The Foreign Service Journal, May 2011

New: Pet Relocation Discount for AFSA Members AFSA is pleased to announce a new benefit that is now available to all members, whether active-duty, retired or associate. AFSA has partnered with the Austin, Texas- based company PetRelocation.com to offer discounts to all AFSA members. PetRelocation.com has been in business since 2002 and is rated A+ by the Better Busi- ness Bureau. Drawing on extensive experience in working with military families and in- dividuals, they have transported pets door-to-door in both domestic and international settings. AFSA members will receive a 10-percent discount on all pet moves, both do- mestic and international, when they contact the company at a dedicated e-mail address for AFSA members: afsa@petrelocation.com. AFSA customers will be assigned to a pet relocation specialist who will work with each individual throughout the duration of the move. To welcome AFSA members who may be moving with their pets, PetRelocation.com is offering a free Pet Relocation Prepa- ration Guide , available exclusively to AFSA members at http://afsa.petrelocation.com. This new service is in response to our recent pet survey, which indicated that a large por- tion of Foreign Service employees have pets in their homes and often face problems when moving these important companions from post to post. We hope that this new benefit will assist our members in their moves and provide a smooth experience for their pets. Results of the pet survey will appear in a future issue of AFSA News . To assist our members further, AFSA has increased the pet resources on our Web site. You can find updated pet travel guidance in the Member Guidance section and other helpful pet resources in our Online Resources section at www.afsa.org/online_fs_ resources.aspx. W ashington seems to be experiencing a lot of up- heaval these days. The federal budget and the con- stant battle of the cuts has been worrying and spinning the Department of Commerce in several ways. One day we are preparing for how a shutdown would work; the next, we are counting the number of posts we might close. And then the president announces a trade reorganization. The discussion generated with the field on that subject is very timely as we head into talks with the president’s reor- ganization team. InMarch I met with Office of Management and Budget Deputy Director Jeffery Zients, who is responsi- ble for the reorganization. Meeting again with his staff the following week, we strongly supported a proposal from the president to create a new agency as the most effective and ef- ficient method of giving the trade engine of economic growth the priority it needs at this critical time. Where there was much debate about the pros and cons of returning to State, or staying within the International Trade Administration, there was virtually no disagreement that an independent trade agency that combines the United States Trade Representative, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Trade and Development Agency and the Foreign Commercial Service could create both the efficiency and effectiveness that we need. It is clear from Zients that this is very much on the table. As of press time, Zients has 90 days to come up with a pro- posal, so this issue will certainly have more shape and focus by the time you are reading this. He is inviting online input at http://governmentreform.ideascale.com. The biggest unknown is how the Hill will react, but a pro- posal that advances free trade at the same time it demon- strates real cost savings could receive bipartisan support. Again, we call on AFSA members to weigh in. You have seenAFSA President Susan Johnson’s urgent messages about the fight for Overseas Comparability Pay and how to engage your members of Congress. Please keep your ideas coming in. We need you to keep your eyes and ears open to take ad- vantage of every opportunity to make a difference. 68 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / M A Y 2 0 1 1 A F S A N E W S V.P. VOICE: FCS BY KEITH CURTIS Trading Up AFSA NEWS BRIEFS The Power of AFSA’s Membership As part of an ongoing campaign to build support for the Foreign Service, AFSA has mobilized a drive encourag- ing active-duty AFSA members to write individual letters to their members of Congress urging investment in diplo- macy and development. These mes- sages specifically explain that denying FSOs overseas comparability pay in ef- fect cuts salaries by up to 24 percent, penalizing those who serve abroad. As of mid-April, we estimate that about 450 letters have been sent to 78 sena- tors and 105 individual members of Congress from 39 states. AFSA Presi- dent Susan Johnson, whose recent up- dates on the budget process helped en- courage the campaign, calls this initial response “impressive and encourag- ing.” Read more online at www.afsa.org/president.aspx.