Has Anyone Noticed:

[broncovet]

The backlog on paychecks and bonuses for VA employee executives, including Shinseki: Zero

The backlog for disabled Veterans: about 1 million and growing at 16% per year, altho the VA is not sure about the number.

The backlog for new GI bill Vets: VA is not sure, but somewhere around 254,000

Are there any VA executives who would like to Venture a guess as to the reasons for these numbers?

More importantly, are there any Veteran Employee executives who are willing to forego their bonus/paycheck until all Veterans are paid?

Make a list of VA executives willing to wait on their paycheck until all Veterans are paid, and then simply fire the rest.

To qualify as a VA executive, the VA employee executive (candidate) needs to know what it is like to do without a paycheck, so that they can be sympathetic with Veterans who have to do the same.

This would apply to any VA executive (or executive candidate) earning over $100,000 per year, Peons earning less would still get their checks on time.

Edited September 26, 2009 by broncovet

[Berta]

Yeahhhhhhhhhh

Kurt Priessman (VA Watchdog) called me the other day and asked me a very provocative question-

it was the same question I had just discussed with another advocate-

We are trying to find out why- (as for example a recent widows claim at VA Watchdog reveals-

and as many of us are going through-)

why-when the VA makes an award-

they are taking months to even pay the comp?????

There is even a note on my PC claim screen for VA NOT to send me a REPS application.WHy not? I am eligible for this benefit.

I got the app from the VA web site 3 weeks ago (I guess they threw out the filled out one in my C file)-bypassed the RO, sent it to REPS directly and they are processing this.

REPS is technically a SSA program in liason with VA.

I came up with some rather bizarre scenarios-discussing this with another advocate yesterday-(we are all concerned about this)years ago the check from Finance would often come even before the award letter-

but then again-

---------------

as Deep Throat said- (Watergate)"follow the money" and if we could really do that and see what going on regarding the VA coffers (disability comp is allocated anyhow) we might find answers we never dreamed we would find.

[Berta]

I am sorry I got off the track here-and didnt answer your question- the Sub Committee hearing regarding bonuses was Wednesday and due to the radio show development (SVR)and other things-I didnt have time to see the hearing.Havent had time to even watch the archives of it-

But I have the VAOIG testimony and it states in part:

"A current and former DAS both told us that they were “stunned” by the total amount of appropriated funds that OI&T spent on awards/bonuses. Although we did not find that the dollar amounts given to each employee violated VA policy, we found that the money spent on many of the annual awards we examined were fiscally irresponsible, and in many cases, highly questionable."

Source:http://www.va.gov/OIG/pubs/VAOIG-statement-20090923-oneill.pdf

[Berta]

ANy media player should bring the hearing up in audio/video-

http://veterans.house.gov/hearings/hearing.aspx?NewsID=471

This is the H VAC Sub Committee Investigations/ Oversite hearing Wednesday Sept 23.2009.

[myround0]

The suggestion is one that would get managers motivated...I am onboard with suspending the pay of GS-12's and above until the VA backlog no longer exist...I bet you would get some people motivated with the quickness...All we Vets ask if for you all to DO YOUR JOB...

[jbasser]

Lets be realistic, That is not going to happen.

Pay and Allowances are governed by the Title 5 USC.

The change has to come from other sources like performance review and a Quality Assurance blitz from an outside entity like Underwriters Labs.

Quality systems are needed to fix the problem and the Top Dogs must be receptive to this or it will fail.

Given the track record of the VA. The confidence level is low.

J

[Pete53]

All these bonuses for performance and the performance sucks. It does not make any sense at all