Time to Cull The Government

[BabyBoomer50s]

There are nearly 3 million civilians employed by the federal government. Shouldn’t be too hard to cull at least a few hundred thousand of them.

 

[Lance_Castro]

Almost every President since Garfield in 1880 has promised to reduce the size of government.

A disgruntled government minion shot him.

The size of government has been relatively static for decades.



Its just one of two easy outrage triggers to use against incumbents at election time.

The other one is immigration.

 

[ishtat]

Realistically the government has a two year window to 'cull' itself. The fastest way to do it is to identify entire departments or agencies which can be wiped out 100%. Downsizing and re-organization takes too much time and then there are mid term elections and everything grinds to a halt. So what is your initial list of entities or departments which can be 100% axed, Entities which can be closed and the States told that if they want that service they can pay for it themselves.

 

[Politruk]

There are nearly 3 million civilians employed by the federal government. Shouldn’t be too hard to cull at least a few hundred thousand of them.

What's hard is to come up with a reason.

 

[Rebel5soul]

Realistically the government has a two year window to 'cull' itself. The fastest way to do it is to identify entire departments or agencies which can be wiped out 100%. Downsizing and re-organization takes too much time and then there are mid term elections and everything grinds to a halt. So what is your initial list of entities or departments which can be 100% axed, Entities which can be closed and the States told that if they want that service they can pay for it themselves.

Well, how about merely demanding that they show up for work...............in the office..............everyday? That's an easy start, working vacation time is over.

Programs within departments and agencies can be terminated. These can be potently effective in that they usually involve capital outlays on top of staffing. For example, why is NASA still being funded to try to design failed rockets?

I agree with the notion of turning many of those programs back to the states but that will involve some careful transition management. Many states won't have the financial resources. Block grants MAY solve most of those issues.

And Trump plans on testing the sequestration law to its fullest.

 

[Lance_Castro]

Nothing meaningful will happen.

Every modern President has vowed to reduce bureaucracy.

 

[ishtat]

Well, how about merely demanding that they show up for work...............in the office..............everyday? That's an easy start, working vacation time is over.

Programs within departments and agencies can be terminated. These can be potently effective in that they usually involve capital outlays on top of staffing. For example, why is NASA still being funded to try to design failed rockets?

I agree with the notion of turning many of those programs back to the states but that will involve some careful transition management. Many states won't have the financial resources. Block grants MAY solve most of those issues.

And Trump plans on testing the sequestration law to its fullest.

You make my point for me, you have failed to identify a single specific target (legitimate or not). Until you can specify particular targets and programmes your ambitions will go no-where. Programmes within departments can be terminated but so long as the people responsible for them are retained, re assigned or whatever, it just will not happen. Killing bureaucracies is very very difficult.

I will give you an example; the Department of Education is an easy target. Fire every single employee bar none and tell the States and institutions affected that they are on their own (I am not saying whether this is either a good or bad idea, but it is an effective action). Another example suggested by another poster is to fire and disband the Joint Chiefs of Staff and all their retinues; too old, too out of touch, and 79 years past their use- by date; the war they were established to support ended in 1945.

 

[Rebel5soul]

You make my point for me, you have failed to identify a single specific target (legitimate or not). Until you can specify particular targets and programmes your ambitions will go no-where. Programmes within departments can be terminated but so long as the people responsible for them are retained, re assigned or whatever, it just will not happen. Killing bureaucracies is very very difficult.

I will give you an example; the Department of Education is an easy target. Fire every single employee bar none and tell the States and institutions affected that they are on their own (I am not saying whether this is either a good or bad idea, but it is an effective action). Another example suggested by another poster is to fire and disband the Joint Chiefs of Staff and all their retinues; too old, too out of touch, and 79 years past their use- by date; the war they were established to support ended in 1945.

D of Ed is a no-brainer and talked about a LOT. And I did specifically mention the NASA rocket programs.

Taking down a bureaucracy is actually relatively easy, the true problem is the congress critters that see those programs as life achievement trophies with captive constituents attached. Every one in congress wants to see those wasteful programs terminated.................just not theirs.

 

[Wat_Tyler]

More like Participation Trophies.


Look, I did something!!! Really!!!! >>>>>>>>>>>>

 

[Rightguide]

One of the worst executive orders (10988) ever initiated in our government's history was to allow federal employees to unionize.

Maybe all it will take is another EO to put an end to it.

 

[UltraChad]

You make my point for me, you have failed to identify a single specific target (legitimate or not). Until you can specify particular targets and programmes your ambitions will go no-where. Programmes within departments can be terminated but so long as the people responsible for them are retained, re assigned or whatever, it just will not happen. Killing bureaucracies is very very difficult.

I will give you an example; the Department of Education is an easy target. Fire every single employee bar none and tell the States and institutions affected that they are on their own (I am not saying whether this is either a good or bad idea, but it is an effective action). Another example suggested by another poster is to fire and disband the Joint Chiefs of Staff and all their retinues; too old, too out of touch, and 79 years past their use- by date; the war they were established to support ended in 1945.

Yup, if they are going to do it, they need to go about it as effectively and efficiently as possible. Maybe with a bit of a triage mentality.

DEA and ATF should be next to the DOE on the gallows. Big easy W's the majority will love going into the more entrenched/delicate, time consuming endeavors where we can't just burn the house down.

 

[DeluxAuto]

If we just allocated taxes properly, we would be much better off without having to create longer unemployment lines.

 

[Politruk]

I will give you an example; the Department of Education is an easy target. Fire every single employee bar none and tell the States and institutions affected that they are on their own (I am not saying whether this is either a good or bad idea, but it is an effective action).

It's a bad idea.

 

[SgtSpiderMan]

Odds are good that further federal funding for California’s high speed rail boondoggle will be terminated.

That would lead to a bigger government. No thanks.

 

[BabyBoomer50s]

That would lead to a bigger government. No thanks.

The CA High Speed Rail Authority wants another $8 billion in federal funding. Fuck that.

 

[SgtSpiderMan]

The CA High Speed Rail Authority wants another $8 billion in federal funding. Fuck that.

And you’re here advocating for spending more?

 

[BabyBoomer50s]

And you’re here advocating for spending more?

No. Kill it.

 

[SgtSpiderMan]

No. Kill it.

That means spending more and bigger government.

 

[UltraChad]

That means spending more and bigger government.

No, it literally means the opposite.

 

[SgtSpiderMan]

No, it literally means the opposite.

I’d love to hear how. Looking forward to your response.

 

[HisArpy]

Yup, if they are going to do it, they need to go about it as effectively and efficiently as possible. Maybe with a bit of a triage mentality.

DEA and ATF should be next to the DOE on the gallows. Big easy W's the majority will love going into the more entrenched/delicate, time consuming endeavors where we can't just burn the house down.

I think the EPA and the FDA ought to be partially dismantled. Neither are really doing anything except creating a bureaucratic morass for both the Gov and the people.

 

[Rebel5soul]

I think the EPA and the FDA ought to be partially dismantled. Neither are really doing anything except creating a bureaucratic morass for both the Gov and the people.

Exactly!!!!

 

[Politruk]

I think the EPA and the FDA ought to be partially dismantled. Neither are really doing anything except creating a bureaucratic morass for both the Gov and the people.

You really are an idiot!

 

[Wat_Tyler]

I think the EPA and the FDA ought to be partially dismantled. Neither are really doing anything except creating a bureaucratic morass for both the Gov and the people.

Give the employees the same choice that Rommel had.

 

[icanhelp1]

Yup, if they are going to do it, they need to go about it as effectively and efficiently as possible. Maybe with a bit of a triage mentality.

DEA and ATF should be next to the DOE on the gallows. Big easy W's the majority will love going into the more entrenched/delicate, time consuming endeavors where we can't just burn the house down.

I'm not so sure about the DEA. If you eradicate the DEA then those responsibilities will probably fall on the shoulders of the FBI. Can't do that until the FBI is reconstructed from the top down.