BETHLEHEM, Pa. — From its founding via executive order at the start of the year, the U.S. Department of Government Efficiencies, or DOGE, intended to accomplish a number of lofty goals.
Among them:
- Reduce waste, overlap and excess in government spending
- Improve transparency and accountability in contracting, grants and other large spending vehicles
- Reduce burdens, streamline regulations and more
After all, “a common complaint about government in this day and age is inefficiencies,” Tom Shortell said in the opening of this week’s Political Pulse.
“At the federal level, politicians often rally against government bloat. At the local level, critics often fail to see value in agencies serving niche purposes."
But has DOGE lived up to its promise? That’s the question posed this week, and political scientist Chris Borick had a few questions of his own in response.
“Was the goal to make government more efficient, or was it to just eliminate parts of government based on your ideological viewpoints?” Borick said, citing cuts to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Health and Human Services, Veterans Affairs and more.
“Was the goal to make government more efficient, or was it to just eliminate parts of government based on your ideological viewpoints?”Chris Borick
All told, billions upon billions of dollars have been stalled, scrapped or withheld by the Trump administration so far this year, according to the Associated Press — with as much as $410 billion at risk, by certain congressional estimates.
And Shortell pointed out that we’re now seeing similar rhetoric popping up at the local level.
Roger MacLean is campaigning for Lehigh County Executive under a pledge to eliminate any waste, fraud and inefficiencies he uncovers.
Putting aside the fact that MacLean believes county government already is running efficiently, is that sound campaign strategy, Shortell wondered.
“Why did we come up with the term waste, fraud and abuse?” Borick responded. “They’re tagged together, those three things… people don’t like them, so let’s say them over and over about how we’re going to govern. We’re going to get rid of waste fraud and abuse.
“Well tell me who’s for waste, fraud and abuse,” Borick said.
For more on DOGE’s budget-slashing efforts and how things are playing out at the local level, check out this week’s Political Pulse in the video player above.
