VA officials take the Fifth
Illustrating what I’ve been writing for years; two Department of Veterans’ Affairs officials, Diana Rubens and Kimberly Graves, invoked the Fifth Amendment into their testimony before Congress. It seems that they forced VA employees to transfer to other jobs so the pair could step into their places and assume their lesser duties while keeping their own higher pay. In other words, the VA exists to enrich their employees, not care for veterans. From Fox News;
The panel’s chairman, Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., called the allegations against Rubens and Graves disturbing.
“VA exists for veterans, not for itself or the unjust enrichment of its senior employees,” he said.
Miller called on VA to take aggressive steps to root out actions identified by the inspector general’s report, hold employees accountable and “be better stewards of taxpayers’ money.”
[…]
Rubens and Graves kept their salaries of $181,497 and $173,949, respectively, even though the new positions they took as directors at regional offices in Philadelphia and St. Paul had less responsibility and a lower pay range than their previous positions.
Actually, it’s pretty common at the VA and it’s been going on for a long time. Now-Congresswoman Tammy DUckworth was an SES employee at the VA when she up and decided that she was going to college to get her Masters Degree full time while she was still being paid by the US taxpayers to make veterans her main concern, not just one veteran (herself). There’s a real culture problem at the VA that isn’t going to end without an extensive house-cleaning. Why else would a couple of women think that they could get away with feathering their own nests while veterans languish on line for the benefits that they’re owed for their lifetime of service.
Thanks to Chip for the link.
Category: Veterans' Affairs Department
I went through this with a guy years ago. He was unfit to be working as a counselor in a treatment center. GS 9-11 something like that. Took me a year and a half to get him dismissed. Even then he was just transferred to the hospital cafeteria where some bullshit position was created for him.
Yes, he still kept the same pay grade. These people often go right back to where they caused the problem after a few years. Getting these people gone permanently takes years under the current system, if ever.
Probably was a GS-11. The problem not only exist for VA like that, it happens in government system. The blame is OPM for allowing that type of rule to circumvent the system.
It’s pretty obvious the business model at the VA has been broken for a long time. It’s rotten at the top and the bottom. At the top, management treats it like their own personal cookie jar. At the bottom you have those who have not earned the VA benefits clogging up the system. Until there is a complete overhaul of the system, things are not going to get much better. A complete house cleaning would be a good start!
The institution of brainectomy’s to work for the government is a long standing protocol for initial employment by any governmental agency…
Good to know it works so damn well…
Dammit…
Second place again…
Surprise surprise.
What have I been telling you all here for years, that nothing will ever change at the VA short of a radical purge and overhaul of the entire system. Which would be practically impossible.
While some placed blame on certain VA heads, I knew better than to put blame on one person, when the entire system is one big corrupted festering pile of waste.
“nothing will ever change at the GOVERNMENT short of a radical purge and overhaul of the entire system.” Fixed it.
Taking the Fifth? Why not? That worked just fine for Lois Lerner (formerly of the IRS), right?
And as long as they keep their mouths shut and don’t rat on anyone higher, they’ll get to retire and sit on a phat/fat pension.
If they answer questions, they’ll get hammered.
Just more examples of the administration making fools of Congress since the Injustice department won’t do a thing about it.
GS’ers can be fired but it takes work. I was Aide to the Ft Monmouth CG way back when. One day a COL was bitching to the boss about what a loser one of his 14/15’s was. When he left, the boss had me pull that civilian’s file. Sure enough, it was full of Sustained Superior Performance evals, several of which had been signed by the COL in question. He simply didn’t have the balls to do an honest eval so no way would that civ ever be terminated.
Jonn, I agree with everything you wrote. Duckworth pisses me off, because she gets praised for being such a caring person towards her brothers and sisters, yet she looks out for hereself, instead, just like a fucking politician or Washington insider. I don’t trust her.
That needs to be put on blast, as she’s gunning for the Mark Kirk’s Senate seat.
Bureaucrats are often like maggots on a corpse, only out for themselves.
All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others….
Yeah, I got nothing. Thanks dirt bags for making the rest of us look bad. I do my job and take it seriously (my thisainthell addiction doesn’t help) and then I see this. Speaking for the majority of VA employees with high work ethics: THROW THE BOOK AT THEM!!!
I was a military brat, and worked at Military Personnel Center summers in college. Many of my parents’ friends are veterans. They notice and appreciate those who do their jobs. Their theory is that the US Government functions at all because the people who do work, do the work of several, and very well.
Sick Sick And Sick 🙁
Why is it so hard to fix this mess ???
“Now-Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth was an SES employee at the VA when she up and decided that she was going to college to get her Masters Degree full time while she was still being paid by the US taxpayers to make veterans her main concern, not just one veteran (herself). ”
That’s so disappointing. I remember seeing her in a Congressional Hearing lighting up some terd who used a “disabled veteran” status to get a lucrative government contract because of an ankle injury he suffered playing football in prep school.
Hypocrital ass.
I’ll repeat Dr. Carson’s idea- eliminate the VA—-(Wait)—- put their responsibilities within DOD. Addendum: staffed by Vets.
Is there ANY wonder why those of us with ratings simply prefer to stay out in the middle of the “back 40” and be left alone? ANY wrong comment brings people under suspicion to the point they wished they had never opened their mouth. No amount of bitching we “Peons” ever do will bring about a change. That is, unless we all together decide to take a stand in the name of humanity. That means EVERYBODY! When is Enough ENOUGH??????
I agree with your sentiments. I only go there for my annual physical in order to stay in the system (and my glasses). I like my doctor and even though his english leaves a lot to be desired, he cares about us.
Sigh. it’s no wonder they get to keep their jobs. I had someone physically change government documentation of patient test results, before computers, and try to shag me and nothing happened.
This from a soldier who attained the best rating from the IG, with no NCOIC, in an entire laboratory that had 5 departments and served all of USAEUR.
THIS. PISSES. ME. OFF. The regs allow for this kind of bullshit and they should be fired and have to fight for their positions if they are GS. Soldiers would have to also prove their non-negligence or face separation and then require them to repay the salary they did not earn. Buddy Fuckers. Hate them.