Government Efficiency (1 Viewer)

[RobF]

I think this topic deserves its own thread, both to discuss generally the topic of government efficiency, and specifically the so-called 'Department of Government Efficiency' and the incoming Trump administration's aims to "dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures and restructure Federal Agencies".

The announcements have been covered in the The Trump Cabinet and key post thread, but to recap, Trump has announced that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will work together on a not-actually-an-official-government-Department of Government Efficiency, which is intended to work with the White House and Office of Management & Budget to "drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before," with the 'Department' to conclude its work "no later than July 4, 2026."

Musk has previously said that the federal budget could be reduced by "at least $2 trillion", and Ramaswarmy, during his presidential campaign, said he would fire more than 75% of the federal work force and disband agencies including the Department of Education and the FBI.

 

[SFIDC3]

I understand that we have strong statutory guard rails. I'm holding on to that thin thread of hope because thats all we have left. But we are talking about people who view the law as speed bumps. They don't hold any particular core uncompromising ideology.

We have laws against foreign entities contributing to government officials, yet we had that DC hotel. Egypt brazenly withdrawing us dollars from a bank and handing it to trump's people in 100 lb bags. That's only the surface.

And I don't think he will go forth w mass detention for immigrants or cutting 75% of the bureaucracy. These are merely sleight of hand to distract. If we are to learn from those eastern European countries, the path first is corruption. The bureaucracy and then the courts are much longer term processes.

The media companies would fall next after corruption.

Yup, I feel the same way. The fact that Trump has been able to get away with so much for so long gives me very little faith that the guardrails with hold....we will see, soon enough....

 

[coldseat]

Yup, I feel the same way. The fact that Trump has been able to get away with so much for so long gives me very little faith that the guardrails with hold....we will see, soon enough....

The guardrails have already failed. The people are supposed to be the last and final guardrail and they just elected the authoritarian criminal back into office.

Also, every legal entity that was supposed to hold the criminal responsible, let him of the hook. What guardrails???

 

[MT15]

 

[J-DONK]

Can I make a prediction on all of this?

The senate is where all this crap will die. A Republican senator who just got elected/re-elected would be insane to vote for any of these social safety net cuts. Trump, and by proxy Elon will be long gone when they are up for re-election.

 

[MT15]

I hope so, Donk. I hope so, but I’m not resting easy on it.

 

[bird]

I hope so, Donk. I hope so, but I’m not resting easy on it.

Agreed, principally because I am paranoid.

 

[SFIDC3]

The guardrails have already failed. The people are supposed to be the last and final guardrail and they just elected the authoritarian criminal back into office.

Also, every legal entity that was supposed to hold the criminal responsible, let him of the hook. What guardrails???

Statutes, and Repubs concerned with re-election voting against some of the insane bills and such that will be coming their way soon....I mean, to make the insane leaps they are talking about under law should be utterly impossible in a short period of time (4 years), Chuck could give much more detail....

 

[J-DONK]

Statutes, and Repubs concerned with re-election voting against some of the insane bills and such that will be coming their way soon....I mean, to make the insane leaps they are talking about under law should be utterly impossible in a short period of time (4 years), Chuck could give much more detail....

Well the senate already denied Trump his guy for senate leader. They are telegraphing they won't be push overs. All the Republican senators who just won thier elections have no incentive to vote for cuts. Trump won't be around. He will either be dead, or on a golf course.

The only groups that will follow Trump in lock-step: The House, and senators up for re-election in 2026.

 

[SFIDC3]

Well the senate already denied Trump his guy for senate leader. They are telegraphing they won't be push overs. All the Republican senators who just won thier elections have no incentive to vote for cuts. Trump won't be around. He will either be dead, or on a golf course.

The only groups that will follow Trump in lock-step: The House, and senators up for re-election in 2026.

That said, and though I know there are guardrails, I'm far from confident that at least some of them....won't break down....

 

[UriUT]

Every single billionaire he is proposing for his Cabinet only cares about one thing - enriching themselves. They care not one bit about helping ordinary people, in fact there’s evidence they want us to have it worse than we do now. The corruption will be massive. It will damage this country in ways we probably cannot imagine right now. Foreign policy driven by an oligarchy. Same with domestic policy.

We haven’t ever had passports - used to not need them to travel to Canada and Mexico, and we haven’t ever gone to any other countries than those. We ordered them a few weeks ago.

It may not get that bad, but there’s a non-zero chance that it will.

Yup, I feel the same way. The fact that Trump has been able to get away with so much for so long gives me very little faith that the guardrails with hold....we will see, soon enough....

Ramaswamy’s threats to claw back Rivian loan spark criticism of Elon Musk’s DOGE role | CNN Politics

Vivek Ramaswamy, the incoming co-chair of President-elect Donald Trump’s commission to cut government spending, has set his sights on money the Biden administration is dispersing in its final days in office, including a key loan to a rival company of his commission co-chair, Elon Musk.

www.cnn.com

And we still have more than 200 billion in funds from the infrastructure bill to allocate.

 

[MT15]

Ramaswamy’s threats to claw back Rivian loan spark criticism of Elon Musk’s DOGE role | CNN Politics

Vivek Ramaswamy, the incoming co-chair of President-elect Donald Trump’s commission to cut government spending, has set his sights on money the Biden administration is dispersing in its final days in office, including a key loan to a rival company of his commission co-chair, Elon Musk.

www.cnn.com

And we still have more than 200 billion in funds from the infrastructure bill to allocate.

The corruption will be staggering.

 

[UriUT]

The corruption will be staggering.

"Concerning"