The Foreign Service Journal, September 2004

L E T T E R S 8 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 4 additional obstacles and expenses due to the lack of benefits, medical coverage, work permits, visas, etc. for our partners. If there were any doubt about how much we value our fami- lies, those additional sacrifices should put a dollar figure on it. Eric G. Nelson Management Officer American Consulate General Milan Not a Cent for My Cat Your June article on MOHs con- tained a comment by Andy Ball say- ing that his cat gets more benefits than his domestic partner. Mr. Ball, please tell me one single benefit that the department provides to your cat, or to you on behalf of your cat. I’ve had a cat ever since my first tour, and the department has never spent a red cent on his travel, his health, or anything else. Nada. Nor has the department ever made any effort to lobby foreign govern- ments to stop quarantine regulations. And if I bid on an assignment in a country that subsequently bans pets, the department would expect me to get rid of the cat. Linda Eichblatt Consul Consulate General Barcelona Accommodating Modern Families Thanks for your coverage of the MOH issue in the June issue of the Foreign Service Journal . This is an extremely important issue for the Foreign Service of today. If the Service is unable to make these changes to accommodate diverse and modern families, our govern- ment risks losing many qualified and motivated employees. Jason N. Lawrence Foreign Service Officer Washington, D.C. korman communities arlington CORPORATE SUITES arlington, va 880 north pollard street 866.korman.4 : kormancommunities.com live better. brand new luxury high rise : fully appointed one, one bed- room dens and two bedroom corporate suites : state of the art fitness and business centers : heated outdoor lap pool : custom made mahogany furniture : fully equipped kitchens : luxury towels and linens : soft, firm or hypoallergenic pil- low selection : weekday club breakfast serving Starbucks ® Coffee : afternoon Tazo ® Tea : digital premium cable and high speed internet : 27” and 20” sony wega tv and dvd : sony cd stereo : free local phone : on-site management, maintenance, housekeeping : concierge services : walking distance to ballston common mall, ballston and virginia square metro stops