Veterans Affairs has 346 workers who do only union work. Perhaps it's time to for the VA to be run by veterans.
Posted by NealS 7 years, 7 months ago to Government
An estimated 346 employees in the Department of Veterans Affairs do no actual work for taxpayers. Instead, they spend all of their time doing work on behalf of their union while drawing a federal salary, a practice known as "official time."
end the VA
In the past, political appointment meant a new gravy train with each election. If there is a job that cannot be done by a Democrat, get rid of the job, said Andrew Jackson. Changing the name of the party does not solve that problem. The solution was civil service with jobs allocated to those who pass a qualifying examination on relevant skills. That, too, has been famously abused, as when high-ranking political appointees were transferred to civil service jobs. So, there is no perfect system, but some are better than others.
The reason that the VA employees are union members is rooted in the egregious treatment they received in the past. Otherwise civil service would have been sufficient protection.
We know about the horrible treatment of veterans by the VA. Do you suppose they treat their employees any better? The problem is not rank-and-file versus rank-and-file; it is top management versus the customers (internal and external). Remember, also, that while we might like to blame President Obama or President Clinton (or even President Bush), the VA answers to Congress, which controls its budget. And your Congressional representative works for you. Have you written or called?
One perfect example is the Federally mandated DNC (Do Not Call) List. I've registered, verified my registration, still get tons of calls from those I've asked not to call, filed complaints, got no response. I've written to my Senators, both of them, several times, telling them that I've filed complaints and still nothing happens. I've only received a nice form letter back from one of them telling me what a great program the DNC List is and how I should file a complaint. The other one continues to ignore me. Apparently somehow they know I didn't vote for them, even though my vote is supposed to be private. I'm starting to wonder if they keep our voting records in that big data base and make it available to our representatives.
I'm not sore, upset, or crazy, I'm just old and getting tired of politics and politicians. And I'm also a Vietnam combat veteran. I'm starting to feel I should have a few more entitlements too, like getting a real answer from my representatives. The VA actually treats me pretty well now that I've moved form Seattle to the Spokane area. In fact I just got word they are letting me go to civilian specialist because after a couple of years of trying they "don't have the expertise" to treat whatever I've got (difficulty breathing).
2. Glad to hear that you are getting the medical care you need.
3. How we get along with our elected representatives and other government officials can be highly variable. I have no easy suggestions that do not sound fatuous, but communicating with difficult people is an art.
All of that being as it may, your deepest assumption on this point is well made. If you go to a hardware store, or a fabric store, an airport tower, or a SCUBA shop, you will find that you could pretty much take the customers and make them providers.
As for the VA (from 2010): "VA has the largest percentage of Veteran employees among civilian agencies -- approximately 30 percent -- and is increasing its number of regional employment coordinators to give Veterans more access to VA jobs." -- https://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/press...
That's the only way draftee me could get a full time "semiretired" Wackenhut security guard job for several months before I jumped ship to work for a better paying competitor.
Me dino can afford to be fully retired now. And I am for being selfishly loyal to myself.