European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 19, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes Friday june 19,1987 letters new Federal retirement system explained recently it was announced that civilian family member employees would have Money taken out of their checks for a mandatory retirement program. I have worked As a family member employee now for six and a half years Here in Europe and have often fell poorly treated but this is quite the limit with no notice arbitrarily the system decides that it will Lake Money from employees paychecks with no regard for individual budget or expenses. Many other employees have expressed their feelings of anger and helplessness Over a system which can prepare booklets describing � mandatory program yet cannot have inc Courtesy to inform Hose employees two to three months in Advance thai they will receive Short paychecks. Considering the precarious financial situation of Nuny military families in Europe any attempt to explain this situation As just a second paycheck does not make sense. The military says that they Are seeking to retain Good soldiers. The shoddy treatment that this action exemplifies leads to increased feelings of Lack of con Trot and powerless new and at 1 have heard Many people say makes them never want to work for the Federal government or the military again. Margaret r. To Shifo Stuttgart recently. Of employees on accepted appointments Over Here in Europe got slapped with a new retirement Myslem called fers effective Jan. 1, this new systems not an optional one it in mandatory with 1.3 percent taken out of our salaries. There is no reason Why this retirement system should be mandatory to accepted appointment employees. We Are not career conditional and we Are not guaranteed is positions upon return to he United state. Why should we pay into a plan that has no significant benefits to our employment status Why did we have Thi retirement pay taken out retroactively from Jan. 1. And nol have Grade or step increases Given retroactively Many of us live on a tight budget. When $30 to $50 or More is taken out in one shot Low can this plan be seen As a Benefit there was no pay statement in the mail on payday to show How much damage was done. We do not like this fers. Life insurance medical insurance and retirement systems should All be optional. We should have the right to choose what we need financially for the present and future. Patricia  Mainz Germany having been a family member working in an apr pro pruned funds permanent , non careens position in West Germany for 4.5 years 1 am an expert on How difficult it is to get anything out of the sys  one of the greatest of those difficulties is gaining career status or even career conditional status while stationed with your military spouse overseas. It is next to impossible. In is next to impossible to get something you want out of la system. But when the government decides that they want to give you something no mat Ter whether you want in or not you get to have it rammed Down your Chroal. What i am referring to is Public Law 99-335 which was enacted june 6, 1986,and became effective Jan. I 1987. It is commonly known As the Federal employees retirement system fers. The intentions of fers Are to streamline the retire ment program for career civil servants non career senior executive service workers non career political appointees members of Congress and congestion Al suffers. For each of the above categories of workers there arc All sorts of rules which govern whether or not they Are already covered can be covered or May be covered if they elect to do so. Nowhere in the original Law did it mention armed forces family members serving overseas under the Complex pattern of rules and barriers which drive Sarteur s office of civilian personnel. However some bleeding heart Liberal using the finite Wisdom granted Only someone who would spend 15 million to get elected to a $75,000-a-year Job decided that All family members should be graciously included in this outstanding easy to undo Island plan. What i have just explained is probably More than even some of the full time careerist know about fers and 1 know it is More than 99 percent of the family members in Usa eur know about fers. This is taxation without information. What i do know is that Money ii now missing As a recent stars and stripes article headlined it from my paycheck and no one at my local co or Usa eur can explain what i get for it when i will get anything Back for in. Or if i left West Germany in two Days and never worked for the Federal government again How i would get my Money Back. It seems the Federal government wants me to feel All warm and fuzzy like other real Federal workers but it is not willing to give me what i really want Job Security or even just a Little information. How would you like in if someone forced you to give themsi00 today and said ill let you know later what this is All about and when later came along they still did t Tell you what it was All about nun jul location of the ecu i do not feel the urge to contribute needlessly to the coffers of the american government for a retirement fund will never have the Benefit of using. According to Llie recent article in the stars and stripes the majority of workers affected Are family members serving in civil service positions and Over seas limited appointees who Are mostly tourist hires and former military  most of the people in this category including my self Are Only working for the . Government while overseas because there Are few Job options available Here. As soon As i return to the Stales i will not work in a civil service Posi Tion. I do not know How much Money 1 will be forced to give to this fund but what really angers me is that the people who Are most Likely to make use of this will not be making mandatory contributions. Mandatory enrolment in the system also does not affect employees Wilh More than five years of civilian service As of dec. 31, 1986." of course these employees May voluntarily contribute As they should if they plan tomake civil service a career but feel As if i am giving something for absolutely nothing in return and i Amnot Given any Choice in the matter aside from quitting my Job. The proposed system is about As logical As making lower enlisted personnel contribute to an officers retirement fund with a rationale Orwell Young private. You just might gel a commission some Day. I suppose i just might work for the government for 20 years but from what i be seen so far i seriously doubt in How much will a gs-7, step one on exceptional family member appointment be donating can 1 refuse to donate and under what penalty my Point is shift the mandatory contributions to the group of people who will most Likely use the retire ment fund and leave the rest of us alone. If the rest ofus Haven t worked in civil service five years already in is unlikely that we will. At Besl the program should be run similar to army education programs if i Don t use the Money forthe intended reason i should get my contributions Back in full when 1 am no longer employed by the government. Susan c. Lewis bad Kreuz Znaco Germany editor s note Elizabeth f. Reid or Luaa personnel division Deputy chief of St Tali personnel he Usa eur replies this responds to the four inquiries concerning the Federal employee retire men system Feus. The writers question Coa Ceni Why family Mentor we included anoint of deduction benefits what Happe to the Money when tearing the Gote input us Ruou for retroactive contributions. The response b necessarily Long and Complex became fers is Complex. Coverage Congress mandated i new retirement system fers. Office of personnel management pm implementing regulations extended Borer age to All Federal employees hired since dec. 31, 1986,except those on appointments limited to Lea than one year. This include indefinite employee Inch a those in family member and overseas limited appointments who were per looser excluded from civil service retirement system cars coverage. The office of personnel management Bebel the ability to Parry Date in a retirement Lytten the Thrift savings Pui is and the portability of fees Bent fits nukes coverage for this group of employees appropriate. Deduction fers in a three tiered system con sisting of Basic fers benefits Sodal Security us Thrift savings plan i i in is. In pin Lirar fromn we or a my " non lung it Jtb 2. Big 103 Gui Rurh. Kansol &7jtb t found Yoiiro rip or in i Rai taurine. I am stud Yang englith and too Graphy. Vex t a Al to m teacher. I a my Viri o4d. My Hob Rel Are �1mrnlng. Dancing and tin bring to ill mods d Mutt. A Tiu pub my ,. 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