FederalDaily - December 14, 2006
New Pay Tables Released
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) on Dec. 12 released its 2007 draft pay tables, available
now on the OPM Web site. Employees can access draft General Schedule and locality pay tables; law enforcement
officer (LEO) and locality pay tables; executive and senior level employee pay tables; and other related
information. Rates for administrative law judges were not yet available. To access the tables, go to: www.opm.gov/oca/07tables/index.asp
:: Back to Top ::
New Budgets Will Forgo Pork
A decision by the new Democratic congressional majority to do without pork-barrel spending and to
fund the federal government during Fiscal Year 2007 at FY 2006 levels drew applause from several quarters.
Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) President Tom Schatz called the announcement “a huge
victory for taxpayers.” CAGW said the move will stave off an estimated 10,000 earmarks costing
approximately $17 billion in nine unfinished federal appropriations bills. Democratic leaders announced
the decision in the wake of the failure of the 109th Congress to pass necessary appropriations bills
before adjourning. In a Dec. 12 statement, Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., said his “hat is off to Senator
Reid and the Democrats for making this decision. By agreeing to do a year-long spending resolution
for 2007, we will effectively take a time-out on pork barrel spending and save taxpayers tens of billions
of dollars.” DeMint also said he has offered to work with Reid on earmark reform in 2007, “because
it is badly needed and I don’t care who gets the credit.” To see more, go to: www.cagw.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=10230
:: Back to Top ::
CBP Officers Seize Marijuana Worth Almost $1 Million
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers arrested a suspected drug smuggler and seized marijuana
with a street value of about $900,000 during a routine border checkpoint stop at the San Luis, Ariz.,
port of entry. On Dec. 7, a CBP officer working at the checkpoint became suspicious of the driver of
a van after looking over immigration documents the man had presented. At about the same time, a CBP
drug interdiction dog alerted handlers to the odor of narcotics coming from the van. The driver was
ordered to submit the vehicle to a more in-depth investigation, and officers discovered almost 280
pounds of marijuana hidden throughout the van. The pot was seized, and the driver was arrested and
turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents for prosecution. Since Oct. 1, CBP
officers at the San Luis port of entry have seized 613 pounds of marijuana and 84 pounds of cocaine,
CBP said. To see more, go to: www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/12132006.xml
:: Back to Top ::
|
