{"id":5660,"date":"2009-08-22T13:59:54","date_gmt":"2009-08-22T13:59:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/jesuscreed\/2009\/08\/obamacare-an-american-concern.html"},"modified":"2009-08-22T13:59:54","modified_gmt":"2009-08-22T13:59:54","slug":"obamacare-an-american-concern","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/jesuscreed\/2009\/08\/obamacare-an-american-concern.html","title":{"rendered":"Obamacare: An American Concern"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ObamaGrav.jpg\"<\/span>I’m sorry, but many Americans simply do not trust the Federal use of funds. I have clipped a few lines from the CNN.com report<\/a> about the fiasco with funds — bonuses — at the VA and this report is tapping into distrust of the “system” and its “use of funds.”<\/p>\n

Please don’t misunderstand me: I’m for health care reform, and I believe we owe it to our fellow citizens to make sure everyone is covered with health care. And I want to hear the Obamacare proposals out — I’m for what is best for all Americans. But… <\/p>\n

Here is a question I’m hearing from many: How can we be confident that the Health Care reforms will be managed well financially? What is the government’s track record at estimating potential costs and handling funds?<\/b><\/p>\n

\n

WASHINGTON (CNN) <\/b>— While hundreds of thousands of disability
\nclaims lay backlogged at the Department of Veterans Affairs, thousands
\nof technology employees at the department received $24 million in
\nbonuses, a new report says.<\/i><\/p>\n

A report issued by the VA’s Office of
\nInspector General said the department issued millions of dollars in
\nawards over a two-year period in 2007 and 2008.<\/i><\/p>\n

“The frequent and large dollar amount awards given to employees were unusual and often absurd,” the report stated.<\/i><\/p>\n

The reports also called the payments “not fiscally responsible.”<\/i><\/p>\n

Four
\nhigh-level employees received about $60,000, $73,000, $58,000, and
\n$59,000, respectively, according to the report, without sufficient
\njustification. Another employee received a $4,500 performance award
\nwithin the first 90 days of her employment from a manager who said that
\nshe did not even remember her.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I’m sorry, but many Americans simply do not trust the Federal use of funds. I have clipped a few lines from the CNN.com report about the fiasco with funds — bonuses — at the VA and this report is tapping into distrust of the “system” and its “use of funds.” Please don’t misunderstand me: I’m…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":70,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5660","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-public-issues"],"yoast_head":"\nObamacare: An American Concern - Jesus Creed<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/jesuscreed\/2009\/08\/obamacare-an-american-concern.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Obamacare: An American Concern - Jesus Creed\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I’m sorry, but many Americans simply do not trust the Federal use of funds. 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