Government Efficiency (2 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.

 

[MT15]

This one I’m not mad about

Still can’t stand Paxton though
====================
The CEO of a Texas health insurance company was fired after admitting before a DOGE panel of state lawmakers that he hired private investigators to spy on customers and obtain sensitive details about their lives.

Mark Sanders was dismissed from his duties as chief executive of Austin-based Superior HealthPlan after he testified before the Texas House Delivery of Government Efficiency Committee in a hearing on Medicaid procurement last week.

Sanders acknowledged Wednesday that private investigators were hired to surveil and glean background information on state lawmakers, journalists, healthcare providers, and patients.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Thursday that his office was launching an investigation into the company after Sanders’ remarks.

“The allegations concerning Superior’s actions, such as actions that were characterized as potentially blackmailing lawmakers to secure state contracts and surveilling private citizens to avoid paying legitimate claims, are deeply troubling,” he said in a statement…….

Health insurance CEO admits to hiring private investigators to spy on patients

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has vowed to ‘uncover any illegal activity’ as has launched an investigation into Superior HealthPlan and its chief executive Mark Sanders

www.independent.co.uk

Hate to be cynical but I think Paxton was mad that someone was intruding on his corruption in state government turf. He’s the only one he wants to be able to blackmail state legislators.

 

[bird]

This one I’m not mad about

Still can’t stand Paxton though
====================
The CEO of a Texas health insurance company was fired after admitting before a DOGE panel of state lawmakers that he hired private investigators to spy on customers and obtain sensitive details about their lives.

Mark Sanders was dismissed from his duties as chief executive of Austin-based Superior HealthPlan after he testified before the Texas House Delivery of Government Efficiency Committee in a hearing on Medicaid procurement last week.

Sanders acknowledged Wednesday that private investigators were hired to surveil and glean background information on state lawmakers, journalists, healthcare providers, and patients.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Thursday that his office was launching an investigation into the company after Sanders’ remarks.

“The allegations concerning Superior’s actions, such as actions that were characterized as potentially blackmailing lawmakers to secure state contracts and surveilling private citizens to avoid paying legitimate claims, are deeply troubling,” he said in a statement…….

Health insurance CEO admits to hiring private investigators to spy on patients

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has vowed to ‘uncover any illegal activity’ as has launched an investigation into Superior HealthPlan and its chief executive Mark Sanders

www.independent.co.uk

Memo to co-presidents Trusk and Mump:

This is Waste, Fraud & Abuse precisely at the intersection of the private sector and government.

 

[DaveXA]

Memo to co-presidents Trusk and Mump:

This is Waste, Fraud & Abuse precisely at the intersection of the private sector and government.

And has been for a while now.

 

[Optimus Prime]

Librarians have a bone to pick with President Donald Trump.

On Monday, the Institute of Museum and Library Services placed its entire staff on administrative leave at the Trump administration’s behest ― a move that comes two weeks after the president proposed eliminating the IMLS as part of his ongoing efforts to slash the federal government’s workforce and funding.

That matters to local librarians because the majority of libraries’ funding comes from the IMLS. Of the agency’s $290 million budget, about $160 million goes directly to the nation’s libraries, where it’s used to develop literacy programs, workforce training and civic engagement initiatives. Museums and archives get a cut of IMLS funding, too.

As The New York Times reports,the IMLS ― which employs roughly 70 people ― also provides competitive grants directly to libraries of various type: Recently, that’s included things like $250,000 to the Seattle Public Library to support teen mental health and $150,000 to the University of South Florida to develop library resources for autistic patrons.

The American Library Association called the proposed budget cuts “short-sighted” and an “assault” by the Trump administration that would be deeply felt throughout local communities.

“By eliminating the only federal agency dedicated to funding library services, the Trump administration’s executive order is cutting off at the knees the most beloved and trusted of American institutions and the staff and services they offer,” it said.

Shortly after issuing the executive order, Trump appointed Keith E. Sonderling as acting director of IMLS. Sonderling said that, under his leadership, the agency will be in “lockstep with this Administration” to “promote American exceptionalism” and “restore focus on patriotism.”

Nancy Schram, a public librarian in Ventura, California, is among the librarians deeply troubled by the attack on IMLS and what she sees as the administration’s ongoing efforts to censor literature.

“Make no mistake about it, the elimination of funding for libraries is a political assault on First Amendment rights, access to information, and the freedom to read,” Schram told HuffPost.

Providing these services with no upfront cost to all citizens regardless of their race, gender, citizenship status, or other demographic has become an inherently radical act, and it is for that reason that libraries are being targeted.Chelsea Heinbach

The attack on public libraries is another example of how Trump has never had to rely on government services and “finds no value in them,” Schram said.

“It is a stark reminder of how easy it is for someone who has apparently never utilized the services that libraries provide, to deprive those who desperately need those services from accessing them,” she said.

Amanda Jones, a school librarian in Livingston Parish, Louisiana, is “livid” about the efforts to dismantle the IMLS as well as the Department of Education.

Jones works in the school system in Louisiana, and reduced funding from IMLS could have a devastating impact for public libraries across her state, as is true for many states. In 2024 alone, IMLS provided $2,726,161 to public libraries in Louisiana to help them expand access to information, improve library services and foster community engagement.

“Without this funding, patrons and students in the most rural of areas, and those of lower socioeconomic status will be the ones who suffer the most,” she said. “It’s only going to further the divide between the haves and the have-nots.”..............

Librarians Are Mad As Hell At The Trump Administration. They Think You Should Be, Too.

"The public needs to wake up before our libraries are gone," one "livid" librarian said.

www.huffpost.com

 

[zztop]

Trump administration cancels program that paid Wisconsin farmers to grow for food pantries

Nearly 300 Wisconsin farms participated in the program last year, providing fresh food to pantries and hunger relief organizations.

www.usatoday.com

 

[Dragon]

Now We Know Why Elon Musk’s DOGE Seized That Independent Nonprofit

It looks like Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency is trying to award itself a $500 million building from one of the organizations it targeted.

Wired reports that DOGE is trying to transfer the United States Institute of Peace’s headquarters to the government’s General Services Administration free of charge. DOGE took over the USIP last month after a standoff with law enforcement and fired the agency’s 10 board members, despite the fact that it’s an independent nonprofit organization and is not part of the executive branch of government.

Last week, DOGE staffer Nate Cavanaugh replaced Jackson as acting president, according to court documents, and the lawsuit states that Cavanaugh was ordered to transfer USIP’s assets, including its headquarters, to the GSA. The lawsuit also cites a letter from Russell Vought, the head of the office of Office of Management and Budget and an author of Project 2025, seeking the transfer of the building at no cost.

Judge Howell will decide whether to allow the asset transfer in court Tuesday, according to Wired. But Vought and DOGE’s desire for the institute’s assets raise questions about their intentions for the building, which has a prime location near the Potomac River and the National Mall.

https://newrepublic.com/post/193424/elon-musk-doge-usip-nonprofit-seize-building via @newrepublic.com

 

[MT15]

Meals on Wheels is one of the best programs to help seniors stay out of nursing homes and live longer in their own homes. They just laid off 40% of staff of the agency which administers it. And this is the agency that Project 2025 says should pick up several programs for special needs kids from the Dept of Education. So now what?

HHS layoffs hit Meals on Wheels and other services for seniors and disabled — NPR

Staff that administer programs to help the elderly, disabled people and poor families with basic needs lost their jobs amid the Trump administration's layoffs.

apple.news

 

[longtime lurker]

'For Tennessee, the impact is immediate' | USDA cancels $722,000 in food shipments to Second Harvest Food Bank

The food was funded by the Commodities Credit Corporation, which is currently paused due to a federal review, Second Harvest said.

www.wbir.com

 

[MT15]

OMG

 

[UriUT]

So Doge took over the US Institute for Peace, replaced it's CEO with a doge acolyte. Now they are gifting its $500 million building to the GSA. What the hell?

Yep, Heritage wrote an article back in september attacking usip. Don't tell us this is an efficiency issue.

The U.S. Institute of Peace Is Politicized and Unaccountable

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) was founded by Congress in 1984 as a “peace academy” to conduct and support research and training “to promote international peace and the resolution of conflicts among the nations and peoples of the world.”

www.heritage.org

 

[zztop]

US Institute of Peace lays off staff after dramatic standoff with DOGE

also

Federal Judge Allows DOGE to Take Over $500 Million Office Building for Free

It’s the culmination of a weeks-long standoff between Elon Musk’s DOGE team and the United States Institute of Peace.

www.wired.com

The USIP is congressionally funded, but it operates as an independent, nonexecutive agency. Government lawyers have claimed in court filings that USIP is a “wholly owned government corporation,” and that it is therefore within the GSA’s rights to transfer its property. USIP lawyers reject this claim, citing the 1984 United States Institute of Peace Act that established the agency as “an independent, nonprofit, national institute.” They also claim that the headquarters itself was “constructed with substantial private funding and private donations from its Endowment.”