Trump will propose combining the Education and Labor Departments

The American Thinker ^ | 06/21/18 | Rick Moran

[pgkdan]

Now according to the Wall Street Journal, the Trump administration is looking to eliminate a lot of duplication of programs by combining the Departments of Education and Labor.

***Snip***

Looks good on paper. But the impetus of the bureaucracy to aggrandize itself by expanding, rather than shrinking their departments may doom the well meaning effort to failure.

The initial 1980 budget for the Department of Education was about $6 billion. The 2019 budget request from Trump is about $62 billion, down from the $68 billion spent in the last Obama budget. What started as an effort to reform government ended up creating a monstrous bureaucracy. What's more, during that period, American kids lost ground to their international competition as scores in reading, math and science fell.

So despite the massive increase in spending, the education of our children has suffered. Whatever the combined education and labor departments will be called, it's hard to imagine things improving dramatically.

Similarly, it's an open question whether combining government welfare programs under the auspices of one government department will improve their efficiency or save the taxpayer some money. Any such effort is welcome, however, and who knows? Perhaps the right cabinet secretary can realize the savings envision by the Trump administration.**

[pgkdan]

I say just eliminate them both...

[bankwalker]

One step at a time.

[immadashell]

it's an open question whether combining government welfare programs under the auspices of one government department will improve their efficiency or save the taxpayer some money.

They could save a ton of money by taking back agency firearms and ammo.

[heights]

Give it to Pruitt, let him Kill the Beast.

[gibsonguy]

A small step in the right direction. Even at that it will be a tough sell getting rid of a Department. The Government NEVER gets smaller.

[proust]

A general who fights a thousand battles and wins a thousand battles is not a good general.

[SgtHooper]

Combine them, and THEN eliminate them one year later. Give them scum some hope just before pushing them off a cliff. :-)

[RinaseaofDs]

Brilliant. I’ve been for wiping out departments. Politically difficult.

Merging them? Especially with the opportunity to use the massive college debt bubble as a possible reason to do it?

Excellent.

[mulligan]

Why not eliminate both?

[JudyinCanada]

Yup - combine them and then whittle away at BOTH. Perfect opportunity to remove indoctrination from education. Heck, that in itself should wipe out 90% of the agenda.

[DiogenesLamp]

Trump will propose combining the Education and Labor Departments

This is a good idea. By combining, it will reduce the need for personnel. Over time, the "education" component might be eliminated completely. It doesn't do anything beneficial to education anyway. It's just a jobs program for incompetent bureaucrats.

[JimRed]

AMEN! And a few others as well. Use part of the savings to finish the WALL!

[Dr. Sivana]

But the impetus of the bureaucracy to aggrandize itself by expanding, rather than shrinking their departments may doom the well meaning effort to failure.

Before there was a Department of Education, and a Department of Health and Human Services, there was the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. That "bigger" organization was less intrusive than the separate departments they turned into, it was like a bureaucratic stock split.

By merging them, it is that much easier to prune Education's role. Reagan couldn't get rid of Education or Energy ... Trump is trying creative ways to work towards the goal.