A category for overall government efficiency would be nice.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Federal agencies each have independent Office of Inspector Generals. All of these civil servants conduct independent audits and investigations. They write reports and provide results and recommendations to Congress.
How about holding agencies accountable?
Enough investigation and strongly worded letters.
Action Needed.
Debra, do you think paying bonuses to employees who can propose a rational implementation plan to consolidate offices, bureaus, agencies, and departments to accomplish the lawful mission without waste? Why not let those intimately involved in operations to figure out how to streamline them, and be paid for it.
Yes, whoever has great ideas should be awarded if implemented. Thanks for you question.
While they are doing that, it would be great if they could contribute to a list of current laws that need to be repealed. Or, just have a category on this website where anyone can submit “goofy” laws that need to be reviewed. There are dozens of articles covering a long time period that have compiled lists. A lot of them concern state laws, but there are plenty of crazy, obsolete, outdated, redundant federal laws also. AI should be able to gather quite a few redundant laws, but some are just going to need a human touch. It might take a little while to clean it up initially, but after that it could just be a compiled document that could be voted on and the list of laws repealed in about 5 minutes during an annual “housekeeping” day.
Apparently, we already have an expert!
Here are some of the goofiest federal laws still on the books
Nice post! Would you consider making this a Topic on its own page?
Your points reminded me that the Federal Register book of new rules keeps growing:
There is going to be a new efficiency department headed by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. Fortune has an article on them needing employees.
I think the idea ought to include budget efficiency where budget fund designees no longer get rewarded for going overbudget.
Agree. Would love your opinion on this (see page here):
A category for governance policies would cover many important policy reforms such as term limits, one issue per bill, elected officials trading stock, efficiency and spending issues, etc…
And yes, I agree with you about some sort of partnership/merging of GAO and IG to act as Musk and Ramaswamy when the smoke clears. FBI has an OPR to watch over the likes of FBI. We just need a watchdog that actually works and is not part of the problem. Each office, agency, department, division of government needs a Mission Statement, a stated Vision, and a set of Goals and Objectives set by Congress every 2 years.
The GAO-IG-DoGE Inspector function must be performed from outside the organization, with or without knowledge of being observed. Postal Inspectors have their own entrances to postal facilities - so no one knows when inspectors are watching them.
Although primarily charged with reporting to the President and Congress, their intimate access into operations grants the unusual opportunity to opine on Effectiveness at accomplishing Mission, Goals, and Objectives, and to rate those observed for Efficiency in doing so.
Poor Effectiveness and Poor Efficiency is a condemnation of management/ leadership that warrants termination(s).
Whistleblowers, as you might refer to them, can assist the GAO/IG/DoGE inspectors with hints, comments, testimony, ideas for improvement, and metrics. Those who assist deserve to be rewarded.
Evaluating suggestions is not without cost, however, but don’t simply eliminate police because mistakes are made - unless they’re malicious. Perhaps a filing bond for suggestions is needed and the results of evaluations posted. Frivolous suggestions that take time and effort to evaluate should cost the suggester. Some suggestions may be close in terms of cost of implementation and benefit to effectiveness or efficiency. If so, then the bond can be returned along with the public explanation.
Rewards happen when cost savings exceed the bond value plus implementation costs. Up to 1 year’s worth of savings is appropriate, even if the suggester(s) can retire on the reward.
What do you think?
Fixing things from outside the organization is a very good point. I love that Elon and Vivek are unpaid (highly respected) volunteers appointed by the President. That strategy can be expanded!