Musk Takes Machete to the Deep State Weeds…dramatic yes, but true enough for government work.
The unlikely employment of Elon Musk by the Federal Government seems to be rubbing some the wrong way. The Democratic Party is up in arms over the recent US AID cut and I can see why. That quiet and somewhat impenetrable slush fund served many of their leftist societal designs. I say good riddance. What good may have been done almost seems accidental and if it is really good, the State Department now will have the reigns. One Holy Cow down and more to come.
The concept that fraud and abuse exists in the Fed is not controversial. But actually shing light on specifics and doing something, anything, about it is. Musk is bypassing lip service and going straight for the jugular of the favorite wasteful practices. Trimming Fed employees has a lasting effect and the buy outs are a bargain. I personally think they will be happier people no longer operating with false faces that they are public servants. They aren't and never were. Of course, some civil service employees are good employees and hopefully few of them will become collateral damage.
I see this as the beginning of the end for bloated corrupt government. How long it reigns is a valid question, but I'd say Trump's 4 years will set a movement in motion with a lasting momentum. I like numbers and I believe that numbers will verify the benefit of Musk's DOGE efforts.
Some things like eliminating the Department of Education will take those areas back to the States. If the Fed can help by issuing grants etc., then great. if not, the States must start up there own DOGE units and that will really be something to watch. I've seen discussions about eliminating Property Taxes which supposedly pays for local schools. The discussions seem to like adding a special local state based sales tax to replace lost revenue in a fairer way spreading it across all segments, home owners and non home owners alike. This, like a National Sales Tax, is more broad based and leans toward a consumption tax though not quite.
Within the big reforms that DOGE is hoping to achieve, might be modernization of systems and use of AI. Perhaps there will be more online service access and record access. If the average Citizen is given more control over records relating to them and the government, that would to a degree require fewer government employees. Hell, I can easily envision a completely revised DMV where the only employees needed would be Drive Tester Exam people. Well, maybe a few others but you get my drift. Reform of systems would help speed up governance and speed is part of efficiency as long as it is not reckless. Like a Model S 0 to 60 in 2.6 seconds, image renewing your Driver's License in 30 seconds. It could and should happen. Red tape is wasteful and from I see, DOGE is eliminating a lot of it.
I do not have a gloating sense of things when people get fired etc., but there is a longer view that says it will be better for both the average non government employee and the ex government employee because both categories are Citizens. If DOGE can put back some good meaning in being a Federal Employee and Public Servant, that will go a long way to trimming the “Them against us” that has become the nature of Civil Service Unions. That they work for us is not a bad thing. That we pay their salaries is not a bad thing. But this requires acknowledgment that it is the People/Citizenry that is in charge not the invisible hand of back door deals.
I favor this shake up. I wish Musk the best. He will be pilloried for chopping away the wasteful weeds on the WH lawn, but in the long run, a new path will be made and easily followed to a great improvement in efficiency with a jolt of honesty. Hard to swallow? Too bad.
Best,
Donn Marier
DM-Your Own CFO