Posted on Dec 26, 2016
Will PE Trump really drain the 'swamp'? Other presidents have tried. Congress really is not interested!
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As congress refuses to allow another round of BRAC, would they allow PE Trump to actually reduce headcount in the government?
Politics
Government
Donald Trump
Posted 8 y ago
Responses: 12
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It's not difficult for President Trump to reduce the number of appointees in Government. He can simply not nominate a person for the appointed job and then recommend to the Cabinet-level person that the billet be eliminated and functions redistributed or eliminated. Reducing the size of the civil service workforce is more difficult. The real means to accomplish this is the budget. He needs Congress' support in this effort. Cutting funding for organizations that are bloated with too many civilians will eventually require the organizations to cut manpower positions. It will take several years, but eliminating entire cabinet level departments will save money, reduce government interference in our daily lives, and increase state's rights. Prime candidates in my opinion include Energy, Education, Labor, Agriculture.
From my experience with DoD, DAF, and DA, we need to "flatten" the organization chart and actually eliminate civilian positions. The main problem I've seen is intermediate headquarters. The prime Air Force example is the Numbered Air Force. It was a great idea in WWII providing an operational headquarters between the fighting organizations, wings and squadrons, and the Service or Theater headquarters. The Numbered Air Forces have been greatly reduced or eliminated, but there is always a tendency to create intermediate organizations to perpetuate the bureaucracy. With modern communications capabilities, the intermediate headquarters are redundant and a giant waste of manpower and money. The Army has similar problems with Corps and some Headquarters between the MACOMS and units.
From my experience with DoD, DAF, and DA, we need to "flatten" the organization chart and actually eliminate civilian positions. The main problem I've seen is intermediate headquarters. The prime Air Force example is the Numbered Air Force. It was a great idea in WWII providing an operational headquarters between the fighting organizations, wings and squadrons, and the Service or Theater headquarters. The Numbered Air Forces have been greatly reduced or eliminated, but there is always a tendency to create intermediate organizations to perpetuate the bureaucracy. With modern communications capabilities, the intermediate headquarters are redundant and a giant waste of manpower and money. The Army has similar problems with Corps and some Headquarters between the MACOMS and units.
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CDR Jon Corrigan
Filling the 11 of 36 vacant IG appointees in the first 100 days would send a good message.
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Lt Col Jim Coe
CDR Jon Corrigan -- I wonder about why are Inspectors General political appointees? Shouldn't they be career civil servants? Political appointees are guaranteed to have some political bias by the nature of the way they got the job. There should be at least a few senior civil servants still dedicated to upholding their oath regardless of their personal political views.
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Reagan tried without success. Indeed, he lamented that fact as he left office. Sadly, the swamp has only become exponentially larger and viler since Reagan's departure leaving Trump with an even greater problem than the one he faced.
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SSgt Christopher Brose
Reagan was hampered by a Democrat-controlled Congress. Hopefully, Trump will charge forward with his swamp-draining... and hopefully, the Republicans in Congress will not suddenly start acting like Democrats.
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1LT William Clardy
There will be no suddenly about it, SSgt Christopher Brose. Most of the current Republican representatives are heirs to the tradition set by the cohort who ran for reelection in 2000 -- 3 terms after signing the Contract with America, which included setting term limits for Congress "to replace career politicians with citizen legislators".
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He will try, but will lose and the swamp will survive. It would take more than eight years to change what has developed over 236 years.
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1LT William Clardy
And it is we, the People, who are ultimately responsible for empowering them, Capt Jeff S..
Which begs the question: why do any of the ones who were in office during President Obama's first term still have their jobs after they specifically proved themselves unable to enact any federal budget during between 2008 and 2012, leaving government funding on a continuing-resolution autopilot so that the huge, one-time stimulus of 2008 was magically transformed into part of the budget baseline?
Which begs the question: why do any of the ones who were in office during President Obama's first term still have their jobs after they specifically proved themselves unable to enact any federal budget during between 2008 and 2012, leaving government funding on a continuing-resolution autopilot so that the huge, one-time stimulus of 2008 was magically transformed into part of the budget baseline?
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Capt Jeff S.
1LT William Clardy - Because stupid people elect stupid people... people should not vote if they don't know what they're voting for... yet they do. Or they vote single issues putting their self interest above the national best interest. People have been conditioned to accept corruption in gov't and are seemingly okay with it. Those who voted for Hillary certainly are okay with corruption. Voters have allowed politicians to keep their jobs despite poor performance and corruption. But that can change and IS changing.
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1LT William Clardy
You have just touched on what I refer to as the implacable weakness of democracy, Capt Jeff S.:
Exactly 50 percent of the population is below-average intelligence, and it only takes 50 percent plus 1 to make a majority, so convincing all the stupid people to agree with you is the surest way to start a democracy on the path towards self-destruction...
Exactly 50 percent of the population is below-average intelligence, and it only takes 50 percent plus 1 to make a majority, so convincing all the stupid people to agree with you is the surest way to start a democracy on the path towards self-destruction...
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Capt Jeff S.
1LT William Clardy - True. It doesn't even take a majority when cheating and election fraud are part of your SOP!
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