After bending their knees in shame to the American people and pledging to clean up a mighty mess, top officials at the VA seem to have gotten over the humiliation that their administration has been riddled with scandals.
Take, for example, the gall of VA Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson, who visited the site of the medical center in Aurora Thursday that is $1 billion over budget, years behind schedule, and overseen by an official awarded $64,000 in bonuses.
According to the Denver Business Journal, Sloan DEFENDED the agency’s bonus system, and criticized legislation proposed by U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman and U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner to use the $360 million slated for bonuses this year for the facility’s construction costs.
“The bonus idea that has been floated is a lousy idea,” he said.
It’s not just taking bonuses from high-ranking officials, but from doctors, nurses, researchers, benefit professionals, and other employees, Sloan whined.
We know that.
We also know there’s a long list of these other workers who were caught up in the shameful scandals of purposefully delaying health care for veterans and received nearly $3 million in bonuses for their malfeasance.
And, according to the chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, bonuses actually created the incentives for officials to hide these wait-listed veterans, 18 of whom died.
So forgive us if we don’t think the VA should be handing out bonuses for killing veterans.
By the way, the VA has conceded to hold the public hearing in Aurora requested by Coffman, Gardner, and others to examine the agency’s gross mismanagement of the hospital construction.
Fittingly, the hearing will be held on April 15, when billions of taxpayers are forced to turn over their hard-earned cash to a bloated and arrogant federal government.
The VA might have thought it perfect timing to air their dirty laundry while Coloradans were distracted with mind-numbing tax forms, but we’ll be watching it, like a hawk.