AMERICAN CITIZENS ABROAD
ACA

http://www.aca.ch/

A nonprofit association dedicated to serving and defending the interests of individual US citizens worldwide.

News from ACA -- August 1999 -- Issue 63a

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CALL FOR HEAVY FIREPOWER IN SUPPORT OF INCREASED SECTION 911 INCOME TAX EXCLUSION

House and Senate conferees have agreed to support the provision of the "Financial Freedom Act of 1999" championed by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Bill Archer to up the Section 911 foreign earned income exclusion. The proposal calls for an increase in of $3,000 per year beginning in 2003, upping the exclusion to $95,000 by 2007, with cost-of-living indexing after that date.

The reconciled tax relief package is scheduled to be voted on by both houses by the end of the week. David Hamod, Executive Director of the Section 911 Coalition, reports, "As in 1997, we owe a huge debt of gratitude to Rep. Bill Archer, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee [who is scheduled to retire next year]. The Chairman has been our most steadfast supporter in Congress, and in discussions this past week between the House and Senate, Archer once again "held the line" in defense of the foreign earned income exclusion. In the end, the Senate agreed to the House-backed provision."

ACA wishes also to thank, on behalf of all Americans abroad, another friend who offered testimony to the House Ways and Means Committee supporting the increase: former Congressman Bill Alexander. Mr. Alexander continues the steadfast support of overseas Americans which he exhibited for much of his 24 years in Congress.

Assuming the current bill is passed, which is anticipated, then it will go to the White House, where a veto is expected. The 911 Coalition's efforts will be concentrated on making the increase survive subsequent negotiations between Congress and the White House. "The Coalition will need all the friends it can get --both Republicans and Democrats-- in preparation for the next round of negotiations," stresses Coaltion leader Hamod. The Coalition seeks additional individuals, organizations or businesses who have close ties to Congressional leadership, the House Ways and Means Committee or Senate Finance Committee, or the White House. Contact ACA

C2k MEMBERS MEET WITH CENSUS BUREAU DIRECTOR PREWITT

On 23 July 1999 Census Director Kenneth Prewitt hosted a frank and fruitful meeting with representatives of the C2k Coalition to discuss issues related to inclusion of overseas Americans in the American census in general and in Census 2000 in particular. ACA was represented by Gene Marans and other representatives of Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton law firm (which has generously offered its services pro bono) as well as by David Hamod, who is voluntary Executive Director of the Coalition. The C2k Coaltion continues to push for Congressional support of resolutions in the House and the Senate which call for the Census Bureau to include Americans abroad as well as in the US in the census of the millennium.

LENGTHENING OF FOREIGN SERVICE OVERSEAS TOURS OF DUTY DEBATED

According to the American Foreign Service Association (www.afsa.org), a report dated 2 May 1999 from the State/USIA Office of Inspector General (OIG) strongly recommended that the State Department lengthen overseas tours of duty for Foreign Service personnel, and reduce curtailments. OIG considers lengthening important, saying: "because of the considerable time necessary to become oriented to a new post, and the time at the end of the tour to bid for and transfer to the next post, longer tours would increase the time employees were fully productive in their current positions."

OIG also recommends "that the Bureau of Personnel revise the Foreign Affairs Manual to tighten the criteria for approval of curtailments." It believes that curtailments are costly and that the reasons often cited for wanting a curtailment "appear to be avoidable and within the Department's control."

However, a memorandum dated 8 March 1999 from the Director General of the Foreign Service counters the OIG's report, saying that "lengthening the tour of duty in hardship posts without increasing incentives to serve in them will only exacerbate our difficulties in filling these already difficult to staff posts." The Director General adds that curtailments are granted for a variety of reasons and that "these curtailments should be viewed as the price to maintain a global network of American employees."

On June 10th the Senate Appropriations Committee favorably reported out the Commerce, Justice, State appropriations bill. AFSA reports: "in the committee's report accompanying this bill are non-legislative instructions directing the State Department to implement the OIG recommendations not later than January 1, 2000.... While this language is in the committee report and not in legislation, it is well known that if an agency ignores the appropriations committee, its life will be harder during the next appropriations cycle."

NEW ACA COUNTRY CONTACT IN THE BAHAMAS

R. Charles Ruckstuhl of Nassau is ACA's newest Country Contact, representing the Bahamas. Mr. Ruckstuhl is a retired engineer with contacts to the American Men's Club and other American organizations in the Bahamas. His mailing address is P. O. Box N4822, Nassau, Bahamas. We welcome him aboard. See our list for other Country Contacts.

ACA TEAMS UP WITH MILITARY BED & BREAKFAST CLUB

Under a newly-concluded arrangement between the two groups, members of American Citizens Abroad can join Len & Jan Stoehrs' Retreat & Reveille International (R&RI), a bed and breakfast club with over 450 havens in all 50 US states and 26 other countries. Len (a retired US Navy officer) and Jan (teacher and graphic designer) Stoehrs founded R&RI in 1992 as a way of sharing their enjoyment and interest in the bed-and-breakfast experience and a means of expanding their group of military friends. Club membership has now been opened to ACA members, in addition to all veterans (and families) of military organizations of any nation. R&RI membership offers economical lodging through low-cost stays with members who open their homes, share information about their locales, and perhaps swap stories about their own lives, as well.

For a low US$ 25 yearly membership fee, R&RI members receive the annually-updated host directory and a quarterly newsletter. While hosting is not required for membership, ACA members willing to act as hosts will have a reduced membership fee of US$ 15. R&RI members will be welcomed as ACA members for a fixed US$ 25 annual fee. For further information, contact Retreat & Reveille International, 3106 Military Road, Arlington, VA 22207-4136; tel. (+1 703) 5253372; fax (+1 703) 5250520; e-mail: RetRveille@aol.com

TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE OVERSEAS AMERICAN VOLUNTEER!

ACA is seeking nominations from the public at large for the Eugene Abrams Award, highlighting the volunteer efforts of Americans worldwide. To be nominated for this award, an individual must be an American citizen (of any age) who has resided outside the US for at least the past two years, who through voluntary, unpaid service, has made an outstanding contribution to the welfare of the community, region or country in which he or she lives. Nominations for the award must include: -One or more letters of recommendation. The letters should explain why the nominee should be chosen for the award, citing examples of service to the community or group. -The CV and a recent photograph of the nominee (the latter, if possible, showing him or her among the members of the community or group with which the nominee is affiliated). Those submitting nominations should also provide their name, address and/or organization as well as their telephone/fax numbers or e-mail address where they can be reached in case additional information about the nominee is required. The deadline for submission of nominations for this year's award is 15 September 1999. The winner and runners-up will be announced on October 10th, 1999. Nominations should be submitted to American Citizens Abroad, 5 bis rue Liotard, CH-1202 Geneva, Switzerland.

ODDS AND ENDS...

NEW BOOK REVIEW

Gloria Otto's review of David Obst's book Too Good to be Forgotten: Changing America in the 1960s and 1970s is now on-line on this web site. Otto feels that Obst's account of life in the US and abroad in the '60s and '70s from a baby boomer's point of view is both interesting for boomers and beneficial for their children to read.

ANY GOOD BOOKS OUT THERE?

ACA is looking for books to review. If you know of a particularly interesting book about your area, about living abroad, or about anything you feel would be helpful to our readers, let us know. You can e-mail your suggestion to acage@aca.ch or write to ACA at 5 bis rue Liotard, CH-1202 Geneva, Switzerland, Attn: Book Review Editor.

"PRELUDES: JOINING PEACE CORPS INC."

This was the headline over a business news report in the New York Times on 18 July 1999 about the Peace Corps experience serving as a springboard for returned volunteers becoming successful candidates for MBA and Masters degrees, as well as for high-level jobs with top companies. The Peace Corps experience in developing countries is considered a valuable two-year internship by educators and businesses. As the Times reported: "Today's Peace Corps volunteers --80 percent of whom are in their 20's-- still want to help the world, but they also want to help themselves." According to Peace Corps director Mark Gearan, "about 850 of the nearly 6,600 Peace Corps volunteers now work with business (in Africa, Asia and Latin America), and the number is growing." For information concerning the Peace Corps, contact: www.peacecorps.gov

NO LABORS UNTIL AFTER LABOR DAY!

ACA News Update issue 64 will be sent out the week of 6 September 1999, after the annual August break. Enjoy your summer!

THIS ISSUE of ACA's News Update was prepared by Elizabeth Davis, Bilbao, Spain, and edited with the help of ACA's worldwide network of correspondents. To subscribe or contribute to the News Update, contact us at acage@aca.ch.

The ACA News Update editing & publishing team:

• Publisher & Editor-in-Chief: Dorothy van Schooneveld, ACA Executive Director
• Co-Senior Editors: Kathryn Boyer, ACA Country Contact in Sweden; David Ferrell, ACA Country Contact in Brazil
• Contributing Editors: Karl Jauch, ACA Associate Executive Director, Geneva; Elizabeth Davis, Spain; Amy Bryant, Germany; Janet Rubinstein, Turkey.

We would like you to become part of the dynamic volunteer team which powers ACA. 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

The News Update can be maintained in the long-term only if it justifies itself in terms of membership and donation revenue for the organization.

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.

JOIN US!

   American Citizens Abroad ACA 
   5 bis, rue Liotard 
   CH-1202 Geneva 
   Switzerland 
  
     Phone & Fax numbers: 
       (+41 22) 3400233 or (+41 22) 3400448 
     email: acage@aca.ch 
   
   or, in the USA: 
                              
   American Citizens Abroad 
   1051 N. George Mason Drive 
   Arlington, VA 22205 
   USA 
     Fax +1 (703) 527-3269

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