No Cost of Living Allowance for Washington DC area military

[OSC Foree D. Cooley]

My family and I recently moved to the Washington DC area. I'm confused as to why military in the area do not receive COLA with the way prices are here. I've asked a few people about this and the answer I received was that since there are so many military members in the Washington DC area, the government wouldn't be able to afford COLA for everyone. Has anyone else heard about this. Just curious, thx again.

Danny

[MKCM Brett Ayer]

This issue was brought up a couple of months ago here at HQ.

From the Chief Of Staff on 7/3/06:

"the COLA is not determined by the local command or even by the Coast Guard, rather it is based on legislation that is periodically reviewed by all the Services. CONUS COLA is available to those who are assigned to locations where the price of a "basket of good and services" exceeds 108 per cent of the national average. When CONUS COLA was implemented the rate was purposely set at a level that the Services could afford and excluded the Washington DC metro area, whose index was 104.7% in FY06. Several years ago the Services reviewed the CONUS COLA legislation and made recommendations to lower the threshold from 108% to 107% or lower. After a thorough review, lowering the percentage one point was deemed too costly and the pay out index remains at 108%. With the current threshold set at 108% there are 41 locations that receive CONUS COLA. Even lowering the index may not result in DC receiving a CONUS COLA, as there are 62 military housing areas more expensive than DC that do not currently receive a CONUS COLA."

[BMCM Stuart S. Slesh]

Brett, I'm so glad you joined because you seem to always have documented responses. It becomes very difficult to argue black and white facts. I would be courious what those 62 other places were, because I thought the DC area was ridiculously high.

Foree, one of the things that they always take into consideration in OCONUS is the availability of other military installations and the services that they provide.

[SKC Gerald Adams]

I have lived in the Washington D.C. area for sometime and I just moved from Boston, MA back to the area. The cost of living here in the area just increased from a much lower amount. When I left the area it was about $1785.00 a month for an E6 and is now about $2050.00. The one thing that seems to be the compelling issue is the commute to get to and from work as prices for METRO and gas rise. I do miss the COLA for Boston, MA area, however, I think that within the next few years as the economy continues to change in this area there may be changes in COLA down the line. :)

[BMCM Bruce Bradley]

Although unwritten anywhere one of the past answers to the lack of COLA in DC was the sheer expense of it. Between all the services that is an awful lot of people, includingmany in high positions. Not that it right, but the budget would take a big hit funding it.

Numbers was also one of the reasons that Cape May lost theirs a few years back when they realized that all the recruits were entitled to it also while there.

[MKCM Brett Ayer]

Although unwritten anywhere one of the past answers to the lack of COLA in DC was the sheer expense of it. Between all the services that is an awful lot of people, includingmany in high positions. Not that it right, but the budget would take a big hit funding it.

Numbers was also one of the reasons that Cape May lost theirs a few years back when they realized that all the recruits were entitled to it also while there.

I have no doubt that cost is the driver, as much as we like to say "People First" Money drives everything.

Brett

[PACS Steve Carleton]

I've been stationed in both Boston and Washington, D.C. area.

Boston got it, I was told because there are fewer military support facilities there thus increasing the cost of living.

In DC, you have numerous facilities with exchanges and commissaries that can be utilized to keep monthly expenditures lower.

[ASTCS Ronny German]

In DC, you have numerous facilities with exchanges and commissaries that can be utilized to keep monthly expenditures lower.

If this was truly the case, I would have to ask why does Oahu get COLA? There are five commisaries, four exchanges and plenty of other DOD facilities that help offset the cost of living. I currently live in San Diego which is also expensive and does not get COLA. Yes there are some DOD facilities, but most people live so far away (to avoid the high cost of living), that they never get to use the commisaries and exchanges. For the life of me I can't understand the logic behind the process of determining who gets it and who doesn't.

[BMC John Phillips III]

When I left the area it was about $1785.00 a month for an E6 and is now about $2050.00.

Are you thinking of BAH? When I was in NY COLA was about $380.

Now I am in Key West and as far as I know Miami gets Cola and we don't. Things that make you go hmmm. Now of course Master Chief's Ayers answer* is the answer policy makers will provide but even he agrees that money is likely a predominate factor. There is quite a bit of military in Key West and I don't think anyone's willing to dig that deep into their pockets.

As far as Cape May goes, I don't see how recruits should be entitled to COLA as everything they need is being provided for them on a daily basis. They don't have to deal with things like the cost of gasoline, milk, electricity, etc. Things that permanent party are dealing with.

Finally, I too would like to see a list of the cities, is that a possibility Master Chief?

Edited to add, *great information by the way Master Chief

[BMCM Bruce Bradley]

JP3, everyone who is at a location PCS is entitled to COLA, and recruits are PCS at Cape May. I agree that they have all their needs met while there, but then so does an unmarried non-rated member assigned afloat (for the most part).

And now that we are dealing with a law related to pay there is no gray area. And also thanks MC for your contributions to the discussion.

[SKC Ronald Brumble]

I may be missing something here but I also thought that is why the BAH is adjusted from time to time. Is cheeper to adjust that, then to impliment COLA? To me it is the same thing, put money on COLA or put it in an adjusted BAH.

I have never really like the whole system of COLA. But I dont have a better Idea either.

[BMC John Phillips III]

but then so does an unmarried non-rated member assigned afloat (for the most part)

BMCS, I think you would still have to consider things like car insurance, tolls, gasoline, other expenses that even a single person would incur.

To me it is the same thing, put money on COLA or put it in an adjusted BAH.

Ron, perhaps one reason is living in government housing? When I was in NY, I did and let me tell you that the COLA wasn't even close to catching up with the increase in my expenses compared to the cost of living in FL. My car insurance alone went up $600 a year. Then there was the upwards of $80 a month in highway and bridge tolls. Oh and of course gasoline, used to drive to NJ to fill up, pay a 2.50 bridge toll (reduced from $7 with ezpass) and still save money over filling up in NY. Anyway, all that to say that COLA comes in handy in that scenario and is likely to be the reason they provide that rather than just increasing BAH. Plus BAH is directly related to the average cost of housing in an area and not other expenses such as the ones I mentioned.

I still agree with the thread starter in that there are some places out there that seem like they should be getting COLA.

[BMCM Stuart S. Slesh]

And as long as you're throwing NY out there, the people working in Bayonne were given the honor of paying that $7 a day bridge toll for the privledge of going back home. Every time we brought it up, we were reminded that we got COLA. But as Brett, who always seems to have documented proof, said, Cola is based on the 108%. So the toll was never factored in. And the people stationed and living right on Wadsworth got the same COLA.

[YNC Josh Braarud]

I attended a transportation conference in New Orleans back in 1998. One of the guest speakers was a senior member of the Per Diem, Travel, and Transportation Allowance Committe (PDTTAC) and this very question came up.

He answered that there were two reasons. The first was the abundance of commissaries and exchanges in the area, as someone noted before. The second reason was perception. The junior ranks "in the field" view the DC area and its associated military headquarters as out of touch with the real world.* As such, if "Headquarters" decided to give themselves COLA, it would be viewed by the field as an undeserved pay raise. Because of that, the PDTTAC decided that Washington DC would never get CONUS COLA.




*Which they bloody well should!

[AMTCM John Long]

This thread gets me going. Grrrr.....

My rent here is $2200 plus all the utilities. My BAH is $2295 I would much rather have lower BAH and live in a low cost area vs DC. Gas is high in the beltway. I just looked at the BP station by HQ this morning, $2.49 per gl. Parking is tough. I got lucky and won a lottery parking spot inside the bldg. That runs $55 a month. I do not "qualify" for the lower parking costs or the METRO tickets because I choose to drive into work by myself. The only free option is to park by the Jamal Bldg and walk the 1/4 mile to the HQ Bldg. The catch there is I had to get there at 0430 to insure a spot. Otherwise they fill up quickly. After that you're left to feeding a parking meter or commercial parking. I guess my point is it's frustrating having to pay to come to work. I have a somewhat easy 25 mile commute. I bought a newer work car for the gas mileage. The ol' F150 wasn't going to cut it.

Anywho....I feel bad for the junior folks who get stationed in the area. I'm sure it is a major financial burden on them.

[MKC Art Bailly (Ret)]

John you think $2.49 an gallon is bad I just filled up yesterday for $3.09 a gallon. It was $3.21 a gallon 2 weeks ago. But I get cola.
Just wondering what do you guys pay? My BAH is $1642 and $1151 for cola 1642+1151=2793, House payment $2094, utilities average $200, heating fuel average $250. 2094+200+250= $2544 just for housing. We don’t have commissaries here and a small exchange but it is cheaper to go somewhere else. It's cheaper for most people with a family to fly to a bigger town rent a car and maybe a hotel for the night to do their Christmas shopping and they still save money.

[MSTCM Jerald Motyka]

Note to self: Scratch Ketchikan off the list

[PACS Steve Carleton]

[Conversation inmy mind]: "Let's see are there any openings for a PA in Ketch...No? Whew!!!

[BMCM Stuart S. Slesh]

Art, the BAH or OHA is calculated differently than the COLA. Also OCUNS and INCONUS COLA standards are different. When your OHA is first calculated its based on what you paid for the house, not your actual mortgage. Because of that some people are making out better than others who live in the same area. My OHA is $2169, and my mortgage is only $980.27. I solarized the house, and my water bill is about $12 a month. No one down here even remembers what heating is. And my COLA was $681 last month. There are other people down here whose mortgage is more than twice mine, and who paid over $600 a month in electricity alone.
Oh and gas goes by the liter, so I think we're paying around $1.97 a gallon now.

[AMTCM John Long]

Stu,

I always thought the gas by the liter thing was silly. Legend has it many moons ago the island was going to convert to the metric system. The did on some measurements. For some reason they stopped in the middle of the conversion. They chose not to go back to liters. I also heard that was an identity thing. They wanted to be different from the US. I'd have to ask one of my PR friends to verify that though. I was speaking to one of my civilian friends down there at the AirSta recently. She said they just started some type of a sales tax system. What is the deal with that?

John

[BMCM Stuart S. Slesh]

The measurements on the highway are all in kilometers. The speed limit signs are in mph. The gas is in liters except at Ft Buchanan. There are nine cities/towns that have implemented a local 1% sales tax. The entire island is going to start a sales tax, the debate is split over making it 4% all the way to 8%. The service is looking at changing our COLA if that tax goes in. Time will tell on that one.

[BMC John Phillips III]

I took the wife shopping for the first time since being stationed here last weekend. Which got me to thinking, since we don't get COLA here in KW, why?

I am thinking a good argument (humorous maybe, but still good) for getting COLA in an area is if you have to drive more than a hundred miles to the nearest Walmart, you should get COLA. Of course we didn't just go to Walmart (her favorite store -if not thing - in the whole world!), we stopped at my two favorite stores (Best Buy and Toys R Us) along with a few others like the Mall. All in all, one day of shopping equalled over 5 hours of driving, $50+ in gas, $60 lunch and dinner (dinner was fast food), and nearly a thousand dollars on items that we have just been holding out to buy.

If that's not a valid argument for getting COLA, I don't know what is. Oh and the Walmart argument is because out of that thousand, half was spent there. The major purchase of the day went to me (of course) a $400 hard-drive camcorder.

[MKC Art Bailly (Ret)]

At least you have the luxury of Driving to a best buy or toys R-Us. We have to pay for a plane ticket of take a 2 ½ day ferry ride then drive a 100 mile to visit those type or stores. The only fast food here is a McDonalds and if you consider Pizza fast foods we have a godfathers. No such thing as 3 medium pizzas for $each. More like $15 for 1 medium pizza. But we get COLA

[BMC John Phillips III]

But we get COLA

and as the saying goes, that's a big, "but."

[ETC Pat Kaschube]

At least you have the luxury of Driving to a best buy or toys R-Us. We have to pay for a plane ticket of take a 2 ½ day ferry ride then drive a 100 mile to visit those type or stores. The only fast food here is a McDonalds and if you consider Pizza fast foods we have a godfathers. No such thing as 3 medium pizzas for $each. More like $15 for 1 medium pizza. But we get COLA


Don'y you still have the bowling alley? :D

[BMC Marvin Thompson]

Here in the Bay Area, those who work in Alameda or YBI are soaking 10 to 11% in COLA, and live in housing these are 2006 rates of course. Since I work in Vallejo I am concidered part of the Travis/AFB MHA which puts me in the 1% for COLA and I am forced to live the the same housing transiting 20 miles with a 3 dollar per day bridge toll, I am trying to see the justice here. Made a few phone calls yesterday and got the "Sorry there is nothing we can do" line. This is a very sore subject with me but what can I do.

[MKC Art Bailly (Ret)]

Nope the bowling alley close about 6 months ago and there turning it into office space.

[ETC Pat Kaschube]

Another one bites the dust. How about the Raven's Roost.

[MSTC Steve Natale]

Don'y you still have the bowling alley? :D
NOPE! Closing down this year. Yes we get COLA, quite a bit actually (I think I get ~$1200 per month). Would I trade away alot if not most of it to have access to places and things I used to take for granted..HELL YES!

For entertainment we have the Movie theater (ONE and One-half screens, the half screen is just that, about half the size of a normal screen). Not much else here for entertainment.

I do try real hard to get myself and the kids out for hikes and outdoorsy type activities as much as possible, but it sure would be nice to have other options.

As far as shopping goes, we have a Wal-mart (saving grace for things wanted/needed), one outdoor fitter type store (Tongass), 3 hardware stores, and three grocers. I never knew POTATO CHIPS could cost so much, I mean $5 a BAG!

Just got a large pizza last night delivered for $19.50 + $4 tip (very icy and snowy out, hard climb up to my place, so driver got $1 extra tip over what I normally give) so $23.50 for the pizza, I figure thats about $10 out of my COLA spent on the added cost of that item for living here.

I know others have it worse. I now know what COLA is good for though.

And after traveling around DC and seeing the home-to-work-to-home problems, I can see how some type of COLA for the area could be warranted.

[MKC Art Bailly (Ret)]

Yep its still here but the cheapest place in town to get a bear is the crows nest when its open. The mall if you can call it that is pretty empty theese days about all that is left is a small Sears, book store, liquire store, and Radio Shack.
The Junior High kids go to school where the old Bon Marche was and the school office is in the kitchen supply store was. the school is being rehabed.
Steve now alls we need is a ATV Track. my boys and I have fun riding in the snow the other day. I taught them how to spin broddies.

[ETC Pat Kaschube]

Still have a glass from the Crows nest I think. We used to go to the Ravens Roost when we pulled in there. We had had a few guys enter into the Karaoke contest and we though that the local ringers were going to kick butt but it came down to to guys from the Mellon. Small place but it was fun. Sounds like stuff is shutting down up there, too bad.

[BMC John Phillips III]

"Sorry there is nothing we can do" line. This is a very sore subject with me but what can I do.

Have you been to the Chiefs Academy? Sounds like an excellent subject for your "point paper."

[BMCS Jim Madsen]

"M", When I was in Alameda a couple years ago, there was talk of a "Bay Area" BAH. I know that the guys on YBI clean up, while the guys at Station Golden Gate get soaked. The Alameda crew are some where in the middle. They all live in the same neighborhoods, but it all depends on the county. Maybe those that were pushing this agenda transferred, retired or just gave up. I was happy as a pig in slop when I left.

[BMC Marvin Thompson]

Yep I have been to CPO Academy but done the paper on another subject, but the fact remains that BAH and Conus COLA are driven by the Military Housing Area and since Travis is included with my Station in Vallejo my crew gets the one percent vice the 10 to 11 percent no matter where I live, it just so happens I live in the same CG housing that some of those who work in YBI or CGI.
Guess it's just luck on my end. I should have some visitors to my unit soon whom I plan to enlighten on this subject as well as some others


Troy