DVA under the gun for $5m conferences
I’m sure that those of you who have been waiting for your claims at the Veterans’ Affairs Department will be happy to know that it’s been disclosed that the Department is now stammering to oversight committees about the 5 million smackers they spent on conferences in Orlando according to Fox News;
Issa questioned why the VA hired an outside group to make the video when the department “has videographers and editors on staff.”
Issa also wrote that another $84,000 was spent on “promotional items such as branded pens, highlighters, hand sanitizers and USB drives.”
The weeklong conferences were hosted by the Office of Human Resources. As with the GSA scandal, Issa said “waste also occurred in the pre-conference planning phase.” Issa wrote that the IG found at least seven workers at VA headquarters traveled to Nashville, Dallas and Orlando before the conference to scout locations — using taxpayer money, even though the department already had employees in each of those cities.
Yeah, why put local assets to work when you can pay more for someone else to do it. Besides we know all of those DVA employees are all busy processing those veteran disability claims which are piling up.
But don’t worry, the guy who bought his first load of black berets from China while they were holding an aircraft crew hostage, says that he’s sorry he got caught misusing taxpayer funds;
“Allegations of misconduct received by the VA Office of Inspector General regarding two training conferences in 2011 are unacceptable,” the department said in a written statement, adding that it is cooperating with the investigation. It said Shinseki plans to “hold accountable” anyone who “misused taxpayer dollars or violated our standards of conduct.”
So, I’m sure there will be a timely resolution and heads will roll, but not Shinseki’s head. I’m taking bets on that.
Category: Veterans' Affairs Department
Let’s see, $5 Million a year, and assuming the average college student veteran is about $25K/year, this would have paid for, (let’s see, carry the 1, add the zero)…
200 veterans college for a year. Or 2400 months worth of backlogged claims.
As the saying goes, “Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin to slit throats.”
Memo to DHS–yeah, go ahead and label me a domestic terrorist for quoting H.L. Mencken. I dare ya.
Speaking of backlogged claims, anyone who has a claim into the Winston Salem VA may want to check ebenefits. My boyfriend’s claim (10+ months and counting) just showed up as moved to Alabama. He would never have known if I didn’t check. I’m hoping that this is the VA’s solution to decrease the backlog by moving cases to less busy centers but I was curious if anyone has heard anything about such a move since I can’t find it in the news.
I think they should all be involuntarily committed for psychological evaluations for 30 days at a VA hospital…….lol.
That there is some real terrorist shit.
20+ months here…should be a hell of a back pay when it does come through
SquidEiz; we just wrote about Winston-Salem’s office. I’m on my Kindle or I’d post a link. They were the ones with piles of records on top of file cabinets.
Jonn,
I remember, I saw the picture. I just didn’t recall if there was something about an action plan to rectify it. If it is, its a nice idea but its something they’re doing without telling anyone who has a file in the system.
This isn’t the first time this year that government employees have enjoyed expensive outings at the expense of taxpayers, nor is it the first time it has ever happened. Joe Biden goes on weekend golf junkets every weekend at taxpayers’ expense.
It said Shinseki plans to “hold accountable” anyone who “misused taxpayer dollars or violated our standards of conduct.”
Except himself. So much for leading by example.
Bottom Line: The VA is a defunct organization administered by crooks and incompetents.
Period.
and the f–nuts actually sent me a bill for the treatment I had from getting hurt in Iraq (I slipped in the shower)
Same sh!t different administration, different director, same story like a record on a turn table stuck in a scratch, it never changes, the groove just keeps getting deeper and sounds worse.
Meanwhile Vets loose their homes, cars, health, wives, and lives.
Thanks for your service, now go away we gotta make sure the welfare folks and illegals get their check so they will vote.
Sorry got a little attitude tonight.
Stu, but you are correct. The college campus I had to cover as a coppper… I volunteered to help the Vet students. They’re still getting held up getting education money….but the fu–nuts who are getting free money just showing up because the parents are on welfare—get a check even if they don’t show up for class.
Other peoples money – turn spigot and money shall flow freely and in great abundance. A million here, a billion there – charge it to the national credit card. Donald Rumsfeld testified to Congress a few years ago that DoD lost $2.3 trillion – simply unable to account for it. This is how great civilizations crumble…
CI Roller Dude,
When I used my GI Bill 92-94 to get my BA I had to call and fight with the VA EVERY month to get a check cut, and it was always late, and they always treated me like they were doing me a favor.
CI,
I was medically retired (Army)for injuries from Iraq and they billed my civillian insurance for 18 months until they “Officially” rated me, sent me bills and payment demand letters for medicine chagres, even though they had the Army paperwork showing 90%. When they rated me did they reimburse the insurance for the charges for treating service connected injuries, nope. What a mess.
Now I can see why the VA will not pay for a neuro-stimulator implant for my lower back on a service-connected disability.
Well that explaines why I can’t get a live person on the phone about my GI Bill, Its not like I’m starting school in 6 weeks or anything….
They still bill my private provider for service-related injuries.
Stu, DLM: by law, TRICARE and the VA are generally required to collect from private medical insurance if you have it. About the only exceptions I know of are for special “TRICARE supplement” plans (there may be VA supplement plans too). The rationale is to keep the costs to Uncle Sam down as much as possible.
I believe Medicare is the same, but I have no experience with Medicare yet.
Obviously the VA could skip 5 million dollar traning meetings for Human Resources. They already have a network for interactive video conferencing and that means none of them would have to travel and they could wrap it all up in a day and get back to work. Webinars would take the place of all the BS. And they could reach all the HR departments for example, not just some dillweeds looking for a vacation.My congressman has not called back after I told him he could look into it instead of pretending he is really doing an excellent job.
My favorite is when they refer you out to unqualified personnel to seek a diagnosis.
Psychologists practicing neuropsycolgy, optometrists evaluating vestibular dysfunction, family practice evaluating TBI, etc.
Whats next? An ocular injury patient being seen by a Proctologist?
Malpractice, misconduct, unethical…you name it.
VA all the way!
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