Posted on 02/08/2025 11:45:10 AM PST by Libloather
CNN — The last 140 years have been littered with promises by presidents to fix the federal bureaucracy.
Back in the late 1880s, when unqualified political appointees were wasting taxpayer dollars, there was a move to professionalize government workers in a merit-based bureaucracy. The effort gained momentum after then-President James Garfield was shot and killed by a disaffected former supporter with mental illness who was angry at not getting a job in Garfield’s administration.
The US has a bureaucracy for a reason The political “spoils” system, which the bureaucracy replaced, was demonized for its cronyism, inefficiency and graft.
Now, ironically, President-elect Donald Trump demonizes professional government workers as part of a “deep state,” and his incoming administration wants to uproot and replace them with political appointees more responsive to elected officials.
History undoing itself.
Remembering REGO, which came before DOGE
There’s a much more recent and applicable chapter that directly echoes Trump’s appointment of efficiency czars in Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who were on Capitol Hill Thursday to gain support for the nongovernmental advisory effort they’re spinning up and calling the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
Three decades ago, the new president promising change was Democrat Bill Clinton. His charge to then-Vice President Al Gore was to streamline government through a National Performance Review, or NPR. Supporters referred to it in shorthand as “reinventing government,” or REGO.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Piled higher and deeper.
Emphasis on “piled.”
“It’s different when they do it.”
So they will shut up now?
Maybe Pres. Clinton should call Pres. Trump a copycat
https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/statement-the-buyout-program-for-federal-employees
Lefties are so sad and pathetic.
Yeah, but as everyone knows, when it comes to government efficiency, the Democrats NEVER mean it…it’s all just window dressing to them.
Nope, the one thing you can bank on forever is that they’ll never shut up.
Was this at the same time AlGore was accepting major “donations” from Tibetan Monks who had taken lifetime oaths of poverty?
This is what really pisses off democRATs about the demise of their USAID money transfer scheme. The USAID labyrinth gave out billions, and I am sure more than a little $$$ made its way back to the those ‘generous’ politicians.
Reminds of the 1990s House of Representatives Bank and Post Office Scandals. When Newt Gingrich and company took over the House, much of the Post Office / House Bank money spigot ceased.
Yet another reason democRATS and DemoKKKrats hate President Trump and Elon Musk. They make money the old fashioned way, they EARNED IT.
There is a reason no one remembers Al Gore’s REGO.
Its not nongovernmental and can do nothing without the express authority granted to it by the executive branch.
The dems are basically saying the chief executive has no authority to audit his own branch of government.
Those forklifts were like Obama’s styrofoam pillars at his DNC acceptance speech.
Who’s more successful and smarter - algore or Elon musk? CNN, you can’t fix stupid
Al Gore invented the internet long before Elon Musk invented the reusable heavy-lift booster.
“There is a reason no one remembers Al Gore’s REGO.”
You beat me to it! 30 years from now everybody will remember DOGE.
Income tax didn’t start until 1918. There were no “taxpayers” in 1880.
Example, blax are the most racist demographic in America yet they insist they cannot be racist. Typical leftist disease.
MUSK NEEDS TO UNRAVEL THE CONGRESSIONAL FUNDS USED TO SHUT UP SEXUAL SCANDALS.
AT THE HEAD OF THE LINE——SO CONGRESS SHUTS UP
“”MUSK NEEDS TO UNRAVEL THE CONGRESSIONAL FUNDS USED TO SHUT UP SEXUAL SCANDALS.
AT THE HEAD OF THE LINE——SO CONGRESS SHUTS UP””
Excellent idea. Remember the congressional page boys abuse?
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.