DVA won’t punish Gingrich
The Stars & Stripes reports that the Department of Veterans’ Affairs won’t “further” punish Chief of Staff John Gingrich for his participation the recent scandal in which six million dollars were wasted on training conferences. By “further” punish, they mean not-at-all punish. It seems that Eric Shinseki merely scolded Gingrich for wasting the tax payers’ money.
In a statement late Tuesday, the department said that “Mr. Gingrich’s conduct has been addressed by the Secretary” and that a further review of other employees’ actions is underway. Gingrich received a mild rebuke from VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, who called Gingrich’s oversight of the conferences “inadequate.”
In our first post on the subject, I outlined some of the excessive and wasteful spending;
Among the more egregious expenses were $50,000 for a conference video parodying the move “Patton,” $98,000 for promotional items such as tote bags and thumb drives, $37,000 for questionable travel expenses for VA employees and $43,000 in extra pay for staff running the events.
Like I said in the first place, Shinseki was acting like he was sorry that Gingrich and his minions got caught, and this proves it.
In the Inspector General’s report, Gingrich accepted partial blame, saying he approved the conferences and should have better investigated the conduct of employees and costs of the event.
Oh, well, there you go [pat on gingrich’s butt] just don’t do it again, OK, Johnny? If you do it again, do a better job of not getting caught or I’ll have to go Honey Boo-Boo on your ass.
ADDED: TSO send this screen shot of the opening sentences of the Office of the Inspector General Report on their investigation into this most egregious waste of taxpayers’ money – especially money that was supposed to benefit veterans’;
Category: Veterans' Affairs Department
I’m sure that “mild rebuke” translated into ‘Don’t get caught next time.’
All that money wasted could have gone to do something for vets who are not getting their claims filled on a timely basis.
And we wonder why the DVA OIG busts so few fakers, or why so many get VA compensation who never served a day. Just look at the example set by the leadership.
I dread the day I go into the VA system.
Shinseki has always been scum… remember, he was in the forefront of the Obama concept of having our Wounded Warriors pay for their own private insurance.
Any real warrior would have poured gasoline on himself and fricking lit it before they would have gone out with a plan like that.
So, is it surprising this limp-wristed dick isn’t doing what should be done?
No.
Shinseki made my shit list the day I had to don a black beret without being a Ranger, and he keeps digging deeper.
That’s not fair Twist, you and I both know that issuing those black berets to us made us an E-Light fighting force.
I improved my PT score by 75 points in a day, just getting that black beret.
After that “mild rebuke”, how will Gingrich ever sleep at night?
Shinseki said that Gingrich’s oversight was “inadequate”? As the definition of that word involves standards and the word “inept”, I’d disagree with Shinseki, Gingrich’s leadership and oversight, like the leadership of Shinseki, was non-existent.
Like a bunch of others in this Regime, these two asshats should resign.
The higher up one goes…the higher the standards… Except in the VA. Fire the bums!
Don’t you guys understand yet that “taking care of veterans” really means making sure that the bureaucrats paid to do a simple job are rewarded grandly for making sure that they and nobody else actually serve the veteran community?
Are you telling me that after all we have observed, that any of you expects for tax dollars to go into the pockets of real veterans and those who care for the real needs of real veterans? Do you seriously not yet understand that veterans are only useful as political props or as excuses to line the pockets of the SEIU and their ilk?
Yeah – anyone with half a brain sees this sort of waste, fraud and abuse as inexcusible. On the other hand, if there were any folks administering this or any other federal program with any common sense (does it even exist today?) or decency, this nonsense would never happen.
The VA is not about helping Veterans, its about justifying their existence. Practically every time I have a doctor’s appointment its just a rush to see me, give me a piss poor exam. spend 50% of the exam typing notes, not telling me shit, then making the next appointment. At the end of it all I’m no better, have no care plan, they checked the block for “assisting a patient” and lined up another appointment to do it again. Meanwhile there are close to 860,000 Veterans awaiting resolution of their claims. I’ve been 100% disabled for 18 months due to an already documented and pensioned condition, yet I haven’t gotten paid yet. I hate the VA worse then Coomies, Hippies and Liberals.
I am quite thankful I’ve never had occaision to need to use VA benefits. I get pretty good insurance through work and feel it would be selfish in the extreme for me to darken the DVA’s door seeking medical benefits. I’m fortunate enough to not need them, why take away from those who desperately need them?
My mom is a Marine. She has been going to the VA hospital for tests and treatments and such for a while now. She never complains about it, but I’ll just say I’m not looking forward to such a time where I do need medical benefits.
This makes all of us Civil Servants look bad.
All this does is prove the media and general public right about their thoughts of us. It ignores the hard working sacrificing agents that work hard protecting the taxpayer dollar.
Actually Steadfast, it just highlights the IG’s that get tossed under the Mack truck’s wheels. I know of several that have thrown their hands in the air and retired because the red-tape…And they are damn good men & women…
er…because of…
@10 OWB: Common sense “kind of” exists now. But they call it “critical thinking” and the only way anyone uses it is if they pay someone on the lecture circuit to train them in it.
The only reason Shinseki has this job is because he’s from Hawaii kind of like how Obama is from Hawaii…
At least the GSA boss resigned when they found something this egregious. Seems a better leader who accepts responsibility more so than a retired 4-star. Go figure.
Freshly retired(official as of Sept 30). Not getting a warm and fuzzy about the DVA. I forgot Shinseki was in charge. Screw him! Never forgave him for the beret.
Eric: good point about the difference in GSA and VA leadership after a screw-up.
And that’s a damn shame.