I Figured This Fits Into The "research" Category, Disgusting.

[kubrickbrawlik]

Veterans Administration Feeling Some Heat After an Eleven Day Conference in Arizona – (Department of Veterans Affairs) $221,540

In January 2011, fifty employees from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs attended an eleven

day conference at a resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. The final cost exceeded $221,000.

The purpose of the conference was to ―discuss revisions in how disability ratings are assigned

for veterans seeking compensation and health care. But the discussion concluded with a large tab for taxpayers:

$90,540 for travel, $30,000 for hotel accommodations, $4,000 for audiovisual, and $97,000 for the contractor in charge of the meeting.

The total cost was $221,540.To put that number in perspective, that is enough money to pay the annual disability compensation of six disabled combat veterans.

Additionally, with the availability of teleconferencing, conferences are, in large part, no longer necessary

(from Wastebook 2011)

[ks1k]

I just read in the latest DAV magazine, on page 20 that:

"The Department of Veterans Affairs wants to make Board of Veterans Appeals (BVA) video hearings more common and move away from offering veterans the option of face-to-face field or central office hearings. Legislation to make the video BVA hearings mandatory has been introduced in Congress but has been opposed by the DAV."

If the VA wants to force veterans to have video hearings, then they should have video conferences. They don't even need Legislation to do that.

I think that the VA talk about belt tightening and budget constraints are just talk and window dressing.

[tanker2]

was there any outcome from the meeting for us vets to benefit from?...any reports..anything?

[jbasser]

Even though I agree that it is excessive, the training Budget is not to be factored in with disability payments to veterans

It is from a different budget. So are the Performances bonuses.

Of course we like to hammer the VA on everything we think is wrong. I am not condoning the expense paid for this conference, but I am stating that it has nothing to do with the moneys we get from the VA.

J

was there any outcome from the meeting for us vets to benefit from?...any reports..anything?

Maybe they will send a copy of their golf score cards.

J

[kubrickbrawlik]

Even though I agree that it is excessive, the training Budget is not to be factored in with disability payments to veterans

It is from a different budget. So are the Performances bonuses.

Of course we like to hammer the VA on everything we think is wrong. I am not condoning the expense paid for this conference, but I am stating that it has nothing to do with the moneys we get from the VA.

J

Maybe they will send a copy of their golf score cards.

J

I bet my GAF score is better than their handicap.