I gotta say I appreciate the enthusiasm of this venture. It’s great to be excited about more efficiency. But I’m really anxious about whether it will be done without screwing over poor people, raising technical debt, or sacrificing long term infrastructure.
Could DOGE cut $2T? The legal and practical reality of government reform
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Re: Could DOGE cut $2T? The legal and practical reality of government reform
#22It’s possible to initiate such cuts, but whether they stay cut after the inevitable legal battles remains to be see …
Not really, the cuts have to be "initiated" by Congress itself.
Re: Could DOGE cut $2T? The legal and practical reality of government reform
#23Surely a government office named as part of an insider trading scheme to pump a coin that burns tons of energy to exist will be ultra efficient.
It's named after the meme. The coin is also named after the meme.
Re: Could DOGE cut $2T? The legal and practical reality of government reform
#24It’s possible to initiate such cuts, but whether they stay cut after the inevitable legal battles remains to be see …
Recommendations from Presidential Task Forces like DOGE are non-actionable.
For it to be actionable, it will require congressional approval, as the GAO and the rest of the American civil service's operations are already codified in law - not executive order.
Re: Could DOGE cut $2T? The legal and practical reality of government reform
#25It’s possible to initiate such cuts, but whether they stay cut after the inevitable legal battles remains to be see …
Recommendations from Presidential Task Forces like DOGE are non-actionable. For it to be actionable, it will require congressional approval, as the GAO and the rest of the American civil service's operations are already codified in law - not executive order.
Congress can’t force anyone, not even the lowliest office clerk, to actually spend money though… the appropriated money can just sit in various accounts. (Well they can try to compel expenditures, but that would likely never withstand court scrutiny)
The real question is how the incoming administration plans on effecting such a desire on such a huge number of people.
Re: Could DOGE cut $2T? The legal and practical reality of government reform
#26The article seems to present the notion that the fundamental measure of efficiency is the administrative quotient viz. the ratio of the number of staff to overall spending.
It follows that the simplest way to improve efficiency is to increase spending whilst keeping headcount the same.
Re: Could DOGE cut $2T? The legal and practical reality of government reform
#27Having been involved in such projects on the corporate level, I do agree that driving efficiency and reducing costs, even when everyone wants and tries to do them, is rather difficult, and very slow to implement. However, once you go down the track and commit to it, a major benefit is it raises the awareness of the importance of frugality and efficiency, and future projects do become more efficient. So maybe if you cannot make a huge dent like $2T, it could help slow down the increase in deficit.
Re: Could DOGE cut $2T? The legal and practical reality of government reform
#28Earlier quoted context omitted.
Recommendations from Presidential Task Forces like DOGE are non-actionable. For it to be actionable, it will require congressional approval, as the GAO and the rest of the American civil service's operations are already codified in law - not executive order.
Congress can’t force anyone, not even the lowliest office clerk, to actually spend money though… the appropriated money can just sit in various accounts. (Well they can try to compel expenditures, but that would likely never withstand court scrutiny) The real question is how the incoming administration plans on effecting such a desire on such a huge number of people.
The people hired to hire those people need to be confirmed by Congress as well.
The US system has been designed this way for over a century after the spoils system became unpopular.
Also, I've bumped into you multiple times on this forum talking about governance, and while I appreciate the zeal PLEASE read an introductory book on Civics - you seem to have a cursory understanding of how governments are designed.
I'd recommend the AP Gov curriculum for the US.
Re: Could DOGE cut $2T? The legal and practical reality of government reform
#29It’s possible to initiate such cuts, but whether they stay cut after the inevitable legal battles remains to be see …
Not really, the cuts have to be "initiated" by Congress itself.
Cuts in appropriations yes… cuts in expenditure can be initiated by just about anyone in the federal government, whether or not they stick for more than a few hours is the question.
Re: Could DOGE cut $2T? The legal and practical reality of government reform
#30The article seems to present the notion that the fundamental measure of efficiency is the administrative quotient viz. the ratio of the number of staff to overall spending. It follows that the simplest way to improve efficiency is to increase spending whilst keeping headcount the same.
If so, the American federal government is the most efficient in the world, with no serious competition.