American Citizens Abroad ACA NU132

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AMERICAN

CITIZENS

ABROAD

ACA
http://www.aca.ch	A nonprofit nonpartisan association dedicated to serving and defending the interests of individual US citizens living worldwide.

From the ACA archives, links may no longer be active

ACA News Update Issue 132 November 2003	ACA 25th Anniversary Gala - Last Chance to Register!!	Overseas Americans Week 2003	Full funding for HAVA!
	Easy Access to Proposed Federal Regulations	Two Views on Taxes	Books - For Review, and How to Make a Win-Win Purchase
	AARP's Global Report on Aging	This issue of the News Update	Access the ACA archives and index

COME TO OUR BIRTHDAY PARTY!

American Citizens Abroad cordially invites you to celebrate its 25th Anniversary Gala. The event will be held in Geneva at the Hotel Beau Rivage on Saturday, November 8, 2003. Cocktails and Dinner at 7 pm, followed by "An Evening of Broadway" with Allison Bryan, vocalist, and Al Blatter on piano. 150 Swiss francs per person. Reservations and payment requested by November 2, so please email the ACA office soon to reserve your place!

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OVERSEAS AMERICANS WEEK 2003

Help Wanted for Follow-through. For four frenzied days (September 22-25), representatives of ACA, AARO (Association of Americans Resident Abroad), and the FAWCO (Federation of American Women's Clubs Overseas), swarmed around Washington, D.C. for the second annual Overseas Americans Week, meeting with government officials in both executive and legislative branches. Meetings with the State, Treasury and Commerce Departments, Senate Foreign Relations, House International Relations, and Senate Finance Committees, US Chamber of Commerce, National Foreign Trade Council and others all yielded contacts and initiatives in need of follow-up.

Individuals interested in committing time and energy to working on a team headed by ACA founder Andy Sundberg on any of these issues please contact ACA.

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HELP AMERICA VOTE ACT (HAVA) RECEIVES FULL FUNDING

On October 24th the Senate voted one billion dollars in funding, which will enable states to meet requirements imposed by HAVA. The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) requires states to improve election administration and protect voting rights through new federal requirements, including provisional ballots, statewide computerized voter lists, "second chance" voting and disability access. The League of Women Voters has an excellent overview of the legislation and fight for funding at: www.capwiz.com/lwv/issues/alert.

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FINALLY, EASY ACCESS TO PROPOSED FEDERAL REGULATIONS

The Regulations.gov website makes it easier for you to participate in Federal rulemaking - an essential part of the American democratic process. The home page explains: "On this site, you can find, review, and submit comments on Federal documents that are open for comment and published in the "Federal Register," the Government's legal newspaper. As a member of the public, you can submit comments about these regulations, and have the Government take your views into account." The site permits easy search by keywords or by agency.

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TAXES

Two tax experts offer advice to Americans filing from overseas. Check tie-ins to their articles on this ACA website or email ACA for copies of their articles:

Jane Bruno, a Florida-based tax attorney, gives an updated overview of general U.S. federal tax obligations for Americans living abroad, whether in Canada or Cameroon.
Les Edelman, American tax preparer based in Belgrade and Budapest, explains ways in which child tax credit, foreign-earned income exclusion, and foreign tax credit can be mixed and matched to a taxpayer's advantage.

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BOOKS

ACA seeks books for review. The book review section of ACA's website features numerous books of interest to Americans with an international outlook. We're always eager to expand our offerings. Contact ACA with ideas, volunteer a review (check out some of the posted reviews to see the general style), or review one of the books listed as available. Newest addition to the list: "Gone with the Wine: Retirement Adventures in France" by Rosanne Knorr.

Put change in ACA's coffer by accessing amazon.com via ACA's book review section. Amazon automatically detects you are "referred" by ACA, and the organization gets a small percentage on ANY book you order, whether one featured on our pages or not - all at no cost to you. And if you "bookmark" ACA's home page as a favorite, it will save time in reaching us.

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AARP'S JUST-ISSUED GLOBAL REPORT ON AGING

This report offers comparisons of pension systems in numerous countries, International News Highlights and other interesting features with a world view: aarp.org

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The ACA News Update editing and publishing team:
Editor-in-chief: Dorothy van Schooneveld.
Web editor: Karl Jauch, ACA Executive Director
Contributing editors: Elizabeth Davis, Kathryn Boyer, Norm Burgo, Janet Rubinstein.
Office manager: Jennifer Wallace
Editor for this issue: Dorothy van Schooneveld

This News Update is, like ACA itself, of, by, and for Americans abroad. ACA is staffed entirely through the efforts of volunteers, with its primary income source being membership fees and donations from concerned individuals.

WAYS TO CONTRIBUTE HANDS-ON TO ACA WORK:

NEWS UPDATE EDITORS. ACA is seeking to supplement its News Update staff. Work involves actually writing the News Update 2 - 3 times a year, under supervision of a Senior Editor, and monitoring raw material considered for the newsletter on a regular basis. Calls for e-mail access and an ability to write/edit succinctly and against a deadline. ACA takes pride in the global spread of its editors.
BOOK REVIEWS/REVIEWERS. ACA is interested in discovering books of particular interest to Americans abroad. It also seeks individuals willing to review such books. Reviewers get to keep the book, and to see their contribution in print. Click here for a list of books or contact the ACA office.

WAYS TO CONTRIBUTE TO ACA'S FINANCIAL $UCCE$$:

Did you know that by accessing amazon.com (click on any Amazon link you find in the book review section, ACA web site) and then browsing and purchasing as normal, ACA receives—at no cost to you—a small percentage on the purchases you make. Check ACA's web site + make a painless contribution: it makes $&sense!
Join us for our Gala Dinner, now being planned for Saturday 8 November 2003 in Geneva.
Donate an auctionable item or service to ACA's 2004 annual FUNdraiser auction (to be held Friday 5 March 2004 in Geneva). The FUNdraiser evening produces the single largest annual contribution to ACA's working budget. And the highest bids are for items ingenious and/or exotic. It's a good bet that someone in the attending crowd of internationals will be intrigued by even the most distant and/or unusual of objects or services.
And, of course, an outright contribution of $$ via check or charge card is the most obvious way to support the work of ACA and its worldwide volunteers working to help YOU. Secure payment via this web site, or mail to: ACA, 5 rue Liotard, CH-1202 Geneva, Switzerland.

WAYS TO PUT GOOD FOLKS ABROAD IN THE LIMELIGHT:

EUGENE ABRAMS AWARD. ACA's annual award to highlight exceptional volunteer efforts of overseas Americans to aid others. Each qualified nominee receives an honorable mention certificate from ACA. The winner will also be mentioned in the press and in ACA hard copy and electronic newsletters. Send to ACA (5 rue Liotard, CH-1202 Geneva, Switzerland) letter(s) of nomination describing the individual's efforts, accompanied by biographical info and if possible a photo of the person involved in the activities mentioned.
ACA's THOMAS JEFFERSON AWARD. given each year for outstanding service to Americans abroad by a State Department employee. A fine way to draw attention to Foreign Service or other State Dept. employees who have gone out of their way to make a difference in the lives of overseas citizens. Winner receives a plaque and has her/his name engraved on a plaque which is displayed in the State Department, Washington. All nominations are shared with the State Department and entered on the employees' records.

If you would like to become part of the dynamic volunteer team which powers ACA, then join us.

There is a constant need for additional physical and/or electronic "staff." In addition to regular VOLUNTEERS, ACA is interested in INTERNS and in tailoring CLASS PROJECTS aimed at awakening students to issues affecting American citizens abroad. Contact ACA's Geneva office

Disclaimer: "While ACA makes every effort to be accurate in the information it transmits, such information is not to be considered a substitute for specific and qualified professional advice."

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