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A fairly balanced view. But saying smaller government and agreeing on what departments and agencies and programs we will cut are two very different things. DHS perhaps? Dept of Education? What would YOU cut?
Lies politicians tell | Fox News
Posted from foxnews.com
Politics
Policy
Government
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 10
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What to cut at the Cabinet or Department level? Look at the Constitution and decide what departments don't have a constitutional basis. There are several. IMO the following would be a good start:
-Close Department of Education (returns power to States)
-Close Department of Energy (some nuclear regulatory functions to Commerce or DoD)
-Close Department of Labor
-Close Department of Agriculture (food programs to new DHW--see below)
-Combine Health and Human Services and Housing and Urban Development into new Department of Health and Welfare and reduce combined budget by 50%
-Combine DoD and Homeland Security and eliminate 50% of political appointees and SES
-Combine EPA with Department of Interior and reduce budget by 50%, eliminate all EPA appointees and SES
-Combine Small Business Administration with Commerce and eliminate SBA political appointees and SES
-Shrink DoD and Service Staffs by eliminating duplicative functions among the Services and Defense Agencies. Logistical functions combined under US Logistics Command with Service Component Commands, e.g., Army AMC, NAVSUPCOM, AFLC.
-Eliminate deputies, unders, assistants, and vices throughout the Government except in cases where unbroken physical presence of legal authority is necessary for national security. With modern communication and IT capabilities, senior officers and officials are almost always reachable. Designation of a responsible department head or division chief with temporary command or directive authority should cover most situations, such as leave. The number of political appointees, SES, GO/FO, and O-6s deputy positions could be reduced nearly 100%. Most of the manpower spaces could be eliminated. Some combat formations may be able to prove the need for Deputy or Vice Commanders to maintain continuity of command in combat or emergency situations.
-Eliminate Corps of Engineers waterway and conservation functions as part of the US Army. Transfer most CONUS functions to Department of Interior.
-Calculate the retirement pay for Members of Congress, Federal Judges, Cabinet Members and other political appointees using the same formula as used for Government Civilian Employees. (Approximately 1% per year of service multiplied by the average of high-three-year salary.) Offer health insurance program to these people the same as offered to Government Civilian Employees.
-Close Department of Education (returns power to States)
-Close Department of Energy (some nuclear regulatory functions to Commerce or DoD)
-Close Department of Labor
-Close Department of Agriculture (food programs to new DHW--see below)
-Combine Health and Human Services and Housing and Urban Development into new Department of Health and Welfare and reduce combined budget by 50%
-Combine DoD and Homeland Security and eliminate 50% of political appointees and SES
-Combine EPA with Department of Interior and reduce budget by 50%, eliminate all EPA appointees and SES
-Combine Small Business Administration with Commerce and eliminate SBA political appointees and SES
-Shrink DoD and Service Staffs by eliminating duplicative functions among the Services and Defense Agencies. Logistical functions combined under US Logistics Command with Service Component Commands, e.g., Army AMC, NAVSUPCOM, AFLC.
-Eliminate deputies, unders, assistants, and vices throughout the Government except in cases where unbroken physical presence of legal authority is necessary for national security. With modern communication and IT capabilities, senior officers and officials are almost always reachable. Designation of a responsible department head or division chief with temporary command or directive authority should cover most situations, such as leave. The number of political appointees, SES, GO/FO, and O-6s deputy positions could be reduced nearly 100%. Most of the manpower spaces could be eliminated. Some combat formations may be able to prove the need for Deputy or Vice Commanders to maintain continuity of command in combat or emergency situations.
-Eliminate Corps of Engineers waterway and conservation functions as part of the US Army. Transfer most CONUS functions to Department of Interior.
-Calculate the retirement pay for Members of Congress, Federal Judges, Cabinet Members and other political appointees using the same formula as used for Government Civilian Employees. (Approximately 1% per year of service multiplied by the average of high-three-year salary.) Offer health insurance program to these people the same as offered to Government Civilian Employees.
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Lt Col Jim Coe
SSG Michael Hartsfield, I checked the enumerated powers in the Constitution and find no warrant for the Departments of Education, Labor, Agriculture, or Energy. The "general welfare" clause can be used to justify lots of things and doubtlessly has been, but I don't think the original framers of the Constitution envisioned an all-intrusive Federal Government. They tried to limit it by reserving powers to the states and people in the Constitution and the 10th Amendment.
I don't buy your argument about national standards for education. My kids went to public schools in Illinois, Mississippi, Alaska, Florida, and Virginia. The two things most affecting the quality of education they received were state financing of education and the quality of the teachers. National standards were something teachers had to put up with and prepare their students to test to. They took away from the lessons the teachers planned to teach. The Illinois and Mississippi schools were not very good, the Alaska schools were excellent, and the Florida schools were average but plagued with bussing for integration. (In Florida my daughter's middle school was in a part of town off limits to military personnel after dark.) I believe the DOE is dominated by teacher's unions and liberal socialists ready to force their ideology on the students in spite of parental preferences. In general government governs best when it's close to the governed and this is very true for education.
The DOL was separated from the department of Commerce and Labor as a favor to Big Labor--same reason Labor Day is a national holiday. Some other Department could enforce safety and fair labor laws. Possibly DOJ. I think companies would generally treat their employees with fairness and respect without the Federal Government looking over their shoulder. Again, no warrant in the constitution for the regulation of employment.
Department of Energy was invented to try to prevent energy crises like the gasoline shortages of the 1970s. If you don't remember being able to buy gas only on the even or odd-numbered day that corresponded to the number on you license plate, you may not understand. We were all upset because a gallon of gas cost over 50 cents! Free enterprise will do the R&D needed to find new sources of energy. The Government wanted us to go to wind and solar, but free enterprise saw the need for inexpensive petroleum. Fracking provided the "cheap oil" that the current Administration hates, but the country needs. Federal Government selection of winners and losers in the energy market must stop, including subsidies to oil companies. No warrant in the Constitution for regulation of natural resources.
Food safety standards, like labor safety laws could be enforced by another Government agency. Maybe in the Department of Health and Welfare or the DOJ. Subsidies to agriculture must stop. Free market forces will actually help farmers farm more efficiently and get a fair price for their products. Agriculture R&D organizations living off Federal grants will have to become market driven. One more time: no warrant for regulating agriculture in the Constitution.
The only way to make the Federal Government cost less is to have less Federal Government. As long as the multiplicity of departments and agencies exist, they will continue to self-perpetuate. They will have constituents, as you demonstrated, putting pressure on the Congress for funding. Wholesale closing of major parts of the Federal Government passing power back to the States and people is the only thing that will work.
I don't buy your argument about national standards for education. My kids went to public schools in Illinois, Mississippi, Alaska, Florida, and Virginia. The two things most affecting the quality of education they received were state financing of education and the quality of the teachers. National standards were something teachers had to put up with and prepare their students to test to. They took away from the lessons the teachers planned to teach. The Illinois and Mississippi schools were not very good, the Alaska schools were excellent, and the Florida schools were average but plagued with bussing for integration. (In Florida my daughter's middle school was in a part of town off limits to military personnel after dark.) I believe the DOE is dominated by teacher's unions and liberal socialists ready to force their ideology on the students in spite of parental preferences. In general government governs best when it's close to the governed and this is very true for education.
The DOL was separated from the department of Commerce and Labor as a favor to Big Labor--same reason Labor Day is a national holiday. Some other Department could enforce safety and fair labor laws. Possibly DOJ. I think companies would generally treat their employees with fairness and respect without the Federal Government looking over their shoulder. Again, no warrant in the constitution for the regulation of employment.
Department of Energy was invented to try to prevent energy crises like the gasoline shortages of the 1970s. If you don't remember being able to buy gas only on the even or odd-numbered day that corresponded to the number on you license plate, you may not understand. We were all upset because a gallon of gas cost over 50 cents! Free enterprise will do the R&D needed to find new sources of energy. The Government wanted us to go to wind and solar, but free enterprise saw the need for inexpensive petroleum. Fracking provided the "cheap oil" that the current Administration hates, but the country needs. Federal Government selection of winners and losers in the energy market must stop, including subsidies to oil companies. No warrant in the Constitution for regulation of natural resources.
Food safety standards, like labor safety laws could be enforced by another Government agency. Maybe in the Department of Health and Welfare or the DOJ. Subsidies to agriculture must stop. Free market forces will actually help farmers farm more efficiently and get a fair price for their products. Agriculture R&D organizations living off Federal grants will have to become market driven. One more time: no warrant for regulating agriculture in the Constitution.
The only way to make the Federal Government cost less is to have less Federal Government. As long as the multiplicity of departments and agencies exist, they will continue to self-perpetuate. They will have constituents, as you demonstrated, putting pressure on the Congress for funding. Wholesale closing of major parts of the Federal Government passing power back to the States and people is the only thing that will work.
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LTC Eric Coger
SSG Michael Hartsfield - The Dept of Education only manages K-12 and that isn't working out too well; they have ZERO impact or say in Colleges and Universities; if the States can run Higher ed (envy of the world), why do we say they can't run K-12? As far as DoDDS goes, creating a smaller system to manage the DoD schools where they have them does not require a cabinet level agency. These cuts are spot on and in most cases just eliminate Federal jobs, the actual laws and enforcement of them won't change at all. you'd be surprised how many of these agencies don't really do anything other than print paper and "oversee" lower levels with no real impact.
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Col Joseph Lenertz
Lt Col Jim Coe - Exactly. The "common standards" mantra is a lie which any service-member with kids knows is a lie. I've had kids in public schools in TX, AL, ND, HI, OH, VA and CA. And in private schools in AL and HI. The best state's public schools are better than the worst states private schools. The differences in quality of education are enormous. If common standards are the DOEd's mandate, they have failed utterly and need to be disbanded.
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First would be the IRS. Revamp the whole thing. (I'm partial to the Flat Tax. The more you make, the more you pay. The less you make, the less you pay. The percentage is the same. And, it needs fewer people to run the system.) Second, the Congressional pay, retirement and healthcare program. They should have to purchase a healthcare plan, just like the rest of the nation. If Obamacare is so good, jump right in! They should not be able to give themselves a raise! I can't give myself one. Last I checked, they worked for me. Third, Foreign Aid. Why give monies to foreign governments that export terrorism. Forth, the government contract purchasing system. Overpriced and over-valued. $200 for a toilet seat? I can replace the whole thing for less. Fifth, monies to refugees. Illegal aliens, etc. Why are we doing so much for them when our own veterens are dying for the lack of healthcare, homeless, and abused. It's not all the VA's fault, as some would have you believe. Many of them are not even in the system. We need to fix that!
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There's lies and there's lies. Hillary's are calculated. Trumps are randomly generated. I guess I'll vote Trump because he's more entertaining. Hillary is scary.
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Col Joseph Lenertz
I'm with you CPT Jack Durish , that Hillary's are calculated. I have to say I am disappointed in Trump though...I want him to demonstrate some willingness to learn from and listen to his staff. If he showed me that, I could believe he would take counsel from his NSC, and then I could vote with a clear conscience.
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