Posted on 11/17/2024 9:25:40 AM PST by John Semmens
President-Elect Donald Trump's intention to create a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and appoint Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to run it has sparked desperate Democrats to contemplate methods aimed at preventing such a catastrophe. Senior Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee Rep. Richard Neal (Mass) called DOGE "a rogue agency aimed at destroying nearly a century of vital government expansion. Before FDR took office in 1933 federal spending was less than 7% of GDP. Today it is more than 25% and growing. We can't let Trump's goons undo do all this hard work."
Rep. Juan Vargas (D-Calif) is urging President Biden "to take executive action to protect both employees and spending levels from being reduced. For one, he could declare all of his appointees to be covered public servants with full Hatch Act protections from dismissal. It would take years to conduct all the hearings needed before anyone one could be fired. A second thing he could do would be to sign long-term contracts with corporations to spend trillions of dollars. It would take years of court battles for Trump's hired guns to try to break these contracts."
"Speaking as presumed 'goon #1,' I think the value that these Democrats place on our bloated government is excessive," Musk asserted. "The notion that outgoing President Biden can somehow thwart our effort to cut waste is flawed thinking. Any executive action taken by one president can be undone by a succeeding president. When I bought Twitter I discovered that the number of employees on-board greatly exceeded the number needed to provide a free speech platform. I was able to reduce head count by 75% without impairing essential services to our customers. I think Vivek and I will be able to replicate this success in the federal government."
Vargas pounced, saying "Musk's savings came via eliminating the regulations necessary for preventing lies and misinformation from being spread through the platform. This lowered the quality of the previous Twitter experience. The same thing will happen if he tries to reduce the regulations that the federal government uses to keep businesses and individuals in line. The quality of life in America will decline. His dismantling of the Biden's executive orders intended to preserve this quality of life will doom the Republicans' hopes for retaining the presidency and their majorities in Congress in future elections."
Some recent examples of essential regulations the government uses to keep businesses and individuals in line:
In Georgia, Brittany Patterson got into trouble when police discovered that her 10-year-old son had walked the mile from his home into town. Patterson was handcuffed, arrested, booked on suspicion of reckless conduct and forced to post $500 bail. She called her treatment "outrageous. When I was ten I walked at least as far from home and my parents were never arrested or charged." Police offered to drop the charges if she would agree to sign a document guaranteeing that her children would always be under a watchful eye.
In New York, the FBI conducted a 6 A.M. raid on the home of Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan and seized his phone and electronics. His crime: accurately predicting Trump's easy win over Kamala Harris. FBI spokesman Dooly Wong explained "when so many better known and wealthier pollsters predicted the opposite, Mr. Coplan's divergent forecast looks suspicious."
In California, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) adopted emission rules that will effectively outlaw gasoline and diesel fueled recreational vehicles (RVs). Under these rules RVs will not be able to be sold and registered in California beginning in 2025. RVs with more than 7500 miles on them and electric RVs are exempt from these rules.
In Texas, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) ordered a recall of 79,200 pounds of Kirkland Signature Sweet Cream Butter because the label does not say "contains milk." Interestingly, other regulations state that for a product to legally be called butter it must contain milk.
Long post. Headline said it all.
Before FDR took office in 1933 federal spending was less than 7% of GDP. Today it is more than 25% and growing. We can’t let Trump’s goons undo do all this hard work.”
Adam Smith in the Wealth of Nations intensely disliked govt and lawyers but admitted they were essential in LIMITED QUANTITIES.
I’ve seen Government contracts where it’s written in that they can be cancelled at the convenience of the Government. I’ve also seen middle of FY budget cuts significantly reduce the scope and personnel on existing contracts without any backlash. As far as personnel dismissals, if you can’t immediately fire them, change their job descriptions and reduce their grades to somewhere between GS1 and GS6.
“...”a rogue agency aimed at destroying nearly a century of vital government expansion. Before FDR took office in 1933 federal spending was less than 7% of GDP. Today it is more than 25% and growing. We can’t let Trump’s goons undo do all this hard work.”
And that’s the only creditable thing that was said. He wanted a reason for creating a checks and balance to government, to include the sections that were there for checks and balance, he’s went it with his own statement. It is the responsibility of all government employees to help identify and repair government issues. If that fails bad enough, and in this case the citizens had to step in, then it’s time to oversee the overseers. People only fear that which looks over their shoulders and can bite, (or will).
wy69
Let’s examine this statement. Franklin Roosevelt established a myriad of agencies staffed by unelected, unconfirmed experts who would rule and not serve citizens. Instead of legislating, Congress henceforward would create legislators residing within impenetrable agencies. Instead of inherent individual liberties constraining government, a host of bureaucrats becoming autocrats conferred rights upon and applied constraints to those who should be citizens.
On April 14, 2023, the Supreme Court began, what this agency I would hope continues, by stricking a blow supporting our Constitution and individual liberties. Beginning in the late nineteenth century, citizens began losing many freedoms through administrative edicts. Appeals of these regulations had to be made to courts within an agency, which has already found the people guilty. Such power harks back to discretions of English kings unrestrained by Parliament found in such places as King’s Council and the Star Chamber.
The Supreme Court acted to reassert the jurisdiction of district and circuit courts and the legislature as established by the Constitution. All power was to reside there, so Americans could avoid the sad experience of English citizens. Justice Kagan delivered the unanimous opinion of the court saying, “One respondent attacks as well the combination of prosecutorial and adjudicatory functions in a single agency….They maintain in essence that the agencies as currently structured, are unconstitutional in much of their work”.
You and I could relate too many examples of people’s frustrating experiences facing government bureaucrats. Their sufferings cause me to reflect on a passage where Fredrick Douglass describes overseer duties. I only substituted for the words slave, overseer, and master.
“No matter how innocent a citizen might be it availed him nothing when accused by the bureaucrat of any violation of a regulation. To be accused was to be convicted and to be convicted was to be punished….To escape punishment was to escape accusation….few citizens had the fortune to do either under the overseership of the agency.”
The best explanation I have found of our perilous situation is referenced below as The History and Danger of Administrative Law.
Supreme Court 9, Administrative State 0
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4145682/posts
The History and Danger of Administrative Law
https://constitutionclub.wordpress.com/2014/10/01/the-history-and-danger-of-administrative-law/
The History and Danger of Administrative Law
I am amazed here on FR at the many that look to the centralized federal govt to solve problems, small and large.
They want an efficient government to fix things NOW! Democracies are very efficient. Republics are not.
We have a whole generation that thinks the easy solution to problems is the federal govt.
IT is going to take a lot to change that.
DOGE’s job will be much easier if Congress would vote to deunionize the government.
They are already protected by Civil Service they don’t need unions.
p.s. please note I said "most" and "roughly". I didn't say every single state.
So true.
“I shall carry it with me to my grave as beneficence – that your union and brotherly affection may be perpetual – that the free Constitution which is the work of your hands, may be sacredly maintained – that its administration in every department may be stamped with wisdom and virtue – that, in fine, the happiness of the people of these states under the auspices of liberty, may be made complete by so careful a preservation and so prudent a use of this blessing as will acquire to them the glory of recommending it to the applause, the affection – and adoption of every nation which is yet a stranger to it.”
Wanna downsize this beast? Eliminate every department and agency created after 1960. Then, cut off electrical power to those agencies.
To really downsize without possibility of re-emergence, they will need to fire the people, sell the properties, pass closure legislation, take away security clearances and remove the department from the budget.
Correction: “pointless government expansion”
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.