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.

 

[UriUT]

I’m sure the Spacex folks won’t have problems fining other jobs.

So....I guess the empathy for tesla employees when you criticize another poster for "wishing ill" on tesla employees is somehow missing in this no big deal, they'll find other jobs attitude?

But mom way would NASA remotely want to cancel contracts with Spacex.

Well, isn't this missing the point? Musk and this administration are arbitrarily (well probably not since it looks politicized) and unnecessarily firing people. It's no stretch to say, nasa under a new administration can do likewise. What you are implying here then is that spacex is important in some way? Don't you think that the people who have been fired are important in some way? Like these scientists or usaid folks?

And furthermore, just with common sense, taking away an employment means fewer demand for those fired. Less demand coupled with a new supply of employees means lower paying jobs. And worse still, these people now most likely have to relocate. Do you not have any sense of empathy? Especially when they were fired unfairly? There isn't a single reason given to why they were not doing their jobs correctly.

It's quite silly to expect the market to invest in a losing enterprise despite that enterprise eventually contributing greatly to the society in the future. Your prized tesla AND spacex wouldn't be a thing had the government not invest in them. Musk took in free government money to finance them.

 

[Optimus Prime]

Aid cuts could have ‘pandemic-like effects’ on maternal deaths, WHO warns

Loss of funding could undo progress in reducing deaths in pregnancy and childbirth, especially in war zones, says UN

www.theguardian.com

 

[Optimus Prime]

CAMPO, Calif. (AP) — Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail is a challenge, especially for adventurers making the entire run from Southern California to Canada, and Eric Kipperman’s job is to greet them at the start and lay bare the difficulties ahead.

He has lately begun warning that the journey may be even tougher. Following cuts by the Trump administration, plans to clear downed trees and rebuild storm-battered stretches in 2025 have been scrapped.

“This year, we’re going to have less trail work done on the trails, so just know that going into your hike, safety is the most important thing,” Kipperman told a group of backpackers from Europe and the United States at the trailhead near Campo, California, an hour’s drive east of San Diego.

He cautioned there is “no trail” at all in parts of the 2,650-mile (4,265 kilometers) path through California, Oregon and Washington state.

The cutbacks are not just on the West Coast. Ahead of the busy summer hiking season, funding freezes and mass layoffs also are disrupting repairs on the East Coast’s Appalachian Trail after nearly 500 miles (800 kilometers) were damaged by Hurricane Helene, underscoring how President Donald Trump’s dramatic downsizing of the U.S. government is touching even the nation’s remote backcountry where vacationers, wanderers and escapists alike retreat to leave modern life behind.…..

Storms tore up two of America's most iconic trails. Federal cuts have disrupted repairs

Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail that runs through three western states is already challenging. Now the grueling journey may become even tougher this year due to federal cuts.

apnews.com

 

[Optimus Prime]

Since Donald Trump took office in January, several federal programs and research institutions aimed at preventing gun violence, sexual violence, domestic terrorist attacks and violent hate crimes have been shuttered or downsized. These cuts, advocates say, will disrupt – or even end – critical research and will ultimately lead to an increase in violence of all forms.

“It’s simple: we will see more school and workplace violence, more hate-fueled violence and terrorism and our political leadership will see more assassination attempts. This is the government putting itself at risk. There is no rung of society that is immune to violence like this,” said William Braniff, former director of the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3) at the Department of Homeland Security, about the increase in violence threats against governmentofficials and judges.

Through CP3, Braniff and his staff had been working with local law enforcement, schools and nonprofits to prevent threats and attacks aimed at specific groups and locations. But on 3 March, 20% of Braniff’s staff was terminated during a round of “department of government efficiency” (Doge) cuts, and he resigned alongside them. After a judge’s order, the staff members were reinstated but are currently on administrative leave.


In addition to DHS, violence prevention efforts were slashed as a result of cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“There’s going to be a huge impact on [our ability to make] communities safer from violence in schools at home and on the streets,” said James Mercy, former director of the CDC’s division of violence prevention. “I think it’s a real step back. This undermining of science reflects a belief that science can’t help us understand and solve these problems.”

Mercy spent 41 years at the CDC, and in the 1980s was one of just a handful of researchers there investigating the ways violence impacts public health. Since then, he’s helped build the division into one of the nation’s leading hubs of data and analysis on child abuse, sexual and domestic violence, and firearm injuries. On Tuesday, about 2,400 people were laid off at the CDC. Mercy said this included the majority of the division’s staff.…….

Trump gutted key research programs studying violence. Experts say it will come at a heavy cost

Advocates say cuts to federal programs will ultimately lead to an increase in gun violence and domestic attacks

www.theguardian.com

 

[superchuck500]

DOGE is getting audited by GAO

 

[Sendai]

DOGE is getting audited by GAO

The GAO should have been given management responsibility for doge

 

[MT15]

The GAO should have been given management responsibility for doge

Well, yes, assuming what they are trying to do is cut waste. That’s not what they are trying to do, however, so giving the GAO any oversight is the last thing they want.

 

[cuddlemonkey]

DOGE is getting audited by GAO

The real auditors are auditing the fake auditors.

 

[bird]

The real auditors are auditing the fake auditors.

Oh, boy! Where’s my popcorn?

 

[MT15]

I have very little faith they will get anywhere. Trump will find a way to either intimidate them - hell he may refer them to DOJ for treason - or he will find a way to get rid of them.

 

[Optimus Prime]

I have very little faith they will get anywhere. Trump will find a way to either intimidate them - hell he may refer them to DOJ for treason - or he will find a way to get rid of them.

And where would it go?

If the GAO finds that DOGE shouldn’t have done 80% of what they did, with no authority, much of it illegal and seriously overstepped what then?

Contracts reinstated? funding resumes? thousands of people rehired? Research continues?

Any penalties or consequences for DOGE or the administration at all?

 

[brandon]

I’ve got a friend that works at GAO and he’s flabbergasted by that article. Says that the questions in that article are a pretty big leak and someone will probably lose their job over it.

 

[DaveXA]

I’ve got a friend that works at GAO and he’s flabbergasted by that article. Says that the questions in that article are a pretty big leak and someone will probably lose their job over it.

Yeah, I was thinking, "how did this get out?" Someone is getting fired.

 

[Optimus Prime]

President Donald Trump’s shift on the Department of Government Efficiency began with a warning from an unlikely source.

Jesse Watters, a co-host of the Fox News hit show The Five, is usually a slick deliverer of MAGA talking points.

But on February 19, Watters told a surprisingly emotional story about a friend working at the Pentagon who was poised to lose his job as part of the Trump administration’s sweeping cuts to the federal workforce.

“I finally found one person I knew who got DOGE’d, and it hit me in the heart,” said Watters, who urged his Fox colleagues to “be a little bit less callous.”…….

Is DOGE Losing Steam?

The Department of Government Efficiency lives. But Donald Trump is reining in Elon Musk.

www.theatlantic.com

 

[bird]

President Donald Trump’s shift on the Department of Government Efficiency began with a warning from an unlikely source.

Jesse Watters, a co-host of the Fox News hit show The Five, is usually a slick deliverer of MAGA talking points.

But on February 19, Watters told a surprisingly emotional story about a friend working at the Pentagon who was poised to lose his job as part of the Trump administration’s sweeping cuts to the federal workforce.

“I finally found one person I knew who got DOGE’d, and it hit me in the heart,” said Watters, who urged his Fox colleagues to “be a little bit less callous.”…….

Is DOGE Losing Steam?

The Department of Government Efficiency lives. But Donald Trump is reining in Elon Musk.

www.theatlantic.com

Another azzhat who only cares when it impacts him.

 

[Optimus Prime]

Washington, D.C. - The American Library Association (ALA), the largest library association in the world, and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the largest union representing museum and library workers, are challenging the Trump administration’s gutting of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) – a non-partisan and independent agency dedicated to supporting and funding museums and libraries and the crucial community services they provide in every state across the country. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of ALA and AFSCME by Democracy Forward and co-counsel Gair Gallo Eberhard LLP, asks the court to block the dismantling of the IMLS as directed by a Trump executive order.

“Libraries play an important role in our democracy, from preserving history to providing access to government information, advancing literacy and civic engagement, and offering access to a variety of perspectives,” said American Library Association President Cindy Hohl. “These values are worth defending. We will not allow extremists to threaten our democracy by eliminating programs at IMLS and harming the children and communities who rely on libraries and the services and opportunities they provide.”

“Libraries and museums contain our collective history and knowledge, while also providing safe spaces for learning, cultural expression and access to critical public resources,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “They represent the heart of our communities, and the cultural workers who keep these institutions running enrich thousands of lives every day. Library workers do everything from helping people apply for jobs to administering lifesaving care all while facing increasing violence on the job. Their work deserves support, not cuts. On behalf of the 42,000 AFSCME cultural workers, we're suing to stop the wrongful closure of the Institute of Museum and Library Services and protect this critical resource for our communities.”

IMLS was first created and funded by Congress in 1996 and charged with supporting America’s libraries and museums. The agency has had bipartisan support throughout its history, having been reauthorized under the Clinton, George W. Bush, Obama, and Trump administrations. IMLS is bound by laws requiring that the agency conduct certain activities to support libraries and report on important issues to Congress. The complaint argues that cutting programs at IMLS will violate the law by eliminating programs Congress has provided funding for and directed IMLS to undertake.

“Libraries are vital for people and communities across our nation. Attacking libraries and those who ensure the continuity of their services is yet another move by the Trump administration that does nothing to make Americans’ lives better or easier,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. “Reducing the IMLS workforce would undermine the agency’s ability to faithfully execute its legal obligations, and harm the operations of libraries. Democracy Forward is honored to continue our work with librarians to protect these important educational institutions in our country.”...............

American Library Association, AFSCME Challenge Trump Administration Gutting of Institute of Museum and Library Services

The American Library Association and AFSCME are challenging the Trump administration’s gutting of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

www.afscme.org

 

[Optimus Prime]

Letters went out to hundreds of workers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) on Thursday, informing them their jobs had been terminated – again.

The probationary employees, many who performed important roles at the US’s pre-eminent climate research agency, have spent weeks in limbo after being dismissed in late February, only to be rehired and put on administrative leave in mid-March following a federal court order.

“Well after about 3 weeks of reinstatement, I, along with other probationary employees at NOAA, officially got “re-fired” today,” Dr Andy Hazelton, a scientist who worked on hurricane modeling at Noaa posted on X. “What a wild and silly process this has been.”


The fired Noaa employees were among the roughly 16,000 people terminated across the federal workforce in a sweeping move by the Trump administration that targeted workers in “probationary” status. Some were categorized that way because they were new in their careers, but others had recently received promotions or been added full-time to agencies after years of contract or temporary work.

“The majority of probationary employees in my office have been with the agency for 10+ years and just got new positions,” said one worker who still had their job, and who spoke to the Guardian under the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal in February, when the firings first happened.

“If we lose them, we’re losing not just the world-class work they do day-to-day, but also decades of expertise and institutional knowledge.”

This week’s news caps a rollercoaster period for Noaa employees. On Tuesday, the US supreme court struck down the March court decision that said fired probationary workers must be rehired, ruling that the nonprofit groups who sued on behalf of the workers did not have legal standing.……

Noaa fires hundreds of climate workers after court clears way for dismissals

Workers had spent weeks in limbo amid legal rollercoaster but letters confirm block on terminations no longer in effect

www.theguardian.com

 

[Optimus Prime]

The Mississippi library commission, which offers services such as specialized research assistance to libraries in the state, has ordered the deletion of two research collections: the race relations database and the gender studies database.

The collections were stored in what’s called the Magnolia database, which is used by publicly funded schools, libraries, universities and state agencies in Mississippi.

The commission’s executive director, Hulen Bivins, confirmed the deletion to the Guardian, and said: “We may lose a lot of materials.”

“All of the states, we are in dire shape,” he said. “We have had a reconsideration of everything with regard to what Doge [is doing].”

The so-called “department of government efficiency” (Doge), which has sent shockwaves through federal agencies and departments since its creation when the second Trump administration began, all but axed the Institute of Library and Museum Services (IMLS) in March by putting nearly all of its employees on administrative leave.

The independent federal agency provides resources and support to libraries, archives and museums in all 50 states and territories. Earlier that month, Trump signed an executive order that called for the IMLS to be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law” within seven days.…..:

Mississippi orders deletion of race and gender databases in state libraries

Library commission says state ‘in dire shape’ and has ‘had a reconsideration of everything with regard to’ Doge

www.theguardian.com