
The ad I saw almost sounded “too good to be true”. With your no risk money back guarantee I figured I had nothing to lose so I purchased the machine…and boy, am I glad I did! I am 75 years old and suffer from sciatica, which makes my back and legs tighten up and causes numbness. I was taking 8-10 Aleve™ every day. After using the machine for only 4 minutes, I noticed my lower back loosening up. Since I have been using the machine I haven’t taken any pain pills and have been pain free. My sciatica is not giving me problems anymore and my body stays loosened up. I have also had a snoring problem for quite some time, however, since using the machine
products all of our lives but nothing has
ever affected us like the Exerciser 2000
Elite™. My husband is 72 and delivers I love using the Exerciser 2000 Elite™ after my morning workout. It is an excellent way to cool down and it helps to start my day off right.—Deanna C., Kansas
you for offering such a great machine. We
are going to tell everyone we
know about it. I have had constipationproblems for over 25years. Since I have beenusing the Exerciser2000 Elite™ I havebeen regular every dayand have begun to loseweight. This is truly ablessing and is so easyto use. —Jeannie
After using the Exerciser 2000 I am in my late 80’s and have diabetes.
What people are saying about the Exerciser 2000 Elite™
Retail Price:$464.95
T he “Helping People Feel Better” Company240 Berg Road, Salina, KS 67401
Use code C100 when ordering by phone or website and receive a promotional price of $359.95 and FREE shipping in theContinental United States.
1-800-748-7172www.clarkenterprises2000.com
Save $90.00 on demo units when available.
90 Day No Risk Money Back Guarantee—You have nothing to lose. If you are not completely satisfied, you can return it for a full refund. We provide a FREE return shipping label for your convenience.
WWHEN JUDY PARK,NARFE’sfirst legislative director, retires at theendof thismonth after nearly 40 yearswith theAssociation, it trulywill be theend of an era.From the first, Judy played aunique
role at NARFE. She came to the Na-tional Association of Retired Civil Em-ployees, asNARFEwas known then, in1968, only four years out of college.“The legislativedirector at theAmer-
ican Federation of Government Em-ployees (AFGE) was my boss, whom Ihad alsoworked for at the Civil ServiceCommission,” she recalls. “HecalledmefromSanFranciscoandsaid this little re-tiree organization wants to establish alegislative presence.”Her boss, Thomas G. Walters, was
elected president ofNARFE at that SanFrancisco meeting–NARFE’s 20th Bi-ennial National Convention–and hebrought Judy with him to Headquar-ters as assistant to the president. “I was
the first—and only—nonfederal retireeto be hired,” she says. “So, therefore, Iwas by far the youngest.”Walters was already a well-known
figureonCapitolHill, having servednotonly as the AFGE and Civil ServiceCommission’s lobbyist, but before thatas director of theGovernment Employ-ees Council and president of the Na-tionalRural LetterCarriers’Association.Judy and her boss wasted no time
getting NARFE’s legislativemachineryinto high gear. Among the early victo-ries of Judy’s career were granting sur-vivor benefits to second spouses of re-tirees, extending survivor benefits tospouses in post-retirement marriages,making retirees eligible toparticipate inOpen Seasons for the Federal Em-ployees Health Benefits Program,restoring full annuities to retirees at thedeath of a survivor, and increasing thegovernment share of health premiums.And, there were always fights against
cutbacks in cost-of-living adjustments.It was an “exciting time,” she says. “Itwas a time of evolution of employeebenefits andbenefits for retirement, andsettingupstronger retirement systems.”In 1976, NARFE created a Legisla-
tive Department, and Judy became itsdirector. Gradually, she built a staff oflegislative experts, many of them justbeginning their careers. “I think it’s al-ways been the best staff toworkwith,”she says. “They’ve all gone on to biggerand better—almost always staying inthe government affairs or lobbyingfield.” (See story, p. 23.)In the 1980s, a major NARFE effort
resulted in the crafting of the FederalEmployees Retirement System (FERS).“Wespentanumberofyears fendingoffproposals for federal employees to beuniversally covered by Social Security,”Judy says. “When it finally happened,we took money that had been givenvoluntarily by NARFE members and
22 MAY 2008 | NARFE
With Judy at his side, NARFE PresidentLudwig “Lud” Andolsek attacks pro-posed changes in civil service retire-ment in 1983.
Judy sits at the right hand of NARFE President Thomas G. Walters and otherNARFE officers in 1972 as hearings open before a Senate Post Office and CivilService Subcommittee on bills to increase the government’s contribution toFEHBP and other retirement issues.
Looking Back Over
40YEARSIn 1990, Judy and NARFE President SteveMorrissey (center) present a citation to Sen.John McCain for his role in defeating theMedicare Catastrophic Protection Act.
NARFE | MAY 2008 23
was left over from the fight against uni-versal coverage, used it to contractwitha public policy firm, and developed theoutline ofwhat is the FERS law.”The NARFE-developed proposal
was vetted by other federal employeeorganizations, taken toCapitolHill andformed the framework for FERS. “Thefootprints of what we did then are stillverymuch in play,” Judy says.Money left over in the voluntary
fund also became the seed money forthe Association’s powerful Political Ac-tionCommittee, NARFE-PAC.In1989, theAssociationscoredwhat
Judyconsiders thebiggest legislativeac-complishment of her career, the repealof theMedicareCatastrophicProtectionAct of 1988. “Congress passed it over-whelmingly, despiteouropposition, andReagan signed it,” she says. “We starteda movement to have it repealed be-cause it put a surtax on all retirees, andit really hurt federal retirees.”NARFE worked with the Military
OfficersAssociation ofAmerica andul-timately put together a 38-organiza-tion Coalition for Affordable HealthCare. Then it worked closely with Sen.JohnMcCain, R-AZ, in the Senate, and
Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-OR, in theHouse to see that the law was over-turned. “Everyone said it would neverhappen,” Judy says. “By the end of theyear, it was repealed.”“While I’ve beenhere 40 years, it re-
ally has not been in the same job,things have changed so much,” Judyobserves. When she arrived at NARFE,theAssociationhad130,000members,and shewasoneof very few female lob-byists on Capitol Hill. Now, the Associ-ationhasmore than twice that number
After almost 40 years of employment with NARFE,I will retire at theend ofMaywithmixed emotions.I hope to be able to explore new ac-
tivities, catchupon long-delayedprojects,and simplyhavemore“free” time.Yet,I know Iwillmiss thedaily contactwith colleagues,discussionsof current
political andpolicynews,andeven the inevitable frustrationsofthe daily grind.When I look back to all of the changes that have taken
place in federal benefit laws in the last 40 years, I recall manyof the legislative battles that have been waged and won,andeven a few that have been lost.But overall,the wins have welloutnumbered the losses,so thatmany of the retirement andhealth benefits retirees enjoy today would never have beenpossiblewithout the foresight,commitment andhardworkof
NARFE leaders andmembers across the country.I amproud to have beena part of that. And through all of the ups and downs that are part of anyattempts at change,I ammost grateful for the reliable counsel and unwa-vering backing I have always received fromNARFE’s national officers–pastand present. And last,but never least,I have always had the great good for-tune to work with and learn from only“the brightest and the best” as col-leagues in NARFE’s Legislative Department. I have received credit andgained stature because of them. Although too numerous tomention eachone here,they knowwho they are,and I know they are second to none.Now, it is time to let others take the lead.No one is more qualified to
do this thanmy long-timeAssistant Legislative Director DanAdcock.Danand the other competent members of the legislative staff–Chris Farrell,Jill Crissman and Laura Scott, along with legislative counsel AlanLopatin–can be counted on to serve NARFE members with the back-ground, dedication and professionalism you deserve.I retire flush with gratitude for themany opportunities,the great expe-
riences, the strong support,andespecially for the treasured friendships thatmy career at NARFE has affordedme.I thank you all for it.
JUDYPARK
‘IThankYouAll ...’
GoodWork,GoodFriends
When her Legislative Depart-ment colleagues reflect on
workingwith Judy,theyrememberherskill as a legislative strategist–and herlasting friendship.“Judy hiredme in January 1976 to
be the second legislative personworking for NARFE,” says CharlesMerin, now a lobbyist with BKSH &Associates in Washington, DC.“Working with Judy remains one ofthegreatprofessional pleasuresofmylife,” he says.“At a personal level,” headds,“she remains as dear andas kinda person all these years later as shewaswhen I workedwith her.”Tom Trabucco, now external di-
Judy and Tom Trabucco flank NARFE PresidentAndolsek, who testifies before the HouseSubcommittee on Compensation andEmployee Benefits in 1985.
Continued on p. 53
Continued on p. 53
ofmembers, and female lobbyists are atleast as numerous asmales.In the course of her career with
NARFE, Judy met six U.S. presidentsand scores of members of Congress.She also worked with a dozen NARFEpresidents. “They’ve all had differentstrengths, but we’ve been very fortu-nate at critical times tohave presidentswho had strong political connectionsand know-how,” she says.She has seen the tone of congres-
sional discourse change dramatically,from pleasant to intensely partisan.Forty years ago, “it was a much morecongenial time,” she says. “Party differ-ences were used in debate, but theydidn’t form walls, they didn’t preventpeople talking to each other, beingfriendswith each other.”Politicians also weremuchmore ac-
cessible. “There were several occasionswhen the NARFE National ExecutiveBoard went to the White House andmet with the president,” she remem-bers. TwoNARFEpresidents personally
signed up as members two sitting U.S.presidents, Nixon andReagan.Looking ahead, she sees battles over
benefits continuing. “I think, for theforeseeable future, the big issues willbe protection of benefits federal em-ployeeshave that are beingdiscountedand diminished in the private sector,”she says. “Thebiggest challengewill beto protect what they have, particularlywith inflation protection and thehealth benefits program that transfersfrom employment to retirementwithout any reductions.”�
53 MAY 2008 | NARFE
rectorof theThriftSavingsPlan (TSP),succeeded Merin and vividly recallsworkingwith Judy at a critical time forNARFE.“When Iarrived in theNARFELeg-
islative Department (in 1983) afterfour years as a professional staffmember with theHouse Committeeon PostOffice and Civil Service,I waskeenly aware of the serious hits thathad befallen NARFEmembers,”Tra-bucco says. “Inflation had been raging,but cost-of-living adjustments wereunder nonstop attack onCapitol Hill.Semi-annual adjustments and the1-percent kicker had been eliminated.Congresschangedthe lawtomake fed-eral employees subject to Social Secu-rity for the first time,and the future of
the Civil Service Retirement System(CSRS) was in question.The stakescouldn’t have been higher,and the pic-ture could not have beenmurkier.“Judy occupied the spotmarked by
anX,andshenever faltered.Shedevel-oped a plan and obtained approval tohire a professional consulting group tohelp identify the essential elements ofa new retirement plan.Shemade surethat I, as the day-to-day lobbyist, hadmymarching orders on just what weneeded in the new system for ourmembers.The key requirementswerethat the retirement benefits of allCSRS employees would be protected,and the new systememployees had tohavea stake in the solvencyof theCivilService Retirement and DisabilityFund from which annuities are paid.Three years later,with the enactment
of the Federal Employees RetirementSystemAct of 1986,mission accom-plished. And along the way, the newThrift Savings Plan was offered toCSRSemployees.”Another early staffer,Laura Lam-
bert, who joinedNARFE’s LegislativeDepartment in 1989,also remembersJudy’s mentorship and her“calm andpeer-ledmanagement style.”Says Lambert, now executive di-
rector of Prevention Strategies inCharleston,WV: “I watched her veryskillful mannerisms as she repeatedlyledNARFE to legislative victory.Moreimportantly, I wanted to be like her. Iwanted to be the kind of colleaguethat challenged those around me tobe their best,but provided forgivenesswhen theyweren’t.Judy embodies thewords,‘trust,leadership andgrace.’”�
LEFT: Judy’s speeches have been a much-anticipated part of NARFE National Conventions. Here she and Charles Merin conduct a legislative semi-nar at the 1976 Convention in Salt Lake City. Her most memorable NARFE Convention? When Vice President Spiro Agnew spoke at the 1972Convention. Security arrangements required that NARFE clear two floors of the hotel. “We were up all night,” she says. CENTER: Judy, NARFEPresident Frank Atwater, fourth from left, and Assistant Legislative Director Dan Adcock, third from left, watch as House Speaker Pro Tem Rep.Constance A. Morella signs the Long Term Care Security Act of 2000. RIGHT: In 1974, Judy and NARFE President Clarence Tarr, center, thankCalifornia Congressman Jerome Waldie for his relentless efforts to push federal retiree legislation through Congress.
Continued from p. 23
Continued from p. 23
“Retirees have more time to become educated and edu-cate others; to concentrate on the issues; to volunteer ourtime tohelp effect necessary change that affects us, our fam-ilies and our friends.” So says Martha Miller, formerly withtheAir ForceAir TrainingCommandOccupationalMeasureCenter, whose political activity started during the 1992pres-idential campaign in California.Miller has recently served as a volunteer and precinct
captain for months leading up to the January Democraticcaucus and is currently a delegate to the county convention.Sheheld numerous caucus training sessions andhouse par-ties for her precinct, and volunteered for the Obama cam-paign by participating in phone banks and canvassing herprecinct. On caucus day, she says, “Because of poor volun-teer participation, I wore three hats–precinct captain, tempchair and permanent chair.”
“Before retirement, I was limited to donating money,having a bumper sticker, and voting in primaries and gen-eral elections.” That’s Bill Schmidt, a former research physi-cist whoworked for 35 years at theNaval Research Lab. (Healso served his community as a volunteer firefighter.) “Mywife had been volunteering with the local party for severalyears, and I had come to know and respect many of theleaders. After I retired, I offered to really volunteer and wastaken up on the offer.”
Since retirement, Schmidt has performedmyriad tasks. “Ihave handed out literature at the polls, run fundraisers andput up signs for candidates.”He’s served as an election judge,as an aide to twomembers of Virginia’s House of Delegatesandhasmanaged a successful re-election campaign for oneof them. He himself was elected to the Republican StateCentral Committee in 2004 for a four-year term and, assuch, serves as a member of the 10th District RepublicanCommittee. “Politics and community activities, combinedwith a few hobbies, seem to fill my life,” he comments hap-pily. “My calendar is almost as full as before.”
“I think it’s appropriate to putmyself out there towork onthingswith an intention towards change and improvement,rather than just complain about how things are.” That’swhyMargaret Pye, who retired from the Social Security Admin-istration in 2002 after 24 years, got involved. These days, Pyeis the (appointed) vice chairperson for the Transportationand Circulation Commission of San Carlos, CA, plus treas-urer and an elected member of the governing board of theGreen Party of SanMateo County.She also is active with the Peace Action of San Mateo
County and the SiliconValley Bicycle Coalition. “One ofmybig ‘political’ activities is my advocacy of those who chooseto use bicycles rather than motor vehicles,” Pye says, andshe proves the point by cycling 60miles per week to an ac-
24 MAY 2008 | NARFE
MAKING ADIFFERENCETHROUGH
WhenNARFEmagazine sent an informal query aboutmembers’ political activism, the re-
sponses were amazing! Scores of NARFE members told us about their activities in all
areas of the political arena, from volunteering to help a favorite candidate to running
for political office themselves. Though there’s nothing scientific about our sampling, the
demographics crossed all areas–male, female, Republican, Democrat, Independent and Green. The results
are in, and we project winners all around.
PoliticsBByy MMaarriiaannnnee MMeeyyeerr
HAVING YOUR SAY
NARFE | MAY 2008 25
counting job. “I feel pretty healthy, andit must be at least partly because of thebicycling!”
DO GOOD, FEEL BETTERJust as Pye’s two-wheeled activism
has helped keep her fit, most respon-dents cited benefits–social, physicaland emotional–to being politically ac-tive.Peter Schott was a clerk on the
Committee on Education and Labor ofthe House of Representatives for 25years and is now district chairman andvice president of his county Demo-cratic Committee. “Having served inCongress, I felt I had gained certainskills that were useful to continuingmy activism in Delaware after I retired.I wanted some mental challenges, andthe activism stimulated me. Socially, itgot me involved in meeting peoplewho had long associations in the com-munity, and they made me fit in.”
Charlotte Faris, of Aurora, CO, still
works part time at an insurance com-pany after a federal career that in-cluded work with the Social SecurityAdministration, the Department ofHousing and Urban Development, andthe Department of Labor. She seesphysical benefits to her activities. “Ilove to go door to door, talk to peopleand deliver campaign material. It givesme great exercise and helps me feeluseful and fulfilled. It keeps me youngand involved.”She’s worked for Bill Clinton, and
local and state legislators, and hasserved as a precinct captain in theDemocratic Party for several years. “Iwalk my precinct every two years, andcall all the Democrats in the precinct
yearly. I presided at the February 2008caucus with 41 attendees from myprecinct.” Now she works with the stateSenate District Committee to identifycandidates and is a registered volun-teer for the National Democratic Con-vention in Denver in August. “I am ac-tively working for Hillary Clinton, put-ting out signs and fliers, and going as adelegate for her to my county and stateconventions.”
Kathryn Hensley, who worked asgrants advisor at the National Oceanicand Atmospheric Administration, andin various positions with the Navy andthe Defense Communications Agency,is energized by a variety of factors. “I
Ruth and Larry Anna had an overflow crowd when 82 people came to their home tocaucus this season, more than twice the number that attended two years ago. “It washectic as heck,” Ruth Anna says, “but everybody stayed two and a half hours” for thepresidential poll and to put out 14 resolutions, nine of which were later considered bythe county assembly. A self-proclaimed “third-generation Colorado Republican,” Annasays she’s been politically active “since I was born,” and has worked on over 20 cam-paigns in a variety of positions at the local, state and national level. The wife of anactive federal employee (Larry works for the U.S. Geological Survey), she reminds fellowNARFE members that “there’s no prohibition against spouses” being on the politicalfront lines. Even personal discomfort doesn’t stop her. “I had had some pretty heavywrist surgery the day before [the caucus], so nobody can tell me that you can’t do it!”
Photo
by Joe A
mon,
The
Denver
Post
know many elected officials on a first-name basis, attend a lot of social eventsand have collected a number of auto-graphs of people we see on the newsevery night. I continue to learn and toteach–and there’s no time to let anyphysical aches and pains becomeoverly consuming.”Hensley was elected in 2006 to a
four-year term as a (nonpartisan) com-missioner for the Lexington, SC,County Soil & Water Conservation Dis-trict. She’s been a paid staff person onthree presidential campaigns and avolunteer or paid staffer on numerousnational, state or local election cam-paigns. She says her work as a federalemployee contributed to her activism.“Many of my jobs required that I pre-pare position papers for agency headswho testified and answer congres-sional correspondence.”
Sharon Forrest, formerly with theDepartment of Health and Human
Services, found that political actionwas a great bridge between her pre-and post-retirement life. “As a newlyretired Fed, I was in social limbo. Manyof my friends still worked, and I hadnot yet developed a ‘civilian’ life.Joining a grass-roots political com-mittee is a good way to meet peoplewith whom you have a common in-terest, but who are from different em-ployment backgrounds and differentages.”Now Forrest serves the Democratic
Party in Fairfax County, VA. “As precinctcaptain, I am responsible for recruitingand maintaining lists of volunteers towork during the primaries and duringthe elections. Sometimes, it is as easy asasking my next-door neighbor, aLatino, if he is registered to vote, and ifhe would be willing to work outsidethe polling place encouraging otherLatino voters. Sometimes, I call the reg-istered Democrats in my precinct to en-courage them, if not to work the polls,
then to hand out fliers or provide trans-portation to the elderly.”
In Arizona, Sandy Doty, a recently re-elected member-at-large in the Mari-copa County Republican Party, likes theway activism keeps the mind sharp. “Iam constantly challenged mentally. Iread far more politically oriented mate-rials of all types, and attend many moremeetings and events than I did before.I really like talking with my neighborsand friends, and being considered thelocal expert on issues and candi-dates–that gives me a sense of pride andaccomplishment far more than anyawards.” (Though she has those, too.)Doty, whose last federal job was
with the Central Intelligence Agency,has been active with the RepublicanParty since 2001, which she called “aturning point in my life.” She currentlyserves as secretary for her legislativedistrict and chairperson of the local Re-publican Club. “I also helped develop a
26 MAY 2008 | NARFE
Sing-Along Slogan Gets Noticed
Gail Parker, retired Air Force officer and executive civilian Pentagon budgetanalyst, is vice chair of the Independent Green Party of Virginia and a can-
didate for the U.S. Senate. It’s her second time to run for this office.Her first run for the Senate, in 2006, earned her coverage in The Wall Street
Journal and one of the hippest new accolades in the political arena–a segmenton The Colbert Report television series on Comedy Central. The Journal called her a potential “spoiler” in a hotly contested battle be-
tween Democrat Jim Webb and Republican George Allen, which ulti-mately decided which party controlled the Senate. Parker had offered to swing her support to either candidate if he would
back high-speed rail across the traffic-clogged state. When neitherclaimed the endorsement, Parker launched her “Gail for Rail” campaign, during which she logged about 40,000 milesin her car, personally collecting most of the signatures she needed to get on the ballot and financing much of the cam-paign through a personal loan. For her efforts, Parker won about 26,000 votes in the election (approximately 1 percent of the state’s total). While
she acknowledged that she knew she had a slim chance of winning, she was able to bring attention to the issue of railtravel.Parker’s was a low-budget campaign–she printed her campaign pamphlets at Staples and had her campaign photo
taken at a mall studio. But it was her simple, catchy radio ad that caused Stephen Colbert to take notice. He played–andsang along with–her “Gail for Rail” song on his program, calling it “the actual jingle that cost the Republicans the race.Virginians probably thought that voting for Gail was the only way to get that stupid song out of their heads.” You cansee the segment at www.gailparker.us.
Image
courtes
y of
The
Colbe
rt Re
port
TV host Stephen Colbert follows thebouncing ball and sings along with GailParker’s campaign jingle.
five-year strategic plan for our countyRepublicans. Additionally, I was incharge of the Credentials and TallyCommittee for our annual mandatorymeeting for more than 1,000 electedprecinct committeemen. “Before I retired,” Doty recalls, “I al-
ways voted and was well-versed in theissues prior to elections, but was fearfulthat the Hatch Act restrictions pre-cluded more active participation.”
GETTING UN-HATCHEDAs federal employees know, the
Hatch Act forbids active partisan cam-paigning in the workplace, a prohibi-tion that many of our respondentscited as a reason they previouslystayed away from active political work.(See the previous NARFE article,“Hatch Act Review,” November 2007, p. 20.)Doty was just one of many respon-
dents who held back on political activ-ities until after retirement.Faris admits that, though she did
some local work for the DemocraticParty, she “felt quite restrained by theHatch Act.” But all that has changed.“My time spent on political campaignsprobably increased fourfold after myretirement.”
JOIN THE PARTY–ANYPARTY! For readers who are thinking of get-
ting involved in politics–local, state ornational–our respondents have oneuniversal suggestion: Go for it!Larry Harper, in fact, says that his fa-
vorite political activity is “trying to con-vince fellow citizens to become in-volved.” Harper is the chairman of thePulaski County, GA, Republican Partyand a member of the national party,and works in local candidate cam-paigns. He’ll be a delegate to upcomingcounty, district and state Republican
conventions. And he loves to speak tosenior and church groups about ac-tivism. “I welcome those opportunitiesto talk not about a particular party butthe election and voting process itself,and becoming educated about whatthe candidates represent. Get to knowas much about the candidates from asmany sources as you can, and thenmake your own decision about whoyou’re going to support.”Says Forrest, “Anyone who wants to
volunteer will have no trouble startingat the local level. If you simply want tovolunteer for something, you have amultitude of choices from stuffing en-velopes (something that has not yetbeen contracted out to China!),working a phone bank, working a shiftat the polls handing out literature orapproaching voters to be volunteersnext time around, being a precinct cap-tain, etc.”Pye advises: “There are often open-
ings on city commissions or commit-tees, such as Parks and Recreation,Planning Commission, etc. Most ofthese positions don’t involve gettingpaid for participating, but you’ll get apowerful ‘say’ in city government. It’sso much more satisfying than justreading the newspaper and lamentingabout how bad things are.”Bob Wignall turned his local con-
cerns into positive activism. He workedwith the National Security Agency fornearly 40 years before retiring in 1994and moved from Maryland to Col-orado Springs, “among the foothills ofbeautiful Pikes Peak!” He started by attending caucuses,
county and state assemblies, and vol-unteering for local Republican legisla-tors. “As a result of attending thoseevents, I got to know a lot of the polit-ical ‘wheels,’ so to say.” Wignall is nowthe appointed chairman of the CityPlanning Commission for the city of
Colorado Springs, the result, he says, ofbecoming involved in the communityhomeowners’ association in his neigh-borhood. “I wanted to be involved because
we had a proposal for a shoppingcenter to be built about half a blockfrom my home. And I wanted to besure that it was a nice one, not just abunch of big boxes crammed into asmall piece of property.” The homeowners’ association ef-
forts led to his current position withthe City Planning Commission. “Youdon’t need to be an expert in city plan-ning,” he admits. “You learn a lot onthe job. It’s common sense and an in-terest in helping your community.”And, he adds, “It’s very highly paid. Weget one free lunch every month.”Schott agrees that following your
own interests is a great way to begin.“I believe people should find an issueof interest to them, a road that needsto be built or a candidate who needsbacking, and get out there and ex-press your view on that issue orperson.”Schmidt believes that “the first step
is to be willing to work. There is alwaysa lot of low-level help needed. Startsmall. To get deep, you will have to be-come known and trusted.”Adds Hensley: “Most of us who are
retired have some skills that can beused–telephoning, research, finance,public speaking, just to name a few.There’s never enough money to pay allthe people needed to run a campaign,”says Hensley, so volunteers are alwaysneeded.
Marianne Meyer is a free-lancewriter in Reston, VA. She has writtenchildren’s books and for television,magazines and newspapers. She cur-rently writes regularly for regionalsections of The Washington Post.
NARFE | MAY 2008 27
28 MAY 2008 | NARFE
The Roth IRA Conversion Question
The benefits of convertingtraditional IRAs to RothIRAs have been in debateever since Roth IRAs were
first introduced in 1998. Named aftertheir chief legislative sponsor, Sen.William V. Roth Jr., Roth IRAs provideno tax deductions for contributions(which have already been taxed),but qualified distribu-tions are tax-free. As itnow stands, only singleand joint filerswithad-justed gross incomesunder $100,000 areallowed to convert toRoth IRAs.
However, recently passed leg-islation removes this limit, begin-ning in 2010, andhasmany eyeing theRoth IRA as a way to increase theirspendable income in retirement. Asthis opening fast approaches, some ofthosewhoare currently unable to con-vert are already gearing up for this op-portunity. However, before visions oftax-free income grandeur propel youinto a conversion, it is crucial to have acomplete understanding of traditionalIRAs versus Roth IRAs, as well as thecircumstances that dictate whichmight be the better option for you.
Contributions to a tax-deferred ac-count, such as a traditional IRA orThrift Savings Plan (TSP), are made ona pre-tax basis. Taxes on the contribu-tions and earnings are deferred untilyou take distributions, at which timeordinary income taxes are owed onany amount withdrawn. With a RothIRA, contributions are made after tax,but qualified distributions are entirelytax-free. From a pure economic sense,
however, there essentially is no differ-ence between the traditional IRA andRoth IRA.
For example, let’s assume you are inthe 25-percent tax bracket and have atraditional IRAworth$50,000. Let’s fur-ther assume thatyouwill earnan8-per-cent annual return.After 10years, yourtraditional IRAwill be worth $107,946.If you withdraw themoney, youmustpay$26,987 in taxes, leaving$80,959 in
your pocket. Alterna-tively, if you decide to
convert the $50,000 IRAto a Roth IRA, you must pay
$12,500 in taxes on the conversion. In-vest the remaining$37,500 inyourRothIRA for 10 years at 8 percent, and youendupwith aRoth IRAworth $80,959.(It is important to note that if you areunder 59-1/2 and use traditional IRAproceeds to pay the taxes, you also willincur a 10-percent early withdrawalpenalty.)
Despite this economicequality, thereare times when one type of IRAmightprove better than the other. For ex-ample, a conversion to a Roth IRAmaypay off if you can pay the taxes due onthe conversion with funds outside thetax-deferred account. Returning to ourpreviousexample, ifweuseother assetsto pay the taxes, both the traditionalIRA and the Roth IRA start off at$50,000 and grow to $107,946 after 10years. However, because taxes are stillowed on the traditional IRA, the RothIRA is now worth $26,987 more($107,946minus $80,959).
But as with most things in life, it is
not exactly that simple. To be fair, wealso must factor in the lost principaland growth on the $12,500 paid intaxes on the conversion. Since thismoney is not in a retirement accountand will not grow tax-deferred or tax-free, wemust estimate an after-tax rateof return for projecting its growth.Using our 8-percent return as the base,we will assume that 20 percent of thereturn comes fromqualified dividends,
10 percent from ordinary dividends,and 70 percent from deferred growth.Assuming all dividends are reinvestedafter paying the requisite taxes, theafter-tax return is 7.56 percent.
After 10 years, the $12,500 grows to$25,907 (with a net value of $24,417after paying the applicable capitalgains tax). The total after-tax valuewhen combined with the traditionalIRA is $105,377, which is $2,569 lessthan the value of the Roth IRA. Whilethis might not be the Power Balljackpot you were hoping for, everypenny counts in the retirement game.
Add this to the possibility of findingyourself in ahigher tax bracketwhen itcomes time to take withdrawals, andnowyouare talkingabout someseriousmoney. By converting, you would bepaying taxes in a lower taxbracket nowrather than paying higher taxes on thedistributions later. Endingup inahighertax bracket is not as unfathomable as itsounds. Consider the potential conse-quences of supplementing your pen-sion and Social Security income withwithdrawals from a tax-deferred ac-count. The withdrawals from these ac-
By Mark A.Keen,CFP®
ManagingMoney
THERE ARE TIMES when one type ofIRA might prove better than the other.
counts couldpushyou intoahigher taxbracket, especially when income re-ducers, such as mortgage interest andTSP contributions, go away. Finally,Congress could raise tax rates, which isnot inconceivable given the size of ourbudgetdeficits and theunfunded liabil-ities in Social Security andMedicare.
As is the casewith Roth IRAs, thereare circumstances thatwill tilt the scalein favor of keeping a traditional IRA.For example:
• If you expect to be in a lower taxbracket in the future;
• If the income from the conversioncauses the converted amount to bepushed into a higher tax bracket;
• If you will need to take with-drawalswithin five years of conversion(withdrawals are then subject to addi-tional taxes); or
• If the conversion affects items tiedto the adjusted gross income, such asSocial Security, medical deductionsandmiscellaneous deductions.
Formany, converting to a Roth IRAwill prove to be a terrific opportunity.However, as you can see, there is nocookie-cutter answer to the Roth IRAconversion question. Everyone’s situ-ation is unique, and everyonemust ex-amine his or her set of circumstancesto determine whether a Roth conver-sion is right for them. Congress pro-vided us with a choice. It is now up tous to capitalize on the opportunity.
Mark A. Keen, CFP®, is managingdirector of Bennett Financial Advisorsin Fairfax,VA, and an investmentadviser representative and registeredrepresentative of The StrategicFinancial Alliance, Inc. (SFA). Securi-ties and advisory services are offeredthrough SFA. He is a member of theNational Capitol Area Chapter of theFinancial Planning Association. E-mail:[email protected].
NARFE | MAY 2008 29
Introducing the world’s simplest, most easy-to-use cell phone – with service as low as $10 a month*
It doesn’t play games, take pictures, or give you the weather.
The Jitterbug® developed with Samsung®.It’s the cell phone that’s changing all the rules.
For people like me, who want a cell phone that’s easy to use. Over the years, cell phones have become smaller and smaller with so many complicated features.Theyare harder to program and harder to use. But the Jitterbug® cell phone has simplifiedeverything, so it’s not only easy to use, it’s easy to try. No crowded malls, no waiting in line, no confusing sales people, or complicated plans. Affordable and convenient cell phone service is only a toll-free phone call away.
The new Jitterbug® cell phone makes calling simple!• Large, bright, easy to see display and buttons • Comes pre-programmed and ready to use right out of the box• No contract required• An operator is always available to help you, and will call
you by name• Push “Yes” to call directly from your personal phone list • Soft ear cushion and louder volume for better sound quality • Separate Volume Up/Down button on cover of phone• Hearing aid compatible • Familiar dial tone confirms service (no other cell phone has this) • Service as low as $10 a month* • Access help wherever you go
Service as low as $10 a month and a friendly 30-day return policy**. If you’veever wanted the security and convenience of a cell phone, but never wanted the fancyfeatures and minutes you don’t need… Jitterbug® is for you. Like me, you’ll soon betelling your friends about Jitterbug®. Call now.
Questions about Jitterbug? Try our pre-recorded
Jitterbug Toll-Free Hotline 1-800-230-9045
Available in a simple 12-buttonDial phone and an even simpler3-button OneTouch phone foreasy access to the operator, thenumber of your choice, and 911.
IMPORTANT CONSUMER INFORMATION: Subject to Customer Agreement, select calling plans, and credit approval.Other charges and restrictions may apply. Screen images simulated. Coverage and service not available everywhere. Copyright© GreatCall, Inc. Jitterbug and GreatCall are trademarks of GreatCall, Inc. Samsung is a registered trademark of SamsungElectronics America, Inc and its related entities. *Not including government taxes, assessment surcharges, and set-up fee.**Applies to phone and monthly service charges only, provided call time usage is less than 30 minutes and phone is in like-newcondition. Usage charges may apply. �All plans require the purchase of a Jitterbug phone and a one-time set-up fee ($35).��Jitterbug will work almost everywhere in the U.S. where cellular service is available from most of the major carriers.
Jitterbug® Cell Phone Item# BU-4722
Call now for our lowest price.Please mention promotional code 35523.
1-866-540-0297www.jitterbugdirect.com
4729
1A
llri
ghts
rese
rved
.©20
07Te
chno
Bran
ds®,I
nc.
brought to you by
NoContract
NEW
30
Some eight out of 10 Amer-ican adults have gum (peri-odontal) disease. Bacteria inthemouth form sticky, color-
less “plaque” on teeth. Periodontal dis-ease commonly developswhenplaque
is allowed to buildup along andunder the gumline. Plaque that isnot removed bybrushing andflossing hardensinto “tartar,” whichrequires cleaningby a dental profes-sional, such as a
dental hygienist. The longer plaqueand tartar remain on the teeth, themoreharmful theybecome–leading toperiodontal disease.
Periodontal disease ranges from red,swollen gums that bleed easily (gin-givitis) to gums that pull away fromthe teeth and formpockets that are in-fected (periodontitis). Untreated peri-odontitis results in tooth loss as it de-stroys the gums, connective tissue andbones supporting the teeth.
The following factors increase therisk for periodontitis:
• Smoking–candecrease the chanceof successful treatment;
• Hormonal changes inwomen–canmakegumssensitiveandmoreprone togingivitis;
• Diabetes–raises the chance of de-veloping infections;
• Stress–canmake it difficult to fightinfections;
• Medications–someantidepressantsand heart medicines lessen the flow ofsaliva that protects teeth and gums;
• Illnesses–(cancerand AIDS, for example,and their treatments)can harm the gums;and
• Heredity–makessome people more sus-ceptible to severe peri-odontal disease.
Take these steps toprevent periodontal dis-ease:
• Brush your teethwith fluoride toothpastetwice a day.
• Floss daily.• Visit the dentist for
routine checkups andprofessional cleaning.
• Eat a healthful diet.• Avoid tobacco.Symptoms are often
not noticeable until pe-riodontal disease is advanced. Visityour dentist if youhave persistent badbreath; painful chewing; gums that arered, swollen, tender or bleeding; andsensitive or loose teeth. Your dentistshould take a medical history, whichincludes questions about risk factorslike smoking, and examine your gumsfor signs of inflammation. The examshould include checking for peri-odontal pockets using a tiny rulercalled a “probe” to measure anypockets. In a healthy mouth, thesepockets are usually one to three mil-limeters deep. Your dentist may takean X-ray to check for bone loss andmay refer you to a periodontist (gumspecialist).
The number and types of treat-ments used to control the infection de-pend on the extent of gum disease.Good daily oral hygiene at home is a
necessary part of everytreatment plan. Quit-ting tobaccouse is vital.Professional deepcleaning to removeplaque and bacteria in-volves scraping off thetartar from above andbelow the gum line(scaling) and smoothingrough spots on thetooth root where thebacteria gather (rootplaning).
The following med-icationsmay be used tofight periodontal dis-ease:
• A prescription an-timicrobial mouthrinse (chlorhexidine)–mouthwash to controlbacteria after gum sur-
gery and in gingivitis;• An antiseptic “chip” (chlorhexi-
dine), antibiotic gel (doxycycline) orantibiotic microspheres (minocy-cline)–placed in the periodontalpockets where the medicine is slowlyreleased to control bacteria and shrinkthe pockets;
• An enzyme suppressant (doxycy-
By Marilyn S.Radke,M.D.
LiveWell
ToLearnMoreFor more information, write to
theNational Institute ofDentalandCraniofacial Research,NationalOral Health Information Clearing-house,National InstitutesofHealth,Bethesda,MD20892;orcall 301-402-7364 or visit the Web site atwww.nidcr.nih.gov.
THE EXAMshould includechecking forperiodontal
pockets using atiny ruler called
a“probe.”
Healthy Gums Can Save Your Teeth
Image courtesy of National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
NARFE | MAY 2008 31
cline)–pills to control the body’s de-structive enzyme response that cande-stroy gum tissue.
Surgery may be needed if inflam-mation and deep periodontal pocketsremain after treatment with scaling,root planing and medications. A peri-odontist may perform flap surgery toremove tartar from deep pockets, orto reduce the periodontal pocket andmake it easier for the patient anddental professional to keep the areaclean. This common surgery involveslifting back the gums, removing thetartar and suturing the gums back inplace so that the tissue fits snuglyaround the tooth again.
Bone and tissue grafts may be per-formed to replace or encourage newgrowth of bone or gum tissue de-stroyed by periodontitis. Guided tissueregeneration involves inserting a smallpiece ofmeshlike fabric betweenboneand gum tissue to keep gum tissuefrom growing into the area where thebone should be, allowing thebone andconnective tissue to regenerate. Treat-ment results depend on the severity ofthe disease, the ability tomaintain oralhygiene at home and risk factors, suchas smoking, which may lower thechances of success.
It is wise to get a second opinionwhen considering any extensive dentaltreatment. Call your local dental so-
ciety or local dental school to find adentist or periodontist for a secondopinion.
Research is inconclusiveonwhetherperiodontal disease causeshealthprob-lems beyond themouth. But it is a factthat controlling periodontal disease
can save your teeth–a very goodreason to take care of your teeth andgums.
Marilyn S. Radke, M.D., is boardcertified in preventive medicine andpractices in Atlanta, GA.
WORLD’S LOWEST PRICES
WheelchairsScootersCar-Lifts
Stair-LiftsLift-ChairsElevators
AdjustableBeds
Hospital BedsMattresses
Electric-Medical.comTOLL FREE 877-727-1954ElectropedicBeds.com
UsefulContactsSOCIAL SECURITYADMINISTRATION (SSA)� Phone: 800-772-1213; TTY:800-325-0778; Web site: www.ssa.gov(Have your Social Security number or claim number handy whenyou contact the SSA.)
� Social SecurityAdministrationOffice of Public InquiriesWindsor Park Building6401 Security Blvd.Baltimore,MD 21235
MEDICARE� TrackingMedicare claim status,etc.,online: www.MyMedicare.gov
32 MAY 2008 | NARFE
FEGLIQUESTION: I’m 70 years old. Re-garding Federal Employees’ GroupLife Insurance (FEGLI),I don’t under-stand the Basic life insurance amountbased upon our salary and the reduc-tion after reaching age 65.In addition,I don’t fully understand the additionaloptional life insurance if someoneelects the 75%Reduction,50%Reduc-tionorNoReduction.I elected to takethe 50%Reduction.Please helpme tounderstand this and other reductions.Response: When you retired, theamount of your Basic insurance wasyour annual salary at retirementrounded up to the nearest $1,000, plusan additional $2,000.
For example: Your final salary at re-tirementwas$55,500; theoriginal valueofyourBasic life insurancewas$58,000.
You also could have elected to enroll inOption A Standard, which has an orig-inal face value of $10,000. After April 1,1981, you could elect additional cov-erageup to fivemultiplesof your salary.Originally, both the Basic and the Stan-dard life insurance reducedafter age65to 25 percent of the original value. Ifyou retiredafterDecember9, 1980, youchose the amount of Basic insuranceyou wanted to retain at age 65 (or re-tirement, if later). The choices are 75%Reduction, 50% Reduction and No Re-duction. Option A insurance automati-cally reduceswhenyoureachage65 (orretire, if later).
If you choose the 75% Reduction,your Basic insurance in force reducesby 2 percent of the orig-inal amount eachmonth until theoriginal amounthas been re-duced by 75 per-cent.
If you choose the50% Reduction, yourBasic insurance in force re-duces by 1 percent of theoriginal amount each month until theoriginal amount has been reduced by50 percent.
If you choose No Reduction, 100percent of the Basic insurance amountis payable as a death benefit. If youelected either the 50% Reduction orthe No Reduction option, you canchange to the 75% Reduction at anytime, unless you have assigned yourinsurance. However, you can’t then goback to your original election. The re-duction starts at the beginning of thesecond month after your 65thbirthday or the beginning of thesecond month after your retirement,whichever is later.
For example: Henry retires on Sep-tember 30, 1996, with a Basic insur-
ance amount of $60,000. He turns 65on March 15, 1997. If he elects the 75%Reduction, the amount of Basic insur-ance in force reduces by $1,200 eachmonth ($60,000 x 2%), starting May 1,1997. On June 1, 2000, the full 75% Re-duction will have been reached, and25 percent of the Basic insuranceamount ($15,000) will be paid to hisbeneficiaries upon his death.
If he elects the 50% Reduction, theamount of Basic insurance in force re-duces by $600 each month ($60,000 x1%), until June 1, 2001, when the full50% Reduction will have beenreached. Upon his death, $30,000 willbe paid to his beneficiaries.
RE-EMPLOYEDANNUITANTQUESTION: During a period of re-employment, what is the impact on
the amount of aCivil ServiceRetirementSystem(CSRS)annuity that is used to re-duce the re-employedannuitant’s salary?
Response: When anannuitant is re-em-ployed, the annuity
generally continues, and the amount ofthe salary is reduced by the amount ofthe annuity. If you are re-employed foroneyearormore, yourannuity could in-crease. Eligibility for a supplemental an-nuity accrues after one continuous yearof full-time re-employment or the part-timeequivalent.A supplemental annuityis an amount that is added to yourpresent annuity. Eligibility for a redeter-minedannuityaccruesafter fiveormoreyearsof continuous full-time re-employ-ment or part-time equivalent. A redeter-mined annuity is a recomputed annuitythat takes the place of your present an-nuity. If you were re-employed continu-ously for at least one year or more afteryouroriginal retirement, youmaybeen-titled to a supplemental annuity. You
NOTE: The following Questions &Answers were compiled by Retire-ment Benefits Service Departmentstaff. These are real questionsreceived by the Department andreal answers, based on themembers’ personal circumstances.The answers are not universal andmay include information that isrelevant to the correspondent’sparticular situation.NARFE does notprovide legal advice or assistance,does not provide financial planningadvice or assistance, and does notprovide tax advice or assistance. Forlegal, financial planning or taxadvice/assistance,NARFE recom-mends members contact anattorney, financial planner or certi-fied public accountant/tax adviser. QA&
Questions &Answers
RETIREES
may want to contact the Office of Per-sonnel Management.
If you have one year of service, andretirement deductions were not with-held, you can make a deposit with in-terest and receive a supplemental an-nuity added to your present annuitybased on at least one year of service.Otherwise, there is no change in theannuity.
FEGLI CONTACTQUESTION:I ammaking a list of as-sets and contact information for myfamily upon my death.What is thename,address and telephonenumberto report my death and informationregardingmy life insurance benefits?Response: In the event of your death,your survivor should call 724-794-2005(for TDD, call 800-878-5707) at the Of-fice of Personnel Management (OPM).A recording will come on and when op-tion number 6 is offered, the callershould use that option on the touch-tone telephone. Someone at OPM willthen come on the line to talk to thecaller. The caller should have your re-tirement claim number (CSA number)or Social Security number handy. Thistelephone call will provide OPM withthe information to send an applicationfor Federal Employees’ Group Life In-surance (FEGLI).
TSPOPTIONSQUESTION: I am retired and re-ceiving a Civil Service RetirementSystem (CSRS) annuity.If I make onepartialwithdrawal frommyThriftSav-ings Plan (TSP), can I make anotherwithdrawalwithin one year?Response: No. If you want to make aone-time only withdrawal from part ofyour TSP account and leave the rest inthe TSP until a later date, use Form TSP77 (TSP-U-77), Request for Partial With-drawal When Separated. You can make
a partial withdrawal of $1,000 or morefrom your TSP account. You can do thisonly once. See the TSP Web site atwww.tsp.gov for withdrawal rules. Scrolldown to “Forms & Publications” andclick on “Publications.” Click on “Book-lets” and then click on WithdrawingYour TSP Account After Leaving FederalService. You also can call the Thriftlineat TSP-YOU-FRST (877-968-3778).
DUALANNUITYQUESTION:I accepteda reducedan-nuity toallow fora survivorannuity formyspouse,whoalso receives a federalannuity. If I predecease her, will myspousecontinuetoreceiveherownfullannuity and the survivor annuity?Response: Your spouse will be eligibleto receive the full amount of her own
earned federal retirement annuity andthe full amount of any federal survivorannuity you elected for your spouseupon your death.
MEDICARE PLUSQUESTION:Can you provide any in-formation in reference to MedicarePlus and Kaiser Permanente,and cansomeone still use the Medicare Pluscoveragewhenoutside theKaiserPer-manente service area?Response: Kaiser is a Federal EmployeesHealth Benefits (FEHB) HMO planavailable in the enrollee’s geographicarea. Kaiser also offers a Medicare CostManaged Care Plan (Medicare Plus) toindividuals with Medicare Parts A andB. According to Kaiser’s Web site,Medicare Plus coverage is limited to a
NARFE | MAY 2008 33
34 MAY 2008 | NARFE
geographical area like an HMO. Assuch, you must use the Medicare Plusnetwork of doctors and hospitals. If youchoose to go to a doctor outside of theMedicare Plus network, the plan willnot pay for the services. If you go to aprovider outside of Kaiser PermanenteMedicare Plus that accepts Medicare,your coverage will be the same as fororiginal Medicare. For more informa-tion, contact Kaiser’s Member Servicesat 888-777-5536.
MEDICARE PARTDQUESTION: Should I sign up forMedicarePartD? IhaveMailHandlersasmyFederalEmployeesHealthBen-efits (FEHB) plan and have paidmorethan $970 in drug payments thus far.Is thereapenalty fornot signingup forMedicare PartD?Response: You may want to considerMedicare Part D since you are payingalmost $1,000 out of pocket for pre-scription drugs. There is a notice at thefront of the Mail Handlers brochure ex-plaining that, since you have compa-rable coverage to Medicare Part D, thereis no penalty for signing up after youfirst become eligible.
You also may want to visit theMedicare Web site at www.medicare.gov for programs to help youchoose Part D coverage. The Part Dplans do not cover all the same pre-scription drugs, so you have to deter-mine the proper coverage for you. Weunderstand that Medicare Part D willbe your primary payer and Mail Han-dlers would coordinate to pay as a sec-ondary payer.
TSPANDTRUSTEEQUESTION:I submittedFormTSP-3,Designation of Beneficiary, to theThrift Savings Plan (TSP) to add ascontingentbeneficiarya trustwith thename and mailing address of the
trustee established under my latestwill. TheTSP notifiedme that one ofthe following was needed:“Social Se-curity number/Employer or TaxpayerIdentification Number, or date ofbirth.” Is this information required?Response: The TSP told us your Desig-nation of Beneficiary (TSP-3) should be“accepted although imperfect” if you donot provide the Social Security number,or the contingent trustee does not pro-vide an Employee IdentificationNumber (EIN).
If the beneficiary is a trust, enterthe name of the trust on the nameline. Enter the trustee’s name and ad-dress on the address lines. Enter theEIN, if available. Leave the date ofbirth line blank. Enter “Trust” on therelationship line. Note: Filling out thisform will not create a trust. If the ben-eficiary is your estate, enter the nameof the estate on the name line. Enterthe executor’s name and address onthe address lines. Enter the EIN, ifavailable. Leave the date of birth lineblank. Enter “Estate” on the relation-ship line. If you have additional ques-tions, call the Thriftline at TSP-YOU-FRST (877-968-3778).
BC/BSANDAPWUQUESTION:I haveMedicare PartsAand B as primary and self-and-familyBlueCross/Blue Shield (BC/BS) Stan-dard.We have never had to pay any-thing out of pocket for prescriptiondrugs. Reading the American PostalWorkersUnion (APWU)HealthPlanbrochure, it appears to do the sameand is $1,000 cheaper per year. Am Imissing something?Response: Medicare Parts A and B donot cover prescription drugs, and youpay something out of pocket for pre-
scriptions under both APWU andBC/BS. We noted that APWU High op-tion charges 25 percent for mail orderbrand name drugs, plus $12 coinsur-ance. BC/BS Standard option charges$35 for a 90-day supply of a brandname drug through its mail ordersystem. APWU charges an $18 co-pay-ment if you go to the doctor. WithMedicare Part A and Part B coverage,BC/BS and APWU appear to be similar.You should carefully read Section 9 ofboth brochures to see differences inwaiving out-of-pocket expenses withMedicare coverage.
FEHBPOPTIONSQUESTION: I am retired, and myspouse,a federal employee,carriesmeunder self-and-family.When she re-tires, would you advise that we buyseparate self-only policies? Are pre-miums lower,and are there any draw-backs?Response: The only problem that weare aware of with two self-only FederalEmployees Health Benefits (FEHB) poli-cies rather than self-and-family con-cerns catastrophic coverage. Cata-strophic coverage is protection of anout-of-pocket maximum for de-ductibles, coinsurances and co-pay-ments that are the member’s responsi-bility.
When you have self-and-familycoverage, the allowable expenses ofboth the husband and wife are appliedagainst the catastrophic limit. For ex-ample, the catastrophic limit for BlueCross/Blue Shield (BC/BS) Standard op-tion is $4,500. If you and your wife ac-cumulate this total under self-and-family coverage, and you used pre-ferred providers, you would have noadditional medical costs for the re-
Questions &Answers
PREMIUMS FOR long-term care insurance dependon your age and the level of coverage you choose.
NARFE | MAY 2008 35
mainder of that calendar year. If youand your wife each had self-only cov-erage in the above example, both youand your wife separately would haveto accumulate $4,500 in medical costsbefore either coverage would meet thecatastrophic limit. If you and your wifewere to accumulate large medical ex-penses at the same time, she wouldhave to pay $4,500 in deductibles,coinsurances and co-payments beforeeach of your catastrophic limits ap-plied, rather than only the singleamount of $4,500 with a self-and-family coverage.
LONG-TERMCAREQUESTION:Iwould like toknowhowmuchthepremiumwouldbe for long-term care insurance for bothmywifeandme.I retiredwithacivil servicean-nuity onDecember 30,1993.I am 73,andmywife is 71.I alsowould like to know if any part
of thepremiums for long-termcare in-surance is tax-deductible.In addition,I have heard that if you
are self-employed,100 percent of thelong-term care premiums are tax-de-ductible. Is that true?Response: The premiums for the Fed-eral Long Term Care Insurance Pro-gram (FLTCIP) depend both on yourage and the level of coverage that youchoose. You may want to see theFLTCIP Web site at www.ltcfeds.com.On the right side of the screen is anitem called “Calculate FLTCIP Pre-miums.” Click on this item, and you willbe able to calculate your premiumbased on the amount of coverage youmay want. You also can call 800-582-3337 for advice.
You would need to check with yourtax adviser on the tax implications oflong-term care insurance.
NARFE Insurance Services also of-fers long-term care insurance. You can
���������������� � � � � ��������������������
��������������� ����������������������������
������������������������� !�����"�#$$%� &�' � ()))*���� ���� ����� ����� ��� ������������ ��� ���� ����� ��������� ��� ������� � ������������ ��� �������������� �������������� ���� ����� ���������� ��!������� ��������� ��"#���������� �"��� ������� � $��!� ��� ���� ������ ��!���� ��� � $��!� ������ ���� ������� ��� ���� �������������$����� � %����� � �� ����� ����&� % �'� ������ (!��� ���� � ������� �����)��� ������ ��� � ���'�� �������*������������ �������%�������+�����!'�������(!��,�����������������!����$��������� �� �������#�������-� �������������"���������������������� ��!����$� ���� ������ ����������������.��� ��������� ����� ���,�/!��/�����,�+��������� �-�!,�.������,�+�$�% �����������0�����,�������������������������� �����*���%�� ��,�������'�� ����,�1���!��� �������,� 2������� /!��� ����� � -�!� ��� ����3� � +�!� ��� ���� 4���� ���� � ������.� ��� ��� +� ����� #����,� ��������� ��� ���� �� �� ���� /��� �� +��� .���,� + �!� .� �� ����� �%�����,� 2� �� +� � .��!��!� ��� � ����� 5����� (��$���,� #��� �������� ��� ��6�� .���������� �#����� ,� ��������+� ������� ��-�!,�7�����3� �8-������9���������'��� ������:�� ���;<=>��&'���������7�����������������������������;?@@���� ��������������
+' !,-������.��-/0�-1�2������+'����,��'�,3�0��'4��.,�5���00��'0,�/��
������������������ �����������������������������6���������������������� �#$"�#$$%� &�' � ()))*
����� ���-�� �� ���,� ���� ��������� �������� �������� ����'� �������� ������������'����������������� ������� ���� �������������������� ��������������������-�� �� ����9*������������. �7 ����/�������+� :,���$�"��!������$�������������,�#� ����'������$�.�����"��� ������������������������ �����$����'� *,� �����+������ ��� ������ ����A ��������������'� ����+������������'�+��!���.� ����4���������������������������������������������+������$������������ �������������������������'�/�&������'�0 ��������'������$���������� �������&�'����� �������������2��������0�����#�����������%���������B�C���������#����� �9�$������������'������$��������������:���������� � ������������/$��������$������������"����������% �������� �������"#��$� � ��� �!������ ��� �������������0 ��$��!�'�0���������'��������������'�D ���%����'�.������� 2�� �� ��� ������ ���������� ������� � ����� ������ � 8-����'� ���� ������'� ���� �� �������� ��������� �'���������� ����������������������������� �- ���;<=>��&'������������������������� ������������������������;=@@���� ���������������������� �������������������
����������� ���������������������������3�'!���#�"�#$$%���������&�' ��(#�6%*
Start in Paris – End in Rome ���� ���������������������!�-����9E�������:,�0����'��$��6�� ���9F�������:,�$��������������+����,� ���������#�����,���������'�%����,�%������7�*� ��� �����,�����'�%�����9F�������:,�-���9 ��������$��:,�#���������)�����'�*� ��9F�������:,�% ������,�����,�������,� ����$��������� ����� 9F� ������:,� D����� ����,������������� � 7�����3� � 8-����� ��� �����G������'� G�� ���)���!���� ������'� ���� �'� <H��� �'������� ����� �����)������'� ��� �&��,� ���� ������� I� ���� ������������������������&������ ���������������������� �������������������))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))�������"����������#������������������$��%���������&�'� ����(��!
7�����3��,'-�� )*+,,*&-.*&-,,��������������� ������� ����� � �� ��������������������������� ������������������� ������ �� �
!�""�� ��#���������������� ��������������$%%�����&'%%��(��&)&*��+, ��-�����,����"�������
contact that office at 800-233-5764.
DISABILITY PAYMENTSQUESTION:While I was a federalemployee, several individuals I knewretired on full disability.I believe theyreceived 100 percent of their activeduty pay until they were 55 years ofage.Why,then,wouldmydisabilitypayonly be 40 percent until age 55?Response: You receive the larger of theearned annuity or a guaranteed min-imum benefit under a Civil Service Re-tirement System (CSRS) disability an-nuity. The guaranteed minimum is thelesser of 40 percent of the high-threeaverage pay or the service projected toage 60 computed under the regular for-mula. You receive the 40-percent for-mula with your age and service at thetime of your retirement. If a disabilityretiree has more than 21 years and 11months of actual service or is age 60 orover, his or her earned annuity is thegreater amount. For example, 30 yearsof actual federal service provides aCSRS benefit of 57 percent of the high-three average pay. The maximum ben-efit would be 80 percent of the high-three average pay.
There is not a change in CSRS dis-ability benefits at age 55. The FederalEmployees Retirement System has dif-ferent rules, and the disability benefitsdo change at age 62.
TSPAND 401(K)QUESTION:My wife and I are bothover 62-1/2. She is not a federal em-ployee but has contributed themax-imum each year toward her 401(k).Can I transfer my wife’s 401(k) fundintomyThrift Savings Plan (TSP) ac-count as a rollover?Response: You cannot transfer yourwife’s 401(k) to your TSP account. How-ever, she can transfer her 401(k) to anIRA.
SPOUSE HEALTH COVERAGEQUESTION: What is the rule re-garding continuation of Federal Em-ployees Health Benefits Program(FEHBP) coverage upon the death ofa Federal Employees RetirementSystem (FERS) employee? If I die be-foremy spouse,can she continuemyFEHBPcoverage?Response: If you should die while en-rolled for self-and-family, all survivorswho meet the definition of “familymember” will continue to be coveredas long as any one of them receives asurvivor annuity and was coveredunder your FEHBP plan as a familymember at the time of death.
Some FERS survivors may be enti-tled to continue their health benefitsenrollment even if they will not receivea monthly survivor annuity benefit.Widow(er)s who are entitled to receivethe FERS Basic Employee Death Ben-efit and child survivors whose FERSsurvivor annuity benefits are reducedby the amount of any payable SocialSecurity benefit may continue theirhealth benefits enrollment by payingpremiums directly to the Office of Per-sonnel Management, if they are enti-tled to continued health benefits cov-erage.
FERSCOLASQUESTION:If an employee’s year ofbirth is between 1953 and 1964, and
the minimum retirement age is 56,when would the cost-of-living adjust-ments (COLAs) apply to the retiree’sannuity?Response: Federal Employees Retire-ment System (FERS) COLAs do notapply to retirees who are under age 62as of December 1 of a given year. Gen-erally, FERS COLAs are 1 percent lessthan the increase in the ConsumerPrice Index (CPI). However, if the CPI isbetween 2 and 3 percent, the FERSCOLA is 2 percent. If the actual increaseis 2 percent or less, the FERS COLAmatches the CPI increase. The full FERSCOLA increase explained above will beadded to your payment if you are 62before December 1 when the COLA isadded to the January 1 payment.
SURVIVOR BENEFITSQUESTION:I am aCivil Service Re-tirement System (CSRS) employeeandhaveprovidedsupport formywifeand our disabled son, who is de-pendent on me for total support.Where can I find information on hisentitlement that will help me deter-mine if my son would qualify for sur-vivorbenefits in theeventofmydeath?Response: This information can befound on the Office of Personnel Man-agement Web site at www.opm.gov/asd.Scroll down to CSRS and FERS Hand-book for Personnel and Payroll Offices,click on the “Death Benefits Chapters.”Click on “CO 73, Children’s Benefits,”and see p. 10. The determination ismade, and medical evidence is pro-vided when an application is made on
36 MAY 2008 | NARFE
Questions &Answers
NARFE SERVICEOFFICERS are available to answer questions and toassist in helping with a variety of benefit matters.Check your chapter newsletterfor the name and phone number of your service officer.Call NARFE toll-free at
1-800-456-8410for the nearest service officer.NARFE Service Centers are also available in someareas.Use the Service Center listings on ourWeb site,www.narfe.org.
ACTIVEEMPLOYEES
the child’s behalf at the time of the em-ployee’s or retiree’s death. A child overage 22 may qualify for continuedhealth benefits coverage if he or she isincapable of self-support because of adisability that occurred before age 22.
TEMP JOBAND FEHBPQUESTION:If I am offered a tempo-rary job,can I retire from this tempo-rary employment and still retain myretiree health insurance benefits?Response: Yes. If you are presently eli-gible to carry your Federal EmployeesHealth Benefits Program (FEHBP) intoretirement, you have continuous cov-erage unless you cancel. If you are tem-porarily employed in federal service oroutside of federal service, your FEHBPcoverage still continues.
SPOUSE AND FEHBPQUESTION:Myspouseand Iarebothfederalemployees,andeachofus isen-rolled in the Federal EmployeesHealth Benefits Program (FEHBP).Iam retiring in 2008, and my spouseplans towork for fivemore years.CanI drop my FEHBP coverage and getcoverage under my working spouseand pick up single coverage five yearslaterwhenmy spouse retires?Response: It’s probably to your advan-tage to have your working spouse bethe enrollee to cover both of you sinceactive employees enjoy “premium con-version.” You can suspend (do notcancel) your enrollment in the FEHBPto be covered under your spouse’sself-and-family coverage. To do so,contact the Office of Personnel Man-agement (OPM). At a later date, afteryour spouse has retired, you can re-enroll for self-only, if your spousechanges from family coverage to self-only. Again, you will need to contactOPM at that time to complete theseactions.
ACCRUED LEAVEQUESTION: Forwhich leave are youpaid when you retire from federalservice? I am under the Federal Em-ployees Retirement System (FERS)and thought that I would get paid formy unused sick leave when I retire.Isthis true?Response: Under FERS, unused sickleave cannot be paid nor be used foradditional service credit, unless theemployee is a FERS Transferee with aCSRS component.
Credit for unused sick leave is usedin the computation of immediate re-tirement benefits for Civil Service Re-tirement System (CSRS), CSRS-Offsetand FERS Transferee employees.CSRS and CSRS-Offset employees re-ceive credit for the total number of
hours accumulated and accruedthrough the date of retirement. FERSTransferee employees receive credittoward the CSRS component of theirretirement benefit on the day oftransfer to FERS or on the day of re-tirement, whichever is the lessernumber of hours.
CSRS sick leave credit is used onlyin the computation of retirement ben-efits; it is not used to establish retire-ment eligibility. CSRS sick leave creditcan cause a retirement benefit to ex-ceed 80 percent of the high-three av-erage salary; there is no limit on theamount of unused sick leave that canbe credited. However, an employeeunder either retirement system willbe paid for his or her unused annualleave at the time of retirement.
NARFE | MAY 2008 37
YES! Please rush my FREE DVD and Catalog all about thequiet, easy-to-use, Neuton® Mowers, including model specifications,low, factory-direct prices, and your 6-Month Risk-Free Trial offer!
Name ___________________________________________________
Address _________________________________________________
City _________________________ State _____ ZIP ______________
E-mail___________________________________________________
neuton, Dept. 61899X75 Meigs Road, Vergennes, Vermont 05491
NARFE
TOLL-FREE 1-888-212-8709Or visit: www.neutonmowers.com
The Neuton® Battery-Powered Mower uses no gas or oil, so it’s quiet, clean, and starts instantly — every time! It is lightweight, so it’s easy for anyone to use.So economical it costs about 10¢ to mow yourlawn and never needs a tune-up. It’s theonly lawn mower that will also TRIMaround trees and EDGE alongyour walk or driveway.
Smart Mowerfor Small Lawns!
© 2008 CHP, Inc.
So why use a gas-powered mower on a small lawn?
Find out how youcan try one for6-Months RISK-FREE!
Get a FREE DVD and Catalog!
FREE SHIPPING
for a limited time!
TSPROLLOVERQUESTION: In the February 2008issue ofNARFEmagazine,a responseto a question stated that if a deceasedThrift Savings Plan (TSP) participantismarried toanotherTSPparticipant,the surviving spouse can roll over theTSPdeathbenefit payment intohisorher ownTSP account.I was receivingmonthly payments from theTSP,andtheTSP did not let me roll over myspouse’sTSP tomyTSPaccount uponher death.Can you explain why this isthe case?Response: The response in the Februaryissue ofNARFEmagazine applied to asituation in which the survivor was notalready receiving payments from theTSP. You cannot be receiving monthlypayments from your own TSP accountand transfer or roll over from anotherTSP participant’s account to your ownaccount. This rule applies to any trans-fers.
MEDICAREANDBC/BSQUESTION: I have Blue Cross/BlueShield (BC/BS) and have a lot ofmed-ical expenses, especially medication.Would Ihaveessentially the samecov-erage when I sign up underMedicarePart A andPart B?Response: Medicare Parts A and B pro-vide coverage for hospital and medicalcosts similar to your Federal EmployeesHealth Benefits (FEHB) BC/BS plan. Themain difference is in prescription drugcoverage. Traditional Medicare doesnot cover prescription drug costs. Asyou know, all of the FEHB plans, in-cluding BC/BS, cover prescription drugseither through retail pharmacies orthrough mail order pharmacies.
RESIGNV.RETIREQUESTION:What is the differencebetween leaving your agency by re-signing or retiring to avoid losing yourhealthbenefits after youareno longer
with your agency?Response: Your Federal EmployeesHealth Benefits Program (FEHBP) cov-erage is one of your most importantbenefits as a federal employee. If youretire with an immediate annuity (onein which your retirement begins within31 days of your separation), and youhave had the FEHBP coverage for thefive years prior to the separation, youcan continue your FEHBP coverage asa retiree. The government share, ap-proximately 70 percent of the cost ofthe plan, will continue to be paid in re-tirement. If you elect survivor benefitsfor your spouse, if married, and coveryour spouse under a family FEHBPcoverage, your spouse can continuethe FEHBP coverage if you predeceasehim or her.
Otherwise, when you leave govern-ment service, enrollment in the FEHBPterminates on the last day of the payperiod during which you separate. Youthen have a 31-day free extension ofcoverage, during which time you canenroll in your plan’s private insurancecoverage.
Or, when you separate from service,you may choose to continue FEHBPcoverage for a period of 18 monthsafter your separation. This extendedcoverage is under the Temporary Con-tinuation Coverage (TCC) of the law. Ifyou take advantage of this option, youmust pay both the employee and theemployer share of the health benefitspremium, plus an administrativecharge of 2 percent of the premium.You can choose to enroll in the sameplan you had at separation or anyother plan, option or type of enroll-ment for which you are eligible.
FEHBPAND SELF-PLUS-ONEQUESTION: Why doesn’t the Fed-eral Employees Health Benefits Pro-gram (FEHBP) have a self-plus-one
38 MAY 2008 | NARFE
Questions &Answers
Solution
JUDYTOPARK–DANTOBETHEMANJudyParkisretiringafteryearsofleadingoneofthebestlegislative
teamsintown.Weoweherforoutstandingservice.Welooktoherworthysuccessor,DanAdcock,tomaintainthishigh
standard.
AJuvenileBUnder-
groundCDishDYorkshire
ETidesFOctagon
GPhotoHAfterwardsIRawDealJKissing
KDistanceLArroganceMNotify
NToffeesOOstrich
PBowTiesQElevator
RTwoTimeSHawkTEnhance
UMaysVAristotleWNight
Don’t peek! Solution toMacrostic,p.58.
MACROSTICbyJAMIEFEN
premium plan? It is a very commonpractice in the private sector. Has amultilevelplaneverbeenpresentedtotheOffice of Personnel Management(OPM)? It just seems reasonable tome thatwith the expense tomaintainhealth coverage, the costs should bereflectiveofpotentialusersof theserv-ices.Response: Group plans such as theFEHBP are based on as few distinctionsas possible so that the risks are spreadout over the whole group, which helpskeep premiums down. Such factors asage, number of children, physical ail-ments, etc., are not considered. Theonly differentiation is for self-only andself-and-family. If there were a self-plus-one coverage, it would includemainly retirees. This generally wouldbe an older group with greater medicalneeds, and it would be possible that thepremium cost of such an option wouldbe more than the current self-and-family.
DIVORCEATTORNEYQUESTION:What typeofattorney isrequired todrawupall of the requiredpaperwork to implement the divorcedecree that the Office of PersonnelManagement (OPM)will accept?Response: Use a lawyer specializing indivorce under your state laws and whois familiar with the laws pertaining tofederal retirees. You and your attorneyshould visit OPM’s Web site atwww.opm.gov/retire. Scroll down to“Pamphlets/Publications/Forms,” clickon “Other Retirement Publications.”Then click onHandbook for Attorneys.Your divorce lawyer should be familiarwith the laws and regulations in theHandbook for Attorneys. This bookletalso provides pattern language to beused in a decree that awards benefits toformer spouses of federal employees orretirees. �
NARFE | MAY 2008 39
For millions of aging Americans, the simple pleasure of a warm, comfortablebath has become a thing of the past.
Falls…and the fear of falling, are the numberone reasons that people leave the home theylove and move into some kind of assisted living facility. The number one place in thehome where falls are likely to occur is in thebathroom. Now, there is a better solution forthis widespread problem. It’s a revolutionaryWalk-In Tub…from Home Living Solutions.
Easy, Safe Access to your Bathtub. Our bathtub has a leak-proof, walk-in door with a 6-inch “step” so you can get in and out easily and safely. Simply open the bathtub door latch, walk in, and close the door. It’s just that safe and easy. Everything about ourWalk-In Tub is designed to give you the freedom to bathe—on your own—in safety,comfort, and convenience, and it comes with alifetime, no-leak guarantee. The contoured,raised bathtub seat, a full 171/4" high, means no struggling to get down or up.
Why not rediscover the soothing, luxuriouspleasure of a warm, comfortable bath? Ourstainless steel frame and watertight bathtubdoor are of the highest quality and designed foreasy installation. Brass and stainless steel bathtub accessory fittings are used throughoutfor durability and trouble-free use.
Enjoy A Bath Again…SafelyNew Walk-In tub is affordable and easy to install
• IAPMO Certified
• ETL listed
• 10 year guaranteeon all systems
Walk-In TubItem# ZR-5182
For information on theHome Living Solutions
Walk-In Tub, call:
1-800-984-9228Please mention promotional code
35524.All major credit cards accepted, or pay by check over the phone. Call for details to order by mail.
www.walkintubdirect.com
By John FlemingTechnology Breakthrough Bathing�
All rights reserved. © 2007 TechnoBrands®, Inc.
What To Look Forin a Walk-In Tub:
Five major considerations to help make an informed decision before buying a Walk-In Tub:
� Quality - A walk-in tub is amajor investment. You wantto find a quality tub that willlast for the rest of your life.Look for stainless steel con-struction and brass fittings.
� Safety - Look for tubs thathave built-in grab bars, non-slip surfaces, and watercontrols that are easily reach-able. The “step” into the tubshould be less than 8".
� Warranty - The best tubs offer a lifetime, “no-leakguarantee” and 10 year guarantees on the tub, faucet, and jet/air systems.
� Installation - Look for tubsthat are designed for “easy”installation. Even if you don’tinstall it yourself, yourplumber or handyman willsave time and effort (and save you money), with these easy install models.
� Certification - Only considertubs that are certified by IAPMO (InternationalAssociation of Plumbers andMechanical Officials), and areeither UL or ETL listed.
5182
2
Dignity 31
W
40 MAY 2008 | NARFE
Out &AboutWith the Chapters
At a ribbon-cutting ceremony, the Alamogordo, NM, Chamber of CommerceAmbassadors welcomed NARFE Chapter 698 as a new Chamber member.
The Florida Federation recently raised $4,489 forNARFE’s Alzheimer’s Research Fund by sponsoring twocruises. Federation officers pictured, left to right, are:Ben Pappa, immediate past president; Leonora Sicular,Alzheimer’s chair; and Don Stewart, president.Anotherfundraising cruise, to Panama, is planned for 2008.
Philippine Federation officers shown at the federation’s conven-tion are, from left:Amancia David, secretary;Agapito Dizon, sec-retary-treasurer; Manuel Quiwa, 1st vp; Fidel Dayrit, president;Lucrecia Narag, executive vp; and Roberto Tanchuco, 2nd vp.
Your charitable contribution is tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
Write your chapter number on check; make it payable to: NARFE-Alzheimer’s Research
and mail to: Alzheimer’s Association
225 N.Michigan Ave., 17th Floor, Chicago, IL 60601-7633
SUPPORT ALZHEIMER’S RESEARCH
Enclosed is my NARFE-Alzheimer’s contribution: $ .Every cent that is contributed is used for research.
Please circle: Mr. Mrs. Miss Ms.
Name
Address
City State ZIP
Chapter number
NARFE members contributed
for Alzheimer’s research:
$8 Million Fund
$7,352,871**Total as of February 29, 2008
100% of all contributed fundsgo to Alzheimer’s research.
If you have any qquueessttiioonnss,, write to:
National Committee, Chairman
Barb L. Pretzer, 4817 Rockridge Court,
Manhattan, KS 66503
Outstanding!Members of Chapter 148 in Des Moines, IA, help
senior clients file their Economic Stimulus tax returns at one of 17 NARFE sites set up in the DesMoines area as a public service. Back row: Larry Moore,Chapter 148 president; Joy Bridenstine, Iowa Federa-tion District V vp; and Darlene Freeman, Iowa Federa-tion president.
Bismarck-Mandan, ND,Chapter 195 deliveredValentine’s flowers for aflorist and raised $400for Alzheimer’s. Fromleft: Arden and KathleenMathison, Don Semerad,Darlene Danielson, andNaida and Ralph Feland.
NARFE | MAY 2008 41
A s the current NationalTreasurer of NARFE, I amannouncing at this time my
candidacy for re-election.I have served as your National
Treasurer for the past three plus years;during that period of time I have as-sumed the responsibility of the mem-bership records as well as serving asNARFE’s representative to (TSP) “ThriftSavings Board”, Employees council and“NARFE Premier Credit Federal Union”Advisory board.
I would like to say that as TreasurerNARFE has operated with a balancedbudget for three years while increasingnet assets and investment income. TheNARFE corporate 2004 and 2005 au-dits have had minimum exceptionsand the 2006 audit ended without ex-ceptions.
As I promised while previously cam-paigning “I will not be just a beancounter”. I am continuously Dedicatedto the Betterment of NARFE.
My NARFE background as most ofyou know has been: Federation Execu-tive Vice President, Federation Treasurerand Financial Advisor for five years, alsoas assistant treasurer for two years. I pre-pared and administered the budget forthe largest Federation in NARFE. I am astrong believer in realistic and cautiousfinancial planning to insure the NationalOrganization is using all of its resources,your dues, effectively and wisely.
As a dedicated NARFE membersince 1993, I have had the opportunityto serve at both Chapter and Federa-tion levels. I served as National Legis-lation Chair, Alzheimer’s Chair andChapter President of Chapter #1496for three years and an associatemember of Chapter #0045 andChapter #2208.
I know what the Chapters and Fed-erations are facing as I have been thereand done that. I have the knowledge,desire and fortitude to perform the du-ties as NARFE’s National Treasurer.
During my 42years of governmentservice with the Mili-tary (Korea & Viet-nam) and the Department of Trans-portation (Federal Aviation Administra-tion) I continued my education in thestudy of Psychology and Group Be-havior, Leadership methods and skills,Social sciences at the Department ofDefense Institute (Florida), Governmentbudget and finance (Lawton, Oklaho-ma), Labor Relations for Management(Lawton), budgeting & financing, per-sonnel management and problemsolving.
I believe this specific experiencequalifies me as a viable candidate. I re-spectfully ask again for your supportand please remember my nameRichard “Dick” Ostergren when youcast your vote at the National Conven-tion in Louisville, KY for NARFE Na-tional Treasurer. My goal is “FOR THEBETTERMENT OF NARFE !” �
CANDIDATES’ STATEMENTSNARFE NATIONAL ELECTIONS
RICHARD C. OSTERGRENCandidate for National Treasurer
Kentucky history and music will be spotlighted Tuesday, September 9, during“Kentucky Night” at the NARFE National Convention. The event will begin
with a Bourbon Tasting, according to Marlene Bunten, chairman of the ConventionHost Committee and president of the Kentucky Federation. Tom Owens, a popular local speaker, historian and pro-fessor at the University of Louisville, will serve as master of ceremonies for the entertainment portion of the evening,which will include bluegrass music and a visit from Abe Lincoln, portrayed by Lincoln impersonator Jim Sayers, to drawattention to this year’s 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth in Kentucky. For information on the Lincoln Bicentennial, goto www.kylincolntrail.com or www.radclifftourism.org/lincoln.shtml.
CONVENTION UPDATE
Honest Abe Headlines Kentucky Night
42 MAY 2008 | NARFE
AIRPORT SHUTTLE: Transportation to the convention hotel from LouisvilleInternational Airport:
• Sandollar ShuttleCost: $15 one way502-366-2628
• Louisville Yellow Cab Co.Cost: $20 one way502-637-6511
Galt House Hotel & Suites140 N. Fourth St.
Louisville, KY 40202
Hotel rate: $75 single/double + $10.50 tax
Reservation number: 1-800-843-4258
Parking rate: $12 per day, in and out; valet $18
Cut-off date for reservations: August 3, 2008
Check-in: 3 p.m.
Check-out: 12 noon
HOTEL RESERVATIONSHotel reservations must be made directly with the convention hotelby calling the telephone number below. Please be mindful of thereservation cut-off date.
NARFE 2008 NATIONAL CONVENTION
2008 National Convention
Program Book Advertising Contacts• Lela Williams 270-351-6637
• Betty Hundley270-765-7107
AD DEADLINE: MAY 17
Chapters & Federations:
STOP!BEFORE MAKING YOUR
HOTEL RESERVATIONS, PLEASE BEAWARE OF THESE
CONVENTION DATES!
The Convention Banquet, the final event of the National Convention, will takeplace on the evening of Thursday, September 11. Therefore, convention-goersstaying at local hotels who plan on attending the banquet should include thebanquet night in their stay. In the past, many convention-goers have madereservations only through Thursday and realized at the last minute that theymust remain in their hotel Thursday night in order to attend the banquet.
NARFE considers this such a problem that it has changed the official dates ofthe 2008 National Convention from September 7-11 to September 7-12 toalert delegates that they must plan accordingly. There will not be any officialconvention activities on September 12.
NARFE | MAY 2008 43
September 7–12, 2008
September 7–12, 2008
NARFE ID #:
Name:
Address:
Name for badge:
Chapter #:
Location:
Notify in case of emergency:
Name:
Phone Number:
PLEASE CHECK:�� (Guest) Member �� Delegate*�� (Guest) Non-member �� Delegate-at-Large*
�� Alternate**Must be confirmed by chapter on form C/08-2
Mail Pre-Registration Form to:NARFE, Treasurer’s Office606 N. Washington St.
Alexandria, VA 22314-1914
� A nonrefundable fee of $50 (payable to NARFE) must accom-pany this form.
� On-site registration fee will be $60 in Louisville.� Each attendee must complete a separate registration form.� Form must be postmarked by August 15, 2008.
�� Charge to my credit card
Card type: �� MasterCard �� Visa �� Discover �� AMEX
Card#
Expiration Date_______ / _______(mm) / (yy)
Name on card (Print)
Signature Date
� Tables will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.Tables seat eight people.
� RESERVATIONS LIMITED TO 2,000 PEOPLE.� Groups wishing to sit together should submit only one request
specifying number of seats desired. Please attach name list.� A receipt will be mailed to you by August 15 acknowledging
payment and showing your table assignment.� All banquet tickets will be held for your pickup at the conven-
tion registration area, Galt House Hotel & Suites.� REFUNDS AVAILABLE ONLY IF RESERVATIONS ARE CAN-
CELLED 72 HOURS PRIOR TO THE BANQUET.
Form C/08-4
NARFE 2008 NATIONAL CONVENTION30TH NATIONAL CONVENTIONPRE-REGISTRATION FORM
30TH NATIONAL CONVENTIONBANQUET RESERVATION FORM
Form C/08-16
NARFE ID #:
Name:
Address:
Chapter #:
Non-Member Guest:
Please reserve _____ tickets at $50 each, total $_____.
Make check payable to NARFE and send to:NARFE, Treasurer’s Office606 N. Washington St.
Alexandria, VA 22314-1914
�� Charge to my credit card
Card type: �� MasterCard �� Visa �� Discover �� AMEX
Card#
Expiration Date_______ / _______(mm) / (yy)
Name on card (Print)
Signature Date
September 11, 2008
44 MAY 2008 | NARFE
This month’s “Faces ofNARFE” subject mirrorsthe path taken bymanyNARFEmembers.Marie
Brouillette, of Chapter 446, St. Al-bans, VT, joined NARFE more than10 years ago but has only recentlybecome active in leadership posi-tions.
Her story begins in Fairfield, VT,where shewasbornMarie Lamarchein June 1936. Upon graduating fromEnosburg Falls High School, she at-tended nursing school. After a year,she decided that a nursing careerwas not for her. Sheworked for NewEngland Telephone for a few years,and then moved to Sheldon, VT,after marrying Richard Brouillette.She raised five children whileworking as a clerk at Fonda Con-tainer in St. Albans, VT.
Marie was first hired as a clerk atthe Sheldon Post Office in 1966. Inher 23 years with the U.S. PostalService (USPS), she worked as apostal clerk in Enosburg Falls andSheldon Springs before serving aspostmaster in Sheldon for 16 years(1976 to 1992). One of her duties aspostmaster was coordinating the“Ben Franklin Club,” which intro-duced theworld of stamp collectingto area students. She says she al-ways found the students excited tohear about the origins of differentstamps.
Marie joinedNARFE shortly afterher retirement from USPS in 1993.But it wasn’t until 10 years later thatshe was elected president ofChapter 446, a position she still
holds. She is also chapter legislativechairman. In 2004, she became sec-retary pro tem of the Vermont Fed-eration at her first federationmeeting. The next federationmeeting saw Marie elected secre-tary/treasurer, a position mademore difficult by the fact that theprevious secretary/treasurer was ina nursing home, and his computercrashed with all of the federation’sinformation. Her introduction tothe position consisted of beinghanded a checkbook and no back-ground material pertaining to theoffice. It was not the ideal situation,she says. But after receiving a lot ofsupport from then-Vermont Federa-tion President Robert Morency(who is currently federation 2nd
vice president), she was able to setup a program. She considers heryears as a federation and chapter of-ficer “very educational” and espe-cially credits Region I Vice PresidentAugie Stratoti with providing a lotof help and guidance. Marie saysshe plans to attend her first NARFENational Convention in Septemberin Louisville.
No doubt Marie would testify tothe importance of training officers-in-waiting. Her dilemma of beingthrust into a critical position in herfederation with little or no trainingdemonstrateswhy chapters and fed-erations are urged to prepare mem-bers to step into leadership positionsso that when these jobs are vacatedby the illness, death or retirement ofan officer, someone can step right in.
Marie also has been active in TheGrange (national, state, county andcommunity) formore than 50 years,serving inmany leadership roles. Shehas been chair of the FranklinCounty Field Days, a three-day fair.During the time she was post-master–and a farmwife handling allof the farm’s accounts and taxes–shewas honored as Franklin CountyBusiness Woman of the Year byFranklin County Business and Pro-fessional Women. She also is activein St. Anthony’s Catholic Church.
She and Richard have been mar-ried for 50 years, and have five chil-dren and seven grandchildren, allliving nearby, which keeps themvery busy.
By ChuckTimanus,Public Relations Director
MARIEBROUILLETTE . . .took on chapter
and federation roles
The Path to Leadership
Faces ofNARFE
NARFE | MAY 2008 45
Try This ProvenRetention TechniqueBy Nathaniel L. BrownNational [email protected]
R etention of ourmemberscontinues to be of ut-most concern to theleaders andmembers of
NARFE. Since the overall retention rateforNARFEmembership is around 90
percent, youmightconclude that reten-tion should not beconsidered amajorproblem. You alsomight conclude thatrecruitment is themajor problembe-
causewe don’t recruitmoremembersthanwe lose, and our focus should beon recruitment. The fact is, significantimprovement is needed in both areas.Even though the recruitment rate is farless than the retention rate, the loss of amember for nonpayment of dues orcancellation should always be of con-cern to us.
Sometimes we, as leaders, look fora quick fix or amagic solution to aproblem that will resolve it in aninstant, so we can thenmove on tosomething else. Retention of ourmembers is not that kind of issue.There isn’t one special programwithall the ingredients necessary tochange the downward trend in thenumber of members. What it takes iscontinuous hard work using thetools and techniques that are alreadyavailable to us.
One of the best techniques forretaining members is the use of“personal contacts.” I like to think ofthis technique as the “care package.”It consists of several actions relatingto how a chapter interacts with
members on a personal basis. Allmembers–especially those whorarely or never attend a chaptermeeting–need to be assured thatthey are needed, and the chapter isinterested in their well-being.Members also need to know whatbenefits a chapter has to offer them.This can best be expressed to amember by a telephone call or a
personal visit when necessary. Somechapters limit their contacts with amember to a telephone call toprovide information about ameeting or to remind them to renewtheir membership. A call after themeeting to inform the memberabout what happened at themeeting may reinforce theimpression that the chapter cares. Acall during the month just to say“hello” or to find out how amemberis doing also may tend to make amember feel that belonging to achapter is beneficial.
Personal contacts should beginwhen someone is a prospectivemember or when someone firstbecomes amember. They shouldcontinue primarily with thosemembers who do not attendmeetings because this is the groupfromwhich nonrenewals usuallyoccur. Maintaining personal contactswith a large number of members, assuggested above, may appear to be alot of work. It does take time. But ifproperly planned and carried out, itshould take just a fewminutes of amember’s time eachmonth. Theassignment to call members shouldbe given to all members who attendchapter meetings on a regular basis,
includingmembers on the chapter’sTelephone Tree or e-mail list. Eachmember would be given two or threemembers to contact. In makingassignments, do not forget to includemembers who are not physically ableto attendmeetings but who arewilling to participate. Often, they willbe some of your best participants.
Retention of members requires
various kinds of actions. Personalcontacts must be used with othertechniques to ensure that thechapter has a well-rounded retentionprogram.When properly plannedand implemented, the tools andtechniques used in a chapter’sretention programwill result inreducing the number ofnonrenewals. May “members caringabout members” be our guidingprinciple! �
From the Secretary’s Desk
THE LOSS OF A MEMBER for nonpayment of duesor cancellation should always be of concern to us.
BackJoy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19Clark Enterprises 2000 . . . . .20-21Dream Products . . . . . . . . . . . .7,17ElectropedicBeds.com . . . . . . . . .31First Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29,39GeroVita . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Haband . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2,60IndependenceVillage . . . . . . . . . .33NARFE Premier FCU . . . . . . . . . .59Neuton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37NewYorkMint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Premier Bathrooms . . . . . . . . . . .15RedstoneVillage . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31TIAA-CREF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9YourManTours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Advertiser Index
46 MAY 2008 | NARFE
Pressing QuestionsFor NARFE LeadersBy Russ BoorRegion VII Regional Vice [email protected]
Why does ourmember-ship keep dropping?Why are ourmem-bers not renewing?
How can we recruit more newmembers?What’s different about thenew federal retiree?
Howmany timeshave you been askedor heard thesequestions? Thefuture of NARFEmay depend onknowing theanswers. To find
them,we first need to understandwhomakes up our currentNARFEmembership. Next, we need to take alook at the characteristics of thosefederal workers and annuitants weneed to recruit. And finally, we needto convincemembers to renew theirmembershipswhen they become due.
According to a recent surveyconducted by NARFE’s MembershipDevelopment Department, 90percent of our current membershipof 333,500 is composed of membersage 63 or older. Themedia haslabeled this group “traditionalists.”
Traditionalists were born prior to1945 and experienced the GreatDepression,WorldWar II, the KoreanWar, radio’s heyday and thebeginning of television. They grewup during a time of economic andpolitical uncertainty, have a respectfor authority, and believe in workingfor stability and economic security.They believe in honor, duty, sacrifice,rules and conformity. Mosttraditionalists retire from federal
service under the Civil ServiceRetirement System (CSRS), whichdoes not include Social Security.
The generation following thetraditionalists has been labeled “babyboomers.” Born between 1946 and1964, baby boomers are now in the43-62 age bracket. Growing up, theywere influenced by space travel,assassinations, the civil rightsmovement, the VietnamWar, thesexual revolution, and the evolutionof the computer age and digitalelectronic communication. Theybelieve in hardwork and are self-reliant. They generally are not joinersand, when they do join, theywant toensure there is something in it forthem.Most baby boomers retire fromfederal service under the FederalEmployees Retirement System (FERS),which includes Social Security.
Baby boomers and subsequentgenerations are comfortablewithcomputer technology and all that thedigital age has spawned. They bankand pay bills online, buy online,communicate online, researchinformation online, book vacationsonline, checkweather and roadconditions online, join online, and thelist goes on. Some do not subscribe tonewspapers ormagazines, relyinginstead on television and the Internetas their sources of information. Theyinvest in all sorts of high-tech gadgetsto assist them.
I think we can agree that there aresignificant differences betweentraditionalists and baby boomers. Tomarket NARFE successfully to babyboomers and younger generations offederal workers and retirees, wemayhave tomake some changes in howNARFE is structured and howwecommunicate. These changesmayimpact chapters, federations and ournational structure, and the way the
National Office operates. Some ofthese changes will requireamendments to our National Bylaws.
At our National Convention inLouisville this September, there willbe resolutions and amendments tothe Bylaws submitted by chaptersand federations. Some of theseproposed changes include:
• Establishing one-member, one-vote;
• Converting to Association dues(single dues, NARFE dues);
• Modifying or eliminating theHon-oraryMembership Program;
• Modifying or eliminating manda-tory chapter membership; and
• Restructuring NARFE (NationalExecutive Board-Chief Executive Of-ficer Concept).
When received at NationalHeadquarters, these proposedamendments to the Bylawswill becompiled andmailed early in July toall chapter secretaries andNationalConvention delegates.We all need tokeep an openmind and seriouslydiscuss these proposed changes inchaptermeetings and at federationconventions prior to theNationalConvention.Workable answers andsolutions for improving therecruitment and retention of NARFEmemberswill depend onhowwell-informed delegates are about theirchapter’s views on the proposedchanges so they can take parteffectively during debates and invoting.
In considering changes, wemustnot forget our present traditionalistmembership and continue tosupport their needs, but we also needto consider our newermembers andpotential members. The future ofNARFEmay very well be in thehands of the delegates attending theLouisville Convention. �
Report From the Regions
NARFE | MAY 2008 47
JoinJoin NARFENARFE Today!Today!
� Complete the application on the reverse side.� Enclose payment information, bill pay, check or moneyorder payable to NARFE, or request to be billed.
� Or go to our Web site at www.narfe.org and join today!
*Prior to October 1, 1987
Membership is open to civilians in any agency of the federalor D.C.* governments including:
� Retirees� Active federal employees� Spouses and former spouses of active and retiredfederal employees
� Former employees eligible for deferred annuity� Survivors of those eligible to join NARFE
Who can join?
To apply:
Enrollment includes membership in a local chapter and the nationalassociation, plus a subscription to NARFE’s monthly publication, NARFE magazine.
Dues Withholding Application (Retirees Only)Dues Withholding Application (Retirees Only)
Be sure to fill out both sides of this form and mail to: Attn: Member Records, NARFE,606 N. Washington St., Alexandria, VA 22314 (Do Not Send Money With This Form)
(Please Print)
— — ——
Social Security Number (9-digits)
(Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms.)
Address Telephone
City, State, ZIP E-mail
Date of Birth NARFE Membership Number NARFE Chapter Number
C SCivil Service Annuity Number(Include prefix CSA or CSF)
(Include prefix applicable suffix)
—
48 MAY 2008 | NARFE
AuthorizationI authorize the United States Office of Personnel Management to make appropriate deductions from my annuity payments, not to exceedthe amount certified by the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association as the amount of dues for which I am annual-ly obligated, in accordance with elections I make below and to pay the deducted sum to the National Active and Retired FederalEmployees Association (NARFE). This authorization shall also apply to any and all dues changes certified by NARFE membership inaccordance with elections I make below:
Do You Authorize Your Spouse’s Dues to Be Withheld from Your Annuity? �� Yes �� NoIf YES, enter your spouse’s name and membership number below. You authorize:
National dues of $24.60 plusChapter dues of record to be withheld annually.
I understand that this authorization shall be valid until NARFE receives & processes my written notice of cancellation in accordancewith its agreement with the Office of Personnel Management & that any disputes regarding this authorization shall be a matter betweenNARFE & myself. I hold the Office of Personnel Management harmless for any erroneous allotment deduction made pursuant to thisauthorization. I also authorize the Office of Personnel Management to disclose any information necessary to execute this request.
Dues payments & gifts orcontributions to NARFE arenot deductible as charitablecontributions for federalincome tax purposes.
Signature of Annuitant or Survivor-Annuitant Date
Name Number
1. �� Please enroll me in NARFE chapter __________________(leave blank if not known).�� Also enroll my spouse.
2.
3. $33 x =Membership fee
per personno. of
people joiningTotal payment
�� Total payment (check, bill pay or money order payableto NARFE)
�� Bill me�� Charge to my credit card
Credit Card Information:Card type: �� MasterCard �� VISA
�� Discover �� AMEX
Card no. _________________________________________
Expiration Date ______________
Name on Card (Print) _______________________________
Signature ____________________________ Date _______
The first year membership fee is in lieu of national and chapterdues. Upon renewal you will be billed for national and chapterdues at the prevailing rate on your anniversary date.
CHOOSE ALL THAT APPLY: �� Retiree�� Spouse�� Survivor
�� Active employee�� Former spouse�� Former employee
(mm) (yy) Mail to:NARFE Member Records
606 N. Washington St.Alexandria, VA 22314-1914
Fax: 703-838-77831Q
Full Name: Mr./Mrs./Miss/Ms.
Street Address Apt./Unit
City/State/ZIP
Home Telephone Number
E-mail Address
Federal Agency
Retirement Date
Date(s) of Birth
Recruiter’s Membership and/or Chapter Number
Contact Information:
NARFE MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONwww.narfe.orgFor Active and Retired Federal Employees
name
Do Not Send Money With This Form
NARFE | MAY 2008 49
It’s no exaggeration that NARFEwill go to great lengths to presentits Pre-Retirement Seminar (PRS)
Program. In February,Mary Pierson, directorof NARFE’s PRS Pro-gram, went all the wayto Kwajalein Atoll inthe Marshall Islands topresent a program atthe U.S. Army basethere.
Pierson reports that
she has 27 confirmed PRS contractswith federal agencies and 35 “works inprogress.” NARFE’s program is on the
Federal Supply Sche-dule, and the Associa-tion is working to getthe program on theGeneral Services Ad-ministration Schedule.
For more informa-tion on the PRS Pro-gram or to find outabout becoming a
NARFE PRS presenter, contact Piersonat 228-234-1484 or [email protected]. �
NARFENews
NARFE ResourcesHow to Contact Us . . . . . . . . . . . .6
NARFE-PAC Coupon . . . . . . . . .14
Alzheimer’s Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Membership Application . . . . . . . .48
Life Member Application . . . . . . .51
NARFE Perks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
PRS Seminars: Off and Running!
PassagesH.T. ‘STEVE’ MORRISSEY
FORMER NARFE NATIONAL PRESIDENT
Harry T. “Steve” Morrissey, who served two terms as NARFE NationalPresident (1986-1990), died March 1 at the age of 80. He had moved to
Sarasota, FL, after leaving NARFE.He was born in Pittsburgh, PA, and volunteered for
service in the U.S. Army in 1943. He served in the 154thCombat Engineer Unit, 2nd Brigade, during the SouthPacific campaign of World War II. His unit received twoPresidential Unit Citations in various Pacific island ca-paigns, and he was awarded the Asiatic-Pacific Cam-paign Medal with two bronze stars, the World War II Vic-tory Medal, the Army of Occupation Medal with JapanClasp and the Philippine Liberation Ribbon.
He received his bachelor’s degree in police science under the GI Bill fromMichigan State College. While in college, he was a member of the 1952 Na-tional Championship Football Team and was also a member of the 1953 BigTen Championship Team. He served as president of Alpha Phi Sigma, the po-lice science honorary fraternity.He had a 26-year federal career and retired from the Bureau of Alcohol, To-
bacco and Firearms, U.S. Treasury Department, in 1979 as the special agent incharge of the Hartford, CT, Field Division. He also had served as a criminalinvestigator in Paducah, KY, and Cincinnati, OH; as chief of criminal enforce-ment for the Central Region and as special agent in charge of the Los AngelesField Division; as assistant regional director for the Mid-Atlantic Region inPhiladelphia; and twice as Headquarters division chief in Washington, DC.He received numerous awards for outstanding performance, including Trea-sury’s highest honor, the Albert Gallatin Award. He is survived by his wife,Shirley; son, Michael W.; two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Debra Creeger has joined theNARFE staff as a retirementbenefits specialist in the Re-
tirement Benefits Service Department.Creeger had a 27-year federal ca-
reer, working at the Departments of theArmy and the Navy, and at the Officeof Personnel Management (OPM) be-fore retiring in 2006.
A graduate of the University ofLouisville with a bachelor of sciencedegree, she taught school for four yearsbefore joining the government.
While at OPM, she wrote revisionsto The Federal Employees Health Ben-efits Handbook and the Civil ServiceRetirement System and Federal Em-ployees Retirement System hand-books.
In addition to her new position atHeadquarters, she also is a certifiedpresenter for NARFE’s Pre-RetirementSeminar Program.
She succeeds Joe Ikenberry, who re-tired after 10 years with NARFE. �
Mary Pierson poses in front of thebase sign at U.S. Army, Kwajalein Atoll.
Debra CreegerJoins RetirementBenefits Staff
50 MAY 2008 | NARFE
NATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING MINUTESFEBRUARY 4–6, 2008
Minutes of the National Executive Board
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2008Call to Order Roll CallSilent Prayer Pledge of Allegiance
Present:National OfficersPresident Margaret L. BaptisteSecretary Nathaniel L. BrownTreasurer Richard C. OstergrenRegional Vice Presidents (RVPs)Region I Augie StratotiRegion II Charles W. SaylorRegion III Robert S. HarrellRegion IV Tom JohnsonRegion V Richard G. ThissenRegion VI Jerry D. HatfieldRegion VII Russ BoorRegion VIII Forney A. LundyRegion IX Lanny G. RossRegion X Joseph A. BeaudoinStaffDirector of Operations Wil SpeerNational Executive Board (NEB) AssistantMarian UffenMembership Director and Assistant to theNational Secretary John ClementsDirector of Human Resources Linda Par-sonsGuestsSecretary of Chapter #2264 (Brecksville,OH) Roger RoePast NARFE President Frank Atwater andMrs. Atwater
A motion was made by RVP Thissen to ap-prove the agenda. Motion approved.
National Officers (NOs) reported on theirobservations and the operations of their of-fices since the November 2007 Boardmeeting.
The RVPs reported on activities within theirregions since the November 2007 Boardmeeting.
Treasurer Ostergren reported on the Invest-ment Committee and electronic vs. paperdistribution of NARFE reports. DistributedDatabase Outsourcing Agreement re-garding NARFE reports (ISI) and NARFE ex-ternal production (non-ISI) reports.
John Clements gave an update on theNARFE 2007 Membership Plan and thestart of the 2008 Membership Plan. Pro-vided Executive Summary of the 2007NARFE Membership Survey.
Discussion regarding placing dues-with-holding notices in second renewal notices.Already in place. Dues withholding infor-mation will be placed in all renewal notices.
Establishing a “Record Officer.” This issuewill be discussed at a future NO meeting.
10-Percent Fund Report (Federations). Howare funds being spent? Discussion, and itwas settled. No further action required.
Online registration for National Conven-tion will be set up to register to attend only.Action item for Wil Speer.
Continuing discussion of progress of“blogs” and “chat rooms.” In progress.
One-Member, One-Vote discussion re-sulted in a motion.
Motion 02-01-08 Subject: One-Member, One-Vote (OMOV).“The NEB submit to the 2008 convention aproposed resolution for OMOV as directedby the delegates at the 2006 conventionwithout a recommendation.” Motionmoved by RVP Stratoti and seconded byRVP Beaudoin. Motion passed.
Pros and Cons of NARFE establishing a501(c)(3) Foundation. Referred to the nextNEB meeting.
Fulfillment of Health Fair and Pre-Retire-ment Seminar Program requirements. Newprocedures have been set up and are inplace.
Status to republish (update) Q&A book isbeing handled by David Snell, director ofRetirement Benefits Service.
Status of Training Manual for LegislativeChairs is in progress.
Meeting Adjourned.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2008Call to Order Roll CallSilent Prayer Pledge of Allegiance
Present:National OfficersPresident Margaret L. BaptisteSecretary Nathaniel L. BrownTreasurer Richard C. OstergrenRegional Vice PresidentsRegion I Augie StratotiRegion II Charles W. SaylorRegion III Robert S. HarrellRegion IV Tom JohnsonRegion V Richard G. ThissenRegion VI Jerry D. HatfieldRegion VII Russ BoorRegion VIII Forney A. LundyRegion IX Lanny G. Ross
Region X Joseph A. BeaudoinStaffDirector of Operations Wil SpeerNEB Executive Assistant Marian UffenMembership Director and Assistant to theNational Secretary John ClementsDirector of Human Resources Linda Par-sonsGuestSecretary of Chapter #2264 (Brecksville,OH) Roger Roe
Discussion on revised forms, especially theF-7. There will be no change.
Leadership Development Committee: RVPThissen, Region V, was elected Chair ofthis committee. The other committeemembers are: Augie Stratoti, Region I;Bernie Goldsborough, Region II; KenMartin, Region III; Paul Johnson, RegionIV; Robert Rolfsen, Region VI; MervStuckey, Region VII; Don Ross, Region VIII;Clark Crouch, Region IX; and ClayShannon, Region X. An update on theprogress of this committee will be dis-cussed at the July 2008 NEB meeting.
Discussion of the PR budget.
Motion 02-02-08Subject: Increase PR Budget. “The PRbudget be increased by $50,000 and thatthe monies to increase this budget betaken from the Vice President’s salary account.” Motion moved by RVP Beau-doin and seconded by RVP Saylor. All op-posed except Regions II and X. Motiondenied.
Motion 02-03-08Subject: PR. “The PR Director present spe-cific plans for publicity outside the Wash-ington, DC, area at the July 2008 NEBmeeting. These specific plans must have aproposed amount of funds needed to ac-complish the desired task.” Motion movedby RVP Lundy and seconded by RVP Ross.Motion passed.
Motion to renew Pre-Retirement SeminarPrograms Director Mary Pierson’s contractfor another year. Motion passed by con-sensus.
Discussion of the Committee on EnhancingNARFE will be ongoing.
The NARFE Strategic Plan is to be reviewedand updated.
Status of Single Dues Resolution
Motion 02-04-08Subject: Association Dues. “The NEB sup-ports the concept of Association Dues (oth-erwise referred to as Single Dues or NARFEdues).” Motion moved by RVP Thissen andseconded by Treasurer Ostergren. All infavor except Region I. Motion passed.
Discussion of planning the 2008 NationalConvention. Went over the schedule ofevents, and the RVPs selected their banquettables.
Site Selection Committee report regardinglocation of the 2012 National Conventionby RVP Ross. The NEB voted on the top fiveprospective 2012 National Conventionsites, and they are as follows in order ofpreference:The Nugget (Sparks/Reno, NV)The Peppermill (Reno, NV)The Silver Legacy (Reno, NV)The Caribe Royale (Orlando, FL)Hilton Daytona Beach (Daytona Beach,FL).
Meeting Adjourned.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2008Call to Order Roll CallSilent Prayer Pledge of Allegiance
Present:National OfficersPresident Margaret L. BaptisteSecretary Nathaniel L. Brown
Treasurer Richard C. OstergrenRegional Vice PresidentsRegion I Augie StratotiRegion II Charles W. SaylorRegion III Robert S. HarrellRegion IV Tom JohnsonRegion V Richard G. ThissenRegion VI Jerry D. HatfieldRegion VII Russ BoorRegion VIII Forney A. LundyRegion IX Lanny G. RossRegion X Joseph A. BeaudoinStaffDirector of Operations Wil SpeerNEB Executive Assistant Marian UffenMembership Director and Special Assistantto the National Secretary John ClementsDirector of Human Resources Linda Par-sonsGuestsSecretary of Chapter #2264 (Brecksville,OH) Roger RoeFlorida Federation President Donald E.Stewart
President Baptiste presented a memo-randum regarding the promotion of JillCrissman to fill the position of AssistantLegislative Director. The Board agreed byconsensus that Jill Crissman be promotedto Assistant Legislative Director, effectiveJune 2, 2008.
Motion 02-05-08Subject: Convention Site Selection Proce-dure. “The NEB supports modification of
the Convention Site Selection Proceduresto allow the NEB final selection of the fu-ture convention site at the February NEBmeeting.” Motion moved by RVP Thissenand seconded by RVP Ross. Motion passed.
Motion 02-06-08Subject: Honorary Membership. “In view ofconcerns raised by the Federation Presi-dents at the July 2007 meeting, a recom-mendation of the Committee on the En-hancement of NARFE and the high cost ofmaintaining the program, the NEB sup-ports modification of the NARFE HonoraryMembership Program (all current honorarymembers would be grandfathered fromany changes).” Motion moved by RVPThissen and seconded by RVP Lundy. Mo-tion passed.
New Business: The Board moved into Exec-utive Session. The Board came out of Exec-utive Session.
Meeting adjourned at 1:30 p.m. The nextNEB meeting will be held July 16-18, 2008,at NARFE Headquarters in Alexandria, VA.
Nathaniel L. BrownNational Secretary
NARFE | MAY 2008 51
Name:
Address:
City: State: ZIP:
Date of Birth:
Amount: National + Chapter =Total Payment Type: �� Check/Money Order �� Credit Card
Credit Card: �� Mastercard �� VISA �� Discover �� AMEX
Card#: Exp:
Name on Card (Print):
Signature: Date:
Recruiter ID# (if applicable):
NARFE NATIONAL LIFE MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
Please Mail Life MembershipApplication and Payment to:
Attn: Member RecordsNARFE
606 N. Washington St.Alexandria, VA 22314
Thank you for becoming aNational Member for Life. Youwill receive a membership card,certificate and special lapel pin.Please allow six weeks for pro-cessing.
See Reverse for More Information.
Dues payments & gifts or contributions to NARFE are not deductible as charitable contributions for income tax purposes.
$ $ $
52 MAY 2008 | NARFE
1S
Please Note:• Chapter membership dues are added to the initial
payment for both single or quarterly installmentspaid by new members. For active members, chapterdues will continue in the usual cycle.
• “A life member, who was or is a Chapter member atthe time that a National Life membership was or ispurchased, shall maintain membership in a Chapter.Failure to do so shall result in suspension of Chaptermembership rights and privileges.”
30-3940-5051-5556-6061-6566-7071-7576-8081-9091-100
$1,3201,015783664557452373292197107
$331.25255.00197.00167.25140.50114.2594.5074.2550.5028.00
Ages Single orPayment
QuarterlyInstallments
LIFE MEMBERSHIP FEE SCHEDULESEFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2004
1. For active NARFE members:Membership # _________________
2. For new members:Membership is open to civilians in any agency of the federal or D.C. governments eligible for a federal annuity. Please check one:� Active employee� Retiree� Former employee� Spouse� Former spouse� Survivor
3. I choose to join Chapter # ___________. I understand that if I don’t choose a chapter, the nearest one will be assigned. Please call 1-800-456-8410 for further information.
‘Recruiter’s Journal’
I’ve been meaning for some time tothank NARFE National for the out-standing quarterly publication, Re-
cruiter’s Journal. The Journal always has helpful infor-
mation in it, aimed at assisting chaptersand federations in recruiting and re-taining members. I believe it is one ofNARFE’s best products. It is certainly oneof its most important in that it directlyaddresses an issue that is a top priorityfor the organization. Kudos to thosewho produce this highly professionalpublication.
Jim Crawford,Bristol, NH
GPO-WEP
A fter reading about the GPO-WEP hearing in the Januaryissue [at which a Govern-
ment Accountability Office representa-tive stated that without the WindfallElimination Provision (WEP) and Gov-ernment Pension Offset (GPO), privatesector retirees would be at a “disadvan-
tage” compared to public service em-ployees] (p. 10), and the letter fromGerald Berman in the March issue (p.51), I felt others affected need to knowabout my case.
I began work in the Social Securitysystem in 1963 at age 15, after schooland on weekends. By 1965, I wasworking to put myself through a tech-nical college. In 1967, I obviously madea “mistake” by starting at the U.S. Postal
Service (USPS) while continuing thepart-time job, due to the low wages atthat time. By 1972, qualifying for foodstamps, I decided to get another part-time job, which paid a little more. Thiscontinued until 1981, when USPSwages were a little better and myspouse was earning decent money.However, due to inflation, I was backworking part time by 1989. That jobcontinued until 2001.
Altogether, I put in 82 quarters at So-cial Security jobs, in over 30 years outof 39 in my career. Of those, only twoyears are counted as “substantial” be-cause of the minimum wage, part-timenature of them.
Next year, I’ll be eligible for Social Se-curity. Projected monthly earnings willbe all of $300 gross. “Early” retirementwill cut 25 percent off the top, WEP willcut another 60 percent, and taxes with-held will take another 20 percent. Netincome will be less than $100, hardlyworth all the commuting and time. AmI at a “disadvantage”?
Kenneth L. Smith,Hartford, WI
REMINDER: May 5-11 is
Public ServiceRecognition Week. Honor governmentemployees servingacross America!
Letters
54 MAY 2008 | NARFE
NARFE Perks
NARFE•MART: 1-800-294-0875(202) 333-0900
NARFE’s exclusive provider ofNARFEmerchandise; including jewelry,pins, plaques and name badges. Callfor a product listing.
OTHER SERVICES
TRAVEL
NARFEPerks are designed to provide NARFEmembers with a quality option in their search for
commonly used products and services.NARFE makes no guarantee on any products and services listed
below and encourages its members to shop and compare before making a decision on any financial matter.
NARFEINSURANCESERVICES:1-800-233-5764
Insuranceplansdesignedandadmin-istered exclusively for NARFEmembers.Call for information onWhole and TermLife,Hospital Indemnity, Accidental Injuryand Death Plan, Dental Plan andCancerCarePlan. For information on LongTermCare call the Long Term Care Unit at 1-800-358-3795.
GEICO: 1-800-368-2734NARFE members with good driving
records may be eligible for quality auto-mobile insurance fromGEICO.Askaboutthe NARFE discount now available tomembers in many states. Call today foryour free, no-obligation rate quote. Besure to mention that you’re a NARFEmember!• Discount amount varies in some states• Discount not available in all states or inall GEICO companies• One group discount applicable perpolicy.
NARFEMEMBERHOMEBENEFITS1-800-823-0646
http://narfe.myhomebenefits.comAllied Van Lines and NARFE have
teamedup toofferNARFEmembers andtheir families the finest in relocation serv-ices at the lowest possible cost. Call for afree estimate or visit ourWeb site for moredetails! Serving you is our goal, as youhaveserved our country.
BEKINSVANLINES1-800-456-6832
(M-F, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.CT)All NARFE members will receive dis-
countedpricing forall interstate ship-ments.Discountwill apply topackingandmovingservicesandvaluationprotection.All intrastate shipments, locals and inter-nationalmoveswill becompetitive incostbased on your geographical location.Mention you are a NARFE member andtransportation agreement #00930.
NARFEHEARINGBENEFITSNARFEHearingBenefits is a program
developed in partnership with AmericanHearing Benefits. As a NARFEmember,you are entitled to:
• FREEannual hearing screenings formembers and their immediate family
•Referrals to local providerswith rep-utations for high quality and honestservice
• The world’s most advanced digitalhearing instruments at prices up to 60%off MSRP.
To activate your NARFEHearingBenefits call 866-925-1287.
INSURANCEMOVING SERVICES
RIVERCRUISES
RussianRiverCruise 11-daysSt. Peterburg toMoscow $2,079BlueDanubeRiverCruise 10-daysPrague to Budapest $2,179Best of theRhineRiver 12-daysAmsterdam to Lucerne $2,279Vienna to theBlackSea 10-daysVienna to Bucharest $2,279
BookANY 2008 August Departureand Save an additional $100!
CALL TODAY TO SAVEON YOURNEXT VACATION!1-800-607-4538
Web Site: www.NARFEtravel.com
THEFEDERALLONGTERMCARE INSURANCEPROGRAM
The future can be full of questions.Give it some answers.
There’s no better way to prepare forthe future thanbyplanning for the unex-pected. One day, you or a loved onemay need long term care. By preparingfor that possibility now, you can help re-duce the financial strain on those youcare about most. Contact us today tolearnmore about theFederal LongTermCare Insurance Program.1-800-LTC FEDS (1-800-582-3337)
(TTY 1-800-843-3557)www.LTCFEDS.com
IDENTITYCHECKPRINTERSIdentity Check
Printers now offersofficially-licensedbank checks andaccessories fea-turing the NARFElogo. Choose fromthree check de-signs,eachwithcoordinatingaddress la-belsand IdentityCards.Aprinted leathercheckbook cover featuring the NARFElogo is also available. Support NARFEwith every check youwrite. Order today!Visitwww.identitychecks.comorcall toll-free 1-800-874-5910. UseOFFERCODE9KG482 and receive FREE standardshipping on your order.
HEARING BENEFITS
NARFE’S OFFICIAL CREDIT UNIONAs a member of NARFE, you have
the privilege of joining NARFE PremierFederal Credit Union, which has beenserving members since 1935. We offerextensive services at competitive ratesto members nationwide. Accounts areinsured by NCUA up to $100,000.
Formore information, call 1-800-328-1500 / 703-914-8700 (DC metropolitanarea), e-mail [email protected], or visit our Web site at www.narfepremierfcu.org.
CHOICEHOTELS INTERNATIONALChoiceHotels International® isproud
to offer NARFE members discounts atover 4,000 hotels in 40 countries. Mem-bersmay receivea20%discount at par-ticipating hotels or rates at or below perdiem, whichever discount is the greater.Choice brands include: Comfort Inn®,Comfort Suites®, Quality®, Sleep Inn®,Clarion®, MainStay Suites®, EconoLodge®andRodeway Inn®.Thisoffer issubject to availability. Advance reserva-tionsarerequired.Tomakereservationscall800-258-2847andmention ID#00801967.
WYNDHAMHOTELSGROUPMemberscannowsave10%offbest-
available ratesatover6,000participatinghotels. Whether you are looking for aluxury hotel, an all-inclusive resort, orsomethingmore budget-conscious, wehave the right hotel, in the right place, forthe right price. To receive discountedrates, NARFE members must useMember Benefits ID #20672 and thespecified toll-free numbers. Advancereservations required.
HOTELS
ALAMORENT-A-CAR1-800-354-2322—www.alamo.comWelcome to Alamo Country. Where
NARFEmembers get unlimitedmileageand year-round discounts off Alamo’salready great rates. Book with yourtravel agent or Alamo®. Be sure to re-quest I.D. Number 262544 and RateCode BY (A-1 for weekend rentals) atthe time of reservation.
HERTZ1-800-654-3131—www.hertz.comHertz is proud to be a preferred car
rental partner of NARFE. As a memberof NARFE, you will receive discountedrates, unlimited mileage for mostrentals, special offers, upgradesand feewaived #1 Club Gold program enroll-ment. Remember to include yourNARFE Corporate Discount Number252137whenmaking reservations.
AVIS: 1-800-331-1441The employees/owners of Avis offer
guaranteed low rates and quality serv-ices to members of NARFE. MentionID# A991900.
Bankof America: 1-800-414-4229Addstrengthandstability toyoursav-
ingsportfoliobyopeningaNARFE-spon-sored Certificate of Deposit (CD) orMoneyMarket account offered by Bankof America. Receive High Yields and thesecurityofFDIC insuranceup to themax-imum amount allowed by law. For everyNARFE-sponsored deposit with Bank ofAmerica, the bankwill make a contribu-tion to NARFE for the advancement ofprograms and services at no additionalcost to you.Use source codeHA029.
CAR RENTALS
CDAND MONEYMARKETACCOUNTS
Days Inn
Howard JohnsonRamada
Travelodge
Wingate
Knights Inn
CREDIT UNION
CREDIT CARD
Bank of America now offers the offi-cially approved credit card program forNARFE, featuring the Platinum Plus®MasterCard®withWorldPoints. This isthe only credit card that helps supportNARFE every time you use it to make apurchase–at no additional cost to you.
Request yours today!Call toll-free 1-866-438-6262Use source code FAB7WS.
SINCE 19741-800-423-3226
Medical Air Services Association hasbeen the industry leader inprepaidemer-gency assistance services formore than30 years. NARFEmembers have experi-encedMASA’s “peace ofmind” servicessince 2001. Now NARFE members areentitled to even more: air ambulancetransportation,helicopter transportation,groundambulance, vehicle return,mortalremains transport, andmuchmore!CallMASAToday. ItCouldSaveYourLife!
EMERGENCY SERVICES
NARFE | MAY 2008 55
AmeriHost Inn
Super 8
Baymont
Wyndham
877-670-7088
800-889-9706 866-854-1604
56 MAY 2008 | NARFE
Personal MilestonesOnly member 50th wedding anniver-saries are accepted. Submit names (bothfirst names), wedding anniversary andchapter name/number/state by mail toNARFE Headquarters,ATTN: Anniver-saries, 606 N.Washington St.,Alexandria,VA 22314, or by e-mail to [email protected].
Dan and Norma Barkdull, Laurel Chapter422 Maryland;Russel and Connie Bauerle, LansingAreaChapter 289 Michigan;Jack and Marjorie Bosen, Inverness-CitrusChapter 776 Florida;Clifford and Maxine Butler, SuperiorChapter 2119Wisconsin;Rufus and Mildred Cannon,White OakChapter 1888 Maryland;Paul and Dorothy Cossaboon, EugeneChapter 79 Oregon;Don and Joy Davenport, Las Cruces Chapter182 New Mexico;James and Ethel Dunk, Largo-SeminoleChapter 845 Florida;Bob and Donna Egland, ColvilleValleyChapter 1247Washington;Fred and Rachel Forney, Annapolis Chapter251 Maryland;Charlie and Josie Hickey, Upper Cape CodChapter 1279 Massachusetts;Michael and Mary Jo Hoyman, South LeeCounty Chapter 1263 Florida;Gary and Betty Lee, Minot Chapter 1377North Dakota;Hoye and Shelby Moses, Lawrence CountyChapter 1957Alabama;Emery and Janice Peterson, Las CrucesChapter 182 New Mexico;Rudolph (Rudy) and Janet Ramirez, MarinCounty Chapter 400 California;Gilbert and Genevieve Ramos, SierraChapter 1400Arizona;Roy and Jeanne Rochon, South BrevardChapter 609 Florida;Frank and LaVerne Sadar, BrecksvilleChapter 2264 Ohio;Victor and Frances Sadowski, SouthwestChicago Metro Chapter 1106 Illinois;Maurice and Phyllis Shanefield, Boca RatonChapter 647 Florida;Jimmy and Helen Tribby, Saguaro Chapter1469Arizona;Bob and Martha Warren, LakewoodChapter 1085 Colorado.
For theRecord
Thrift Savings Plan Investments*
PLEASE NOTE: Chart has been reconfigured as of May 2008 issue. *This chart is provided as a serviceto NARFE members who enrolled in the Thrift Savings Plan while employed by the federal government.Retirees are not eligible for enrollment. These returns are net of the effect of accrued administrativeexpenses and investment expenses/costs. Percentages in ( ) are negative. Source: tsp.gov.
Month G Fund F Fund C Fund S Fund I Fund2007 April 0.42% 0.53% 4.43% 2.51% 3.76%
May 0.34% (0.70%) 3.52% 4.40% 2.54%June 0.42% (0.27%) (1.70%) (1.53%) 0.20%July 0.50% 0.80% (3.10%) (4.57%) (2.39%)August 0.33% 1.23% 1.54% 1.38% (0.71%)September 0.41% 0.78% 3.76% 2.97% 5.36%October 0.41% 0.86% 1.58% 2.83% 4.49%November 0.33% 1.88% (4.20%) (5.65%) (3.72%)December 0.41% 0.25% (0.66%) (0.40%) (2.25%)
2008 January 0.33% 1.76% (5.98%) (6.27%) (8.52%)February 0.24% 0.16% (3.28%) (2.05%) (0.66%)March 0.32% 0.33% (0.46%) (1.43%) 0.18%
Last 12 Months 4.56% 7.87% (5.07%) (8.20%) (2.55%)
Month L Income L 2010 L 2020 L 2030 L 20402007 April 1.08% 1.76% 2.58% 2.95% 3.28%
May 0.92% 1.53% 2.15% 2.52% 2.79%June 0.08% (0.20%) (0.54%) (0.80%) (0.92%)July (0.23%) (0.92%) (1.75%) (2.13%) (2.52%)August 0.61% 0.73% 0.80% 0.88% 0.90%September 1.13% 1.78% 2.68% 3.09% 3.45%October 0.82% 1.29% 1.84% 2.09% 2.37%November (0.44%) (1.21%) (2.33%) (2.94%) (3.36%)December 0.07% (0.13%) (0.54%) (0.63%) (0.82%)
2008 January (0.97%) (2.07%) (3.90%) (4.71%) (5.37%)February (0.22%) (0.59%) (1.25%) (1.51%) (1.80%)March 0.23% 0.07% (0.06%) (0.18% (0.29%)
Last 12 Months 3.09% 1.96% (0.57%) (1.69%) (2.71%)
The Consumer PriceIndex for Urban WageEarners and Clerical
Workers (CPI-W) rose0.2percentinFebruary to207.3, according totheBureauof Labor Statistics. Forpurposes of calculating the nextcost-of-livingadjustment (COLA),the indices of July, August andSeptember2008will be averagedfor a third-quarter determinant,which will be compared with the 2007third-quarter base index of 203.6. Feb-ruary’s index is up 1.8 percent from thebase.Benefits awarded under the Federal
Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA)
to individuals sufferingwork-related in-juriesor illnesses are adjustedaccordingto each calendar year’s percentagechange in the CPI-W. The Februaryindex is 0.8 percent higher than theDe-cember 2007 base index of 205.7. �
February CPI-WUp 0.2 PercentThe chart below tracks the CPI-W, the monthlyinflation change, and the cumulative percentagegain for the next CSRS and Social Security COLA.
CPI-W MONTHLY % CHANGE% CHANGE FROM 203.6
October 204.3 +0.2 +0.3November 205.8 +0.8 +1.1December 205.7 -0.1 +1.0January 206.7 +0.5 +1.5February 207.3 +0.2 +1.8
NARFE | MAY 2008 57
In his 26 years in the U.S. ForeignService, Art Fell was posted aroundtheworld. Everywherehewent, be
it Nairobi, Abidjan or Paris, hepursued his hobby ofplaying jazz piano.“Often, I played for
embassy affairs or host-government affairs,” hesays. “I like to think it sometimescontributed to conveying somethingabout American musical culture andestablishing a relationship based onmusic.” For example, his band inAbidjan, Ivory Coast, had membersfrom Ghana, Ivory Coast, France, theUnitedKingdomand theUnited States.Amember of NARFE’s international
chapter, Fell now lives with his wife,Teri, in Montpellier, France, and con-tinues to play with trumpeter and vo-
calist David Cross, who was posted toAbidjan with the British Council. Theyhave recorded a CD, Shake Your
Blues Away with Jazz.“I was playing at a resortin the Seychelles for theholiday season and metthe president ofMacJazz, a
British record label,” Fell ex-plains. “He likedwhat he heard and in-vitedme tomake a CD forMacJazz.”Fell, who grew up in a musical
family, started taking classical piano les-sons at the age of four. His teacher alsoinitiated him into jazz. At Indiana Uni-versity, he had a band and consideredgoing into music. After a stint in theArmy and law school, he joined theGeneral Counsel’s Office at the U.S.Agency for InternationalDevelopment.“A federal employee can cultivate a
hobby, try to use it to contribute to theU.S. image wherever he or she mightbe, andoften extend it into retirement,”says Fell. “In some cases, it can help toestablish friendships across nationali-ties and peoples.” Check out his CD onhisWeb site, www.jazzenjoyment.com.
Tell us about your “Pursuit.” Write toNARFE magazine, Attn: “Pursuits,”NARFE, 606 N. Washington St., Alexan-dria, VA 22314; or e-mail, [email protected].
At Last!PastTimes & Present Pursuits
Foreign Affairs and All That Jazz
Did you know that......OPMhasbegun to rollout its newRetirementAdministrationSystem,RetireEZ.Go towww.retireez.gov to takea look.
THEWAYWEWORKEDIn 1957, employees of the U.S.Patent Office, housed in theCommerce Building inWashington, DC, worked next torows of file cabinets of issuedpatents or “prior art,” stored insmall drawers called “shoes.”Examiners searched old patentsto determine whether or not toissue a new patent. The buildingused fans and windows withoutscreens for cooling in the sum-mer, recalls NARFE member BillWilhite of Franklin, TN. “Only thefifth floor (home of the Secretaryof Commerce) had air condition-ing,” Wilhite says. “I tried to findan excuse to walk through thefifth floor on very hot days tocool off for a few minutes.” In1967, the Patent and TrademarkOffice moved to Crystal City inArlington, VA. In 2005, it movedto new quarters in Alexandria, VA.
PatentPathway
Photo
courtes
yof
BillW
ilhite
58 MAY 2008 | NARFE
A 1 84 97 32 129 66 50 110An alternative name for a teenager. Alsomeans somewhat childish.
B 119 71 161 40 79 152 27 113 2 141 90The subway in London.
C 34 148 28 116Prepared by a chef, or needed for satellite reception.
D 24 41 7 106 86 77 16 160 95An English county known for terriers and puddings.
E 13 53 158 25 48These ebb and flow, influenced by outer space.
F 38 99 61 6 18 133 157An eight-sided figure.
G 5 109 74 68 125Short version of the output of a camera.
H 19 30 155 76 11 101 130 23 3 94Later.
I 111 156 72 131 12 88 31If he got a “_ _ _ _ _ _ _”means unfair treatment. (3, 4)
J 135 144 10 123 151 17 93Pressing lips together.
K 127 98 65 107 26 145 120 45A straight line gives the shortest _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ between two points.
L 159 15 82 29 37 56 89 121 22Abadcharacteristic of peoplewhoconsider themselves superior tomostothers.
M 39 81 136 9 42 4You should do this to the police if you see a crime taking place.
N 87 108 20 80 100 51 149Popular chewy candies.
O 104 124 21 114 58 132 44Flightless bird fromway down south.
P 46 105 75 57 140 73 154Wornwith shirts if well dressed in the past. (3, 4)
Q 78 55 122 59 33 115 137 96Mr. Otis did not regret this invention.
R146 112 83 43 91 138 102To cheat on one’s partnerwith someone else. (3, 4)
S 153 63 70 8Abird or someonewith an aggressive attitude onmilitary issues.
T 60 36 150 128 92 134 47Improve, e.g., one’s resume, by adding attractive features.
U 64 143 117 54A famousWillie from San Francisco.
V 139 126 14 118 85 69 49 103 62Greek philosopher.
W67 35 52 147 142Period of darkness.
1 A 2 B 3 H 4 M 5 G 6 F 7 D
8 S 9 M 10 J 11 H 12 I 13 E 14 V 15 L
16 D 17 J 18 F 19 H 20 N 21 O 22 L 23 H
24 D 25 E 26 K 27 B 28 C 29 L 30 H 31 I
32 A 33 Q 34 C 35 W 36 T 37 L 38 F 39 M 40 B
41 D 42 M 43 R 44 0 45 K 46 P 47 T
48 E 49 V 50 A 51 N 52 W 53 E 54 U 55 Q 56 L
57 P 58 O 59 Q 60 T 61 F 62 V 63 S 64 U 65 K
66 A 67 W 68 G 69 V 70 S 71 B 72 I
73 P 74 G 75 P 76 H 77 D 78 Q 79 B
80 N 81 M 82 L 83 R 84 A 85 V 86 D 87 N 88 I
89 L 90 B 91 R 92 T 93 J 94 H 95 D 96 Q 97 A
98 K 99 F 100 N 101 H 102 R 103 V 104 O 105 P
106 D 107 K 108 N 109 G 110 A 111 I 112 R
113 B 114 O 115 Q 116 C 117 U 118 V 119 B 120 K 121 L
122 Q 123 J 124 O 125 G 126 V 127 K 128 T 129 A
130 H 131 I 132 O 133 F 134 T 135 J 136 M 137 Q
138 R 139 V 140 P 141 B 142 W 143 U 144 J 145 K 146 R
147 W 148 C 149 N 150 T 151 J 152 B 153 S 154 P
155 H 156 I 157 F 158 E 159 L 160 D 161 B
MACROSTIC by JAMIEFEN
HOW TO SOLVE:Transfer the answers to the clues into the grid using the numberunder each letter. The receiving square shows which clue(s) pro-vides its content. Words emerge between the black squares,con-tinuing from line to line. If you guess emerging words, insert theextra letters found back into the answers. When all the clues aresolved,the grid reads as a paragraph whose title is the first lettersof theclueanswers readingdownward.NOTE:ThisMacrosticdoesnot call for any double letters in the grid.(Solution,p.38.)
By James Cowie, [email protected]
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
Brain Game & Bookend
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ __
ThisOldHouseThroughaChild’sEyes
Kay Weeks, who authored twochildren’s books for the Na-
tionalParkService,hasnowwrittena third as a retiree.Hernewbook isSticks and Stones,Skin and Bones.Itdraws on her 30 years as a writerand editor in the field of historicpreservation within the National Park Service’s Cul-tural Programs.“It is about the sense of place,memory,community and architecture,”Weeks says.
Illustrated by Margaret Scott, the book takes thereader“on an adventure to an old house through thevoice and eyes of a little girl named Sarah,”Weeks says.“Sarah learns that buildings and bodies bear strikingsimilarities,fromthe foundation to the rooftop,andeventhe face and skin.” It is appropriate for children ages fivethrough 10–and also for adults. It is available for $12 bycontactingWeeks at 3802 Church Rd.,Ellicott City,MD21043,or via e-mail at [email protected].
Ask us about financing products from the following NARFE advertisers:Your Man Tours..................................pg.
While the market is down -our interest is up!
Interest rates may be falling butNARFE Premier Federal Credit Unionis proud to offer 2.02% APY* on ourPremierPlus checking account.
™
Call 800.328.1500 or visit us online atwww.NARFEpremierFCU.org to learn more.
It doesn’t pay to bank anywhere else.
*APY = Annual Percentage Yield. Rates as of 3/1/08. Rates subject to change without notice. Certain conditions and terms apply. Fees may reduce earnings.
Other benefits include:
Line of Credit Overdraft Protection – Avoid non-suf�cient fund charges
Free Visa® Check Card – Never write another check
Pre-approved Platinum MasterCard® – Save money with a lowrate credit card
Free eStatements – Eliminate paper clutter and help the environment
Free PremierLink Online Bill Pay Service – Safe and easy way to pay your bills
NCUAYour savings federally insured to at least $100,000
and backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government
National Credit Union Administration, a U.S. Government Agency
35
Genuine Leather uppers are meticulously hand-stitched with a star design. Perfs and side vents add style and cooling ventilation too. Complete with easy-ontwin elastic gores at instep, padded ankle collar, and soft foam backed tricot lining. Flexible treaded outsole, perfect 1" heel.
Available only from Haband! Order now!
White
Pink
LightTaupe
Indigo
Hand-Stitched
LEATHERLoafers
1999*LEATHERLoafers
MEDIUM: 5 51⁄2 6 61⁄2 7 71⁄2
8 81⁄2 9 10 11*WIDE $3 more per pair:
6 61⁄2 7 71⁄28 81⁄2 9 10 11
Twin elastic gores make ’emeasy to slip on!
2 pairs 37.953 pairs 54.85
Imp
orted
Hand-stitched “Star” Leather Loafers Loaded with Stellar Comfort!
Reg.22.99per pair!
5Colors toChoose!
OrderNow!
Cushionedfor
Comfort!
Medium& WIDEWidths!
per pair
Supple leatheruppers
Plush tricotlining
Full foam cushioningall around
Bouncy,sure-step
rubber sole
Comfy 3⁄4"wedge heel
Haband.comShop Online:© 2008 Schering-Plough HealthCare Products, Inc. Manufactured for Brown Shoe
Company, Inc., under license from Schering-Plough HealthCare Products, Inc.
Visa MasterCard Discover® Network AmEx Check
Card # __________________________________________Exp.: ______/_____
Mr. Mrs. Ms. _____________________________________________________
Address _____________________________________________ Apt. # ______
City & State _______________________________________ Zip ___________
Email ____________________________________________________________100% Satisfaction Guaranteed or Full Refund of Purchase Price at Any Time!
Haband #1 Bargain Place, Jessup, PA 18434-1834Send ____ pairs. I enclose $________ purchase price plus $6.99 towardpostage. In GA add sales tax.
WAS 22.99
NOWSAVEMORE:
OFF!That’s
Duke Habernickel#1 Bargain Place, Jessup, PA 18434-1834
On-Line Quick Order
WHITERHPINK19
INDIGO15
LIGHT TAUPEDA
–E61357FK
BLACK (Not Shown)01
WHATSIZE?
HOW MANY?
WHATWIDTH?
$31999
per pair