AT LEAST 51 PEOPLE KILLED BY MASSIVE TORNADO THAT CHURNED THROUGH OKLAHOMA **

HOMES AND BUILDINGS IN MOORE, OK, WERE ESPECIALLY AFFECTED, AND VEHICLES **

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN OKLAHOMA CITY SUBURB SUFFERS EXTENSIVE DAMAGE FROM **

MOORE, ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTH OF THE CITY, WAS ONE OF THE TOWNS HIT BY A MAY **

VOLUNTEERS AND FIRST RESPONDERS COMBING THROUGH DEBRIS IN MOORE, OK, **

NEIGHBORHOODS FLATTENED AND HOMES BLOWN APART IN THE OKLAHOMA CITY SUBURB **

SHARDS OF WOOD, CARS AND INSULATION STREWN ACROSS THE AREA **

FEMA CLOSELY MONITORING STORMS AND THEIR DAMAGE IN MOORE, OK, AND **

HOMELAND SECURITY SECY JANET NAPOLITANO COORDINATING WITH OK GOV MARY **

OBAMA ADMIN URGES ALL THOSE IN AFFECTED AREAS TO FOLLOW THE DIRECTION OF **

THE MASSIVE TORNADO THAT HAS STRUCK THE OKLAHOMA CITY SUBURB OF MOORE HAS **

STORM WAS LIKELY AT LEAST OF EF4 STRENGTH, THE SECOND HIGHEST RATING **

SEVERAL CHILDREN PULLED OUT OF RUBBLE ALIVE AT PLAZA TOWERS ELEMENTARY **

RESCUE WORKERS LIFTED CHILDREN FROM THE RUBBLE BEFORE PASSING THEM DOWN A **

BUILDINGS LEVELED, FIRES SPARKED BY THE TORNADO, WHICH RAVAGED THE OKLAHOMA **

MOORE MEDICAL CENTER, THE ONLY HOSPITAL IN MOORE, ALSO SUFFERED EXTENSIVE **

THE CENTER EVACUATED 30 PATIENTS TO TWO OTHER HOSPITALS IN NORMAN, OK **

MORE THAN 20 STUDENTS ARE MISSING BELIEVED TO BE IN THE RUBBLE OF THE **

AUTHORITIES EXPECTING THE DEATH TOLL TO RISE AS EMERGENCY CREWS MOVE DEEPER **

FALLIN HAS DEPLOYED 80 NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERS TO ASSIST WITH SEARCH-AND- **

COMMUNICATION SNARLED BY THE STORM, AS LANDLINES AND CELL PHONE TOWERS WERE **

 

VA OFFICIAL RESIGNS OVER the 2 VERY EXPENSIVE HR DEPT CONFERENCES HELD IN ORLANDO (code for DisneyWorld)

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Oct 1 2012 - 2:34 PM ET

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See below:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 1, 2012

 

VA Statement: Inspector General Report – 2011 Orlando Human Resources Conferences

 

(Washington, D.C.) – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today issued the following statement regarding a VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) report on the investigation of two Office of Human Resources (HR) training conferences held in Orlando in 2011:

 

“The mission of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is to honor and serve America’s Veterans. This is a sacred obligation both for the Department and for the Nation.”

 

“While the IG report makes clear that ‘VA held these conferences to fulfill valid training needs’ and ‘offered legitimate, substantive training courses at the conferences,’ this does not excuse the misconduct of even a few individuals. Misuse of taxpayer dollars is completely unacceptable. The actions cited in the report represent serious lapses in oversight, judgment, and stewardship.”

 

“The department concurs with the IG’s policy and program recommendations. Secretary Shinseki has taken immediate action to address the issues outlined in the IG report to strengthen oversight, improve accountability, safeguard taxpayer dollars and help ensure such incidents do not occur again.”

 

“The Secretary has accepted Assistant Secretary Sepulveda’s resignation effective September 30, 2012. Further, the Secretary has informed Chief of Staff Gingrich that the review of the Orlando conferences was inadequate and that more questions should have been asked prior to authorization.”

 

“Regarding IG recommendations relating to named career employees, to ensure due process, the Secretary will appoint senior officials to review evidence of wrongdoing and to recommend appropriate administrative action. Two of these employees were placed on administrative leave pending review. Due to Privacy Act considerations, VA is not able to release more detail. Employees who have misused taxpayer dollars or violated VA standards of conduct will be held accountable.”

 

“Consistent with the Administration’s existing directives that agencies eliminate wasteful spending, VA will continue to strengthen oversight to ensure that taxpayer money is properly used for workforce training and conferences that prepare our employees to deliver the highest possible level of care and service to the Veteran community.”

 

 

# # #

 

 

Joshua P. Taylor

Press Secretary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

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