Replies

Here in Japan a GS-12 Step 10 gets $69944. It takes 18 years to get to "Step 10" once you make GS-12 (If you start at Step 1). I don't mind getting 3.1% instead of 4.1%, with Dubyaa in charge. The article said he cut the raise!! How do you "cut" something you don't have yet?? The main reason we didn't get the 4.1% was because the Democratic controlled Senate held up the parade this fall, the bills were never passed on time. Here in Japan we don't get locality pay. When CLINTON was divving up that every year, overseas employees got screwed. DC went from 4% locality pay...now it's something like 11%. That means an employee in DC gets 11% more than an employee stationed overseas. The overseas Post Aloowance makes up some of the difference....but why do we start off 11% behind from the get go?? Hopefully Senator CORZINE will donate his Senate raise to the Navy/Marine Corps Relief Society!!

Here in Oklahoma the locality pay is small -- we get lumped in with everyone as our cost of living is cheaper than most. I used a GS-12 because that seemed about the average grade for Materiel Command. I cannot imagine what it must be like in Japan with the high costs of everything. One of my daughter's friend's Mom was transferred to Okuska, Japan, with the Navy last year, and her son is now back in the states going to college. He was telling about the high cost of living in Japan.

Like you I didn't understand the cut comment as the original raise stayed the same -- 3.1%. And I don't think there should be such a disparity in locality pay either.