http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills info@washingtonwatch.com http://www.pjdoland.com/chai/?v=0.1 http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_SN_507.html#74848 This is the right thing to do, and long overdue. Even OPM sees that. The Senate passed this measure unanimously last year in Sept. The House has already passed the measure this spring. There appears to be little opposition from anyone who actually knows anything about the issue. The holdup appears to be in the political timing. But please... please, if anyone in Congress is reading this, please stop trying to finesse this, and just do the right thing now. The problem can be corrected by the House-Senate Conference Committee for the 2010 Defense Appropriations Bill. The last one third of my 34 years of federal service has been in our 49th state. There's simply no reason to punish me, and others like me, for also making Alaska my home.... 74848@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Sat, 03 Oct 2009 23:17:40 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_SN_507.html#63642 As a Federal employee now working in Alaska why should we be penalized when employees in the 48 contiguous states get their locality pay included in retirement calculations? Alaska and Hawaii are part of the United States, despite those who would like to think otherwise. This discriminatory practice that excludes us from getting locality pay and giving us a COLA instead should have been corrected long ago. For those complaining, the locality pay would be subject to Federal taxes, while the COLA right now is tax free. We would be paying taxes on that money. We are only asking for the same benefit the "rest of the US" is already receiving. The bill says "Non Foreign" and we are citizens of the United States just like those in the rest of the country. Please do what is just and fair and pass the law to correct this. We are not asking for preferential treatment. We are only asking to be treated equally.... 63642@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Sat, 01 Aug 2009 02:24:27 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_SN_507.html#63167 My husband Has lived and worked in Alaska for 28 years it has one of the highest cost of living anywhere in the United States. When he retires we will lose 20 percent of his income due to the COLA vs Locality pay. Since Cola doesn't count towards retirement. He will have served the people of the United States for 42+ years keeping the planes flying by working and fixing the landing equipment. Why are we penalized because we live outside the Continental UNITED STATES but still live within the US? Why is Alaska considered a State if it is not given the same benifits as other states? Please consider passing this important Bill.... 63167@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:50:30 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_SN_507.html#59952 I believe the title to this bill causes some miss-understanding.This bill is not about personnel who RETIRE out of the continental US, but for personnel who WORK out of the 48-contiguous states (such as Alaska & Hawaii).Their retirement benefits are currently less than those who WORK on the in the 48 states.... 59952@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:32:48 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_SN_507.html#58983 Two States, Alaska and Hawaii, are considered "foriegn" areas where Federal employment is concerned. If they are truly "foriegn" areas, the residents should be exempt from U.S. Income Tax. The same applies to Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. As U.S. soldiers and other representatives of our country serve and represent us on foriegn soil, so do civilian employees of the Federal Government. When these people return home to the U.S., why are they denied the same benefits as those who never left friends and family? S.507 and H.R.1266 do not apply outside of U.S. owned territories and States.... 58983@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Tue, 19 May 2009 01:36:30 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_SN_507.html#58662 What is fair is fair,thus as the earlier person stated. If you this bill would only be fair if people were able to receive Social Security benefits while living outside of the USA, especially considering we pay into the SS system.... 58662@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Mon, 11 May 2009 23:35:46 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_SN_507.html#58609 I do not like the idea of ANYONE who works for the Federal Government getting retirement pay if they choose to retire out side of the United States or its Territory's. I fhtis is to be the case then those who are on Social Security Disability or Retirement that are collecting Social Security should be allowed to live anywhere in the world and still collect their benefits as well. All parites concerned paid into the system and are entitled as was guarranteed by Congress since the establishment of the Social Security System was put into place, but this is not the case. If you are collecting these benefits and you leave the USA, you forfiet your rights to them and are no longer entitled. So why are Federal Employee's any different?... 58609@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Mon, 11 May 2009 11:17:08 EDT