Daily Signal: Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin said Wednesday the civil service appeals process prevents the agency from firing “terrible managers,” and that the Senate must act to reduce the impact of the Merit Systems Protection Board and excessive government employee union-backed due process requirements.
“Just last week we were forced to take back an employee after they were convicted no more than three times for DWI and had served a 60-day jail sentence … Our accountability processes are clearly broken,” Shulkin said at the White House. read more
In my dreams.
Like many Agencies, the VA became a political patronage hiring mechanism. To ensure the political hires were life long, the Unions in collusion with Congress established civil service protection for inept, unqualified, corrupt VA employees throughout the organizational structure. Like Congress there are few provisions in the VA of accountability for those who break the regulations, laws or are simply incompetent.
Stop the roller coaster of protecting incompetent employees at the expense of those they are there to care for, our Veterans.
Our local VA facility had to hire back an employee who was caught stealing computers!
Shulkin gave an impressive press conference yesterday. He explained the top 13 priorities that came out of their sifting through all the numerous studies and reports and their own investigations of the VA, many of which had been conducted over years and nothing much had ever been done in response. He spoke for about a half hour, giving details of each problem and their proposed solutions, whether through EO, legislation, etc. It was like listening to a report to the board of directors. And except for the need to update about 15-20% (I think he said 22 specific VA facilities) of the VA’s IT platform, he said there was absolutely no need for additional money. On that he said that budgeted dollars would come from a wholesale slashing of the administration which he described as huge and bloated (my words, not his). Again, I am really encouraged by everything he said. If you haven’t yet watched the entire presser, you should consider it. Very big change in how problems are addressed by this administration.
This a no brainer get off your ass Mitch McConnell!!!!
I know the VA hires the most incompetent people and promotes them quickly. You can have a more intelligent conversation with your living room wall.
Insane to allow Govt employees to unionize.
So, eliminate govt unions. The voters will support this. Fed employees are still a comparatively small voting block outside DC.
Announce the massive taxpayer savings are going to improve social security, or other worthy government purposes.
Voters will support breaking the govt unions.
No wonder the deep state hates President Trump—he might try to change this disgusting system.
Then eliminate the entire VA Administration. Totally, in one chop.
Start over. Replace it with a different organization that omits all the corruption, seniority, and entitled attitudes. Keep Congress’ filthy hands out of it.
Executive Order 10988 issued by President John F. Kennedy on January 17, 1962 recognized the right of federal employees to collective bargaining. They were not permitted to strike.
A little OT, but
I was a Teamster for 20 years. An over the road driver out of our barn was busted for DUI while driving an 18 wheeler. A few weeks after that he got a DUI in a four wheeler… he drove a pickup through a drive in restaurant.
It was amazing to see how hard the Local fought to see that he kept his job. And he did!!! It seems the more f’d up you are the harder those in charge will fight for you. SMH.