They're also being handed out to failures in Washington as well with the added bonus of medals. Does anyone believe in accountability these days or is that completely out of fashion?
Three top executives in the office of the Pentagon inspector general received cash awards of about $30,000 for outstanding leadership even though their agency has a history of weak management and strained relations between employees and supervisors.If only the bonus cash was as worthless as Bush's signed certificate.
The three were recognized in October with Meritorious Executive Presidential Rank Awards, a prestigious honor for long-term achievement in government service. The recipients get the hefty bonus — 20 percent of their annual basic pay — and a framed certificate signed by President George W. Bush.
Award candidates are rated in several categories, including their ability to lead people and get results. The nominating forms for Patricia Brannin, Charles Beardall, and Donald Horstman, obtained by The Associated Press through the Freedom of Information Act, glowingly describe the performance of each manager.
For example, Horstman, deputy inspector general for policy and oversight, is a "master communicator" who personally mentors his employees. He has "engendered an unsurpassed sense of purpose and dedication," his nominating form says.
But a confidential survey of employees in the inspector general's office found a disillusioned work force in Horstman's department and others. Employees are not committed to their jobs, their teams or their supervisors, according to the survey conducted in June by the Corporate Leadership Council, a business research company in Arlington, Va.
