EDITORIAL: Party time at Veterans Affairs

[thundley4]

Bureaucrats live it up while taxpayers foot the bill

Americans expect the nation to take care of our veterans, especially during war time when the needs of recently wounded

warriors increase. But at the Department of Veterans Affairs, some bureaucrats are using their positions to enrich themselves. A report issued last month by the VA inspector general sounds the alarm to shocking allegations of misconduct at a department charged with caring for our heroes.

Forty-two heavily redacted pages detail the antics of Diane Hartmann, the VA's director of national programs and special events. In this role, her primary duty was to coordinate rehabilitative events for disabled veterans, but, according to the report, Ms. Hartmann had other interests. For example, Ms. Hartmann allegedly spent her work time coming up with strategies that would contribute to a successful grand opening event for a friend's new business. Among the files investigators say they found on her government-issued computer were marketing plans, invitation letters, mailing lists and advertising flyers for this private event.

The IG report alleges that Ms. Hartmann used threats to compel subordinates to join the marketing effort. She also purportedly charged taxpayers for $727.37 in travel expenses for herself and an underling to make a trip to attend the friend's grand opening.

Washington Times

Read the whole thing at the link if you want to get pissed off.

[Mike220]

No wonder I had to wait seventeen weeks to get paid for the new GI Bill last semester. They were too busy taking care of themselves. Bastards.

[rich_t]

No wonder I had to wait seventeen weeks to get paid for the new GI Bill last semester. They were too busy taking care of themselves. Bastards.

My son was in the same boat.  He finally had to contact his congressman for assistance.

[Thor]

That's the problem with some Government employees that are in a "power position". They have discovered that they can steal from the feeding trough of a bloated Government with little or no accountability. I only wish that these folks had spent a few years in the military, at a unit level. I can't tell you the horror stories due to a lack of funding that we had to suffer in the many squadrons I was in AND the accountability of the supply department up to the CO.

[Lacarnut]

As a sales tax auditor, I had many conversations with government employees that tried to use their government credit cards with their name on them to avoid paying sales tax on their hotel rooms. Our policy was that if the card had their name on it, that LA sales tax was due. If the credit card had only the agency's name on it, no tax was due because the bill was sent directly to that agency rather than to the individual. Dealt with many obnoxious pissed off government employees. A while back government employees were charged with abusing their credit cards in other states in buying watches, TVs, etc.