Isosceles_Kramer said:

---

You've actually been very reasonable with this board, so I'm am genuinely curious.

How would you cut govt waste? I think you're on board, based on posting history, what would you like cut?

---

Honestly, I'm torn. I generally try to be reasonable when it comes to rightist policies. Most here would probably have labeled me a RINO prior to President Obama's term. But, I try to remain open, even if it draws childish responses here, and genuinely want us collectively to just get along again. As much as I like to say I hate MAGA because I think America is and has been my entire life great. But, President Trump's single biggest accomplishment that would have him go down as the GOAT most here would want to portray him, would be to reunite the country.

Anyhow, sorry for the rambling. I say I'm torn because I can see some value in most agencies, some just need to be better reigned in, which as an aside should be what Congress is for. So, without any knowledge of how much these agencies cost the taxpayers… I have a very hard time reconciling with the idea we need to eliminate the DoEd. I think Homeland Security should be scaled back domestically. There's potentially a lot of room within the IRS if someone could ever actually simplify income taxes rather than just say they will.

I really think we need to start but looking at the smaller agencies that just aren't needed anymore. https://www.heritage.org/budget-and-spending/commentary/top-10-obsolete-government-programs Is a good starting point.

I'd like to see less contribution to the UN (25-40%?). I don't support the notion of completely eliminating it. Elon Musk is a forward thinker because he sees a future beyond the confines of Earth. At some point, there must be some sort of planetary unification for visions like his to be realized.

There's a lot of money in federal real estate. We need to start selling it off to both gain a profit and eliminate the resources we waste on that land. Let's eliminate antiquated subsidies. Things like Amtrak and sugar. The fed run many agencies that do the same thing. There are multiple regional agencies focused on regional improvement projects. Why is that regional?

Anyways, I think I've conveyed my thoughts that we should take a piecemeal approach to start. The small, redundant agencies and programs may seem minuscule, but they'll add up. Larger changes or eliminations need more work and shouldn't be rushed into. I want the wasteful spending process to be more permanent rather than just it being a MAGA thing.

agwrestler said:

---

MarkTwain said:

---

Trump says one of his first executive orders will end the 200k gov employees working from home. Either show up at the office or your pink slip is in the mail

---

DC traffic is about to really suck.

---

Sucks already, MARC & VRE aren't much better. Union Station is a sh**hole.

fullback44 said:

---

Is there anyway these 2 can slash the regulations that allow these pharma companies to advertise drugs on TV? I'm am beyond sick and tired of hearing of seeing those Jardiance commercials .. along with others

---

That's one of RFK Jr's goals.

TA-OP said:

---

Isosceles_Kramer said:

---

You've actually been very reasonable with this board, so I'm am genuinely curious.

How would you cut govt waste? I think you're on board, based on posting history, what would you like cut?

---

Honestly, I'm torn. I generally try to be reasonable when it comes to rightist policies. Most here would probably have labeled me a RINO prior to President Obama's term. But, I try to remain open, even if it draws childish responses here, and genuinely want us collectively to just get along again. As much as I like to say I hate MAGA because I think America is and has been my entire life great. But, President Trump's single biggest accomplishment that would have him go down as the GOAT most here would want to portray him, would be to reunite the country.

Anyhow, sorry for the rambling. I say I'm torn because I can see some value in most agencies, some just need to be better reigned in, which as an aside should be what Congress is for. So, without any knowledge of how much these agencies cost the taxpayers… I have a very hard time reconciling with the idea we need to eliminate the DoEd. I think Homeland Security should be scaled back domestically. There's potentially a lot of room within the IRS if someone could ever actually simplify income taxes rather than just say they will.

I really think we need to start but looking at the smaller agencies that just aren't needed anymore. https://www.heritage.org/budget-and-spending/commentary/top-10-obsolete-government-programs Is a good starting point.

I'd like to see less contribution to the UN (25-40%?). I don't support the notion of completely eliminating it. Elon Musk is a forward thinker because he sees a future beyond the confines of Earth. At some point, there must be some sort of planetary unification for visions like his to be realized.

There's a lot of money in federal real estate. We need to start selling it off to both gain a profit and eliminate the resources we waste on that land. Let's eliminate antiquated subsidies. Things like Amtrak and sugar. The fed run many agencies that do the same thing. There are multiple regional agencies focused on regional improvement projects. Why is that regional?

Anyways, I think I've conveyed my thoughts that we should take a piecemeal approach to start. The small, redundant agencies and programs may seem minuscule, but they'll add up. Larger changes or eliminations need more work and shouldn't be rushed into. I want the wasteful spending process to be more permanent rather than just it being a MAGA thing.

---

Congress doesn't rein in those agencies, they are all under the Executive branch. And from a post earlier, it appears there are 428 of them. Do we REALLY need 428 of them?

I 100000000% agree with your point on the IRS.

The federal land thing - Yes.

AMEN on the permanent thing.

TA-OP said:

---

He's not entirely wrong. Being serious about government waste doesn't need to be saddled with it being a "meme." Most memes don't last.

---

You've managed to hang around.

I was unclear in my rambling. I say Congress needs to reign things in because 1) they're supposed to control the spending and 2) a lot of agency bloat is due to years of Chevron deference.

TA-OP said:

---

He's not entirely wrong. Being serious about government waste doesn't need to be saddled with it being a "meme." Most memes don't last.

---

Just as this department isn't designed to last.

You guys do realize that Elon can only serve as an advisor? He is not quitting SpaceX, Tesla, X etc

I'm not sure the lefties are going to survive the next 4 years!

We will see if Americans have the stomach for true cuts.

I predict caterwauling from some of our longtime conservative posters here when their pet spending comes under the microscope.

C@LAg said:

---

Hanrahan said:

---

C@LAg said:

---

NICU Dad said:

---

Start with killing the TSA

---

even with no TSA we will still need some level of security theater in all airports.

too many bad faith actors out there, foreign and domestic, that will be willing to take advantage of failures in our travel infrastructure.

that will still have to be funded somehow.

---

you do know it used to be funded by the airlines and airports before, right?

---

you do know that won't work in this day and age. compliance and complacency will be an issue. and our travel infrastructure is only as good as the weakest links, and if left to their own devices, many airports, trains, etc would be very weak links.

---

You know what is different now?

Pre-9/11, passengers would acquiesce to a hijacker, because it was a simple inconvenience.

Now is a matter of life and death.

It's highly possible that a hijacker would be beaten to death if he tried today.

MarkTwain said:

---

agwrestler said:

---

MarkTwain said:

---

Trump says one of his first executive orders will end the 200k gov employees working from home. Either show up at the office or your pink slip is in the mail

---

DC traffic is about to really suck.

---

Sucks already, MARC & VRE aren't much better. Union Station is a sh**hole.

---

MARC is ok, at least it runs more trains than 1 an hour and has express trains for rush hour, VRE is a complete joke for real commuters (which there might be a lot more of evidently)

Chevron deference?

Brother Shamus said:

---

Start with the IRS and gut as many ****ing people from that 'institution' as possible. I want the remaining agents lives to be a never ending pile of documents and misery.

---

Screw that. Shut down the irs, remove income taxes and increase the universal sales tax on all goods and services to 15%, including food and medications. No goods or services should be exempt.

Definitely Not A Cop said:

---

“And which great efficiency expert will lead this important new effort to streamline?”

“Actually there will be two people in charge” pic.twitter.com/tgYhHUrbKQ

— Alex Byers (@byersalex) November 13, 2024

---

“One focused on internal government operations and the other on citizen services?”

“No, they will have competing programs and initiatives with the best one winning like a true meritocracy”

“How will they avoid creating new inefficiencies?”

“Nobody knows”

— Tony Stewart (@TonyLStewart) November 13, 2024

C@LAg said:

---

NICU Dad said:

---

Start with killing the TSA

---

even with no TSA we will still need some level of security theater in all airports.

too many bad faith actors out there, foreign and domestic, that will be willing to take advantage of failures in our travel infrastructure.

that will still have to be funded somehow.

---

Facial recognition software.

Wal Mart has been using it for years. When you walk into there store, they know what you will likely buy and how much you will spend.

Put Wal Mart in charge of security. It will actually work and be 1/3rd the price.

IF this results in actual government cuts, not cuts in growth, then this is the most important and consequential thing any president will have done in generations.

I still am very skeptical that this actually happens, as in real cuts to government programs and agencies, but I will freely admit that I was wrong about Trump if that occurs.

shiphunt said:

---

Co-leaders for a department that is tasked with finding efficiencies. Interesting

---

Tissue?

Harry Stone said:

---

Brother Shamus said:

---

Start with the IRS and gut as many ****ing people from that 'institution' as possible. I want the remaining agents lives to be a never ending pile of documents and misery.

---

Screw that. Shut down the irs, remove income taxes and increase the universal sales tax on all goods and services to 15%, including food and medications. No goods or services should be exempt.

---

That would hurt the poor more than anyone else. Lots of folks barely getting bye and not because they have new cars/trucks and high priced phones. There are genuinely poor people in this country and a 15% increase in all good and services would hurt them far more than me or you.

And NO, give them an exemption card would just cause a ton of fraud and abuse.

What is your income (salary + investments)
Subtract $50,000 + $10,000 per child (I'm just throwing a number out there)

RESULTS x 15% goes to taxes.

The tax code has gotten ridiculously complicated. I have a salary and investments yet my tax return is like 15 pages of forms and calculations (not all submitted, just what I print for records). I found an old tax return at my grandparents ranch from 1947. A 1040 + Farm Income and Loss statement was FOUR PAGES. That's it. Lets go back to a simpler system where 75% of the country has some skin in the game.

TA-OP said:

---

BuddysBud said:

---

TA-OP said:

---

Honestly, I would rather see this as a new permanent office within the federal government. I know that seems counter intuitive to waste. But I'd like to see a cabinet position, "Secretary of Government Efiiciency." Rather than have two private business people influencing decisions, this deserves much more attention and having a cabinet position makes this move last beyond President Trump's next four years.

---

A permanent agency just evolves into another bureaucracy that eventually would become another dysfunctional waste of taxpayer money.

Two outsiders looking at the system as a whole would have more freedom to cut unnecessary agencies and programs.

---

I get that. But, think about it, if it's a one off thing under President Trump, there is nothing standing in the way of the fed just returning to bloat after he's gone.

---

Yes, the fed will likely return to the bloat. Then it will be time to cleanup again. With DOGE as an example, hopefully the cleanup will happen in a future administration before the bloat gets too far gone.

Being entrenched in the government, DOGE would just become part of the bloat and end up protecting the waste rather than reducing it.

Constitutionally, the House of Representatives is supposed to maintain the budget and ensure that taxpayer money is spent wisely (it's primarily function is to be DOGE). Voters are supposed to be able to oversee the House and vote out representatives who are not maintaining government spending. However too often representatives vote to give unnecessary money to pet projects in their districts to get reelected. There is a disconnect between voters wanting "free" money from the government and realizing that they are paying for that "free" money as they complain about taxes. If the House had been doing its job over the past century, then DOGE wouldn't be needed.

The good part that once the republicans lose power, whenever that is, the government moves so slowly it will take them years to hire even close to the amount of people whose jobs get wiped out.

CanyonAg77 said:

---

Chevron deference?

---

Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. was a 1984 Supreme Court case that established the principle of "Chevron deference". This principle gave federal agencies significant discretion to interpret ambiguous federal statutes.

-- Above is Google AI overview

96AgGrad said:

---

infinity ag said:

---

My only concern is Vivek and Elon are both super alpha "I am the BOSS" types. How will they work together? How can a department have 2 bosses?

---

I think the fact it's cutting waste and not building something to fight over. I don't see one of them backstabbing the other to save more government.

---

Yes, but super successful and smart guys have super egos too. I think a better idea would be to give each 100% responsibility over a single department so he can run it as he likes. I don't think having a company with 2 CEOs is a good idea.

infinity ag said:

---

96AgGrad said:

---

infinity ag said:

---

My only concern is Vivek and Elon are both super alpha "I am the BOSS" types. How will they work together? How can a department have 2 bosses?

---

I think the fact it's cutting waste and not building something to fight over. I don't see one of them backstabbing the other to save more government.

---

Yes, but super successful and smart guys have super egos too. I think a better idea would be to give each 100% responsibility over a single department so he can run it as he likes. I don't think having a company with 2 CEOs is a good idea.

---

Energy Transfer says Hi. They seem to do well.

I don't think Vivek and Elon are running a department, but I could be wrong. I think they're more like consultants advising Trump on where there are inefficiencies.

This administration is giving us position and it's our job to keep it going through the coming elections. Accountability and a commitment to proper fiscal responsibility should be a norm.

BuddysBud said:

---

TA-OP said:

---

Honestly, I would rather see this as a new permanent office within the federal government. I know that seems counter intuitive to waste. But I'd like to see a cabinet position, "Secretary of Government Efiiciency." Rather than have two private business people influencing decisions, this deserves much more attention and having a cabinet position makes this move last beyond President Trump's next four years.

---

A permanent agency just evolves into another bureaucracy that eventually would become another dysfunctional waste of taxpayer money.

Two outsiders looking at the system as a whole would have more freedom to cut unnecessary agencies and programs.

---

How about some retired insiders who DGAF, have nothing to lose, and know where the skeletons are? I'll volunteer for a 2 year appointment in his "department" before it is dissolved. Nobody above the rank of GS-12 should be allowed to help. At GS-13 it seems folks stop spelling "field" f-i-e-l-d, and start spelling it "m-e".

Quote:

---

I really think we need to start but looking at the smaller agencies that just aren't needed anymore. https://www.heritage.org/budget-and-spending/commentary/top-10-obsolete-government-programs Is a good starting point.

---

This short article has a lot of interesting details. Cutting the agencies listed would only be a drop in the bucket. However, possibly an even bigger savings would be the reduction of unnecessary paperwork and conditions that companies must endure because of regulations from these agencies to bid on a federal contract.