Fifty years in the past when Ron Paul (father of Sen. Rand Paul) was working for Congress from Texas, a billboard featured an overweight Uncle Sam with the caption “let’s put large authorities on a eating regimen.”
Since then, the federal authorities has grown much more overweight. To noticeably tackle the issue, President-elect Trump has designated Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to go a Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE).
The 2 will probably be up in opposition to a forms that has a historical past of defending itself from reformers. As Ronald Reagan stated, “No authorities ever voluntarily reduces itself in dimension. Authorities applications, as soon as launched, by no means disappear. Truly, a authorities bureau is the closest factor to everlasting life we’ll ever see on this earth!”
The battle might be received if Musk and Ramaswamy preserve the general public knowledgeable about every proposed discount. Ridicule is one instrument they may use, beginning with the annual Pig Guide revealed by Residents Towards Authorities Waste, which lists pork barrel spending and earmarks (one thing Republicans had been as soon as in opposition to) which are ripe for lambasting. Go to cagw.org and be shocked and outraged at how the federal government wastes our cash.
Right here’s simply one in every of scores of examples: “$120,500,000 for 150 earmarks funding the Federal Emergency Administration Company’s Emergency Operations Middle Grant Program, an 84 p.c improve from the $65.5 million offered for 91 earmarks in FY 2023, and a 12.3 p.c improve from the $107.3 million offered for 92 earmarks in FY 2022.”
This was earlier than we realized that no less than one FEMA worker (since fired) instructed individuals serving to victims of latest hurricanes to not help anybody with Trump yard indicators.
CAGW responded to the added spending at FEMA: “Since FY 2008, legislators have added 2,143 earmarks costing taxpayers $1.8 billion for emergency operations facilities. Though earmarks for emergency operations facilities are sometimes among the many most quite a few within the appropriations payments, this system could possibly be eradicated in favor of aggressive or merit-based awards that might enable states to prioritize essential wants in every space.”
DOGE ought to favor elimination of those earmarks and scuttling the Division of Training, which educates nobody. If it did, take a look at scores and achievement ranges could be far greater than the deplorable ranges that discover too many highschool graduates aren’t proficient in studying and math.
Reagan tried to eradicate the DOE, however was opposed by Congress. With a authorities unified below Republican management, DOGE ought to have a neater time if Congress will put apart self-interest.
DOGE ought to set up a share of across-the-board spending cuts. Who believes the Division of Labor will undergo whether it is pressured to chop a minimal of its prices by 15 p.c?
Each authorities company or program has a constitution or legislative authority that created it. Individuals who run the cupboard departments and companies needs to be introduced earlier than Congress and present proof how they’re residing as much as the needs of the charters or laws. If their work might be achieved at much less value and extra effectively by the non-public sector, they need to be eradicated. That’s the sample most companies observe, and it needs to be the sample for presidency.
In relation to well being, america ranks tenth on this planet among the many most overweight nations, in keeping with the International Weight problems Observatory. It’s first in debt at $36 trillion and counting.
We will put large authorities on a eating regimen if we’ve got the need. If we don’t, we solely have to take a look at historical past to see what has occurred to different nations that spent themselves into oblivion.
Readers might e mail Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com. Search for Cal Thomas’ newest e-book “A Watchman within the Evening: What I’ve Seen Over 50 Years Reporting on America” (HumanixBooks).
