DOGE: What Departments Should Stay, What Departments Should Go...Your Tax Dollars, Your Freedom

Why We Need the Government Efficiency and Downsizing Initiative (GEDI)

Over the years, the federal government has grown too big, too slow, and too costly—often interfering in areas that local communities and individuals can manage better. This isn’t just frustrating; it’s unfair to hardworking Americans who deserve a government that works for them. The Government Efficiency and Downsizing Initiative (GEDI) aims to fix this by cutting unnecessary federal departments, simplifying government, and focusing on the four essential jobs of a federal government:

  1. Keeping the peace (defending our nation and ensuring public safety).
  2. Delivering justice (providing courts and legal systems to settle disputes fairly).
  3. Protecting individual freedoms (ensuring no one is forced or coerced unfairly).
  4. Managing national resources wisely (defense, treasury, and a few key areas).

By streamlining the government, GEDI would shift control of things like education, housing, and agriculture to state governments, which are better equipped to address local needs. This means fewer bureaucratic layers and more common-sense solutions. For the federal government’s remaining responsibilities, GEDI will make them faster, smarter, and more cost-effective by using modern technology like artificial intelligence and automation.

We’re not talking about cutting services that matter—we’re talking about cutting waste, removing red tape, and giving states and private businesses the freedom to innovate. Think about it: wouldn’t you rather see your tax dollars funding schools in your state instead of a bloated federal department? Wouldn’t you rather see housing programs tailored to your community’s specific needs?

With leaders like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy spearheading this modernization, GEDI is about making government efficient, effective, and accountable. It’s about reducing taxes, empowering people, and ensuring the government serves you—not the other way around. Together, we can create a system that works for everyone and secures a brighter future for our country. Let’s downsize the federal government and make it work for us!

The Government Efficiency and Downsizing Initiative (GEDI) is a transformative policy designed to streamline federal governance, reduce bureaucratic inefficiencies, and prioritize the essential functions of government. By focusing on core responsibilities—national defense, justice, and safeguarding individual freedoms—this policy envisions a leaner federal system that empowers states, fosters innovation, and delivers better outcomes for the American people.

The federal government has grown beyond its foundational mandate, encroaching on areas better managed at the state or local level or through private enterprise. This initiative seeks to recalibrate federal oversight, ensuring it aligns with the principles of efficiency, accountability, and fiscal responsibility. Departments such as Education, Agriculture, and Housing and Urban Development will be transitioned to state control, enabling tailored solutions that reflect the unique needs of local communities. Functions like energy security will be consolidated within the Department of Defense, emphasizing national security and operational synergy.

Empowering States and Citizens: By decentralizing governance, GEDI restores autonomy to states, allowing them to innovate and craft policies that reflect their populations’ values and priorities. Block grants and incentivized programs will encourage competitive solutions, reducing reliance on federal oversight while fostering local accountability.

Leveraging Technology for Efficiency: The newly established Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, will harness cutting-edge technology such as AI, automation, and blockchain to modernize retained federal functions. These tools will reduce costs, enhance transparency, and streamline operations, ensuring that the government of tomorrow is faster, smarter, and more accountable.

Focusing on Essentials: The retained departments—including Defense, Justice, Treasury, and State—will undergo rigorous audits and restructuring to eliminate redundancy and maximize their efficiency. Departments such as Health and Human Services and the Interior will be significantly reduced, focusing solely on public health and federal lands, respectively, with a goal of minimizing taxpayer burden.

Fiscal Responsibility and Public-Private Partnerships: By reducing unnecessary federal functions, GEDI will decrease the tax burden on Americans and free up resources for innovation and infrastructure. Private enterprises will be encouraged to assume roles previously managed by federal agencies, fostering competition and cost-effectiveness.

This policy is not merely about reducing the size of government—it is about redefining its role to better serve the people. By eliminating inefficiencies, empowering states, and embracing technology, GEDI will ensure that the federal government remains a force for good: focused, efficient, and aligned with the founding principles of our nation. Through GEDI, the government will become a model of efficiency and innovation, a streamlined entity designed to meet the needs of a modern America.

Policy Proposal: The Government Efficiency and Downsizing Initiative (GEDI)

Purpose and Vision:

The Government Efficiency and Downsizing Initiative (GEDI) aims to streamline federal governance, reduce government overreach, and enhance operational efficiency by focusing on the core functions of the federal government: defense, justice, and public safety. By consolidating and downsizing federal departments, this policy will empower states and individuals, reduce unnecessary expenditures, and prioritize services that directly impact the nation’s security, justice, and freedom.


Key Objectives:

  1. Redefine the Federal Role: Focus federal governance on the foundational pillars of defense, justice, and safeguarding individual freedoms.
  2. Decentralize Non-Essential Functions: Transition functions like education, transportation, and housing to states or private sector innovation.
  3. Enhance Efficiency: Implement advanced technologies, privatization, and competitive contracting to increase effectiveness in remaining federal functions.
  4. Reduce Tax Burden: Limit government size and spending to decrease taxes and ensure representation aligns with public needs.

Departments for Downsizing or Consolidation:

1. Eliminated or Transitioned Departments:

  • Department of Agriculture (USDA): Functions transitioned to state-level programs and privatized agricultural support systems.
  • Department of Commerce (DOC): Redundant programs will be privatized or consolidated under existing treasury functions.
  • Department of Education (ED): Education fully devolved to states; competitive innovation encouraged through state grants and private-sector incentives.
  • Department of Energy (DOE): Consolidated under the Department of Defense (DOD) to focus on energy independence and national security.
  • Housing and Urban Development (HUD): Housing initiatives transitioned to state programs and local partnerships.
  • Department of Labor (DOL): Employment policies decentralized to states; streamlined labor data collection moved under the Treasury.
  • Department of Transportation (DOT): Infrastructure management devolved to state governments, with critical federal oversight of interstate and international transport under the DOD.

2. Minimized and Restructured Departments:

  • Health and Human Services (HHS): Reduced and transformed under a new “Making America Healthy Again” (MAHA) initiative, focusing on public health programs like RFK Jr.’s vaccine safety reforms and wellness advocacy.
  • Department of the Interior (DOI): Downsized to manage only federal lands for buildings, national parks, and state-level preservation sites.
  • Veterans Affairs (VA): Fully integrated into the Department of Defense for streamlined support and enhanced efficiency.

Core Federal Departments Retained:

  1. Department of Defense (DOD): Expanded to encompass energy security, veterans affairs, and critical infrastructure oversight.
  2. Department of Justice (DOJ): Maintains adjudication of disputes, enforcement of federal laws, and oversight of interstate and international criminal matters.
  3. Department of State: Focused on foreign relations, peace preservation, and global diplomacy.
  4. Department of the Treasury: Oversees economic stability, tax collection, and budget management.

Implementation Strategies:

  1. Technological Innovation:
  • Leverage AI, automation, and blockchain technology for enhanced efficiency across retained departments.
  • Pilot advanced governance solutions led by the Department of Government Efficiency under Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.
  1. State Empowerment:
  • Transition non-fundamental federal functions to state management with incentivized block grants for innovation.
  • Allow states greater autonomy in education, labor, transportation, and housing policy.
  1. Public-Private Partnerships:
  • Collaborate with private enterprises to take over functions previously managed by eliminated departments.
  • Encourage competition to drive quality and cost-effectiveness.
  1. Fiscal Responsibility:
  • Audit all federal departments for inefficiencies.
  • Eliminate redundant programs and subsidies.
  • Redirect savings to core functions like national defense, justice, and essential infrastructure.

Expected Outcomes:

  1. Streamlined Governance: A smaller, more focused federal government, ensuring efficiency and accountability.
  2. Empowered States: Decentralization fosters innovation and local solutions tailored to community needs.
  3. Economic Growth: Reduced taxation, decreased federal spending, and increased private-sector opportunities stimulate the economy.
  4. Improved Public Services: Focused investment in defense, justice, and safety ensures better outcomes for citizens.

This initiative redefines the federal government’s role, empowering individuals and states while ensuring that national security, justice, and liberty remain the cornerstone of governance. The GEDI represents a bold step toward a leaner, smarter, and more efficient government.

4 Likes

Fully support this, I would add that the government should file taxes for you to cut the pseudo-government tax filing agencies and to completely eliminate tax fraud and in return the government should get rid of 90% of tax incentives and credits (importantly keep the child tax credit), tax capital gains and real estate income as regular income, move to a flat tax rate (probably 15-20%), and use a negative income tax system as a safety net.

A negative income tax essentially gives Americans a safety net with very little government overhead, I’d suggest $500 per month taxed at 25% to replace things like Medicare, unemployment assistance, veterans benefits, etc. you can add to the monthly payments if people qualify for more on top of that (if they qualify for $850 per month in VA benefits they would get the original $500 that everyone qualifies for plus an additional $350 taxed at 25%), increase social security taxes 1% on businesses and employees, make it 100% optional and change the full retirement age to 70 for anyone born after 2025 allow early retirement as soon as 65 loosing 10% income for every year earlier they retire and as late as 75 adding 7.5% for every year after 70 that they delay retirement and remove any taxes on social security income

This would fix all issues with social security, cut waste in government entitlement programs, fix the budget long term, and make taxes fairer and easier

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Abolish the ATF which gets in the way of the right to carry and bear arms. They frequently interfere with local law enforcement.

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Maybe time to review the years of effort from this agency:

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I love the initiative and level of detail provided in this contribution.

I would like to see wording involving the use of sunset clauses for government agencies.

Departments should be organized and directed towards an ultimate goal and thus a solution. The longevity of any Department is not a priority of government.

A redefining of federal priorities and duties among the populous is a must.

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It is my understanding that our social security system is routinely used to pay for politicians pet projects. Noone should be taking money out of the social security retirement system, it is no wonder that it keeps going broke. It should be hands off to everyone except retirees.

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Pretty sure this is a slush fund for dark money. Just sayin.