Well, well, well..Bray!
This is the first time I am not in full agreement with your post. With all due respect, let us not paint the reduction in govt workers with a total vast brush.There are “govt workers” and then there are “govt workers”.
I agree that the vast number of “beaurocratic” govt workers at federal, state levels need to be weeded out,their pensions cut and excess “departments” eliminated (EPA, TSA,EDUC, etc).
However, there are many government workers who work at the ground level and work very hard and do not have luxurious pensions. They contribute to their retirement and the matching amount is a very small percentage of their contributions. They do not receive salaries that are outrageosuly out of line compared to the private sector.
The example I would use is the front line VA workers (nurses,therapists, etc.).
NOT the mid and top VA management, but the actual govt workers who provide services to our veterans and who are overworked due to staff shortages at that level. We need MORE of these workers, while cutting the beaurocrats.
You are right, the quality workers would leave and find work in the private hospitals forcing VA to look at different solutions. The real solution is to turn them into private hospitals that would become charity type hospitals like the Wounded Warrior hospitals.
Yes, it should be strictly limited to bureaucRATs and government unionRATs
JMHO, talking about reducing govt workers is only treating the symptom.
Plus putting the whole project at risk by allowing the discussion to be framed around a case-by-case review of individuals who would promptly wrap themselves in the MSM's protective blanket of Wonderful Person And Poor Little Oppressed Minority Who Only Wants To Do Their Best Work For [Fill in the blank with the current eyewash du jour].
When was the last time any of you were around a School Board election or negotiations for teachers' salaries/benefits that those tactics weren't pulled out of the hat?
(No, EH, I'm not flaming you. I just got bit by this snake before.)
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My own take on Reducing This Malignancy (in no particular order of priorities):
1) Revoke that stupid EO that set up government unions. Run the union bosses and their legal teams out of DC and out of ANY contact with the gummint for all time to come.
2) As part of the next budget process, require detailed, written and certified cost/benefit analysis of every person, policy and piece of equipment in the gummint to be collected, summarized and reported (in writing) by the agency, department or whatever is supposed to be in charge. (Those Big Wheels will also, and most especially get to justify their existence. Also in writing. Plus, and this is the best part, they get to do the culling of the herd.)
3) Investigate, prosecute and imprison as required. (Sigh. If, and I really mean IF, there's enough trust left in the legal "profession" account that we wouldn't just throw up our hands and let the Vigilantes Ride....)
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I might be a tad bit harsh, but that's what engineers generally do:
If it works, it's good. If it don't work, fix it. If it don't "fix", sh**can it and start over.
...right now, I'd grade this project out at Busted Pieces Rolling Everywhere / One Silly Millimeter above the lip of the sh**can.