FederalDaily - August 4, 2005
Navy Pays for Civilian Clothes
The Secretary of the Navy has authorized reimbursement for civilian clothes
to injured or wounded sailors in transit to medical care or home to the U.S.
The reimbursement is available for wounded or injured sailors during evacuation
for medical treatment, during travel to another medical facility or for travel
home. Eligible sailors are those with an illness, wound or injury received
or aggravated while on active duty in direct support of Operation Enduring
Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom. Reimbursement for civilian attire purchased
under the above conditions is limited to $250 per sailor. The authorization
is retroactive to Oct. 1, 2004. For more information see NAVADMIN 156/05 at www.npc.navy.mil under
Reference Library and Messages.
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State Department Employee Sold Visas
U.S. Consular Associate Piotr Zdzislaw Parlej, 46, was sentenced to serve
31 months in prison and pay $45,000 in restitution for engaging in a conspiracy
to take bribes in exchange for issuing fraudulent visas while assigned to the
U.S. Embassy in Yerevan, Armenia during 2004-2005, according to the Department
of Justice. On July 26 the judge imposed the sentence, acknowledging that Parlej
had cooperated with the government's investigation. After completing his prison
term, Parlej will be subject to supervised release for an additional three
years. Parlej, a U.S. citizen, had been indicted and arrested in the District
of Columbia on February 2, 2005. His State Department employment was terminated
shortly thereafter. To read the Department of Justice announcement, go to www.usdoj.gov/usao/dc/Press_Releases/2005_Archives/July_2005/05274.htm.
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USPS Board of Governors Discusses Postal Reform
Earlier this week the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Board of Governors discussed
the postal reform legislation that is currently winding its way through Congress.
According to a statement by Chairman of the Board James C. Miller, the governors
focused on two issues. The first was the White House's recent statement threatening
veto if the bill is not revenue-neutral. The governors said the administration’s
position conflicts with both H.R. 22, the bill passed by the House, and S.
662, the bill reported out of Senate Committee. The governors said if no reform
legislation is passed, USPS would keep trying to control costs and generate
revenue. They also discussed the extreme difficulties USPS would have meeting
consumers' needs in the event new legislation were enacted that was revenue-neutral
and that at the same time gave the Board of Governors very limited authority
to govern USPS.
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NTEU Wins Privatization Dispute
The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) announced that it successfully
challenged a decision by the Department of Energy (DOE) to contract work to
a private company. NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley filed a bid protest with
DOE to challenge its decision to award a headquarters logistics contract to
a private sector company even though the federal employees’ bid for the
work was lower. The agency tender official (ATO)—who developed the federal
employees’ bid—also protested the decision. Kelley said the contractor’s
bid, which was $2.6 million higher than the employees’ proposal, “clearly
was not the best value.” The contract, which has been suspended in light
of the protests, was for facility and building maintenance and management,
transportation management, motor vehicle maintenance and logistics operations
in Washington and suburban Maryland—all work currently being performed
by DOE employees.
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