Veterans Affairs Employees Spend Billions

[Capper]

Veterans Affairs employees last year racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in government credit-card bills at casino and luxury hotels, movie theaters and high-end retailers such as Sharper Image and Franklin Covey — and government auditors are investigating, citing past spending abuses.

All told, VA staff charged $2.6 billion to their government credit cards.

The Associated Press, through a Freedom of Information request, obtained the VA list of 3.1 million purchases made in the 2007 budget year. The list offers a detailed look into the everyday spending at the government's second largest department.

By and large, it reveals few outward signs of questionable spending, with hundreds of purchases at prosthetic, orthopedic and other medical supply stores.

But there are multiple charges that have caught the eye of government investigators.
At least 13 purchases totaling $8,471 were charged at Sharper Image, a specialty store featuring high-tech electronics and gizmos such as robotic barking dogs. In addition, 19 charges worth $1,999.56 were made at Franklin Covey, which sells leather totes and planners geared toward corporate executives.

Government reports in 2004 said these two companies, by virtue of the types of products they market, would "more likely be selling unauthorized or personal use items" to federal employees.
Many of the 14,000 VA employees with credit cards, who work at headquarters in Washington and at medical centers around the nation, also spent tens of thousands of dollars at Wyndham hotels in places such as San Diego, Orlando, Fla., and on the riverfront in Little Rock, Ark. One-time charges ranged up to $8,000.

On at least six occasions, employees based at VA headquarters made credit card charges at Las Vegas casino hotels totaling $26,198.

Veterans Affairs Employees Spend Billions on Government Credit Cards

[screwballl]

now we need a committee to investigate this and millions more will get spent before anyone even attempts to do anything.

[Reloadron]

<RANT>

This is one of those really not good subjects for me. However, unable to resist I have to say my two cents worth.

The VA in general in this country sucks. Veterans affairs is a fucking joke to put it mildly. They employ primarily a collection of parasites who were it not for the US Government would be hard pressed to find a real job requiring them to not just work but actually think.

Daily they belly up to the feeding trough in typical fashion for their free ride. Yes, read closely into "feeding trough" and I am sure you will see how I view them. They have egos that likes to write checks their own bodies can't cash but love that feeding trough for the perks and benifits.

Most of them are not even veterans which sucks. The people who suffer as a direct result of their ignorance are the veterans who deserve so much better. The VA actually redefines the "peter principal" which is hard to do.

Can't say I am surprised by the article. Nothing those scumbags do can surprise me.

</RANT>

Ron

[Reloadron]

Originally Posted by screwballl

now we need a committee to investigate this and millions more will get spent before anyone even attempts to do anything.

We don't need a comittee to investigate anything. We have adequate comittees in place. What we need is for an incompetent collection of scumbags to actually do a job for their paychecks. What we do need is less government to investigate government. What we need is a government that spends time serving the people and not themselves at the feeding trough I mentioned earlier.

Ron

[screwballl]

my comment was tongue in cheek... just like our senators need more days off and a pay raise to do more sitting on ass.....

[Hitman]

They are focusing on the VA in this article, but abusing the Government Credit Card has always been a major issue across all Government agencies. I have seen several people get in trouble for abusing the GCC, including jail time. So this isn't just the VA that is having this problem.

[Reloadron]

Originally Posted by screwballl

my comment was tongue in cheek... just like our senators need more days off and a pay raise to do more sitting on ass.....

Yeah, I caught the sarcasm. I just used it as a springboard to continue my rant less the rant tags.

Can you tell I hate those bastards? I try real hard to keep it from showing.

Ron

[Dread]

Yep +1 for Ron

We've had several people here get banged for abusing their GTC or GPC.
I have a GPC and the nightmare of paperwork we have to navigate through
to make a legitimate purchase is mind-boggling to say the least, but it's
there to prevent the asshats from abusing the tax payers (mine also) money.

Had a soldier that used her official Government Travel Card (GTC) to
rent a car to drive home on leave, stay at a hotel during the drive, buy
groceries for herself and family and then to buy gifts for her family. She
didn't understand why she got in trouble...

I should point out that the GTC is for official government travel only while a soldier or DA civilian is on again, official orders for travel. And it is NOT supposed to be used for personal purchases etc.
In order to get one of these cards, you are to take a class that a 10 year old can easily understand
and sign an agreement stating that you will abide by the rules while using the card.

This boils down, in part, to this generations belief that 'things' are owed
them just for breathing.

Oh yea, before I forget. The VA can rot in hell.

[Hitman]

I have had Government Credit Cards before and they are a royal PITFA. I prefer to use my own credit card for travel. Now with DTS it makes it a little easier (emphasis on little), since DTS will pay right to your credit card.

[Dread]

I've never used DTS myself (wife does though), I retired before they
switched over from Travel Manager (which was a RPITFA) and slow.