Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[Dr. Strangelove]

[Mike]

Jeff, I think you're addressing a separate issue or at least combining two things. Stan was referring specifically to the spending freeze. You seem to be talking about the federal employee buyout offer. That's a great idea but I don't know how many career federal workers are looking to leave in return for 8 months paid leave. Probably only people who are very early in their careers. A voluntary reduction in staff would be a positive development, IMO.

The spending freeze is his way of throwing ice water in the faces of the Washington bureaucracy. A shot over the bow that spending will be much more heavily scrutinized. Almost immediately it was discovered that we earmarked $50 million to send condoms to Gaza. I'm sure there are thousands of other examples that ordinary Americans would find objectionable. As with most things Trump, I may not like the method, but it could very well have positive results.

[Dr. Strangelove]

IDK, the biggest cost of running any business is personnel. You want to cut costs? Work force reduction will do that fast. The company doing that doesn't care if past employees can't make their car or mortgage payments. What is the size of the hole the federal government has dug itself into by spending trillions more than it takes in as revenue? Companies that do that sort of think quickly become insolvent. The US federal government is or should be insolvent. The difference between running the government and running a business is that the government can just sell more bonds and print more money to keep itself afloat. Businesses can't do that. Government shouldn't be able to do that either. Fiscal conservatives have been trying, unsuccessfully it appears, to stop the bleeding for a while.

I don't think anyone thinks deficit spending at the level that is being spent is just fine. But nevermind. Citizens have become numb to deficit spending. Congress, who is in charge of spending through budget authorizations, is out of control, having nothing to stop them from funding their favorite projects to win votes for re-election when that time comes.

The long term costs of doing that year in and year out is going to come home to roost. Trump's move, painful as it might seem to government employees who "resign," the plan saves the government about 3 Billion/year. That's a nice chunk of change applied to reduce spending and in turn, the federal deficit - something Trump promised to do. He's doing it.

$3 billion a year is chump change. That's slightly more than 1% of the Department of Education's budget.

Over 85% of the federal budget goes to the following: The military (non-mandatory spending), entitlements (mandatory spending), and debt interest. Any "plan" to combat the deficit that leaves entitlements and the military untouched is window dressing.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Merrick Garland drops the ball one last time. Democrats begged him to just drop the charges against Walt Nauta in the classified docs case so the Special Report could be released. They knew that as soon as Trump took over his DOJ would drop the charges anyways and then order the report buried/destroyed. Garland declined to act.

Today the DOJ dropped all charges against Nauta. Mission accomplished. Report will never see the light of day unless somebody leaks it.

[Dr. Strangelove]

lol FoxNews telling its audience to be more like the Europeans is just through-the-looking-glass material.

[THE_WIZARD_]

$3 billion a year is chump change. That's slightly more than 1% of the Department of Education's budget.

Over 85% of the federal budget goes to the following: The military (non-mandatory spending), entitlements (mandatory spending), and debt interest. Any "plan" to combat the deficit that leaves entitlements and the military untouched is window dressing.

Ah yes...like the person who has maxed out all their credit cards...and applying for more cards...

[Jeff Buchanan]

$3 billion a year is chump change. That's slightly more than 1% of the Department of Education's budget.

Over 85% of the federal budget goes to the following: The military (non-mandatory spending), entitlements (mandatory spending), and debt interest. Any "plan" to combat the deficit that leaves entitlements and the military untouched is window dressing.

I knew that would be your response. Indeed, it is a small amount of savings compared to other spending - esp. the ones you mention. But the message this sort of work force reduction sends may be more important than the actual dollar amount in savings. Trump is signaling he is working to reduce the size of government with stuff like this. There is no better way to do that than a reduction in force that primarily involve administrative jobs. None.

People who support government largesse will wave their arms saying, oh, this and that service won't function. Ultimately, organizations undergoing cuts like this in staff adapt and the necessary work still gets done with increased productivity while the worthless bull-shit work and the costs of doing it is shed.

[Dr. Strangelove]

If you want to virtue signal to your base, fine. That's what it is. Reducing the number of federal employees by 5% will not have any significant impact on reducing the deficit. You can eliminate entire Departments like Education and Commerce and not make a real dent.

I will not be shocked if Trump runs larger deficits than Biden did.

[Dr. Strangelove]

[THE_WIZARD_]

It would be like us reducing your posts by 5%...you would still be annoying as fuck...and we need to go much further...

[lineygoblue]

Tell you what CGVT...go cross any other international border without the proper paperwork and see how far you get. Please. I'm begging you.

Shoot, just enter MEXICO illegally and see what you get. If the cartels don't kill you and take all your money, wait until the Mexican government gets their hands on you.

If you enter Canada illegally, you're going straight to jail. And you may not be allowed to even make a phone call for days.

[lineygoblue]

And I won't be disappointed if RFK Jr is not confirmed. In fact, it should provide for entertaining television watching all those Democrats vote "no" on a member of the Kennedy family.

[THE_WIZARD_]

You are obviously a Nazi...

[THE_WIZARD_]

RFK will be confirmed.

[crashcourse]

heroin for 14 years should be a disqualifier for government post consideration you would think