FederalDaily - April 11, 2007
Hearing to Focus on Sustainability of National Guard, Reserves
Army Lt. Gen. James J. Lovelace will lead a list of witnesses set to testify April 12 before the independent
Commission on the National Guard and Reserves, which is exploring ways to make the “operational
reserve” a sustainable force for the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The hearing will
focus on DoD plans to reduce pressures on the reserves caused by the high combat requirements of the
current overseas conflicts. The commission—whose 13 members are appointed by Secretary of Defense
and the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees—reported
to Congress last month that the posture and utilization of the National Guard and Reserves as an operational
reserve is not sustainable over time and suggested that significant changes to law and policy are needed.
Other witnesses slated for the hearing include: Marine Maj. Gen. Richard A. Huck, assistant deputy
commandant for plans, policies and operations, and Air Force Maj. Gen. Thomas Dyches, assistant to
the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for reserve matters. To see more, go to: www.cngr.gov.
:: Back to Top ::
NTEU: Staffing Shortages Hurt IRS Mission
IRS staffing shortages and the misapplication of agency resources are restricting the IRS’ ability
to make sure that high-income taxpayers and large corporations are paying their fair share of taxes,
said National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) President Colleen Kelley. The NTEU leader made that assessment
in an April 9 media briefing on such IRS issues as the agency’s budget and staffing, as well
as its program of hiring private debt collectors. According to the union, the two “absolutely
essential” elements in assuring the fair and effective application of the nation’s tax
laws are providing adequate IRS staffing and having the agency target those resources in the most effective
manner possible. But that isn’t the case these days, said Kelley, whose union represents about
94,000 IRS employees. “Short-changing this agency leads to out-of-whack enforcement,” Kelley
said. “When the IRS doesn’t even ask for enough resources, it fails to direct resources
toward the most complex cases and high-income taxpayers.” To see more, go to: www.nteu.org
:: Back to Top ::
Gay, Lesbian Vets Demand Pace Apology
A group of seven high-ranking gay and lesbian military veterans demanded that the chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Peter Pace, apologize for remarks he made supporting the military’s
ban on gay and bisexual servicemembers, whom he called “immoral.” In addition to asking
for an apology from Pace, the seven retired officers called on Congress to repeal the “Don’t
Ask, Don’t Tell” law which bans lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals from serving. Pace
made the remarks in a March 12 Chicago Tribune interview. The seven retired officers are Army
Col. Stewart Bornhoft; Navy Capt. Joan E. Darrah; Navy Reserve Capt. Robert D. Dockendorff; Army Chaplain
(Col.) Paul W. Dodd; Navy Reserve Capt. Sandra Geiselman; Army Col. E. A. Leonard; and Navy Capt. Robert
Michael Rankin. The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, an advocacy group, saluted the officers’ position
on April 9. The officers “are proof that lesbian, gay and bisexual servicemembers not only serve
their country, but serve their country well, regardless of sexual orientation,” said C. Dixon
Osburn, the group's executive director. To see more, go to: www.sldn.org/templates/press/record.html?record=3757§ion=2
:: Back to Top ::
|
