Kucinich, LaTourette Urge DFAS to Follow Plans to Send 225 High-Paying Jobs to Cleveland
Washington,
Feb 4 -
U.S. Reps. Dennis J. Kucinich (D-Ohio) and Steven LaTourette(R-Ohio) called on Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to redirect U.S. MarineCorps financial system specialists from Indianapolisto Cleveland asrecommended by the 2005 Base Relocation and Closure (BRAC) Commission.These Defense Finance and Accounting System (DFAS) jobs were directed from Kansas City to Cleveland bythe BRAC Commission but were diverted to Indianapolisfor reasons that are now obsolete.
“Jobs were initially slated for Cleveland but were erroneously diverted toDFAS Indianapolis. The error needs to be corrected immediately and thejobs should be redirected to Cleveland,”wrote Kucinich and LaTourette.
The jobs were diverted to Indianapolis because the Marine Corps wasslated to use the “Defense Integrated Military Human Resource System,” or“DIHMERS.” According to a 2008 letter from an Under Secretary of Defense,the Marine-pay jobs would go to Indianapolisbecause the DIHMERS office “is already located in Indianapolis.” Kucinich and LaTouretterecently learned, however, that the DFAS Marine Corps pay component is nolonger using DIHMERS, leaving no reason to veer from the course set by the BRACCommission.
“While we were disappointed to learn of this diversion, weunderstood at the time the rational basis for the decision,” said Kucinich andLaTourette in their letter to Gates. “Today, however, we understand thatthe Marine Corps opted out of DIHMERS and it continues to use MCTFS. TheDFAS workers in Clevelandhave ample experience with this system. The rational basis for theseMarine Corps jobs relocating to Indianapolisis obsolete. We ask that you immediately enforce the decision of the decision of the BRACCommission and relocate these jobs to Cleveland as recommended.”
Read the full letter here.
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