this isn't PAY to the employees we're talking about

it is BONUS amounts. BONUS

so there are suffering veterans who are getting no benefits (because of a horrid backlog) BUT the va employees (who may very well be BEYOND EXCELLENT EMPLOYEES or NOT) are getting BONUS MONEY

let them eat cake again and again and again and again

(our officers here and in europe did NOT receive bonus amounts this year. our company is doing fairly well and wasn't one that had to be bailed out. none of us, the 'regular' employees got a raise this year either. that's fine by me IF it meant keeping my job and my friends keeping their jobs)

VA workers given millions in bonuses as vets await checks
By Laurie Ure
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- While hundreds of thousands of disability claims lay backlogged at the Department of Veterans Affairs, thousands of technology employees at the department received $24 million in bonuses, a new report says.

A report issued by the VA's Office of Inspector General said the department issued millions of dollars in awards over a two-year period in 2007 and 2008.

"The frequent and large dollar amount awards given to employees were unusual and often absurd," the report stated.

The reports also called the payments "not fiscally responsible."

Four high-level employees received about $60,000, $73,000, $58,000, and $59,000, respectively, according to the report, without sufficient justification. Another employee received a $4,500 performance award within the first 90 days of her employment from a manager who said that she did not even remember her...................