Arontius of Bygelswade

.....When I was first hired as an apprentice in the Shipyard in 1987, part of the deal of the recruitment were the promises made to me. And it was a recruitment. The Shipyard went to Olympic College and touted what a great deal they were offering; with a college degree, medical benefits, retirement benefits, the opportunity to travel. To a desperate college student who spent as many hours begging for money as he did actually attending classes, this looked like the gates to heaven. I was hooked.

.....Here it is, almost twenty-five years later, and a lot of those promises are evaporating rapidly. I did get an Associate's degree. But every year I'm being asked to pay a larger percentage of my health care, and I'm being told that I'm giving up more of my retirement benefits. We're currently under a two year pay freeze (about to be extended to five).

.....I understand that the country needs to get on better financial footing. I do understand that. And I'm willing to do my part. But at what point do I draw a line in the sand for the promises made to me in 1987? How much am I really willing to give up? I suppose I should be really grateful that I a.) have a job period, and b.) it pays rather well. But that gratitude is only going to go so far.

.....Proposals under serious discussion for us government workers:

* Pension formulas shifting from the current 'high three' to 'high five'.

* Increase the percentage required by FERS (Federal Employee Retirement System) as their contribution by 6.2%.

* Eliminate the FERS plan for new hires entirely and go to a defined contribution option payable at Social Security age to supplement the Thrift Savings Plan.

* Limit the FERS minimum supplement to employees subject to mandatory retirement. This is the option where those retiring before the age of (62) would be paid a percentage of the difference between their retirement pay and Social Security. The current proposal eliminates this completely and basically states you get paid nothing if you retire before (62) until you reach (62). I knew this one was coming though. It was only a matter of time.

* Reduce the Federal workforce by 10% through attrition, hiring one new worker for every three who leave.

* Extend the current pay freeze through 2015 (which basically adds another year to the current plan).

* Eliminate periodic step increases within pay grades.

.....I think that pretty much seals the coffin on the earliest I'm getting out of here. And it's looking like that day is at approximately eighteen years from now. Ouch!

.....I will have put in over fourty years of service by then. I'll have twenty-five of them next July, at which point, according to the current RIF rules, I have to be retired rather than laid off. But I'm not so sure even that is sacred to any degree. Earlier this week I read the first serious discussion of mothballing the USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (CVN 73) Aircraft Carrier. It's only twenty years old. That's young to go into the Inactive Fleet. But if the Department of Defense is looking to cut that deep, I wonder just how far they are going to cut its workforce before all is said and done.

.....Off to pick-up Lobelia from Imperial RV out at the airport. They winterized her for the year, and fixed the retractable step. It was closing, but not completely without help, and they had to make some adjustments to it. So now she comes to the house to finish out the laundry and put those things inside that we'll not need until next year. Must remember to put some Dry Air Crystals in her. I'll have to pull out the containers for those from beneath the sink.

.....Then we'll have to run off to the new Fight Practice at the Pendergast Sports Complex to try out our new indoor site. It's heated, brightly lit, has restroom facilities. And? You can buy beer on the premises. How can you go wrong with that? :-)

.....We're kicking the practices off with Tournaments for the Heavy and Rapier Combat crews. Given by TBT of course. :-) We need to remember to pack the largesse bins before we take off for the evening. Master Ralg donated a really nice turned bowl that will make an excellent prize. But I haven't looked in the largesse bins for a while, so there are probably other really cool things in them as well.

.....Had good conversation with one of those opposed to the new indoor site. Not so much that he was opposed to the fighters going there for practice. He was opposed to the 'suggested donation'. His viewpoint being that the fighters should be supported as much as the rest of the Barony was for their Social (at the VFW Hall) and at the A&S Day Camps, where little or nothing is actually charged to those who attended.

.....I could see his viewpoint. Although I think it was eye-opening for him to hear our side of the story on why we are currently on a more 'fiscal responsibility' kick. Even though he'd been told how much effort we've gone through over the past handful of years to find a usable indoor site, I don't think it really made a connection with him until we went into more detail of our searches and why we are being turned away so frequently by all the local groups and facilities.

.....Everyone these days is concerned about liability. As well they should be. One good lawsuit can destroy an organization if they are not careful. If you are a small, local church or school, you often have to weigh the relatively small income you are going to potentially receive from groups who use your facility versus the possible risk of someone becoming hurt (or abused, or molested, or worse) on your property and the victim coming after you for compensation simply because they have nowhere else to go.

.....Like I said, good conversation. Wish we could have had that on a Baronial scale earlier.

.....Aaron / Arontius.