DOGE Day

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy’s Department of Government Efficiency launches today. While I’m asking questions what do you expect to be the consequences of the DOGE once the dust has settled?

I’ve got two predictions:

  1. Its proposals will result in some cuts.
  2. The total amount of the cuts will be less than 10% of what they have predicted.

To jog your memories they have promised $2 trillion in budget cutbacks.

5 comments… add one
  • steve Link

    They will cut some programs that Democrats like, fewer that Repubs like. Taxes will also get cut and the debt will keep increasing.

    I think they will find that the govt IT systems are often old and out of date but it will cost money to update and maintain them. Not sure what they will do about it, probably nothing since they will want to avoid the optics of spending money to save money. They could save a fair bit of money if they modernized the military logistics systems and didnt use military spending as a reward for former generals and as a way to make sure every state benefits. However, they are going to have weak leadership at DoD so dont see that happening. Maybe we will save billions by not prosecuting soldiers for getting drunk and raping female soldiers.

    I also think that at least some of the cuts, since they will be judging cuts in spending and not actual efficiency, will result in less tax revenue and cuts in actual function so some costs will increase to offset the original cuts. I also think they end up restoring a lot of what they cut.

    Ultimately I hope i am wrong as there could be more efficiency but I think politics will win out over efficiency concerns.

    Steve

  • Taxes will also get cut and the debt will keep increasing.

    I doubt that DOGE will do that but I agree that the Republican-led Congress will. As I’ve said before nearly the only thing that Republicans can agree on is cutting taxes. It’s the mirror image of Democrats’ spending increases.

    I think they will find that the govt IT systems are often old and out of date

    The worst thing about federal government IT systems is not how antiquated their hardware is but how frequently their “experts” are completely homegrown or have a conflict of interests.

  • Charlie Musick Link

    If there is one thing I want from the Trump administration, it is the elimination of a lot of government bureaucracy. People make predictions around how much it will save the federal government. I’m less concerned about how much it save in spending (although that is very good) and more concerned about how much it frees up people to do things in the US. There is so much red tape at all levels of government that it makes it difficult to do anything. Much of the state and local bureaucracy is federal rules that have rolled downhill.

  • walt moffett Link

    And reversed next administration if not sooner by legislation and/or public outcry.

  • PD Shaw Link

    I agree with Dave’s predictions.

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