By Summit Art Creations @Adobe Stock
Reducing Waste, Inefficiencies, and Futile Expenditures
Based on early indications, Americans are optimistic about the direction the Trump administration is headed. Despite desperate cries from the media, Americans seem to be liking Donald Trump’s campaign promises.
This week, James Freeman reports in the WSJ that the Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 61% of U.S. adults support “downsizing the federal government,” while just 35% are opposed to the idea.
Some of Trump’s ideas of “draining the swamp” are not selling, and a forced budgetary diet for specific programs tend to leave some Americans grumpy.
But given the outraged reaction in media circles to his early executive orders, some readers may be surprised to learn, for example, that a plurality of Americans favor “imposing a hiring freeze on all federal agencies,” according to Reuters/Ipsos.
Wonders Mr. Freeman, could we be talking about “real money” in taxpayer savings? According to his colleague, K. Strassel, “the federal government hires a stunning 200,000 to 300,000 people each year.”
Cutting Spending vs Increasing Taxes
Do American taxpayers need to be contributing more to government excesses?
The latest Atlas Intel poll finds a 53% majority agreeing with the statement that “It’s better for the government to cut spending than increase taxes,” while just 33% are opposed. The poll also finds that by 44% to 42%, Americans say “the state should respect a spending ceiling in order to avoid increasing national debt, even if that means less social assistance.”
Americans also look to be warmly receiving directives “requiring all federal workers to work in person rather than remotely.” Those who oppose the idea are about 11 percentage points—48% to 37%. Who would guess this result by reading random dispatches on the subject in the establishment press?
From the WSJ’s Natalie Andrews and Meridith McGraw
The Office of Personnel Management posted the email with a headline “Fork in the Road.” The subject was the same one used by Elon Musk in November 2022 when he purchased Twitter, now called X. Musk told employees to commit to long hours at high intensity or leave the company. He is working with Trump on streamlining the federal government through what is called the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
White House officials estimated that the in-office requirement will prompt 5%-10% of federal employees to quit, and they said it could lead to $100 billion in savings annually. They provided no information about how they reached that estimate.
Sen. Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat who represents tens of thousands of federal workers, cautioned against taking the offer, saying that Trump could renege on the plan.’
“If you accept that offer and resign, he’ll stiff you just like he stiffed the contractors,” he said on the Senate floor, referencing people who have accused the Trump Organization of hiring them and not paying. “He doesn’t have any authority to do this. Do not be fooled by this guy.”
What’s with the “no authority,” Senator Kaine? Is there a more robust Beltway precedent than the “practice of presidents allowing federal workers to get paid while performing no measurable work?”
Excluding the military and postal service, the US government still employs 2.4 million civilian federal workers, according to a Pew Research survey.
What might happen to Sen. Kaine and fellow Democrats if it’s proven that America can still run sans the 2.4 civilian fed workers?
What if Mr. Trump has decided to see just how efficient Washington can be? A true test carries risks for both sides. Republicans will be held accountable by voters if popular services are not provided and Democrats will be held accountable if it’s clear they have been overcharging taxpayers for all the government we’ve been getting.
Inefficiency: a Bug, Not a Feature
Spiking their discomfort is the realization that Trump advisor Elon Musk cut 80% of Twitter’s staff. Former Twitter, now known as X, not only continued to function but also now provides the added consumer benefit of more open dialogue. Name any federal agency that operates more efficiently than pre-Musk Twitter.
Scarry as all of this may be to Mr. Trump’s adversaries in politics and the MS media, continues Mr. Freeman, “Americans appear to be starting to enjoy a very different set of feelings.”
It’s too early to call it a trend but the most recent polls from both the Economist/YouGovand Rasmussen Reports show a sudden bump in the percentage of Americans saying the country is on the right track. Overall sentiment is still very negative—as it’s been for years—but results have brightened a little lately. Stay tuned.
If you’re willing to fight for Main Street America, click here to sign up for the Richardcyoung.com free weekly email.
