Trump to Create Government Efficiency Commission [semi-satire]

This week, on the advice entrepreneur Elon Musk, GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump vowed to create a government efficiency commission. "This isn't just some untried pipe dream," Trump emphasized. "Mr. Musk actually did this when he bought Twitter. By analyzing the necessary work to be done he was able to reduce staffing costs by 80% without negatively affecting the company's productivity. If we can replicate this in the federal government we could save billions of dollars without sacrificing essential services. We could lower federal debt, cut interest rates, reduce taxes and allow working men and women to keep more of their wages and salaries."

Democratic vice-president nominee Gov. Tim Walz (Minn) challenged the contention that Musk's 80% staff reduction at Twitter did not negatively affect the company's productivity, saying "as we have seen users of the platform are no longer protected from misinformation since he took over. Under Musk's 'free speech mantra' every unqualified bumpkin is free to contradict the facts that government authorized experts are trying to provide to the population. As a result, there is no consensus of thought. I think most Americans would agree this is a negative outcome. The idea that everybody must decide for themselves what to believe and what not believe undermines the unity that the Democratic Party has worked so hard to achieve."

The senior economic adviser for Harris/Walz campaign Gene Sperling predicted "laying off 80% of the federal bureaucracy would be an economic disaster. Regardless of whether the vital work of the government could be done with fewer employees the money spent on their salaries adds purchasing power to the economy. There is no guarantee that the increased spending power of the taxpayers or the money saved by decreasing federal debt would adequately offset the lost purchasing power from laying off redundant government employees."

Trump campaign senior economic adviser Stephen Moore argued that "prosperity comes from productive work. That is work that provides goods and services consumers willingly buy. Most of the stuff that federal employees do does not fit into this category. Worse, the red tape that has become pervasive in government agencies not only wastes resources it also retards efforts of the private sector to produce and deliver more goods and services. Sending unnecessary federal employees into the private sector will enable them to make useful contributions toward meeting the needs of the American people. Inflation will decrease and incomes will rise. The proposed efficiency commission is a long overdue remedy for boosting America's prosperity."

In related news, former Clinton Administration Secretary of Labor Robert Reich called for Musk's arrest, saying "since taking over Twitter his extremism has allowed anyone and everyone to pretty much post whatever they want regardless of how far out of line it may be with the consensus that the Democratic Party is trying to achieve. If the French can arrest Telegram CEO Pavel Durov for abusing free speech we could send a strong message that dissenting from the guidelines the government is striving to enforce won't go unpunished if we arrest Musk."

If you missed any of the other Semi-News/Semi-Satire posts you can find them at...

https://www.freedomsphoenix.com/Opinion/368067-2024-09-06-semi-news-semi-satire-september-8-2024-edition.htm

Trump can start here and start now. What are these tax-
salaried people doing while Joe is snoozing on the beach?

Biden’s Bloated White House Payroll Is Most Expensive In American History

By Adam Andrzejewski, forbes.com Contributor, Jul 1, 2021

WASHINGTON, DC - If the White House payroll is a leading indicator of the president’s commitment to expand government then taxpayers have a reason for concern. Projected four-year costs of Biden’s White House payroll could top $200 million. For comparison, inflation adjusted, the Trump administration spent $164.3 million (2017-2020) and the Obama administration spent $188.5 million (2009-2012).

Today, on July 1st, the Biden administration released the annual Report to Congress on White House Office Personnel. President Biden hired czars, expensive “fellows,” “assistants,” and spent on a much larger First Lady (FLOTUS) staff.

The payroll report included the name, status, salary and position title of all 567 White House employees costing taxpayers $49.6 million. (Search Biden’s White House payroll and Trump’s four years posted at OpenTheBooks.com.)

Since January, the Biden administration has quickly staffed up. Here are some key findings from our auditors at OpenTheBooks.com:-There are 190 more employees on White House staff under Biden than under Trump (377) and 80 more than under Obama (487) at this point in their respective presidencies.-$9.6 million increase in payroll spending vs. the Trump FY2017 payroll.

In 2017, the Trump White House spent $40 million for 377 employees, while the Biden payroll amounts to $49.6 million for 567 employees. All spending amounts are inflation adjusted. -Hires include 320 female staffers ($28.9 million salaries) vs. 240 male staffers ($20.8 million salaries).

In terms of top staffers — Special Assistants — there are 53 female ($6.3 million salaries) vs. 37 males ($4.4 million).-Currently, there are 12 staffers dedicated – at least in part – to Dr. Jill Biden vs. five staffers who served Melania Trump in her first year (FY2017).-

Counts of the “Assistants to the President” – the most trusted advisors to the president - are the same (22) in for the Biden administration and the Trump and Obama administrations. This year, these advisors make $180,000.

This year’s list of Biden key advisors includes names such as Ron Klain (Chief of Staff), Susan Rice (Domestic Policy Council), Jennifer Psaki (Press Secretary), and Kate Bedingfield (Communications Director), Mike Donilon (Senior Advisor), and Steve Ricchetti (Counselor). -

The most highly compensated White House Biden staffer? The top paid is Molly Groom ($185,656), Policy Advisor For Immigration, a crisis issue for the administration. The second highest paid is Elizabeth Hone ($183,164), Senior Policy Advisor For Broadband. The administration proposed $100 billion in government ownership of broadband.

First Ladies payroll at White House-staff counts in the first year.OPENTHEBOOKS.COM

Jill Biden has 12 staffers including press, communication, and advance trip directors; media coordinators and schedulers. There are senior advisors, and even a couple of social secretaries. Five of the employees also serve the president in some capacity. In 2009, former First Lady Michelle Obama faced criticism for her twenty-four assistants, advisors, aides, and social secretaries. Laura Bush had a staff of eighteen. In 2017, Melania Trump, in her first year, had a staff of five employees.

These 12 White House employees serving First Lady Dr. Jill Biden (five also serve the president in some capacity) cost taxpayers $1.35 million and include:
Julissa Reynoso Pantaleon, Chief of Staff and WH Gender Policy co-chair ($180,000);
Elizabeth Alexander, Director of Communications ($155,000);
Carlos Elizondo, Social Secretary ($155,000) and Deputy Social Secretary, Liz Hart ($80,000)
Press Secretary, Michael LaRosa, $100,000

Special Initiative Czars———Starting in 2009, President Obama came under fire for hiring special initiative czars. From 2017-2020, we found no evidence of “czars” on Trump’s payroll. However, Biden has czar(ed) up – naming at least 21 czars to date, with plans to fill 55 positions. These include: National Climate Advisor Regina McCarthy ($180,000) and a Special Envoy for Climate, John Kerry – who is listed in press accounts, but doesn’t appear in the payroll data. Others include Jeff Zients ($36,000), the COVID-19 czar. Critics at Politico have already questioned, “How many czars does the Biden administration need?”

Starting in 2015, President Obama instituted a new fellowship – a White House Leadership Development program with an initial class of sixteen. During the Trump years, the program was dormant. On June 4th, Biden appointed 22 members to the fellowship program. None of these appear in the payroll disclosure.

Like most presidents, Joe Biden doesn’t donate his salary. Donald Trump was the first since John F. Kennedy to donate his pre-tax quarterly salary to government agencies. Following tradition, Dr. Jill Biden isn’t paid as First Lady. However, she is the 1st First Lady to maintain an outside income – her government salary as a community college professor at Northern Virginia Community College.

Although the White House personnel budget is an infinitesimal part of the $4+ trillion federal budget, it could be a leading indicator of Biden’s commitment to expand the size, scope, and power of the federal government. Note: we requested comment from the White House and will update the piece if there is a response. All inflation adjusted numbers cited use the US Inflation Calculator.

Further Reading:
Search the salaries of White House personnel (2017-2021), here.
2020: Trump’s Leaner White House 2020 Payroll Saved Taxpayers $23.5 Million Since 2017

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