Retirees and Rebates
Good news if you are a federal retiree or know someone who is: they will be getting a tax rebate as part of the economic stimulus package. Senior Correspondent Mike...
Good news for retirees – federal, postal, military or Social Security. If you paid federal taxes last year, you will be getting a tax rebate of up to $600 for singles and $1,200 for married couples filing jointly. The rebates are part of the hurry-up automatic stimulus package signed into law. It is supposed to either head off a recession or, if we are already in one, to ease or end it.
Originally, retirees were not included in the package, but pressure from groups representing them, and politicians, fixed that. We’ve had many calls and e-mails on the subject. We forwarded one to Dan Adcock of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association. Here’s his reply in part:
The new law allows Americans to receive a tax rebate through two options:
First, workers, retirees and others who paid federal income taxes in 2007 will receive a check up to $600 per person or $1,200 per couple allowed for those without dependent children. (Taxpayers with children will receive an additional $300 per child). The rebates begin to phase out at $75,000 and $150,000 adjusted gross income (AGI) for single and joint filers, respectively, with the rebate effectively eliminated for taxpayers without dependent children at $87,000 and $186,000 AGI for single and joint filers, respectively.
Second, workers, retirees and others who paid little or no income taxes, but earned wages, Social Security benefits or disabled veteran benefits would qualify for payments of $300 for individuals or $600 for couples filing joint returns.
Adcock has written an article on the subject that will appear in the April issue of NARFE’s Retirement Life Magazine. For information about NARFE individuals can call 1-800-627-3394. Or checkout their website at www.narfe.org
BlueVision
Blue Cross-Blue Shield says that enrollments in its vision-care program Bluevision grew by 17 percent during last year’s federal benefits open season. That was the November-December time period when feds and retirees picked their 2008 health plan, and could also select optional packages to help pay dental and/or vision bills. Blue Cross health plans cover 4.7 million of the nearly 9 million people enrolled in the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program.
Obama Picks Up Endorsement
The American Federation of Government Employees union Social Security Council has endorsed Sen. Barrack Obama (D-Ill.) for the presidency. Council 220 says represents 25,000 SSA employees – a big chunk of the national AFL-CIO union’s membership. Council President Witold Skwierczynski said it was a tough call between Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) “but in the end,” he said, “we feel Sen. Obama will offer the kind of new leadership necessary to restore SSA to a first class agency.”
The AFGE union itself has not yet endorsed a candidate although it is likely to do so after Tuesday’s Ohio-Texas primaries.
Endorsements: Good Idea or Not So Good…
Federal and postal unions have a long history of endorsing presidental (and congressional candidates). Most of the time the unions, or more accurately their executive boards, pick Democrats. This is fine with many members, but not so fine with others. The majority of those who wish the unions would stay out of the endorsement business are non-members who are represented by the unions, but who don’t pay dues or participate in union activities. Many of them worry that the endorsements convince politicians (who sometimes win) that most federal-postal workers are closet Democrats. For more on that, click here.
Letter Carriers For Clinton
When you check out the Hillary for President rallies in Ohio, it is hard to miss the NALC for Hillary signs. The giant National Association of Letter Carriers endorsed her, based on a membership mail-in ballot, last September. The vast majority of letter carriers are card-carrying NALC members and they are in virtually every corner of the U.S. For more on their endorsement, click here.
Nearly Useless Factoid
Today is Old Inauguration Day. Until the ratification of the Twentieth Amendment in 1933, March 4 was the official day for presidential inaugurations. It’s also National Grammar Day. Speak good.
To reach me: mcausey@federalnewsradio.com
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