While many of our nation’s veterans died waiting for care — or received substandard treatment — the Department of Veterans Affairs paid out $142 million in bonuses to its employees in 2014.
Including to some of the VA’s worst offenders.
Gannett Wisconsin Media (http://gbpg.net/1GYhR3l ) says David Houlihan, nicknamed “candy man” by some patients for allegedly handing out excess narcotics, got a $4,000 bonus in December.
Houlihan, a psychiatrist, was recently fired from his chief of staff position at the scrutinized Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Tomah, WI and his clinical privileges have been revoked.
The VA informed congressional members the decision to fire Houlihan came after the agency investigated his clinical practice as well as his “administrative interactions with subordinates and alleged retaliatory behavior.”
The wait times at VA hospitals, often covered up by administrators, became a national scandal that led to the resignation of VA Secretary Eric Shinseki. And while long wait times reportedly persist, it appears employees’ taxpayer-funded bonus checks arrived right on time.
To check-out a database of employees who were given some of these huge bonuses, click here.
The Associated Press contributed to this article
They serve themselves.
Their own private club paid for by the taxpayers. It was on a Boston tv news show yesterday as to how the VA is giving a disabled blind veteran a tough time because he needs to take his guide dog to the vet’s office.
I make a small salary, but I send a donation to USO and Wounded Soldiers for the pass 10 years.
Oh please Disingenuous. This reminds me of all of the fabricated lies from ProjectVeritas which end up as gospel on the main stream media. These people are overworked, unsupported, underfunded and the GOP has been underfunding them all along. They deserve their bonuses. If we want to talk about undeserved bonuses go after Wall Street. You people need to stop believing the propaganda and then going after hard working Americans. Yes people that work in govt are hard working Americans. The idiots in that clown show GOP debate talk about firing everyone in govt and no one ever says, but these are America workers. Do you have replacement jobs for them. If you fire them, there will be less taxes collected, their local economy will suffer, their families will suffer, the economy in general will suffer. If corporations are going to outsource overseas and if they refuse to pay fair living wages, and as they have shown they are not hiring enough, then they don’t deserve to be able to sell their products here. I got news for you the sword has 2 edges If TPP passes, Planned Parenthood will be able to sue ProjectVeritas and the congress. Planned Parenthood will pick the arbitrators and the laws will be on their side. They will be able to sue for damages for loss of revenue. Paybacksabitch!
Eric, I’d like to suggest you do some volunteer work at a local VAMC with your eyes and ears open and learn more about the system before spouting off.
You my friend are a real nut case
BONUSES?
No, fine them!
I agree with Bill
If, on the whole, the company/ hospital is not performing satisfactorily, bonuses should NOT be issued. I’m not sure why Eric thinks we should reward poor performance, as it only perpetuates more poor performance. Bonuses are rewards for exemplary work above and beyond the call of regular job duties, resulting in higher profits and overall customer satisfaction. It’s a message from management, thanking staff for excellence on the job. I had a personal experience with the VA, one that didn’t perform to any standards by comparison. Short story here; the operation went south and the result was death. I would just close all the VA hospitals that aren’t up to standards. In the long run it would cost less and save lives. The Gov has been working on this problem for years, without much resolution. We all know how the gov can do anything private sector can for twice as much money, at 50% of the quality, in twice the time. Actually I vehemently disagree with Eric on the loss to a community if many of the loser employees were fired.
Most important is, thousands of Vets have died waiting for the care they deserve at the VA care centers. That, in and of itself is one of the most disgusting things that continues to happen to our Vets. Our Vets are one of the most important groups of people in this country. They deserve extra special treatment, instead of letting them F’n rot to death. Don’t get me wrong there must be some great VA Hospitals… but it seems like this is a systemic problem still.
eric, you missed this one badly. check out PAT ——. HEAD OF VETS AFFAIRS IN WAYNE COUNTY NEW YORK. he will be happy to set you straight. my brotherinlaw was living under a bridge in rochester ny. because the vets organization in that city was and is just like most of the rest— crooked +. pat got him the needed help he deserved. do some real research.
Bischoff you are a real nut case
If these long-suffering workers are in such a difficult situation at work, why don’t they find other employment? Where is their concern for the welfare of the veterans? These men and women have lived through hell and deserve the best their country has to offer in the way of care. I would like to see you live through a world war or Viet Nam or Desert Storm or the war that’s happening now. I believe that you would yell loud and long for your right of service. VA hospitals are hiding the wait times that it takes for a veteran to get the care he/she so desperately needs, but all the help can run singing to the bank with all the taxpayers money while our loved ones are dying from lack of care. I hope they enjoy that money when they come back to work to see more empty beds! Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but yours sucks.
“How fortunate for governments that the people they administer don’t think.”
~~Adolf Hitler
Every VA employee that received a bonus should be required to return it. These funds should be re- distributed to the Veterans who have suffered or are still suffering due to the lack of quality care that they deserve. Also, the families left behind by the Veterans should be compensated for their loss due to incompetent medical care received at VA facilities.
We spend millions on illegals for housing, education, medical care (tax payer expense), and yet we can not provide the Veterans the care that they earned.
i AGREE. We need to stop the funding to the VA. Just let the Vets go to a Hospital of there choice and get the care they need.. Shut down a good share of them, since they are not helping the Vets anyway.. and make them give back the Bonsus they did not rightfully deserve.. This money belongs to the Vets for service not a party for the big shots.
Anyone want to bet that the VA employee bonus’s went primarily to registered Democrats? To assume differently in the land of Obama would be folly. This is how Democrats fund their misinformation campaigns.
It’s safe to say this isn’t a bonus for quality. Whoever approved these bonuses should be fired. It’s beyond belief that workers would be rewarded while some many vets are receiving bad service or no service from the VA. Only in government are workers rewarded for poor performance and failure.
a bonus is if you do something outstanding! anyone taking a bonus should be ashamed of themselves-and this should haunt them-
this is ONE of the most corrupt of many government agencies- dishing out bonuses and still not caring for the men and women.
you can add this to the IRS and other depts as they seem to pay themselves and forget to do thier jobs
and NO ONE is fire or demoted for not doing thier jobs.
if we actually disconnected thier access to porn, govt cars and bonuses-that would be a start!
every department head from top down to managers should forfeit bonuses until our men and women are cared for-
solutions: give the vets workers (all the people who work for the VA and all senators the same healthcare) as the vets! block all porn, make all people provide lie detector at ramdom that they have not participated in any corruption and make them do thier jobs or get rid of them. any frauds or felonies they would also forfeit pensions! A audit should be performed by a independent private company of the states choice, not a govt agency. Everyone should be fingerprinted, background checked and lie detector tested as well as drug tested. if they fail they lose thier jobs-
If this is not done then i suggest shut down the organization and let the states take the alloted funds and provide care for the vets- i can guarantee private doctors of all levels would do better by our prescious men and women who have secured our nation!
the good people doing thier jobs at the vets hospital should be rewarded- but only after patients are seen.
also vets should be able to take thier “vet card” and go to any hospital of anykind even if it is a holistic doctors office- they should not have to wait for care.
the fact we still have not taken care of our vets shows you the president is more interested in feeding his muslim friends and banquets (hidden from public with tents), bowing to the enemy, and having beer summits- than he is getting to the bottom of this issue. The whole world is watching and knows how inadequate our leaders are, and will take advantage of this.
Leaders actions – not lip service, show what kind a man the leader is and this goes for all people in office regardles if govt or private!
Leaders dont boast, leaders do their jobs!
Leaders dont to photo ops, leaders actually go to work!
Real leaders dont have to tell you how smart they are, they dont redact thier past- its not necessary because their actions are proof that they are doing a fabulous job!
if you want to know if your leader is a good one, look at his friends- like kinded people hang together.
“How fortunate for governments that the people they administer don’t think.”
~~Adolf Hitler
This is so disgusting, that I find it hard to know what to say??????????? Will it ever end?
I agree that this is beyond words right now. Would love ideas on how the people would deal with this mess. Like all Americans I have dads, brothers, a husband, relatives, and friends that have fought in the Korean, Vietnam, Kuwait and now the Afganistan wars and these Veterans deserve ALL they are due for what they sacrificed for all of us.
First of all, it’s not Obamas VA! Second, this is rediculous paying bonuses to people when the system is broke. Our veterans deserve the best, not second or third or tenth best!!
“How fortunate for governments that the people they administer don’t think.”
~~Adolf Hitler