<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1" ?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title>washingtonpost.com - Federal Diary</title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</link><description>Federal Diary</description><language>en-us</language><ttl>15</ttl><image><title>washingtonpost.com</title><width>140</width><height>20</height><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com</link><url>http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/hp/image/wp_web.gif</url></image><item><title><![CDATA[Defense Pay-Raise Flap  Shaking NSPS Confidence]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12549-2005Apr23.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12549-2005Apr23.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:49:33 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[  A single paragraph in an $81 billion spending bill provides a glimpse of why government officials must move carefully when taking on the responsibility to more rigorously link pay raises to job performance.]]></description><author> Stephen Barr</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Bill Would Restore Pension Credits]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7980-2005Apr21.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7980-2005Apr21.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:49:33 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[A bill that would allow former government workers to recoup their pension credits when returning to federal employment has been introduced in the House by Rep. James P. Moran Jr. (D-Va.).]]></description><author> Stephen Barr</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[DOJ Lawyers Also Want Comp Time for Travel]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6045-2005Apr20.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6045-2005Apr20.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:49:33 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Civil service employees and most Foreign Service officers may claim time off for travel during their off-duty hours. But not lawyers at the Justice Department.]]></description><author> Stephen Barr</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Dental and Vision Coverage Will Improve Next July]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3036-2005Apr19.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3036-2005Apr19.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:49:33 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Enhanced dental and vision benefits will be available to federal employees and retirees in July 2006, the Office of Personnel Management said yesterday in a letter to insurance companies.]]></description><author> Stephen Barr</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[TSP Will Resist Adding Real Estate Fund]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64106-2005Apr18.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64106-2005Apr18.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:49:33 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board will oppose adding a real estate investment trust fund to the Thrift Savings Plan "at this time," the board's chairman said yesterday.]]></description><author> Stephen Barr</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Negotiations Begin in Defense Pay, Rule Changes]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61272-2005Apr17.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61272-2005Apr17.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:49:33 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Pentagon officials and labor leaders get down to brass tacks this week. The two groups will meet over a proposed regulation that would change the way about 746,000 civil service employees are paid, promoted and disciplined.]]></description><author> Stephen Barr</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[10 Years Later, Hope Has A Home in Oklahoma City]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59604-2005Apr16.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59604-2005Apr16.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:49:33 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[   This morning,    Richard Williams  plans to be in church, speaking about the importance of hope and faith. He is a survivor of the April 19, 1995, truck bomb attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City that killed 168 people.]]></description><author> Stephen Barr</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[In Tales of the IRS, Rossotti Comes to the Rescue]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55085-2005Apr14.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55085-2005Apr14.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:49:33 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[   When visitors met with    Charles O. Rossotti  in his office at the Internal Revenue Service, his forebears looked down from the walls. In his book on his five years at the IRS, Rossotti includes a family photograph and recounts how his grandparents and parents instilled a love of business.]]></description><author> Stephen Barr</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Greater Whistle-Blower Protections Approved]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51335-2005Apr13.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51335-2005Apr13.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:49:33 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[These are tough times for federal employees who blow the whistle on waste, fraud and abuse. Their cases take months to investigate; they often face reprisals from bosses, and once in court, they find that the protections granted by Congress are not all that strong.]]></description><author> Stephen Barr</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[House Seeks to Put Stamp on Postal Service]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48202-2005Apr12.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48202-2005Apr12.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:49:33 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[The House Government Reform Committee has called a meeting today for a vote on legislation that would provide the Postal Service with more flexibility in its services and business operations and free up money in an escrow account that could be used to hold down postage rates.]]></description><author> Stephen Barr</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Lawmakers to Propose Real Estate Investment Option for TSP]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44859-2005Apr11.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44859-2005Apr11.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:49:33 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[  Legislation that would add a real estate investment trust (REIT) option to the Thrift Savings Plan will be introduced today, three House members announced yesterday.]]></description><author> Stephen Barr</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[GAO Finds Lower Pay for Women, Minorities at Energy Department Labs]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A42431-2005Apr10.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A42431-2005Apr10.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:49:33 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Women were paid between 2 percent and 4 percent less than men at five of six Energy Department laboratories, and minorities were paid about 2 percent less than whites at one lab, according to a review by the Government Accountability Office.]]></description><author> Stephen Barr</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[TSP Hesitates to Add Real Estate to Its Turf]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40648-2005Apr9.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40648-2005Apr9.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:49:33 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[   Is it time to add more investment options to the Thrift Savings Plan?]]></description><author> Stephen Barr</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Federal Executives Net High Ratings]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35424-2005Apr7.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35424-2005Apr7.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:49:33 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Federal executives sailed through another year with mostly high job ratings, data released by the Office of Personnel Management show.]]></description><author> Stephen Barr</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[NARFE Changes Its Name to Broaden Appeal]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32748-2005Apr6.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32748-2005Apr6.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:49:33 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[In a bid to pump up membership and reach out to federal employees, the organization that has represented the interests of government retirees since 1921 has decided to retire its name.]]></description><author> Stephen Barr</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Hundreds Hired to Provide Medicare Drug Benefit]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28421-2005Apr5.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28421-2005Apr5.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:49:33 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[The Medicare program will offer a prescription drug benefit to the nation's seniors at the start of next year, an ambitious effort that will require focused management and skilled employees in order to succeed.]]></description><author> Stephen Barr</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Md. Company Wins 5-Year Maintenance Contract at Naval Medical Center]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26106-2005Apr4.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26106-2005Apr4.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:49:33 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[  A Columbia contractor has taken over maintenance and other work that was performed by 273 federal employees at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda.]]></description><author> Stephen Barr</author></item><item><title><![CDATA['Ordinary Woman' Awarded Defense of Freedom Medal]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23544-2005Apr3.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23544-2005Apr3.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:49:33 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[An Army & Air Force Exchange Service employee,    Sarah Latona , has been awarded the Defense of Freedom Medal, the civilian equivalent of the military's Purple Heart. It's the first such award in the exchange service's 109-year history.]]></description><author> Stephen Barr</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[New Personnel Systems Offer Ways to Play Up Performance]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21961-2005Apr2.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21961-2005Apr2.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:49:33 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[  Pay raises tied to performance ratings. Performance ratings linked to performance appraisals.]]></description><author> Stephen Barr</author></item><item><title><![CDATA[Panel Urges Melding of Intelligence Operations]]></title><link>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17392-2005Mar31.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17392-2005Mar31.html?nav=rss_politics/fedpage/columns/federaldiary</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2005 7:49:33 GMT</pubDate><description><![CDATA[In the television cliffhanger "24," Jack Bauer and the other government agents use fancy cell phones, powerful computers and exotic gear as they scramble to unravel a terrorist plot. The Fox TV show's subplots include bold agents who break the rules. Not the real world, by a long shot.]]></description><author> Stephen Barr</author></item></channel></rss>
