| Comment Number: | EM-017518 |
| Received: | 3/10/2005 2:41:09 PM |
| Subject: | Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Request for Comment |
| Title: | National Security Personnel System |
| CFR Citation: | 5 CFR Chapter XCIX and Part 9901 |
| No Attachments |
Comments:
March 10, 2005 DoD NSPS Comments , DoD NSPS Comments: I write to express my concerns about changes to work rules in the Department of Defense (DoD). The proposed regulations, known as the National Security Personnel System (NSPS), were printed in the Federal Register on February 14, 2005. This message will be sent to both DoD and my representatives in Congress. What happened to the $500M dollars (which was thought by many throughout government ranks to be insufficient) that President Bush proposed to add to the budget for performance pay? This appears to be all smoke and mirrors as DoD wants to take away our annual raises (considered to be a Cost Of Living (COLA) raise) and use that money for performance raises. Maybe that is why President Bush wanted a measely 1.5% annual pay raise for 2005, and is suggesting 2.3% for 2006, so that civil service workers can get used to not receiving a COLA at all or a reduced one depending on how their managers view their performance. This is also a great way for the government to keep the high three salary calculations used for retirement benefits at a lower rate, all they have to do is dole out the annual raise funds as bonuses instead of annual pay increases. As if changing from the CSRS retirement system to the FERS retirement system didn't save them enough in future retirement pay-outs. This cannot be allowed to happen! I urge you to do everything in your power to get this taken out of the proposed NSPS pay system. Again, a COLA increase has nothing to do with performance and should not be viewed in any other way. This has nothing to do with national security, it is a thinly veiled money saving maneuver of which Mr. Rumsfeld, Congress, and President Bush should be ashamed. Sincerely,