FDA bonuses used to keep regulators in-house

The FDA is handing out $8 million in bonuses as it hopes that a sweetened pot will keep regulators from bolting to the pharma industry. Those bonuses add up to about $5,000 or more for each employee, which the agency says is absolutely critical for retaining experienced personnel. Critics, though, say the agency should be spending more on safety. The FDA has long been one of the biggest users of bonuses in the federal government. Maybe if the news gets around more people in private industry will move into the government.

- here's the AP report on the bonuses