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VA gives themselves bonuses...For Corruption??

VA Gives Themselves Bonuses…for Corruption?

unclesamsmisguidedchildren.com

The VA paid out $142 Million in bonuses in 2014- amid poor performance and corruption scandals.

$142 Million in bonuses were shelled out to VA executives in 2014

Corruption

USA Today reported,

Among the recipients were claims processors in a Philadelphia benefits office that investigators dubbed the worst in the country last year. They received $300 to $900 each. Managers in Tomah, Wis., got $1,000 to $4,000, even though they oversaw the over-prescription of opiates to veterans – one of whom died.

The VA also rewarded executives who managed construction of a facility in Denver, a disastrous project years overdue and more than $1 billion over budget. They took home $4,000 to $8,000 each. And in St. Cloud, Minn., where an internal investigation report last year outlined mismanagement that led to mass resignations of health care providers, the chief of staff cited by investigators received a performance bonus of almost $4,000.

Rewarding corruption and poor performance

The Veteran’s Health Administration has a systemic history of scandals. Though outgoing VA head Eric Shinseki agreed to freeze all bonuses for ‘senior’ level executives, that amounted to only a tiny “sliver” of actual employees.

The VA continually claims that the vast majority of their employees are committed to caring for veterans. And yet we have the rewarding of poor performance rampant throughout the agency.The employees who actually do care should be rewarded for their compassion, not the people whose intent appears to be gouging the system for everything they can get.

“VA will continue to review tools and options in order to ensure the department is able to attract and retain the best talent to serve our nation’s veterans, while operating as a good steward of taxpayer funds.” VA spokesman James Hutton

The VA is anything but good stewards

Good stewards, huh? One of the latest scandals was with senior employees who deliberately “transferred” employees to other VA’s and charged up horrendous bills for moving costs.

The Hill reported,

News of the bonuses follows a that report alleged two VA regional directors intentionally shuffled senior staffers to new locations, claiming lavish relocation expenses along the way, in order to get around the pay freeze.

The directors refused to testify before the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs earlier this month.

That’s OUR money, America. $142 Million of OUR money. And the new NDAA passed with $1.1 Billion in funding for veteran’s care. Who will all that money go to? Congress has fought for years to change, revamp, and fix the problems. Changing the head of the agency will not fix it. You can fire the head, but if the minions are corrupt, the problems will continue.