This is the second in a series that will address the failed agencies within the federal government. The time has long passed where programs that were started by the political elite, albeit with professed good intentions, be re-examined. As we all know, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. We also know that to continue to throw more money at programs that are failing is just plain stupid behavior. This behavior also demonstrates the gutlessness of our elected officials by their failure to correct these situations. This also falls into the category of cruel and unusual punishment of productive American taxpayers.
So Why Address Them?
In Episode 1, the Department of Education (DOEd) was chosen because it was the lowest hanging fruit. Its performance, or more correctly its inability to perform when compared to other nations of the world, is publically documented. The only way to fix what's "broke" in DOEd is to turn the responsibility back to the states that originally built the best education system in the world. Education is not an enumerated responsibility of the federal government in the U.S. Constitution.
Before additional agencies in the federal government are addressed for sunsetting, there needs to be some discussion to establish common ground for each agency that will be addressed. Truth and reality are hard taskmasters, but both must be considered. In the last year, one reality that has come to the forefront is that there an unbelievable level of corruption in the federal government. Unfortunately, individuals of every political stripe engage in this misbehavior. This corruption is not new, but the knowledge of it can no longer be ignored. More important, versions of the historic corruption have been condoned for a large part of our American history.
The best example I can think of is when a Senator or Congressman uses the fact that he has gotten more federal money allocated to projects in his/her state than his constituents paid in federal income tax. The truth is, money was confiscated from some poor taxpayer in another state and given to your state as a bribe. Year after year, we re-elect these people because "they delivered." In our world today, is that a proper and reasonable thing to do? I plead guilty to having participated in voting for those folks.
That example is used to help you focus on how insidious corruption is. Of course I know that the taxpayers in other states may very well benefit from federal money that spent in my state, but it illustrates the point I want us all to understand.
Too many government agencies are focused on perpetuating themselves with little or no regard to the productive American taxpayers footing the bill
The next concept we need to establish common ground is the fact that the federal government has become too big to be properly controlled. In the Trump years, we discovered a shadow government we have labeled the Deep State. Unelected civil service employees create regulations and enforce them as if they had gone through the constitutional process to become laws. They have not, and to a great extent these regulations are generated to make it easier for the Deep State to do their job as opposed to rules that enhance government processes to the benefit American citizens.
How do I know that? I spent 22 years in federal civil service and watched how poorly justified many of the rules were. When I was inside, I saw too much of that, and in the eleven years I've been watching from the outside, it has really gotten out of control. Too many government agencies are focused on perpetuating themselves with little or no regard to the productive American taxpayers footing the bill. Government grows, not because it is needed, but because the bigger an organization gets, the bigger the paycheck for those managing the organization. As usual, follow the money! This is a very low profile form of corruption. At the same time, when you have bureaucrats hanging around with nothing productive to do, they create new regulations and requirements to justify their existence.
"It will be of little avail to the people that the laws are made by men of their own choice if the laws be so voluminous that they cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood." ~ James Madison
Most, if not all, federal cabinet-level departments have one or more sub-agency that is involved in government giveaways (charity) of some sort. These programs were supposedly established for some well-intentioned purpose. They were not. They were set up to serve some special interest group and that group is funneling money back to the elected politicians that are perpetuating these programs. That is the reason a poor person can get into the House of Representatives or the Senate and retire a multi-millionaire.
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This series will attempt to demonstrate where the bloated Executive Branch can be reduced by, at least, 50%, thus reducing the corruption opportunities by lobbyist's special interest groups
For the balance of this series, programs within the federal government will be addressed starting with the more egregious examples. Space does not allow full justification were I to try to address a whole department. Because of the complexity and convoluted nature of some departments, a different approach will be used.
"I think we have more machinery of government than is necessary, too many parasites living on the labor of the industrious." ~ Thomas Jefferson
Lastly, the one common denominator in this series is the focus on agencies and programs that are NOT enumerated responsibilities of the federal government in the United States Constitution. In all cases, the functions were usurped from the several states, contrary to the constitution. These are functions that should be returned to state and local governments where they can be effectively managed and funded as the American people see fit.
This series will attempt to demonstrate where the bloated Executive Branch can be reduced by, at least, 50%, thus reducing the corruption opportunities by lobbyist's special interest groups.
Our Founding Fathers gave us the constitution and cautioned us of where the pitfalls were. The Madison and Jefferson quotes above are right on target. Unfortunately, we have not heeded their words.
After a 55 year career as a professional pilot in the military, in law enforcement, in the private sector, and in federal civil service, I am now retired.
In many of these positions I repeatedly took an oath to defend the United States Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic.
This is the second in a series that will address the failed agencies within the federal government. The time has long passed where programs that were started by the political elite, albeit with professed good intentions, be re-examined. As we all know, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. We also know that to continue to throw more money at programs that are failing is just plain stupid behavior. This behavior also demonstrates the gutlessness of our elected officials by their failure to correct these situations. This also falls into the category of cruel and unusual punishment of productive American taxpayers.
