FederalDaily - September 23, 2005
Republicans Call for Employee Benefit Changes
After an organization of Republicans—called the Republican Study Committee—proposed
budget cutbacks to compensate for recent spending, for example on the Hurricane
Katrina response, one federal employees’ union reacted with “shock
and anger.” National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) President Colleen
Kelley said the proposed cutbacks call for “radical changes in federal
retirement,” an increase in federal retiree health insurance premiums
and a curtailment of funds for repairs to and new construction of federal buildings.
The proposals also call for federal employees to pay $1.5 billion over 10 years
for parking at their work places, Kelley said. To see the budget proposal,
go to johnshadegg.house.gov/rsc/RSC%20Budget%20Options%202005.pdf.
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Senators Question VA Nurse Hiring Practices
Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., and Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member
Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, this week requested that the Government Accountability
Office (GAO) investigate the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) practice of
contracting registered nurses rather than hiring full-time nurses. Salazar
said the VA is “potentially wasting millions of dollars hiring contract
nurses that cost twice as much as full-time employees.” In a letter,
Salazar and Akaka asked GAO to examine the extent and nature of VA hiring of
temporary nurses, the costs associated with these hirings, the VA’s policy
for background and professional credential checks on potential temporary hires
and the VA’s orientation policy for these temporary nurses.
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Texas Naval Bases Evacuated for
Hurricane Rita
Due to the approach of Hurricane Rita, the commander of Navy Region South
ordered an evacuation of Naval installations in south Texas, including Naval
Air Station Corpus Christi, Naval Station Ingleside and Naval Air Station Kingsville.
Military and civilian personnel residing at these locations and other government
housing areas assigned to those installations were ordered to evacuate to designated
safe haven located at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas, no later
than noon, Sept. 22. After arriving at the save haven, all personnel are directed
to assemble through their chain of command. For more information, personnel
can log on to https://www.nrs.navy.mil/
or call the Navy Region South Hurricane Info Line at (877) 989-6743.
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3 Federal Managers Awarded
Three federal government managers were given Senior Fellow Leadership Excellence
Awards on Sept. 22. The peer-recognized award program is administered through
the Scotty Campbell Senior Fellows Board of Leaders and the Council for Excellence
in Government. The awards are given in the following three areas: achieving
results, leadership in action and public service excellence. The Public Service
Excellence Award went to Col. (Ret.) Jill Phillips, clinical director, Air
Force Assessment and Demonstration Center. The Leadership in Action Award was
given to Michael Janosov, special agent in charge, Air Force Office of Special
Investigations. And the Achieving Results Award went to John Chambliss, chief,
Network Operations Management Branch, IRS, Tennessee Computing.
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