Author Archives: Gene Fenstermacher

*Legislative Update 1 September 2016: Congress to Act on TRICARE, Pay, Housing, SBP

 

We have One Action Item today at the First Issue below 

Issues 

Click on the underlined titles below:

 

CONGRESS TO ACT ON TRICARE, PAY, HOUSING, SBP

You will be affected

Help pile some mail on returning legislators’ desks.

 
 

GARY JOHNSON ANSWERS MOAA’S QUESTIONS

You asked for it

Presidential candidate Gary Johnson answers four questions on issues of interest to the military and veteran community.

 
 

SOCIAL SECURITY FAST FACTS

Outlook not so good

The Social Security Trust Fund could become insolvent by 2034.

 
 

OFFICERS WEIGH IN ON THE 2016 ELECTION

Task & Purpose looks to MOAA

The veteran-oriented website Task & Purpose recently interviewed MOAA Government Relations VP Col. Steve Strobridge, USAF (Ret) to get a sense of what MOAA is hearing from military officers in this election year.

 

                                             Collectively We Can and Are Making a Difference

 

FOR ALL, Please feel free to pass these Weekly Legislative Updates on to your group of Veteran Friends –

don’t be concerned with possible duplications – if your friends are as concerned as we are with Veteran issues, they probably won’t mind getting this from two or more friendly sources.

.                                                               That’s it for today- Thanks for your continuing help!

 

Legislative Update 26 August 2016: Clinton/Trump; Recalculating Commissary Savings

We have No Action Items today

You can disregard the fourth issue if you are not a MOAA Member

Issues 

Click on the underlined titles below:

CLINTON VS. TRUMP: THE FINAL INSTALLMENT

MOAA questions the candidates on veterans’ issues

Democratic and Republican presidential candidates discuss the VA budget.

 
 

COMMISSARY SAVINGS – RECALCULATING

New benchmarks in the works

What does that mean for commissary shoppers?

 
 

MIDSHIPMEN CRUISE CREDIT FLAP

Nearly 2000 retirees affected

SecNav seeks to correct retiree payment glitch.

 
 

LAST CHANCE TO VOTE

The deadline to cast your ballot is August 31

Take an active role in MOAA’s 2016 Election. MOAA needs your votes on MOAA Board members and proposed 2017 resolutions. Vote online using your eight-digit MOAA member number and the unique 10-digit PIN found on the paper ballot inside the front cover of your August issue of Military Officer magazine.

 

 

 Collectively We Can and Are Making a Difference

 

FOR ALL, Please feel free to pass these Weekly Legislative Updates on to your group of Veteran Friends –don’t be concerned with possible duplications – if your friends are as concerned as we are with Veteran issues, they probably won’t mind getting this from two or more friendly sources.

.                                             That’s it for today- Thanks for your continuing help!

 

Legislative Update 19 August 2016: Who Cares About TRICARE For Life, COLA, Senior Officers

M1b                                We have No Action Items today

          You can disregard the fifth issue if you are not a MOAA Member

                                                         Issues 

                        Click on the underlined titles below:

WHO CARES ABOUT TRICARE FOR LIFE?

Op-ed columnist doesn’t

In his August As I See It column, MOAA Government Relations VP Col. Steve Strobridge, USAF (Ret) takes on a critic’s view of the value of TFL.

COLA SINKING

July Consumer Price Index slumps again

Follow trends on MOAA’s COLA Watch.

SENIOR OFFICERS AND POLITICAL SPEECH

We asked and you answered

Survey (mostly) says retired senior officers shouldn’t have to muzzle their views.

CLINTON VS. TRUMP: PART THREE

The candidates answer MOAA’s questions

Democrat and Republican presidential candidates discuss military retirement benefits.

ACT NOW AND CAST YOUR BALLOT!

Take an active role in MOAA’s 2016 Election

MOAA depends on the active involvement of members like you to accomplish our important mission. Vote online using your eight-digit MOAA member number and the unique 10-digit PIN found on the paper ballot inside the front cover of your August issue of Military Officer.

 

   Collectively We Can and Are Making a Difference

FOR ALL, Please feel free to pass these Weekly Legislative Updates on to your group of Veteran Friends – don’t be concerned with possible duplications – if your friends are as concerned as we are with Veteran issues, they probably won’t mind getting this from two or more friendly sources.

.                               That’s it for today- Thanks for your continuing help!

 

*Legislative Update 12 August 2016: -Clinton vs. Trump: Part Two

 

We have 1 Action Item today, at the second Issue below

 

At the second issue, whether you participate in the survey or not, clicking on the ‘Next’ button and the ‘Submit’ button at the next page will be taken to a ‘Legislative Alert’ page where you can then click on ’Act Now’ to get you to the’ Legislative Action Center’ where you can then process your petitioning Email.

 

You can disregard the fourth issue if you are not a MOAA Member.

Issues 

Click on the underlined titles below:

  

CLINTON VS. TRUMP: PART TWO

MOAA puts the candidates in the hot seat

Democrat and Republican presidential candidates share their opinions on force levels.

 
 

FLAG OFFICERS AND POLITICS

Retired senior officers are taking sides in the presidential election

MOAA wants to know if you think it’s appropriate.

 
 

MORE TRICARE CONTRACT AWARD PROTESTS

Two companies join the fight

Spoiler Alert: one of them was a winner!

 
 

VOTE TODAY!

Cast your ballot on the nominees for MOAA’s Board of Directors and resolutions.

Exercise your right as a national MOAA member to vote on the nominees for MOAA’s Board of Directors and a slate of resolutions to guide the association for 2017 – 2018. Use the member number and unique member pin found inside the front cover of your August magazine to vote online.

 

Collectively We Can and Are Making a Difference

 

FOR ALL, Please feel free to pass these Weekly Legislative Updates on to your group of Veteran Friends –

don’t be concerned with possible duplications – if your friends are as concerned as we are with Veteran issues, they probably won’t mind getting this from two or more friendly sources

 

 
 

That’s it for today- Thanks for your continuing help!

*Legislative Update 5 August 2016: Clinton vs. Trump: Part One

We have 1 Action Item today, at the second Issue below

                           Issues 

Click on the underlined titles below:

CLINTON vs. TRUMP: PART ONE

The candidates answer MOAA’s questions

Democratic and Republican presidential candidates provide their views on issues of interest to the military and veterans’ community.

 
 

TELL CONGRESS TO REJECT MILITARY PAY AND BENEFITS CUTS

You have a lot to lose as House and Senate leaders reconcile the two versions of the defense bill.

What’s at stake:

  • dramatic retiree health care fee increases;
  • huge erosions to housing allowances (up to $10,000-$20,000 or more per year);
  • a fourth consecutive military pay raise cutback; and
  • more cuts to already-overstressed forces.

Send your elected officials a MOAA-suggested message today.

 
 

ABSENTEE VOTING – MYTHS AND REALITIES

Are absentee ballots always counted?

Make sure you get the facts before the November election.

 
 

HIGH STAKES FOR TRICARE’S NEW CONTRACT AWARDS

UnitedHealthcare quick to challenge new awards

They’re not going without a fight.

 
 

MOAA WELCOMES NEW KEY STAFF MEMBER

Strong advocate joins MOAA

Government Relations team welcomes a new face.

Collectively We Can and Are Making a Difference

 

FOR ALL, Please feel free to pass these Weekly Legislative Updates on to your group of Veteran Friends –

don’t be concerned with possible duplications – if your friends are as concerned as we are with Veteran issues, they probably won’t mind getting this from two or more friendly sources

 

 

 
 

That’s it for today- Thanks for your continuing help!

Legislative Update 29 July 2016: What’s New at the VA

The new simplified Legislative Updates procedures and the Here is the Process procedure are again pasted after the updates below FYI.

If you still need to refer to them, I suggest that you print and keep a copy of this Email as they will not be included in my future updates so that they can be kept relatively short

We have No Action Items today 

Issues

NOW’S THE TIME TO VISIT YOUR LEGISLATORS

Most elected officials are in their home states and districts

The August Recess is a great opportunity for you to visit your legislators’ local offices and talk about military benefits and compensation.

 

WHAT’S NEW AT THE VA

Lots of changes at the VA

Learn more about what the VA is doing for you.

 
 

MILSPOUSE PROFESSIONAL LEGISLATION PASSED IN 50 STATES

Will you help us fill the gaps?

50 is great, but we know there are still improvements to be made. Tell us your licensure story so we can identify the next step in eliminating barriers to spouse employment.

 
 

Collectively We Can and Are Making a Difference

 

FOR ALL, Please feel free to pass these Weekly Legislative Updates on to your group of Veteran Friends – don’t be concerned with possible duplications – if your friends are as concerned as we are with Veteran issues, they probably won’t mind getting this from two or more friendly sources

 

 

That’s it for today- Thanks for your continuing help!

                 Below is the new simplified Legislative Updates procedures FYI:

The unnumbered Issues as shown above are copied and pasted directly from the MOAA Veteran Legislative Updates as I receive them, usually on Friday each week, with the brief (usually) two line summaries as appear above. There will usually be 2 to 5 or more Issues each week.  Clicking on the respective brief underlined titles of the Issues will get you to an expanded text and maybe a video covering the Issue in more detail. Some of those texts may include additional links usually underlined and/or merely shown in color and may appear underlined when clicking on it. You can click on those links for additional detail at your discretion. And if there is an action item for an Issue, it will usually appear near the end of the text as, for example: “Send your legislators a MOAA-suggested message “.

Clicking on MOAA-suggested message will get you to the usual LEGISLATIVE ACTION CENTER where you will be able to scroll down as usual past Delivery Method: (leave Email checked  or check Printed Message if desired), and scrolling further you will see the Subject: and Editable text: of the draft message that can be edited on line if desired. Then after viewing the text fill in the Your Contact Information: if it does not appear automatically from your past participation. And at the end you can hit Send Message. After getting confirmation that the message was sent, seen at the net screen, you can come back to this Email and process the next Issue until you have done them all.

In some cases clicking on a brief underlined title will take you directly to a LEGISLATIVE ACTION CENTER message for forwarding to our Legislators.

If you have found it helpful to use the Here is the Process at the end of my past Emails that had action items (shown at the end of this message as a sample), I suggest that you copy and save that Here is the Process section as basic guidance for future use, as I do not plan to include this in future updates, unless I hear from enough of you who strongly want me to keep it. I have only had one request to date

And you might consider copying and saving Email with these instructions for use until you get used to the process as I will probably not be including this text in future Updates.

And in closing, be advised that I will continue to process State Veterans Updates as I have done in the past.

Respectfully,

Gene Fenstermacher

Here is the Process I recommend that you review all of the steps below and then you might want to copy this process by high lighting all of the steps below.  Then click on “File” at the top of your screen, select “Print“, then click on “Selection” at the next display and then hit “Print“; or print the selected portion as you usually do this kind of task.

 

  1. Click here on http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/ or copy and paste it in your browser to put you at the  “Legislative Action Center” screen.
  2. Scroll down under “Current Action Alerts” and below Congress click on: Stop Defense Bill Personnel/Compensation Cuts
  3. 3. If applicable, at the next screen scroll down to the TAKE ACTION NOW! line and enter or confirm your Zip code and /or hit “Go!”
  4. 4. Or at that next screen under “COMPOSE MESSAGE” leave the “Message Recipients Delivery Method” as “Email” at your discretion, and then scroll down to “Issue Area” and select an appropriate issue; e.g. ‘Veteran affairs’
  5. Scroll down to the  “Editable text” area and edit/modify the text of the message if desired,
  6. Insert “Your Closing” (I show ‘Respectfully), and “Your Name” and fill in the rest of the mandatory {asterisked} SENDER INFORMATION.
  7. Fill in the “Guest Type“, “Service“, “Rank“, “Component“, and “Status” if you want that information to show in your message (recommended).  You may be prompted to include a phone number if you try to send the message without entering your phone number. Don’t be concerned about entering a phone number. I haven’t  received return calls except on rare occasions to thank me for my interest in a particular piece of Legislation, at which time you can comment (pro or con) to the staff member on how the Senator stands on the issue.
  8. Check “Remember Me” (recommended) if you don’t want to have to re-enter all of your Sender Information the next time you send a message. You can always change your information or uncheck ‘Remember Me’ anytime in the future.
  9. Hit “Send Message”
  10. If Printed Letter was selected at Step 4 above, at the screen after hitting “Send Message” leave “Plain Paper Style” and “Word Processor (RTF)” checked unless you have another preference. Then left click on “Print Letter(s)” at the end of the “PRINT LETTER” screen. At the File Download” alert that appears next, click on “Open”. You can then edit and print or save the letter for editing, printing, signing and mailing.