Monday Mail Call

Is the successful brother-Mom-always-liked-best now on a wait list for a job as assistant greeter at one of those big box stores?

Does your one time Wall Street wizard sister-in-law now makes end meet by hosting those in-home Gold parties where people are promised big bucks for their old jewelry?

Last week’s column about the joys of being a fed in economic hard times prompted lots of e-mails from feds who are happy to be where they are. We also got some very nice feedback from the column about pay-protection for mobilized feds.

Anyhow, it’s nice to start Monday on a high note, so here (thanks to you) goes.

Looking Up

• “A couple of weeks ago my wife and I had dinner with our oldest friends. As the ladies chatted about kids and grandkids, the guys turned to the topics of sports and work.

  “The three of us quickly agreed that LeBron James is great and all hope he can carry our Cavs to a championship. The work discussion was less enthusiastic. I’m thinking about and planning for retirement and my friends are fretting about cutbacks (in pay and benefits) and layoffs.

  “Mike, both of these guys are more talented than me – the one has almost total recall of facts, people, events, etc. and the other can fix almost anything under the sun. Me? Just fortunate enough to go apply for that Govt job to get my Dad off my back. Thanks Dad!” Pat F.

• “Your ‘Things Are Looking Up’ column was a ‘feel good’ column for me. I certainly agree that we Feds have it relatively good compared to the private sector, but I exercise restraint and don’t go around bragging to my private sector friends who have fallen on hard times. But since you’re not a Fed, you have a little more leeway to remind us Feds to appreciate what we have…” Jud

Pay Protection for Mobilized Feds

The column about a new equal-pay benefit for feds called up by Guard and Reserve units was welcome news to many been-there-done-that reservists. My own (wonderful) experience with The Washington Post and the National Guard reminded some readers of equally generous (and some not so generous) employers.

• “When my father was in the Army in WWII his employer sent my mother his paycheck EVERY WEEK just as if he was still there. The 1st time I met this man he was living in NYC and 2 adjoining apts. with a door cut through to link them. He and his wife were foster parents to about a dozen adolescent boys. A normal teenage boy who is family is enough trouble, a dozen placed there by agencies because they had to be removed from their homes, had emotional problems, etc. is a whole other order of magnitude. The Deutches had also helped my grandmother and my mother’s 2 sisters in the late 30s and 40s. My parents always felt there is a special place in Heaven for this couple.” Stan F.
• “Great article. This is long overdue. You are right that it will be difficult to set up… Formerly they had the Reserve Income Replacement Act. The way it was written very few could qualify for it. Seemed to me it sounded very ‘support our troops’ but did not do much. It will be interesting to see what they do with counting entitlements. Meals and Housing should probably count in the remuneration. But, how about combat pay and family separation allowance? I’m not sure. I hope it does mean the bottom line is the same for the soldier. I deployed to Iraq in 2007 with the KY National Guard. My military pay was less than my federal pay. I borrowed against my TSP when I returned to pay off some of the accumulated debt. Hopefully, with this, I won’t have to do that again if I have to deploy again.” Jason Shepherd

Nearly Useless Factoid
by Suzanne Kubota

The longest nonstop bird migration ever measured was made by a female bar-tailed godwit from Alaska to New Zealand. It took nine days. Insert your own “and boy were her arms tired” or “she didn’t even stop for directions” joke here.

To reach me: mcausey@federalnewsradio.com

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