European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 14, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 24 stars and stripes july your Money Bush picks wrong time to oppose benefits talk about Lousy with president Bush popularity scraping Bot Tom in opinion with casualties rising in Iraq in a Force surge that has stretched sol Dier Tours to 15 the Bush administration on tuesday said it strongly opposes key military pay and Benefit gains tossed into the fiscal 2008 defense initiatives the administration opposes include a military pay raise for Janu Ary of versus 3 per cent endorsed by the White lowering the age60 Start of Reserve retirement annuities for Reserve component members by the length of their future mobilize expanding eligibility for combat related special compensation to service members forced by combat disabilities to retire Short of 20 directing pharmaceutical manufacturers to provide the department of defense with same Price discounts for Tricase retail pharmacy network that Are provided already on medicines dispensed from base the administration also Grum bled that the Senate intends to Block for another year Tricase fee increases for under65 retirees and the objections appear in a statement of administration policy from the White houses office of management and Bud get delivered to Senate leaders As they opened floor debate on the defense authorization a Day Senate Republic at the White houses org blocked amendments to the Bill that would have shortened Iraq Tours for ground forces and slowed frequency of wartime republicans said the amendments really were aimed at changing administration policy in Here is More on Senate provi Sions that the White House opposes pay raise like the senators favor a percent military pay raise for 2008 versus the adm Nistra military update Tom Philpott tons proposed 3 percent to match private sector wage growth As measured by the governments employment Cost Index the White House Calls the extra half percentage Point unnecessary and notes that Basic pay has jumped by 33 per cent since the added Cost of the bigger billion through is Money that would otherwise be available to support our the bomb let Ter the White House will lose this thursdays Market 1 indexes Ltd High Low chg chg chg Dow Dow Jones transportation Dow Jones utilities nose composite amex Index Nash a composite Russell 2000 do Wilshire 5000 1 ii Nash a most Active or Active or More most Active name last last chg name Yokoo pm cup 711192 1239966 Intel 1045720 Alcoa 643152 678001 push Sqq 1003911 Motorola 511808 309915 Cisco 904070 forum 471441 277797 Microsoft 526515 Geneles 445819 226889 Sun Micro 363374 Micron 429567 162352 Oracle 348975 and 396985 130324 Oella Nulf 336092 Pfizer 390367 116633 Al matl 335568 target 325579 98666 at Mel 327667 Cut Lorp 277987 96743 level3 326734 key defense stocks key Mutual name div be last chg Nav  19 invest Greco Armor holdings 25 invest Grolnic Boeing 33 spartan  computer sciences 31 funds a Erlna p general dynamics 18 Century inv Ultra general electric 19 invest amor50 Halliburton 15 invest Oversea Harris 17 invest us i Allied signal 24 investments a const p l3 communications 23 Frnk a Sec Para Lockheed Martin 17 investments a Char tap Northrop 17 Scudder Eisig Roncs Raythelon 19 Rockwell 8 advisor Fidelity advisor 32 funds a Globe qty p Texas instruments 14 Scudder Cis into ads text Ron 25 advisor United technologies 20 Scudder cd s corp sinc funds a Elgva p Exchange rates military rates euro costs july Dollar buys july British Pound july japanese yen july South korean won july commercial rates Bahrain British Canada China Denmark Egypt Hong Kong Hungary Israel Japan Kuwait Norway Philippines Poland saudi Arabia Singapore South Korea Switzerland Thailand Turkey new military Exchange rates Are those available to customers at military Bank ing facilities in the country of issuance for South the Netherlands and the United for no local currency Exchange rates purchasing British pounds in Germa Check with your local military Bank ing commercial rates Are inter Bank rates provided f9r reference when buying All figures Are foreign currencies to one except for the British which is represented in and the which is precious metals new York merc close Gold Silver interest rates prime discount Federal funds Market rate 3month 30year sources the associated Bank of America Congress intends to approve the ninth consecutive military raise to be set at least percent above private sector wage continuing to close a perceived pay Gap with a congressional Bud get office report released in late june suggests no such Gap when housing allowances growth and associated tax advantages Are the pay Gap for the enlisted which advocates say started in actually was closed by since the military pay Gap has be come a pay even excluding improvements in special pays and co military associations dispute the co findings and support con Gressional efforts to continue to pass special military pay adjust the House in May voted to sustain the string of  military raises through the Senate Bill deals Only with the 2008 when House Senate conferees work a final Compromise Bill later this the co findings could persuade conferees to adopt the Senate pay raise Tricase increases Ward the new assistant Secretary of defense for health has said he intends to work with Congress and ser vice associations on More modest Tricase fee increases for under65 retirees and their dependents than have been pushed so far by the Bush the bomb letter Doest reflect that air of by not allowing the Tricase fees and deductibles to Rise As the administration bomb the Senate is adding billion again funds that would otherwise be available to support our to email , write military Box 201201111 or visit and sensibility Money tip of the Day 5 Steps to healthy credit by Marshall Loeb Market watch new Low credit score could be costing you thou Sands of dollars a maybe even fico and other cred i scoring 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