by Bill Jones, Stevensville
I must begin my comments with a brief description of a particularly ugly incident at the March 20th opening of the new Hamilton VA Clinic. More than 100 well wishers had gathered to celebrate the occasion as well as show thanks to former U.S. Senator Jon Tester, the principal champion for the funding of the facility. Some folks carried signs indicating that they were in support of the staff there, and of the federal employees elsewhere threatened with Trump’s constitutionally unauthorized “efficiency” crew.
Suddenly, a man confronts the crowd shouting about how he couldn’t understand how “you people” don’t support efforts to find inefficiency in government. I’m paraphrasing some here, but he was livid and howling about not being able to understand how anybody wouldn’t welcome the DOGE program. He became unquestionably menacing and threatening in a short time, and even offered one person an opportunity to have an eye knocked out! VA Security accomplished his immediate departure.
Now my questions. If the MAGA hothead is reading this, would he please write a response to the following:
1. If any amount of inefficiency in America’s public agencies is presumed, could it have been exposed and remedied in a conventional procedural manner, such as one would expect any serious organization to use? What purpose does it serve to eviscerate the agency stormtrooper style? What does it say when the process begins with the summary dismissal of the agency’s Inspector General’s office? Yes, they did that! Then arbitrarily fire large numbers of the employees based only on a percentage basis regardless of any actual evidence of a need to dismiss for cause! By the way, entirely illegal procedures, Mr. Efficiency Hothead.
2. Why is there not a peep out of the “Letter of the Law” folks, those wearing the “R” moniker 24/7 but are making Eisenhower roll in his grave. I only hear crickets. EFFICIENCY? Trump plays a lot of golf, not “working his ass off” as he promised. He always does so at venues which HE OWNS. From the U.S.Treasury straight to Trump’s Treasury. Where’s DOGE with that? Hey, Musk, there’s a real nice golf course a short drive from the White House. A federal facility. Why does Trump play exclusively at Mar-a-Lago or another of HIS OWN luxury resorts? Tax funded “efficiency” looks like this in the DOGE era: In 10 weeks after the 1/20/25 inauguration Trump golfed 9 weekends. Mar-a-Lago requires (transportation costs alone) $3,400,000 per weekend. His Bedminster resort transportation only costs us $1,100,000 per weekend (only?), but he’s done Bedminster lots (23 times) as President. So I ask the efficiency hothead, where’s DOGE when they could do some good? Too busy firing disease researchers and wildland firefighters?