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Show Forarn 4 Sunrhv rVcrmtwf?0 lOOfl Tuesday Deromhef ?? navis Stnnrl lrd I Rivir-- aW-sid- slow to get word on change in SSB VA offices i Readen of Tom Phdpotts Mili- tary I 'pdate sound off. MILITARY FORUM My that you reported arc hard to understand except that many people hear or read what they want to hear or read. T he plans brochure clearly states the enrollment commitment is two years. No option. Getting dentists to participate in a plan that has allowable charges below normal regional charges is a problem everywhere, and will not go away. husband and I have lighting the of Veterans Affairs on this unfair recoupment of the SSB (Special Separation Benefit) including taxes withheld from us on that money. We have gone to senators and members of Congress about this issue. We even hired a certified public accountant to take on the IRS about the tax consequences. The I RS said it was the military doing this; the military said it was the IRS. When HR 2400 became public law last June we even called the VA office in St. Petersburg but they said until it is on paper they were not going to do anything about it. A lot of service people who took the bonus were never told that, to collect VA disability, they had to pay back the bonus including taxes withheld. In essence, we paid our taxes on SSB - $14,300 - tw ice. As you stated, a lot of people dont even know it, or that they can not get refunds. Charles J. McCarthy Colonel. VSAF-re- t. Retiree Advocate, 341st Medical Group Whatever happened to Rep. Bob Stumps bill to change the mililaw? tary Louis Rossi Via Lawmakers last year came up with a way to defer any action on the prickly Former Spouses Protection Act. They asked the Defense Department to conduct a review of possible reforms but said the report is not due until Sept. 30, 1999. This gave every committee with jurisdiction over this issue an excuse to defer action on bills like Rep. Stumps for another year or two. Terry Godwin 162 Park A ve. DeFuniak Springs, Fla. T.P. The VA has been tardy explainactive duty chief As a ing this important change in law master sergeant, with a graduate to their regional offices. But that degree and good forma! military shoulJ not discourage affected education, 1 am insulted by veterans from pressing ahead. RAND'S conclusions that senior Anyone who received SSB before enlisted are only slightly underOct. 1, 1996, and later became elpaid while officers are underpaid igible for VA disability payments, as much as 20 percent. should send a letter to their reIt is difficult to become a segional VA olfice requesting a re- nior noncommissioned officer. fund of disability pay withheld, Most personnel in the top two or an adjustment to the SSB reenlisted grades have degrees or coupment schedule. some college credits. Also, Air The letter should cite as its leForce senior noncommissioned ' gal basis J'itle 8, Subsection B, officers-carran inordinate 8 Public Law as amended'!'. amount of the Air Force mission. in Section 901.26 of P.L. They not only train junior enlistIt also can refer to VA ed but provide hands-o- n training circular No. dated Aug. for officers. 4, which noted this change alWho does RAND thinks perthough not very clearly. Veterans should include name, address forms maintenance on sophistiand VA claim number plus a cated aircraft and their systems, brief explanation of the circummunitions, instruments, computstances of separation and receipt ers? Its not officers. Most rouof SSB. If known, they also tine duties are done by junior enshould include the SSB gross listed but the heavy lifting falls 30-yc- ar 105-17- 105-20- 6. 20-98- -5 education, one size fits all In ties from the U.S. Department By RICHARD W. RILEY U S. Secretary of Education From of Education and through the GUEST COLUMN Boston to the Delta to Seattle, across America are focused on education like never lfvK. If you arent engaging in dinner table conversation yourself about issues affecting students and schools, you have surely seen educational headlines during the recent elections or in your daily news. But is there really one approach to better education that works in every town in America? Yes - increasing parent and community involvement. Maybe you live in or know of a community where diverse groups are coming together to g look after the of students - a place where people take the extra time and energy to pull together because they believe the whole community has a stake in education. The key to building partnerships within a community to improve education is to bring together those who have something to provide, and show them how much they have to re- well-bein- ceive as well. Opportunities to build ative partnerships are as diverse as America itself. Imagine a businesswoman inviting students in to her work to learn abut careers in a hands-o- n way, or a grandparent tutoring a young child who needs help to read, or a college student mentoring a ' middle-schoolin algebra so he could be ready to take college prep courses in high school. Everyone is learning. And think of the related benefits of bringing a community together with a common purpose. So why, then, isnt every community building these partnerships? Well, if youve ever tried working with others to do something in your area that hasnt been done before, you know the answer is often resources, resources, resources. Well, what if there were funds and support available for such partnerships? There are. An unprecedented amount of support is now available - almost $600 million. There are many more opportuni cre- er Partnership for Family Involvement - to help strengthen for form partnerships where groups are working together to support better education. For example, through a new program called GEAR UP, community organizations, busiand parent nesses, associations can partner with colleges, universities and middle and high schools to give students the academics, guidance and hope needed consistently and early-o- n so all students know that they, too, will be able to go on to college. Colleges and 2 schools are realizing the value of partnership. Visit many campuses and you will find America Reads tutors - college students who earn federal work-stud- y money by tutoring elementary students in reading. Starting next fall, you will see them tutoring students in math from elementary school through ninth grade - through America Counts. Similarly, there will be new resources available for schools that partner with community organizations, parents, non-profi- ts low-inco- K-1- teachers, and family literacy service providers to support literacy in early childhood and the early grades through the Reading Excellence Act. In addition, community organizations and schools, working together, can apply for funds to provide students with a safe and enriching place to be during hours through the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program. Nearly 300 communities have received grants so far. after-- school Now is the time to learn these and other opportunities, because grant competitions will soon be under way. Contact 1 (800) or visit www.ed.gov for more information on how you can receive support and publications for building partnerships to improve your schools and increase parental and community involvement in education. USA-LEAR- N I encourage caring people of all ages to form and strengthen partnerships that lift up our students, parents, teachers and schools. Government Directory 9 Home Richard Lee 5 Home Merlin Mitchell 2 Home 773-420- Clearfield City Council Mayor Thomas Waggoner 1 Home Ivan D. Anderson 0 Home Diane Layton 5 Home James W. Barlow 3 Home Curtis Oda 6 Home Garr L. Roundy 9 Home 825-689- 773-195- 825-565- 825-695- 825-784- 773-828- 773-979- 773-563- Clinton City Council Mayor DeMar Mitchell 1 Home Dennis Simonsen 8 Home Arverd Taylor 3 Home Joanne Hansen 773-583- 825-841- 776-086- Farmington City Council Mayor Gregory S. Bell 9 Home Pat Achter Home Gary E. Elliott Home David J. Dixon Home David M, Connors Home Larry W. Haugen 6 Home Anna Tina LePendu 9 Home Daniel J. Phelps 9 Home E. Robert Purdy 9 Home Diane Maynes 3 Home 546-378- 547-012- 544-214- 544-088- 451-728- 451-50- 451-24- 451-77- 451-28- 451-735- Fruit Heights City Council Mayor Richard L. Harvey 8 Home L. Dale Green 0 Home 544-436- 544-868- 2 Home Brent A. Allen 8 Home Debra Ledkins 1 Home Stuart Adams Home 544-01Steve Curtis 9 Home Home 546-44F. Renny Knowlton 6 Home 544-517- 547-902- 546-353- 546-444- Kaysville City Council Mayor Brian D. Cook 1 Home Darrell Horne 7 Home Stephen Whitesides 0 Home Arthur Johnson 8 Home Reed Nelson 2 Home Robert H. Rees 3 Home 544-587- 544-957- 544-329- 544-844- 546-491- 451-600- Layton City Council Mayor Jerry Stevenson 546-114- South Weber City Council Mayor Henry Dickamore 4 Home 479-388- Jack Frost Home 479-441- 479-490- 3 amount and 827-100- 0. - The single biggest problem comes from the unfortunate use of the word TRICARE in the title, even though regional TRI- CARE contractors dont run the program. Retirees have been conditioned to believe they lose TRICARE eligibility when the turn 65 but that DOES NOT apply to the Delta Dental plan. All retirees, regardless of age, are eligible. Some complaints from users on senior enlisted. I served as a chief master sergeant more than 15 years and held many jobs normally held by colonels or lieutenant colonels. Most bosses had a standing policy of either Dont bring me a problem without a recommended solution or dont bore me with small problems; Im only interested in results. As chief master sergeants we always had our reputations on the line, keeping bosses out of trouble and making sure subordinates did not sink us all. And its no eight-to-fiv- job. If my e DAVIS CALENDAR . . ., published each week, is a listing of general-intereevents open to the public in Davis County. Items for consideration should be submitted by 5 p.m. Thursday. For information, call at st 776-495- 1. TJ. Campbell Via Letters may be edited for clarity or space. Write to: Military Forum, P.O. Box 1230, Centreville, Va. 20122-823- or send 0, to: ... Free to the public. Thursday Alexander Dawson family exhibit, Travel Through Time and pioneer games and activities, 1 a.m. to 5 p.m., Heritage Museum, 403 N. Wasatch Drive. Free to the public. 1 Tuesday A Christmas Carol, 7:30 p.m., today and Wednesday, Rodgers Memorial Theatre, 292 E. Pages Lane, Centerville. Cost, $10 for adults, $9 for students and seniors, $8 for children. Information, BountifulDavis Art Center holiday exhibit and gift sale, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., 745 S. Main Street, Bountiful. 298-130- 2. Wednesday Alexander Dawson family Travel Through Time and pioneer games and activities, 1 1 a.m. to 5 p.m., Heritage Museum, 403 N. Wasatch Drive. exhibit, Saturday BountifulDavis Art Center holiday exhibit and gift sale, 2 to 5 p.m., 745 S. Main Street, Bountiful. Information, 292-036- 7. Dec. 28 The Parent Education Resource Center support focus meeting, 7 to 9 p.m., Family Enrichment Center, 320 S. 500 East. The Fear of Fatness-I- s It Worth Dying For? Free. Information, Patti Bargar, 546-730- Ext. 116. POOR COPY nywhij.il over- - time had been recorded and credited, I would have had a lot more than 30 years of active service. Davis Calendar 3 3 Home Brent Stauffer 7 Home Annette Gardner 479-873- after-ta- x 292-036- 7. Jeff Monroe 479-521- amount, pay recouped to date. To get your VA regional office address, call 1 (800) Tom Philpott As retiree advocate in the Military Treatment Facility at Malmstrom Air Force here, I see a lot of the problems you related in your column about the retiree dental plan. Still, Delta Dental is a good plan. More to the point, it is the only plan we have, after years of lobbying, so we have to make it work! |