FDA bonus money draws ire

The FDA should be reminded it can't "bonus" its way to an effective food safety system, and Rep. Rosa DeLauro is the one to do it. This just slid across the inbox:

Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-3) issued the following statement regarding the Food and Drug Administration awarding employees more than $35 million in incentive pay for fiscal year 2007, a 29% jump from the previous year. Among the agency's highest-paid officials, 17 made more than $200,000 in 2007, or more than a member of Congress or the U.S. attorney general, according to FDA documents. The figures also show that 28 top FDA officials together received more than $1 million in retention and merit cash bonuses, an average of $35,714. “Over the past several years, consumers have been assaulted with numerous unsafe foods and drugs, so it is extremely disappointing that the FDA would expend such a significant amount of limited resources toward bonuses for upper-level managers. “It would be entirely appropriate if these funds instead were allocated toward retaining key scientists and career employees who make up the backbone of the agency. Providing bonuses to top-level political managers who contribute to the low morale and negative culture at the agency is unconscionable.”