Dave, I too am waiting for results vs rhetoric. This is my take. Trump is acting quickly knowing that waiting for everyone to agree on the path will either take far too long or just never materialize at all. I am somewhat uncomfortable with the blanketness (I know, not a word) of all these moves, but I do in fact agree with the direction. Something has to be done with the amazing waste and fraud and feel-good spending, and no one seemed to care before – until now. It’s easy to spend someone else’s money, and it just kept happening. Now it’s time to look under the covers. It will be messy, but it must happen or our nation will just go broke. We’re over 36 THOUSAND BILLION dollars in hock, and still growing – how and why the heck did we voters continue to allow this?
As for the scythe of retribution.. As my Bay Area uncle would say; "what's good for the goose, is good for the gander."
We may disagree on the legitimacy of the 2020 election, but one thing is for sure, it focused Trump like nothing else. If he was inaugurated in 2020, 'saved' by the Supreme Court, this nation would have been in a lot worse shape. His second term would be even more controversial, and he would have been dealing with the same obstinate federal government staff. By the time November 2024 rolled around, even Jesus would have lost as a Republican. A legitimate Democrat primary would have been held, with the strongest candidate easily winning, with a strong mandate and ready for 2028.
So Karma is a strange gal, and ticking her may get one a near-term objective, but you may win a battle but loose a war. I'm ecstatic with what is happening, layoffs and all. You may have seen resurrected footage of Biden recommending the pipe-welders from the discontinued Keystone pipeline get 'green' jobs. I recommend the same to former federal employees. Or learn to code.
The bandaid is being ripped off, rather than a slow peel. So far Americans are in favor of deep cuts and ending grift. As long as legitimate employees keep their jobs, and legitimate recipients receiving services, let the audit continue. It's being slowed by lawsuits in the Judiciary. This needs to occur. It was expected. Trump's administration is winning the majority of these cases, and the ones he looses, is appealing or following the judges' recommendations. It's building case law defining the limits of the Executive branch, and we're finding the bureaucracy is not a fiefdom apart from the President.
This post will either age like a glass of milk on a summertime porch, or fine wine. There will be near-term turbulence, but the rot is deep. Americans deep down understand things may get worse before they get better, so as long as Trump obeys the Judiciary, they will tolerate the pain.
Well, you seem to take as a given that our government is far too big, employs far too many people and is full of useless unnecessary personnel. I wonder how exactly you know that to be true. Other than having been told that a million times by conservatives. In recent years. I've interacted several times with federal agencies, and as recently as Sunday, talked with a case manager at FEMA. Yes, on a Sunday morning, I received a personal phone call from a trained agent of a relief agency. His purpose? To find out how I was fairing in getting back on my feet after a natural disaster.
We went over what I'd been given so far - about $6,000 - and he gave me some helpful information about how I might get some more. Is he part of the deep-state, helping to enable grift? And how would somebody like Elon Musk know how to make that determination?
I've also had interactions with the SSA office in Pasadena three times in the last couple of years. On each occasion I found them to be patient, knowledgeable, and really good at their jobs. One guy in particular really made certain that I understood Medicare Part B, because he thought I was making a bad decision by not getting it.
Lastly, I've spoken with IRS agents on a couple of occasions. These calls were less pleasant, but not unpleasant. I owed the Federal government money, and was reluctant to pay it, so I didn't LIKE being required to pony up, but as a citizen it's my duty to do so. So I don't blame IRS personnel for chasing that money down. That's how we fund payments outgoing from such entities as FEMA and Social Security/Medicare.
You seem happy to put the management of our national government into the hands of a manifestly dishonest man like Trump, and a handful of billionaires who are almost certainly playing Trump's ego like a fiddle. And I assume that you are happy with cabinet appointments having much less to do with qualifications than how deeply each new secretary has french-kissed Trump's considerable behind.
I see a shallow self-obsessed man who probably hasn't read up on ANY of the departments that he's now putting into the hands of amateurs. And, to my eyes, he's doing it all just because he can, and because he wants to freak out the liberals whom he hates.
He may well have good reason to wish these people ill. But for God's sake, Ben, our nation is not a giant game-board upon which men and women can humiliate their political opponents. Government - at any level - is a managerial structure. We need management, because the apes that we all are, can be as stupid as they are willful.
The conservative view, in all things, is that we move slowly, carefully, and with an eye to what has worked in the past. Trump is now anti-conservative. As careless about unintended consequences of his impulsive actions, as any hyperactive progressive I've ever known.
I defended the man when he was defensible. Those days are over.
I hope the folks with whom you had good experiences survive the cuts. While I don't share your experiences or endorsements, I think everyone can agree that folks doing a helpful job well should be valued... It seems the pendulum might have swung too far the other direction.
Glad you're getting back on your feet, Dave. I have to say, here in my Glendale neighborhood, people are holding on to their Teslas. I even see a couple of those Cybertruck monstrosities around. Is it the Armenian influence? I thought Armenians only drove Mercedes. Just kidding, folks.
What a beautiful post. Of course, I am a big fan of both Jesus and migrant workers. I also understand government enough to know that the business of government is important enough that changes need to be made with a scalpel, not a hatchet. USAID, all foreign aid actually, is less than 1% of our federal budget and makes a big difference in global wellbeing and our foreign relations. It's abruptly killed, with no evaluations or any care for consequences. The 50 year partnership between the faith community and the government to care for refugees and help them integrate into US society is also (as of two days ago) permanently cancelled - without any opportunity to ease the refugees themselves or the agencies caring for them into the next step. This is what I mean by a hatchet. It's a nightmare. Of course, I hope that enough of it is a show that will slow down, but the damage is already astounding. I think that focusing on all the good work being done by good people around us is a balm, and I appreciate your homespun reminders along with the clear-eyed analysis.
Quite a thought provoking piece with some excellent points to consider. I'm a Christian, and appreciate this perspective. Where's the Grace?
I'm probably far less versed on biblical stories, but it's my opinion that a fair reconciliation of the concept would also include some nod to "Jesus and the Money Changers." Does no element of the concept apply? ... Still one can't ignore the well scripted narrative casting doubt on moral and ethical considerations affecting some of the administration's decision making.👍
Dave, I too am waiting for results vs rhetoric. This is my take. Trump is acting quickly knowing that waiting for everyone to agree on the path will either take far too long or just never materialize at all. I am somewhat uncomfortable with the blanketness (I know, not a word) of all these moves, but I do in fact agree with the direction. Something has to be done with the amazing waste and fraud and feel-good spending, and no one seemed to care before – until now. It’s easy to spend someone else’s money, and it just kept happening. Now it’s time to look under the covers. It will be messy, but it must happen or our nation will just go broke. We’re over 36 THOUSAND BILLION dollars in hock, and still growing – how and why the heck did we voters continue to allow this?
Always glad to hear from you Dave.
Hope you can keep on keeping on, Dave.
As for the scythe of retribution.. As my Bay Area uncle would say; "what's good for the goose, is good for the gander."
We may disagree on the legitimacy of the 2020 election, but one thing is for sure, it focused Trump like nothing else. If he was inaugurated in 2020, 'saved' by the Supreme Court, this nation would have been in a lot worse shape. His second term would be even more controversial, and he would have been dealing with the same obstinate federal government staff. By the time November 2024 rolled around, even Jesus would have lost as a Republican. A legitimate Democrat primary would have been held, with the strongest candidate easily winning, with a strong mandate and ready for 2028.
So Karma is a strange gal, and ticking her may get one a near-term objective, but you may win a battle but loose a war. I'm ecstatic with what is happening, layoffs and all. You may have seen resurrected footage of Biden recommending the pipe-welders from the discontinued Keystone pipeline get 'green' jobs. I recommend the same to former federal employees. Or learn to code.
The bandaid is being ripped off, rather than a slow peel. So far Americans are in favor of deep cuts and ending grift. As long as legitimate employees keep their jobs, and legitimate recipients receiving services, let the audit continue. It's being slowed by lawsuits in the Judiciary. This needs to occur. It was expected. Trump's administration is winning the majority of these cases, and the ones he looses, is appealing or following the judges' recommendations. It's building case law defining the limits of the Executive branch, and we're finding the bureaucracy is not a fiefdom apart from the President.
This post will either age like a glass of milk on a summertime porch, or fine wine. There will be near-term turbulence, but the rot is deep. Americans deep down understand things may get worse before they get better, so as long as Trump obeys the Judiciary, they will tolerate the pain.
Well, you seem to take as a given that our government is far too big, employs far too many people and is full of useless unnecessary personnel. I wonder how exactly you know that to be true. Other than having been told that a million times by conservatives. In recent years. I've interacted several times with federal agencies, and as recently as Sunday, talked with a case manager at FEMA. Yes, on a Sunday morning, I received a personal phone call from a trained agent of a relief agency. His purpose? To find out how I was fairing in getting back on my feet after a natural disaster.
We went over what I'd been given so far - about $6,000 - and he gave me some helpful information about how I might get some more. Is he part of the deep-state, helping to enable grift? And how would somebody like Elon Musk know how to make that determination?
I've also had interactions with the SSA office in Pasadena three times in the last couple of years. On each occasion I found them to be patient, knowledgeable, and really good at their jobs. One guy in particular really made certain that I understood Medicare Part B, because he thought I was making a bad decision by not getting it.
Lastly, I've spoken with IRS agents on a couple of occasions. These calls were less pleasant, but not unpleasant. I owed the Federal government money, and was reluctant to pay it, so I didn't LIKE being required to pony up, but as a citizen it's my duty to do so. So I don't blame IRS personnel for chasing that money down. That's how we fund payments outgoing from such entities as FEMA and Social Security/Medicare.
You seem happy to put the management of our national government into the hands of a manifestly dishonest man like Trump, and a handful of billionaires who are almost certainly playing Trump's ego like a fiddle. And I assume that you are happy with cabinet appointments having much less to do with qualifications than how deeply each new secretary has french-kissed Trump's considerable behind.
I see a shallow self-obsessed man who probably hasn't read up on ANY of the departments that he's now putting into the hands of amateurs. And, to my eyes, he's doing it all just because he can, and because he wants to freak out the liberals whom he hates.
He may well have good reason to wish these people ill. But for God's sake, Ben, our nation is not a giant game-board upon which men and women can humiliate their political opponents. Government - at any level - is a managerial structure. We need management, because the apes that we all are, can be as stupid as they are willful.
The conservative view, in all things, is that we move slowly, carefully, and with an eye to what has worked in the past. Trump is now anti-conservative. As careless about unintended consequences of his impulsive actions, as any hyperactive progressive I've ever known.
I defended the man when he was defensible. Those days are over.
I hope the folks with whom you had good experiences survive the cuts. While I don't share your experiences or endorsements, I think everyone can agree that folks doing a helpful job well should be valued... It seems the pendulum might have swung too far the other direction.
Hope you are doing well, Dave. I know that losing your home is devastating. A similar event happened to me. Just hope you end up better than I did.
God bless.
Glad you're getting back on your feet, Dave. I have to say, here in my Glendale neighborhood, people are holding on to their Teslas. I even see a couple of those Cybertruck monstrosities around. Is it the Armenian influence? I thought Armenians only drove Mercedes. Just kidding, folks.
What a beautiful post. Of course, I am a big fan of both Jesus and migrant workers. I also understand government enough to know that the business of government is important enough that changes need to be made with a scalpel, not a hatchet. USAID, all foreign aid actually, is less than 1% of our federal budget and makes a big difference in global wellbeing and our foreign relations. It's abruptly killed, with no evaluations or any care for consequences. The 50 year partnership between the faith community and the government to care for refugees and help them integrate into US society is also (as of two days ago) permanently cancelled - without any opportunity to ease the refugees themselves or the agencies caring for them into the next step. This is what I mean by a hatchet. It's a nightmare. Of course, I hope that enough of it is a show that will slow down, but the damage is already astounding. I think that focusing on all the good work being done by good people around us is a balm, and I appreciate your homespun reminders along with the clear-eyed analysis.
Quite a thought provoking piece with some excellent points to consider. I'm a Christian, and appreciate this perspective. Where's the Grace?
I'm probably far less versed on biblical stories, but it's my opinion that a fair reconciliation of the concept would also include some nod to "Jesus and the Money Changers." Does no element of the concept apply? ... Still one can't ignore the well scripted narrative casting doubt on moral and ethical considerations affecting some of the administration's decision making.👍