In July, Congress addressed the Veterans Affairs wait-time scandal by passing a bill authorizing the VA secretary to fire or demote senior executives for “poor performance and misconduct.” A big problem, however, is that those same executives can then appeal the firing or demotion, and the case would go to the Merit System Protections Board, which would have 21 days to issue a ruling. (A firing wait list, if you will.) So how’s that working out? “A top procurement officer at the Department of Veterans Affairs who might have been fired for misconduct has instead opted for early retirement, a move that will let her escape a formal decision on her removal,” reports The Blaze. “Susan Taylor, the former deputy chief procurement officer who is accused to steering VA contracts to a specific company, also appears likely to escape with all the pension benefits that she racked up after 29 years of working in the federal government.” Former IRS official Lois Lerner was likewise permitted to retire early. Congress also gave the VA another $16 billion in spending money, which means it’s all just business as usual. More…