VA execs; more equal animals
Bobo and Hack Stone send us links to the news regarding those two Veterans’ Affairs executives that the VA demoted for charging taxpayers $400,000 for their moving expenses. Kimberly Graves and Diana Rubens were demoted by the VA last month to punish them and send the message that VA SES employees aren’t above the system. According to Stars & Stripes, two Veterans’ Affairs administrative judges reversed those demotions;
In separate decisions, administrative judges in Chicago and Philadelphia reversed the demotions, finding that while the women were guilty of the charges against them – namely that their actions created the appearance that they’d put their own interests ahead of veterans — other executives who’d taken the same actions were not punished so the women could not be either.
Basically, the judges ruled that because the system is so broken, that the system has been broken for such a long time, now is not the time to fix the system. Let’s not start holding executives responsible for their actions.
Calling Graves ruling “a twist of tragic comedy,” the chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee said the case proved the need for drastic reform of the federal civil service system.
“The outcome of this case is a slap in the face to the many dedicated VA employees who do the right thing on a daily basis,” charged Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla. “Enough is enough. Every objective observer knows that the federal civil service system coddles and protects misbehaving employees instead of facilitating fair and efficient discipline.”
I’m out.
Category: Veterans' Affairs Department
Just when you think it can’t sink any lower. I don’t think Hollyweird could script anything this dysfunctional.
Time to shytcan the stinking judges right along with the lying bimbos!!
Veterans’ Affairs administrative judges?!?
And here I am thinking that fraud and embezzlement would land you in front of a regular, old-fashioned, criminal court judge. I guess that’s just for us peasants-not the politically connected.
http://www.mspb.gov/
Do a search for their names and read the transcripts – will make you want to laugh and cry. The mission statement at the top of the page especially rings hollow when you read the text of the final decisions :).
I’m assuming that Prohibited Personnel Practices is in reference to Federal HR procedure, not Individual actions.
This judge was not hearing VA’s or America’s case against the two SESs, he was hearing the SES’s appeal of their demotions by VA.
As for the fraud and embezzlement, your guess is as good as any as to why VA chose not to file a criminal complaint.
I get that (the decision is still mind-boggling), but I get that the judge was ruling on an administrative issue (when a different judge should have been hearing an appeal of their sentence).
But I don’t think any of us have to guess why there were no criminal charges filed. It’s same reason that they likely got their cushy jobs in the first place: they’re politically connected somehow and someone is protecting them.
This won’t garner significant media attention because pointing out corruption in the federal bureaucracy doesn’t advance the lefty narrative, so instead someo0ne like Samantha Bee has chosen to focus on a different scandal involving the VA on her new show-how the agency is failing female veterans, which helps with the whole “war on women” meme that is useful to the left.
Simple.
They call it past practice – and yes, unfortunately, it really can be used as a way to get by with malfeasance. Shouldn’t be that way but it is.
What
The
Hell?
As a federal employee, I cannot even describe the anger and embarrassment I feel about this BS.
I concur. It is amazing the amount of money we waste on the SES. I joined my current agency in March 2012. The agency was building out a new SCIF capable office suite for our SES at the cost of a couple million dollars. By the end of 2013 he was gone, the new SES hired was allowed to stay in a neighboring state due to a family members health concerns and the agency spent another couple million to do a new build in that city. In my 8 years of federal experience since retiring from the Navy I have had exactly 1 interaction with IG, and the complaint against the program I was working was from 2 years before I started working there. So I suppose some time around 2017 or 2018, IG will get around to asking some questions. Not holding my breath though.
If I did that, I’d be doing hard time. A guy in my department (who was already regarded as a shitbag) got caught using the department’s credit card for personal shit. His bill only came out to thirty grand or so, and he’s doing ten years for it now.
So as I see it, when one works for the Federal Government, who they know and who they blow determines what they’ll be allowed to get away with! I don’t think I’d last even an hour there before I’d strangle somebody.
Seriously. What Is It Going To Take To Fix This Mess ? ? ? ?
Do we have to fire all of them… ????
What do you mean by “I’m out,” Jonn?? Explain that NOW.
I believe he’s just saying something to the effect…”Goddamn fucking lousy cocksucking government civil servant cheating lying VA asshole bastards and bitches sucking the life out of all the honest and good folks in the government, all 4 of them.”
I hope you’re right.
And remember, Unca Bernie wants to throw a boat load more cash at this system, none of which will ever reach the veterans.
Bernie wants to make all healthcare throughout the country be subject to the same mismanagement and corruption.
Why would this surprise anyone?
No charges will ever be filed because the women in question aren’t the only one guilty of defrauding the government, and aren’t likely to remain quiet about that fact.
The rest is simple employment law, you can’t have similar classifications of employees subject to different levels of discipline for the same offense. If some executives won’t be charged or demoted for fraud, then none of them can be demoted.
As a private employer this lesson was classically illustrated for me when I mistakenly tried to give a young man several “second” chances. When I finally terminated his employment I learned at the hearing he would remain terminated but receive unemployment compensation because while my motives to give him a 4th-7th chance might have been well intended my handbook said after number 4 it’s goodbye so once I violated my handbook how could the young man know for certain the handbook held any value at all?
Lesson learned, now I’ve rewritten that and strike three means we no longer keep them employed. Period. No 4th chance, no consideration for special circumstances lest I be litigated right out of business. Fuck up 3 times you’re gone. My discretion has no place in my own fucking business.
It’s also what I heard referred to as the Drunk Judge Phenomenon. In traffic courts, where the judge has a drinking problem, DUI drivers are fined less and turned loose more often than in areas where the judge doesn’t drink. There are some other correlations that are even less savory, to do with sexual misconduct and graft. My grandfather used to say we all measure each other by our own yardstick. This would appear to be an instance where this is true.
Yeah.
A lot of folks have dirt on other folks who have dirt on other folks, etc.
This will continue until they clean out/ straighten out all of the lower SES ranks and GS-15s.
So as I understand the decision was basically “They’re guilty as hell but because other people we know of weren’t prosecuted like this for doing the same illegal things, we’re going to let them walk” instead of “what ho! There’s more – IG, do your goddamn job and go after those other folks too!”
“The outcome of this case is a slap in the face to the many dedicated VA employees who do the right thing on a daily basis.” Right. Name three.
I’m not going to read the decision of the ALJ. I just ate.
They finally busted Capone on tax evasion, for failing to pay the tax on his “earnings”.
What are the odds that these two played as fast and loose with their 1040s as with the VA system? Might leave an avenue for eventual karmic justice.
And the thought of crooked gov’t persons getting hoist on the petard of the IRS and its web of calvinball rules, well that is just -so- kosmicly karmic.