Trump creates new "department" whose goal is efficiency and cutting down government waste

[Tripnsweep]

2 hours ago, Husker_Du said:

gimme a break. 

do you have any idea how much gov't waste there is? 

we literally get defrauded over half a trillion. that's just in fraud cases.

that doesn't count things like $2m for studying yoga on goats or $1m for the effects of tequila on blowfish (these are real line items)

it doesn't count the $50 we spend on each bolt via defense contracts (again, a real thing)

and you're suggesting foul play b/c Elon has govt contracts?

they exist. they have existed. and if they aren't legitimate they can cease to exist in 4 years.

lame excuse. 

A big part of how and why they waste money is because of how contractors are set up. Especially military. Various people in Congress have their own interests for whomever they represent, and if let's say a military base is in their district and they are going to be closed down and put a hole in the economy of that district, the congressman in that district might take action to prevent the base from closing. Even if the base uses and trains on outdated equipment. One of the best examples was the A10 Warthog which was kept around for years despite being a money loser and outdated. Maybe the factory to build them was kept open by somebody else in Congress too. Most of the waste, just off the top of my head, probably comes from the military doing things like this. 

[1032004]

11 hours ago, mspart said:

Exactly Vak.   That role does not exist in government.   So why do you keep saying it does when you just said it doesn't?  If Musk and Vivek can be successful, then why not give them a shot.   If not, then they got their shot no harm done.    Again, any changes will have to get through congress. 

mspart

My biggest concern with DOGE is the impact to the economy.  Yes, there is wasteful spending, and yes, many government employees are overpaid, but it sounds like they might want to cut 1 million+ jobs.  That’s a lot of people that will now be unemployed.

I do think Elon is certainly more qualified for this role than some of Trump’s other appointments though.  Hopefully he takes a little longer to think about the decisions than what he did at Twitter by cutting so much staff so soon after buying it.  Worst case scenario is they cut something that is actually needed which results in something bad happening and then there is “harm done.”   Not saying that will happen but not sure how you could say “no harm done.”

[Husker_Du]

3 hours ago, RockLobster said:

You act like you just discovered something. Except, you didn't.

where did i suggest 'i discovered it,' bird brain?

the point is, the responses on here suggest many people don't know how bad it is.

3 hours ago, RockLobster said:

It's been known by literally everyone for decades 

The federal government is ridiculous wasteful. Corporations are also all ridiculously wasteful.

It comes with scale. Small companies can be much less wasteful than larger ones. As they grow, waste reduction becomes less and less achievable. More things being exchanged at a greater pace, with a focus on pace - waste becomes a secondary focus (at best.) As the continue to grow to the largest scale, it becomes virtually impossible to globally monitor so many moving parts in the interest of efficiency.

it's been known, and yet never, ever remedied.

and don't give 'scale' bs. a bolt is a bolt. but the gov't pays $25 per bolt b/c it's corrupt af.

3 hours ago, RockLobster said:

At that point, efficiency efforts - if they are to work at all - simply must be relegated to the departments, compartments, divisions, sub-divisons, etc. And, even then, they have to be monitored by managers. Yep - it's inefficient and wasteful.

When a coupla' "favorite" non-government guys who don't know government from shinola...
suddenly get a government "efficiency" job at the top of the federal level. It ain't nothing but rigged BS.

They'll both be guaranteed to get more wealthy (Tesla stock has already jumped after the announcement.)

American citizens? Sorry - nothing for you here. At least nothing good.

This was all about power making more wealth for the already wealthy. And - yes that money comes from taxpayers.

you're trying too hard. you admitted there's inefficiency, they set up an efficiency department, and you're crying like a B.

[Husker_Du]

2 hours ago, Tripnsweep said:

A big part of how and why they waste money is because of how contractors are set up. Especially military. Various people in Congress have their own interests for whomever they represent, and if let's say a military base is in their district and they are going to be closed down and put a hole in the economy of that district, the congressman in that district might take action to prevent the base from closing. Even if the base uses and trains on outdated equipment. One of the best examples was the A10 Warthog which was kept around for years despite being a money loser and outdated. Maybe the factory to build them was kept open by somebody else in Congress too. Most of the waste, just off the top of my head, probably comes from the military doing things like this. 

no sh!t. what's your point?

[Husker_Du]

you're not a serious person if you don't think outlandish gov't spending/waste of taxpayer dollars is not of high priority.

that this thread exists is evidence you're tribal.

it's second in stupidity (this week) to the multitude of leftist morons who are tweeting as if the dissolution of the Dept of Education means there is no funding for schools.

 

 

[headshuck]

This would be a nice result.

[Husker_Du]

https://www.gao.gov/fraud-and-improper-payments

[Wrestleknownothing]

7 hours ago, Husker_Du said:

gimme a break. 

do you have any idea how much gov't waste there is? 

we literally get defrauded over half a trillion. that's just in fraud cases.

that doesn't count things like $2m for studying yoga on goats or $1m for the effects of tequila on blowfish (these are real line items)

it doesn't count the $50 we spend on each bolt via defense contracts (again, a real thing)

and you're suggesting foul play b/c Elon has govt contracts?

they exist. they have existed. and if they aren't legitimate they can cease to exist in 4 years.

lame excuse. 

Ever example of waste you provide is the result of someone's conflict of interest. Goat yoga studies don't just happen on their own.

But you cannot bring yourself to acknowledge that Musk is quite possibly the most conflicted individual in the history of government. 

[Bigbrog]

The only thing conflicted I see is the mental gymnastics people are doing about this topic.  Even better is when people claim others don't know what they are talking about and then post a half page dissertation about a subject that they themselves clearly don't have a clue about.  Quite humorous.

[Husker_Du]

that its Elon is a secondary topic.

1) They are starting a Department of efficiency

and

2) You don't like who is leading that department

many of you nitwits are suggesting the department is unnecessary at all despite obvious incompetence, waste, and corruption for years, even self reported like in the above link

on point 2

there are infinite avenues of inquiry into government waste. being utterly concerned with the 5 instances where Elon may have a conflict of interest is either sheer stupidity or simple stubbornness 

[Bigbrog]

I haven't heard from all the "experts" on efficiencies and government spending why Vivek is a bad choice??

[Husker_Du]

stop, Brog. why would you want them to say anything on the subject at all?

you know it's going to be nonsense. 

slow work day? lol

[Offthemat]

The complaint was that he’s not rich enough, not even a billionaire. 

[WrestlingRasta]

I may be reading incorrectly, as my RINO, TDS, heavily biased brain takes over my eyes……but I don’t see Vak, Wrestlknownothing saying at all there is not  too much govt waste spending, or that an office for accountability to clean it up is a bad idea.  What I see is them questioning the selections, 1) because there is very much a conflict of interest when a person with billions of dollars in government contracts gets put in charge of controlling government spending.  (And I don’t dislike Elon.  I listen to him regularly).  And 2) Trumps proven track record….very very heavy track record, of lying and lack of transparency.  
 

Then I see other people saying, no no no you just want govt spending.  And even when they repeat multiple times their issue is not the idea but the people picked to do it, they are met with replies to the effect of “NO—-YOURE SAYING WHAT I SAY YOURE SAYING”. 
 

The interesting thing in this is that those very people are very much in favor of questioning everything, particularly what the government is telling us.  
 

Maybe that doesn’t count when it’s coming from the nut swing (kinda like you don’t hate the media enough, well, except when….)

[Tripnsweep]

5 hours ago, Husker_Du said:

no sh!t. what's your point?

The point is you're not going to get rid of it in one fell swoop by appointing a guy whose only interest is continuing to get richer from the kind of contracts and supposed fraud or waste he is supposed to be preventing. 

It would be like you saying you are going to become a spokesperson for quick hair growth or being able to do basic accounting. Nobody's going to believe it. 

[mspart]

1 hour ago, WrestlingRasta said:

What I see is them questioning the selections, 1) because there is very much a conflict of interest when a person with billions of dollars in government contracts gets put in charge of controlling government spending. 

 

Congress has to approve anything they identify.   They will not control government spending.   They will identify inefficiencies and waste.   It will be up to Congress to act on the information.

mspart

[WrestlingRasta]

36 minutes ago, mspart said:

Congress has to approve anything they identify.   They will not control government spending.   They will identify inefficiencies and waste.   It will be up to Congress to act on the information.

mspart

Does extremely heavily influence, rather than ‘control’ change the argument about 1) being heavily conflict of interest and 2) trumps heavy track record of lying and lack of transparency.  I’m happy to concede and make that change in language. 

[VakAttack]

3 hours ago, Husker_Du said:

stop, Brog. why would you want them to say anything on the subject at all?

you know it's going to be nonsense. 

slow work day? lol

Just utter nonsense, lol.  Now your complaint is wkn and I haven't spoken enough?  WKN and I have both made our positions very clear. He an I both have an issue with Musk's massive and obvious conflicts of interest.  Neither have commented on Ramaswamy, I don't know why he hasn't, I haven't directly commented because I'm not sure what kind of government contracts he has, I just know he has a biotech company. 

Separate from the above, I specifically (not WKN, this is my thing) have been advocating for two separate things: this office already exists, and the government just hasn't followed their recommendations, and also that I think a person without business conflicts whose sole job (and their experience in this field) should be the one in charge of the job.  I know, I know, trying to hire someone with experience in a very complicated field is anathema now, anybody could do any job in the world.  They can cut waste because they're businessmen, because businesses never have waste and, also, the government isn't a business.

You do all this because of your previously held beliefs, and then call me (and others) tribal.

Anyway, I still love you.

EDIT:  Oh, and someone asked me for specific non-Musk suggestions, and I gave serious thought to them, and made two recommendations of people in the specific field with qualifications with no known conflicts.

Edited Thursday at 06:27 PM by VakAttack

[Offthemat]

17 minutes ago, VakAttack said:

Just utter nonsense, lol.  Now your complaint is wkn and I haven't spoken enough?  WKN and I have both made our positions very clear. He an I both have an issue with Musk's massive and obvious conflicts of interest.  Neither have commented on Ramaswamy, I don't know why he hasn't, I haven't directly commented because I'm not sure what kind of government contracts he has, I just know he has a biotech company. 

Separate from the above, I specifically (not WKN, this is my thing) have been advocating for two separate things: this office already exists, and the government just hasn't followed their recommendations, and also that I think a person without business conflicts whose sole job (and their experience in this field) should be the one in charge of the job.  I know, I know, trying to hire someone with experience in a very complicated field is anathema now, anybody could do any job in the world.  They can cut waste because they're businessmen, because businesses never have waste and, also, the government isn't a business.

You do all this because of your previously held beliefs, and then call me (and others) tribal.

Anyway, I still love you.

EDIT:  Oh, and someone asked me for specific non-Musk suggestions, and I gave serious thought to them, and made two recommendations of people in the specific field with qualifications with no known conflicts.

Get over it. 

[VakAttack]

6 minutes ago, Offthemat said:

Get over it. 

There it is, wow, you nailed me to the wall with that one.  

[Caveira]

4 hours ago, Wrestleknownothing said:

the most conflicted individual in the history of government.

Lol.   Common.  Dramatic much?

[Caveira]

33 minutes ago, VakAttack said:

this office already exists, and the government

Compare and contrast this to the left’s stance on guns and the second amendment?

[Offthemat]

20 minutes ago, VakAttack said:

There it is, wow, you nailed me to the wall with that one.  

I can try to get you a plea deal. 

[red viking]

Elon Musk is the absolute last person you want making decisions. Ge has $billions in government contracts and dozens or more active investigations re: his blatant disregard for federal regulations. 

If this isn't a conflict of interest, I don't know what is 

[jross]

GAO does have wasteful spending callouts and a lot off calls to increase revenue.

• 40+ items on operations (link)
  • FRAUD: GAO estimated total direct annual financial losses to the government from fraud to be between $233 billion and $521 billion, based on data from fiscal years 2018 through 2022. (link)
  • Reduce Duplication, Overlap and Fragmentation, Achieve Savings, and Enhance Revenue (link)
• 30 items on taxes. (link)
  • Small Business Owners: Each year, sole proprietors—like gig workers, social media influencers, and trade workers in business for themselves—underreport income that leads to about $80 billion in unpaid taxes. (link)
  • High Income - improve tax audits (link)
• 1 item on budget and spending (link)
  • Military Spending - DoD service contracts are not managed effectively (link)

All priority GAO recommendations are available here

• https://www.gao.gov/reports-testimonies/recommendations-database?processed=1&priority=1&topic=all

I found zero service or program cut indications in about 200 title reviews.

One had Covid statements about the government and companies requiring vaccinations, along with compliance charts by age.  Nothing in there about the ethical risks though.  Hmm.