The Purge

[mtrycrafts]

"Elon stated". He states a lot of complete bullshit, as well. Sorting his factual statements from his mis- and disinformation would be a full-time job. No matter what clearances he has, he turned loose a bunch of flunkies whose security clearances amount to "I work for Elon".

Executive Branch agencies?

Do Elon Musk and DOGE have power to cut spending, close agencies?

\

www.statesman.com

"Blab nonsense"

Aren't creating new agencies the job of congress, not Trump?

 

[highfigh]

Sounds like you guys need some form of universal health care. Nobody gets it for free, because everyone pays taxes. Well, almost everyone. If a person is so poor that they don't pay any taxes - not even sales taxes - I'm OK with giving them free health care.

AFAIK, sales tax isn't based on income but fewer than half of working adults pay income tax.

 

[GO-NAD!]

AFAIK, sales tax isn't based on income but fewer than half of working adults pay income tax.

Yes, people with low incomes don't pay income tax. It's the same here. But, like everyone else, they pay sales taxes on items that have sales taxes applicable.

 

[GO-NAD!]

Aren't creating new agencies the job of congress, not Trump?

I don't know, but it sounds like the job of a legislative body.

 

[Trell]

I don't know, but it sounds like the job of a legislative body.

In US it is: https://law.duke.edu/lib/research-guides/federal-administrative-law

 

[Mr._Clark]

Stop, they already rescinded the terminations. Mistakes will be made when you’re trying to slash a trillion dollars from the budget. These things can be fixed very quickly as this one already has.

Guess I should get used to every mistake that occurs along the way and people yelling, I told you so. Just wait until Medicaid gets slashed, I have a transportation business that is funded by Medicaid. I’m making other plans as I don’t believe this business model will exist by the end of the year, I’m literally putting my money where my mouth is. Other than posting garbage how do you think Federal cuts will directly affect you?

Huge F ups involving nukes are not acceptable.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Huge F ups involving nukes are not acceptable.

That's what happens when you nominate and placed in office such know nothing nobodies.

 

[TankTop5]

Huge F ups involving nukes are not acceptable.

While I agree this was corrected quickly and there are multiple layers of security for nukes. These were security that monitored contractors that work on nukes, something extremely important but nobody’s safety was at risk. I had a friend who was an electrician at Lawrence Livermore, missed a step on paperwork while changing a wall socket in a hallway. Was escorted of the property within minutes. Pretty sure he was supposed to get a mid work inspection… anyway, that’s what these guys do that accidentally got fired. The actual armed security guards are a completely different story. Part of their training they go through a door and have to shoot all the targets. All targets are women and children… they don’t mess around with nuclear stuff. Source, good friend was nuclear security in the Air Force and now does it for the energy department.

 

[Mikado463]

That's what happens when you nominate and placed in office such know nothing nobodies.

while I can understand your sentiment and even agree with it to a point, this is what we have when a Gov't is overstuffed with 'know everything, don't do enough, anybody's'......

Whomever made the point of using a scalpel as opposed to a chainsaw was accurate

 

[TankTop5]

while I can understand your sentiment and even agree with it to a point, this is what we have when a Gov't is overstuffed with 'know everything, don't do enough, anybody's'......

Whomever made the point of using a scalpel as opposed to a chainsaw was accurate

It’s too late for a scalpel, the bureaucracy would weigh it down and nothing would get done. Sadly a chain saw approach is the only reasonable option at this point.

Beware the soul sucking voice of reasonableness

-The power of moments-

 

[mtrycrafts]

...

Whomever made the point of using a scalpel as opposed to a chainsaw was accurate

That would and could make sense, but we see otherwise, and it is more than a chainsaw.
And you think the cabinet is manned with the right people to use a scalpel?

 

[Mikado463]

And you think the cabinet is manned with the right people to use a scalpel?

probably not, but I have confidence they could make a mess with a dull butter knife .......

 

[GO-NAD!]

I'm still puzzled by this obsession with supposed fat and fraud that needs to be excised from US government spending. For example, the number of US government federal employees is essentially the same as it was in 1982, while the population is almost 50% higher. Yet, we see mass firings from US federal agencies.

Total government employees U.S. 2023 | Statista

In 2023, around 19.58 million people were working for state and local governments in the United States.

www.statista.com

And, it not like Americans pay too much in taxes. The US is a low tax and low government spending jurisdiction. It's just that nobody seems to be willing to pay for the programs you have. Hence the large deficits.

All I can say, is "good luck". You're gonna need it.

 

[mtrycrafts]

I'm still puzzled by this obsession with supposed fat and fraud that needs to be excised from US government spending. For example, the number of US government federal employees is essentially the same as it was in 1982, while the population is almost 50% higher. Yet, we see mass firings from US federal agencies.

Total government employees U.S. 2023 | Statista

In 2023, around 19.58 million people were working for state and local governments in the United States.

www.statista.com

And, it not like Americans pay too much in taxes. The US is a low tax and low government spending jurisdiction. It's just that nobody seems to be willing to pay for the programs you have. Hence the large deficits.
...

All I can say, is "good luck". You're gonna need it.

You are puzzled? Me too. Amazing how quickly they come to the conclusion about fraud, waste, and abuse yet a forensic analysis usually takes a good while to determine fraud. Waste is in the eyes of the beholder. Abuse?

Yes, a group wants to run the government of an almost 400 million population on a shoestring without workers, practically, yet have a military budget of nearly a $1T.
I guess they want the little guys to just die and disappear so they can brag being the richest on the planet.

 

[GO-NAD!]

The people who need to read this probably won't.

The Death of Government Expertise

Why Trump and Musk are on a firing spree

www.theatlantic.com

 

[Trell]

I'm still puzzled by this obsession with supposed fat and fraud that needs to be excised from US government spending. For example, the number of US government federal employees is essentially the same as it was in 1982, while the population is almost 50% higher. Yet, we see mass firings from US federal agencies.

Total government employees U.S. 2023 | Statista

In 2023, around 19.58 million people were working for state and local governments in the United States.

www.statista.com

And, it not like Americans pay too much in taxes. The US is a low tax and low government spending jurisdiction. It's just that nobody seems to be willing to pay for the programs you have. Hence the large deficits.
View attachment 72255

All I can say, is "good luck". You're gonna need it.

The number of federal employees are about the same since the mid 60'ies, and a little higher than the mid 1950'ies. The 1950 census registered 151 millions while the 2020 census registered 331 millions, so over a doubling of the population while the number of federal employees are about the same.

I don't see the waste here.

The Fraudulence of “Waste, Fraud and Abuse”

History repeats itself, the first time as farce, the second as clown show

paulkrugman.substack.com

 

[Mikado463]

The people who need to read this probably won't.

The Death of Government Expertise

Why Trump and Musk are on a firing spree

www.theatlantic.com

agreed and even if the MAGA clowns did they would cast it aside.

 

[Mikado463]

The number of federal employees are about the same since the mid 60'ies, and a little higher than the mid 1950'ies. The 1950 census registered 151 millions while the 2020 census registered 331 millions, so over a doubling of the population while the number of federal employees are about the same.

I don't see the waste here.

View attachment 72267

The Fraudulence of “Waste, Fraud and Abuse”

History repeats itself, the first time as farce, the second as clown show

paulkrugman.substack.com

While I get your point there is one glowing difference between then and now, automation/mechanization now, that didn't exist 60 years ago. My industry (railroading) is but one example, we can now handle twice the ton miles with 1/4 to 1/3 the work force.

 

[Trell]

While I get your point there is one glowing difference between then and now, automation/mechanization now, that didn't exist 60 years ago. My industry (railroading) is but one example, went can now handle twice the ton miles with 1/4 to 1/3 the work force.

Exactly, but that means that the federal government became more efficient as new technologies came available. However, some areas/agencies needs more people and updated IT systems, like the IRS.

With a doubling of the population there will be a corresponding increase of government employees (local and state) and they work in the expected areas:

 

[mtrycrafts]

The people who need to read this probably won't.

The Death of Government Expertise

Why Trump and Musk are on a firing spree

www.theatlantic.com

Expert failure? Elon should reflect on his expert failures, one after another.
Rockets blowing up, front axles breaking in warranty and telling customers, oh well, your dime.