Posted on 01/25/2017 4:39:40 AM PST by IBD editorial writer
Public Unions: As the old expression goes, a new broom sweeps clean. And there's no question that the new broom in Washington, D.C., is Donald Trump. Will he be able to sweep aside the massive Washington bureaucracy, the graveyard of good ideas and democratic governance?
Trump got off to a very promising start, as we noted on Monday. On his first full day in office, he sent a powerful signal of intent by freezing pay raises and hiring of federal workers. Trump administration officials have let it be known that he'd like to slice 10% off spending and 20% off the federal bureaucracy, part of a broad effort to slash just over $10 trillion from federal spending over the next decade.
Not surprisingly, this has frightened bureaucrats. An Associated Press headline captured it best: "Workers Dismayed By President Trump's Federal Hiring Freeze."
According to a Government Business CouncilGovExec.com poll, 28% of government employees said they will definitely or "maybe" consider quitting or retiring after Donald Trump was sworn into office. Another 7% said they don't know. They know the ax is coming down.
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Cut it TO THE BONE Mr President.
And how exactly is this "months' old" pre-election influencing threat somehow magically transformed to a current News/Activism development? The 'threat' as I call it was already decided upon by the widespread condemnation of the electoral college. What does this serve now at this point except to continue seeds of division with no real development relevant to current events with our new President?
As it should. When there is a shutdown we find out how many are essential. I would say in government 50% of the workers do 100% of the work. The trick will be to identify the real workers.
I have found that the nonworkers are really good at looking busy
If he cuts 10 trillion over 10 years and the economy grows 3 to 5 percent, we could finally start to reverse the direction of the debt.
Long term though, SS and Medicare are the killers.
I’m 48 and I want my SS, so I dont want it cut for those getting it now. Besides, the interest rate has been 0 forever so no raises in Benefits for a while now.
SS is the only thing too many older folks get.
I dont know the answer. Raising the retirement age?
Are you putting money into a Roth, 401K or IRA? If not you’ll be hard pressed to live on your SS.
Works for me. I would transfet as many as possible to a new department that did absolutely nothing, that had no budget pther than salaries, then use the retirees as automatic reductions.
The house has already instituted rules and new law that has the government employees union shaking in its boots.
The Holman Rule is the thermonuclear weapon in slashing the size and employment of the bureaucracy. And every single congressman can submit very specific amendments to appropriations bills to do so. There could be hundreds or thousands of such amendments. Normally they could be thwarted easily by committee chairmen and the house leadership. Not any more.
So, for the first time in a very long time, “contacting your congressman” about cuts could be extremely effective.
It literally begins with citizens identifying fraud, waste and unconstitutional actions, and notifying their congressman about them. Right now they are in a great mood to slash and burn.
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We can start by getting rid of useless bureaucrats and boondoggles. There is so much waste to cut. Trump is creating jobs and business is paying the salaries. This will help boost the economy. And lower the debt.
Medicare and SS were paid into by the folks getting it. I get SS. (The wife’s medical plan means I am not on Medicare B yet) I would have preferred the choice of putting the money into 401ks etc. but wasn’t offered the choice. I paid for it and I will take all that I legally can.
Last night on PBS there was a hit job on Trump. I didn’t watch it but as I surfed through it they were doing a long piece on “p*ssygate.” The powers are terrified.
Yes. Next question.
If all it took to allow unionization of the federal bureaucracy was an executive order, what would happen if a new executive order reversed JFK’s edict???
Public servant means exactly that, in my opinion. Servants of the people do not deserve adversarial protection by unions to realize their desires to serve. If they are unhappy, they should join the rest of us here in unprotected America.
very interesting.......
there will be fear and loathing in DC
Easy fix: revoke the E.O. that allowed Feds to unionize. . .
He’s dealing with the “B” people. They “B” there when he gets there, and they will “B” there when he’s gone.
We need to make most of them “B” gone.
He froze hiring. There was nothing in the Executive Order about pay freezes.
There is no way that Trump can average $1 trillion per year in spending reductions without deep cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and other mandatory spending from the very start.
We're contemporaries but for the last decade the predictions are all that the SS trust fund will be empty right around 2035ish. In other words, we pay into it every day of our working lives, and it goes broke the day we retire. I'm making me plans on that assumption.
Reagan showed how to deal with federal unions when he nearly busted PATCO. Cut pay and benefits and let them strike. Do you really care if HUD, EPA, energy and education departments are paralyzed by unpaid striking bureaucrats?
Best Trump rope a dope yet would be to cause the unions to strike.
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