Government Efficiency (8 Viewers)

[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.

 

[Dragon]

1. turn off the chargers
2. pay to have them physically removed
3. sell off all the EVs
4. purchase gas-guzzlers as replacements = saving the government $$

Trump to shut down all 8,000 EV charging ports at federal govt buildings

The Trump administration is shutting down all federal government buildings' EV chargers and expected to sell off the GSA's newly bought EVs.

electrek.co

Tump and his henchmen is taking the US back to the middle ages

 

[superchuck500]

 

[Sendai]

None of those words addressed my point. I get that he has paid for them in the past. Following the Musk pattern - I wouldn’t be surprised if he at least tries to get the US taxpayer to pay for his egregious security detail now that he is head of DOGE. It’s his usual MO, he’s damn good at getting government handouts.

See the StarLinks he volunteered to Ukraine, only to complain about the cost later and present the US government with a bill for their use, which we all paid for.

See the billions of dollars he takes from the government every year (an estimated $20B in grants, loans and contracts since 2008).

The government, in this rare occasion, s getting its money’s worth.

Here’s how many billions Elon Musk’s companies are making from U.S. taxpayers

While their boss takes a sledgehammer to federal agencies, SpaceX and Tesla are earning big money from government contracts, writes Io Dodds

www.independent.co.uk

 

[DaveXA]

The government, in this rare occasion, s getting its money’s worth.

Here’s how many billions Elon Musk’s companies are making from U.S. taxpayers

While their boss takes a sledgehammer to federal agencies, SpaceX and Tesla are earning big money from government contracts, writes Io Dodds

www.independent.co.uk

Good grief. Just be honest and say you're a Trump supporter.

 

[TampaJoe]

Good grief. Just be honest and say you're a Trump supporter.

Which Musk related business contracts are excessive in your opinion? Should some of them be canceled? Which ones?

 

[cuddlemonkey]

Which Musk related business contracts are excessive in your opinion? Should some of them be canceled? Which ones?

If he is going to have the level of influence he has right now, every single one of them.

 

[UncleTrvlingJim]

If he is going to have the level of influence he has right now, every single one of them.

This is the thing... why would anyone want someone in charge of determining which contracts to keep and which ones to get rid of, when that person in facts gets hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts themselves? It's a terrible idea.

 

[Lapaz]

This is the thing... why would anyone want someone in charge of determining which contracts to keep and which ones to get rid of, when that person in facts gets hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts themselves? It's a terrible idea.

I would dare Republicans to do anything comparable in their lives. What if they were building a home, then let one of the bidding carpenters choose the carpenter to build their house, or a plumber choose the plumber, etc etc.

 

[Sendai]

Good grief. Just be honest and say you're a Trump supporter.

I’m a Spacex supporter. It’s a fabulous return on that $20 billion.

 

[Lapaz]

The government, in this rare occasion, s getting its money’s worth.

Here’s how many billions Elon Musk’s companies are making from U.S. taxpayers

While their boss takes a sledgehammer to federal agencies, SpaceX and Tesla are earning big money from government contracts, writes Io Dodds

www.independent.co.uk

Where is the proof? Musk has overstated savings multiple times already. It doesn’t make sense. If your house had some

1. turn off the chargers
2. pay to have them physically removed
3. sell off all the EVs
4. purchase gas-guzzlers as replacements = saving the government $$

Trump to shut down all 8,000 EV charging ports at federal govt buildings

The Trump administration is shutting down all federal government buildings' EV chargers and expected to sell off the GSA's newly bought EVs.

electrek.co

This should disabuse anyone of the claim that DOGE is interested in efficiency nor saving money. It is all about vengeance, conspiracies and political agendas. This one is linked to the conspiracy that climate change is fake, but even if one believed that nonsense, this will cost more money to implement. Some people may have bought electric cars knowing they can charge them at work, and now may not be able to use them anymore depending on their round trip usage.

 

[Dragon]

Where is the proof? Musk has overstated savings multiple times already. It doesn’t make sense. If your house had some

This should disabuse anyone of the claim that DOGE is interested in efficiency nor saving money. It is all about vengeance, conspiracies and political agendas. This one is linked to the conspiracy that climate change is fake, but even if one believed that nonsense, this will cost more money to implement. Some people may have bought electric cars knowing they can charge them at work, and now may not be able to use them anymore depending on their round trip usage.

They are actively destroying the U.S. car industry. Several EU countries and other nations have already agreed to ban new fossil fuel car sales after 2030, and a significant portion of new cars sold today are already electric.

 

[RobF]

They are actively destroying the U.S. car industry. Several EU countries and other nations have already agreed to ban new fossil fuel car sales after 2030, and a significant portion of new cars sold today are already electric.

I can't quite work out which of these two paths they'll take: destroying the electric car industry because 'climate change woke', or destroying part of the electric car industry and then saying, "actually, we do need electric cars and chargers, and Tesla will be our exclusive provider of them."

 

[Sendai]

Where is the proof? Musk has overstated savings multiple times already. It doesn’t make sense. If your house had some

This should disabuse anyone of the claim that DOGE is interested in efficiency nor saving money. It is all about vengeance, conspiracies and political agendas. This one is linked to the conspiracy that climate change is fake, but even if one believed that nonsense, this will cost more money to implement. Some people may have bought electric cars knowing they can charge them at work, and now may not be able to use them anymore depending on their round trip usage.

NASA is very happy with the results from Spacex. Transport to and from the space station. Space Station resupply. The Dragon capsules. Reusable rockets. Starship HLS for Artemis III.

Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy. 450 launches. 99.34% success rate.

 

[bird]

I can't quite work out which of these two paths they'll take: destroying the electric car industry because 'climate change woke', or destroying part of the electric car industry and then saying, "actually, we do need electric cars and chargers, and Tesla will be our exclusive provider of them."

Due to Trump’s alleged brain the answer to your question appears to be “yes”.

 

[DaveXA]

Which Musk related business contracts are excessive in your opinion? Should some of them be canceled? Which ones?

Any that involves conflicts of interest. Which clearly includes all of them. So there's your answer. But I don't expect you to care about that because it's always rules for thee with you guys.

 

[DaveXA]

I’m a Spacex supporter. It’s a fabulous return on that $20 billion.

Well, using the logic they (the Administration) use, you support SpaceX, which means you support Musk, which means you support Trump.

 

[Dragon]

NASA is very happy with the results from Spacex. Transport to and from the space station. Space Station resupply. The Dragon capsules. Reusable rockets. Starship HLS for Artemis III.

Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy. 450 launches. 99.34% success rate.

Using a private supplier like that carries a lot of risks. Musk is not holding back when someone does not do what he want. Just look at the times when he turned of starlink... If you don't think he would do that to the US if he was in danger of being procecuted for some of his actions - you are very naive. Musk cares only for Musk - He is basically a younger version of Trump

 

[longtime lurker]

I guess that Musk and his 20 year old something’s or others at DOGE have seen out a mass email today wanting every federal employee to create a 5 point bullet point on “things that the employee has done in the last week”. This absurdity has got to stop. How far will the right let this go before more employees are wrongly canned!? The right acts like this is some funny game. Can we please stop this vindictive torture that Musk is playing with people’s real lives!?