by BK · October 14, 2012 ·
General Shinseki, the buck stops with you
The Veteran’s Administration Inspector General has released a report that absolutely destroys the department for spending a staggering amount of money on meetings, gifts, and parties over the course of the last 7 years.
Since 2005, the VA has held over 1,600 employee conferences, if you can believe it, spending an estimated 300 million dollars. That works out to a conference every one and a half days.The most expensive meeting totaled a jaw-dropping 6.3 million dollars…In an ironic twist, the title of this conference was, “Financial Management Training.”
But wait, there’s more! Last year, the VA spent more than 6 million dollars on a pair of “Human Resources” conferences in Orlando. Indeed, the budget for the two conferences, signed off on by the Chief of Staff, actually budgeted the two events at 8 million dollars! I suppose the VA should be lauded for restraining themselves and coming in under budget.
.......
Congressmen Jeff Miller and Richard Burr have written a letter to the secretary, retired general Eric Shinseki, demanding answers. They stop short of asking for Shinseki’s resignation, but do ask that his Chief of Staff, John Gingrich, be fired for signing off without critique the 8 million dollar budget for the two events.
Secretary Shinseki should resign. I do not say this lightly, for I recognize General Shinseki has distinguished himself in combat during Vietnam. Indeed, he is a wounded veteran himself, and by all accounts, a patriot.
However, Shinseki either knew about this grotesque culture of waste, and didn’t care, or he didn’t know that the agency he was charged with running was spending more than a quarter of a billion dollars on parties. (And make no mistake: these were parties, not conferences.) If it was the first scenario, he’s unfit to head up the agency, and if it was the second, he’s incompetent.
...........
It is time that the taxpayers of this country start demanding names and firings. I, for one, am tired of the ubiquitous “un-named senior government official” nonsense. I am tired of the re-shuffling of incompetent federal employees.
Read more: Shinseki Should Resign Immediately | SOFREP
General Shinseki, the buck stops with you
The Veteran’s Administration Inspector General has released a report that absolutely destroys the department for spending a staggering amount of money on meetings, gifts, and parties over the course of the last 7 years.
Since 2005, the VA has held over 1,600 employee conferences, if you can believe it, spending an estimated 300 million dollars. That works out to a conference every one and a half days.The most expensive meeting totaled a jaw-dropping 6.3 million dollars…In an ironic twist, the title of this conference was, “Financial Management Training.”
But wait, there’s more! Last year, the VA spent more than 6 million dollars on a pair of “Human Resources” conferences in Orlando. Indeed, the budget for the two conferences, signed off on by the Chief of Staff, actually budgeted the two events at 8 million dollars! I suppose the VA should be lauded for restraining themselves and coming in under budget.
.......
Congressmen Jeff Miller and Richard Burr have written a letter to the secretary, retired general Eric Shinseki, demanding answers. They stop short of asking for Shinseki’s resignation, but do ask that his Chief of Staff, John Gingrich, be fired for signing off without critique the 8 million dollar budget for the two events.
Secretary Shinseki should resign. I do not say this lightly, for I recognize General Shinseki has distinguished himself in combat during Vietnam. Indeed, he is a wounded veteran himself, and by all accounts, a patriot.
However, Shinseki either knew about this grotesque culture of waste, and didn’t care, or he didn’t know that the agency he was charged with running was spending more than a quarter of a billion dollars on parties. (And make no mistake: these were parties, not conferences.) If it was the first scenario, he’s unfit to head up the agency, and if it was the second, he’s incompetent.
...........
It is time that the taxpayers of this country start demanding names and firings. I, for one, am tired of the ubiquitous “un-named senior government official” nonsense. I am tired of the re-shuffling of incompetent federal employees.
Read more: Shinseki Should Resign Immediately | SOFREP
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