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It's Official: Trump's Swamp-Draining Begins
Investor's Business Daily ^ | 4/13/2017 | Staff

Posted on 04/14/2017 4:56:07 AM PDT by IBD editorial writer

Bureaucracy: With surprisingly little fanfare, President Trump has set about doing something that has evaded presidents of both parties for decades: reshaping, resizing and reforming our vast, dysfunctional federal bureaucracy. If he succeeds, all Americans will be the better for it.

It's not an easy task. But it is a vital one.

Last Wednesday, the ball really got rolling when Trump ended his temporary freeze on federal hiring, and announced a plan to "resize" the government to make it less costly, more productive and more responsive to average citizens. It's the kind of thing that private businesses do all the time, but that Big Government with its 2.9 million workers does almost never.

"The president of the United States has asked all of us in the executive branch to start from scratch — a little blank piece of paper, and if you were going to rebuild the executive branch, what would it look like?" Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney told reporters.

To that end, Mulvaney has sent a letter to all federal agencies telling them to expect major funding cuts and that calls on them to "reorganize governmental functions and eliminate unnecessary agencies" as part of a plan to make government leaner and more efficient.

Though the bureaucracy makeover is part of the laundry list of items Trump wanted to get done in his first 100 days, Mulvaney notes the actual budget cuts won't happen until the 2019 budget. "One of the reasons this is so difficult to do is that you just can't wave a magic wand in the Oval Office and do these things," Mulvaney told RealClearPolitics.

(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: biggovernment; budget; bureaucracy; draintheswamp; government; mulvaney; omb; trump
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To: IBD editorial writer

The audit of the rat hole HUD and its results points the way.


21 posted on 04/14/2017 6:00:47 AM PDT by Jimmy Valentine (DemocRATS - when they speak, they lie; when they are silent, they are stealing the American Dream)
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To: yetidog

Relocating many federal agency headquarters outside of Washington DC is essential to breaking up the elitist culture that permeates that place.

***********

That is an insightful and profound comment my FRiend. The DC bureaucracy is permeated with elites who think they are intellectually and morally superior to the “little people” they are supposed to humbly serve. There is kind of a country club like atmosphere in DC; instead of golf they play political games.

Unfortunately, people outside the DC Beltway have no idea how isolated these arrogant bureaucrats are from the rest of the country. I think moving them outside the liberal echo chamber of DC would be very healthy and transformative. Make them live amongst the people they are supposed to serve.


22 posted on 04/14/2017 6:12:37 AM PDT by Starboard
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To: IBD editorial writer

SHRINKING Fedzilla, like 0’ing out the budget, never STAYS shrunk (nor 0). Only ELIMINATING agencies/dept/etc. will save the day.

Or, better yet, announce all govt will be conducted from their new digs...above the Artic Circle. Those that don’t wish to move can quit. /s


23 posted on 04/14/2017 6:14:54 AM PDT by i_robot73 ("A man chooses. A slave obeys." - Andrew Ryan)
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To: knittnmom
Might be a fun thread to have FReepers each choose one to eliminate, and provide their justification for the elimination.

I nominate the Department of Dumb for elimination. My justification is that Dumb doesn't require government subsidies or oversight as it is thriving quite well in all sectors of our society. Perhaps some of the savings could be allocated to the fledgling Department of Common Sense..........

24 posted on 04/14/2017 6:51:34 AM PDT by varon (There's always room for one more on the hanging tree.....)
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To: IBD editorial writer
Last Wednesday, the ball really got rolling when Trump ended his temporary freeze on federal hiring, and announced a plan to "resize" the government to make it less costly, more productive and more responsive to average citizens. It's the kind of thing that private businesses do all the time, but that Big Government with its 2.9 million workers does almost never.

THIS IS A HUGE WIN! THANK YOU PRESIDENT TRUMP.

25 posted on 04/14/2017 7:12:25 AM PDT by GOPJ (Obama to Lynch to Bill Clinton: Unmasked reports transferred face-to-face at obscure airport?)
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To: COBOL2Java

Damn! $3 billion budget and 7/8 thousand employees! Get rid of that too. Perhaps I should have used 1805 as my starting place.


26 posted on 04/14/2017 7:22:37 AM PDT by New Jersey Realist (The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. Edmund Burke)
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To: Paulie

Best post on this thread! Thank you!


27 posted on 04/14/2017 7:29:21 AM PDT by Fireone (No more Bushes, Clintons, or Obamas....ever!)
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To: yetidog

The hated IRS is one of the agencies spread out all over the USA.


28 posted on 04/14/2017 7:32:39 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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To: Starboard
It reminds me of the Capitol in The Hunger Games.
29 posted on 04/14/2017 7:36:22 AM PDT by wintertime (Stop treating government teachers like they are reincarnated Mother Teresas!)
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To: yetidog

How about Death Valley?


30 posted on 04/14/2017 7:40:37 AM PDT by Noumenon ("Only the dead have seen an end to war.")
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To: IBD editorial writer

The EPA is about 50% bigger since 2009
At the very least he needs to cut the budget by 50%


31 posted on 04/14/2017 7:40:42 AM PDT by minnesota_bound
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To: The_Republic_Of_Maine

Get rid of their union, run it like a business and let go of anyone who doesn’t perform and we could very easily let 25% go within one month.


32 posted on 04/14/2017 7:44:57 AM PDT by tiki
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To: yetidog
Relocating many federal agency headquarters outside of Washington DC is essential to breaking up the elitist culture that permeates that place.

That would do wonders for this place. Another idea is to push new offices and jobs out of the Beltway so these people actually have to go out and see what the rest of America is like.

33 posted on 04/14/2017 7:57:18 AM PDT by KC_Conspirator
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To: The_Republic_Of_Maine

Wow, even Senate is included, lets start there!!


34 posted on 04/14/2017 8:47:48 AM PDT by thirst4truth (America, What difference does it make?)
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To: The_Republic_Of_Maine

Thanks, Maine, for your posting of federal agencies.

I would start the re-build by sorting the departments and agencies into three tiers.

Tier 1 - constitutionally required (e.g., Senate, Patent Office, Armed Forces)

Tier 2 - probably needed (e.g., US Military Academy, FAA, DARPA

Tier 3 - probably unnecessary (e.g., AbilityOne Commission, Indian Arts and Crafts Board, Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Interagency Coordinating Committee)


35 posted on 04/14/2017 8:52:06 AM PDT by Walrus (Those who work should eat better than those who don't)
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To: Starboard

I was a federal manager who left at first chance for early retirement. I was recruited frequently for movement to “headquarters” with the admonition that “nothing important happens west of the Mississippi.” What vanity and arrogance.


36 posted on 04/14/2017 2:15:18 PM PDT by yetidog
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To: minnesota_bound

The EPA needs to have it’s grant programs terminated with prejudice. Defund the Left.


37 posted on 04/14/2017 7:01:41 PM PDT by Paladin2
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To: yetidog

My (at the time) 5-yr old son noted that there were not many bathrooms west of the Missouri.


38 posted on 04/14/2017 7:03:38 PM PDT by Paladin2
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To: The_Republic_Of_Maine

Maybe a third?


39 posted on 04/18/2017 5:53:07 AM PDT by IBD editorial writer
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