$24 million in bonuses to VA workers...

tiny · Aug 22, 2009

Just another case of the government's ability to handle our money.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/08/22/veterans.affairs.bonuses/index.html?eref=igoogle_cnn

While hundreds of thousands of disability claims lay backlogged at the Department of Veterans Affairs, thousands of technology employees at the department received $24 million in bonuses, a new report says.

A report issued by the VA's Office of Inspector General said the department issued millions of dollars in awards over a two-year period in 2007 and 2008.

"The frequent and large dollar amount awards given to employees were unusual and often absurd," the report stated.

The reports also called the payments "not fiscally responsible."
Four high-level employees received about $60,000, $73,000, $58,000, and $59,000, respectively, according to the report, without sufficient justification. Another employee received a $4,500 performance award within the first 90 days of her employment from a manager who said that she did not even remember her.

Delightful.

CACTUSWENDY · Aug 22, 2009

Just me again sounding like a broken record.....FOLLOW THE MONEY.

MattW · Aug 22, 2009

Should government employees even be getting bonuses?

Isn't one of the old paradigms that government paid much less than the private sector, but that the job security and retirement were better? Now it's all the same?

Shouldn't there be some tie to service to the citizens of the USA, specifically patients of the VA? You know, maybe time to process claims, number of complaints, and actual patient outcome and recovery? If you are not rewarding VA employees on those simple measures, what value are they providing?

Andrew · Aug 22, 2009

People in the government robbing the treasury--and voting as a block for those who set it up for them.
Quaint.
The storm is gathering. Can't you feel it? A war is at hand. Can't you see it?

Don · Aug 22, 2009

Your tax dollars at work.

No matter how critical the problem, no matter how lofty the promises, it seems the dollars make the problems worse, the promises never get kept... and there's a huge group of voters who benefit at the expense of others.

No chance things like this will happen with the health care overhall, though, right? We've finally learned how to do it right.

Saint Fool · Aug 22, 2009

MattW said:
Should government employees even be getting bonuses?

Isn't one of the old paradigms that government paid much less than the private sector, but that the job security and retirement were better? Now it's all the same?

Back when executives earned 10X what their average worker made, the old paradigm was applicable. Now that executive pay is up to 400X the average worker, job security and better retirement aren't as tempting to government/non-profit upper management.

We've had a couple of kerfluffles here about the giant raise in pay given to the newest city manager (reason = they couldn't get anyone with the experience the city wanted to apply at the old rate) and two charitable organizations found themselves in hot water with constituents and volunteers when the salaries of their CEOs were made public (same reason as the city manager.)

I don't have a problem with gov workers getting bonuses if they've done something that saves money, increases efficiency, etc. etc. Then again, I worked for a non-profit company where everyone got a bonus equal to one months salary. Everyone. It was nice, but it made the idea of a bonus a joke. (And caused much muttering since why should so and so who can't turn on his/her computer without my help get the same amount of money.)

Andrew, since the bonuses were given in 2007 and 2008 and the Head of the VA was a Bush appointee who presumably approved the bonuses or at least knew of them (one can only hope), that bloc voting idea didn't work out too well for McCain, did it?

tiny · Aug 22, 2009

Let's add to the delightful nature of this article....

National Coalition for Homeless Veterans - Background & Statistics

According to the National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers and Clients (U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness and the Urban Institute, 1999), veterans account for 23 percent of all homeless people in America.

Really, because benefits would help that.

In addition to the complex set of factors affecting all homelessness -- extreme shortage of affordable housing, livable income and access to health care...

Really? Because benefits would help that.

With an estimated 260,000 veterans homeless at some time during the year, the VA reaches 100,000 of those in need -- leaving 160,000 veterans who must seek assistance from local government agencies and service organizations in their communities.

Really? Because benefits would help that.

tiny · Aug 25, 2009

It'll never be as sexy as discussing Israel or politics or the economic crisis but damn...

Suicides among veterans average 18 a day, by the government's estimation, and a backlog of disability claims for post-traumatic stress disorder and other untreated ailments approaches 1 million.

http://www.vawatchdog.org/09/nf09/nfaug09/nf082509-2.htm

$24 million in bonuses to VA workers...

tiny

riding the sun

CACTUSWENDY

An old, sappy, and happy one.

MattW

Company Man

Andrew

Most of the rules gotta go...

Don

All Living is Local

Saint Fool

tiny

riding the sun

tiny

riding the sun