Correct course for right-sizing government

When having surgery to remove a cancerous kidney many years ago, the prep nurse asked, "So which kidney are you having removed today?" Not wanting to give the wrong answer for which I might be liable, and having thought about it, I responded, "The correct one."

Which part of government do you want to defenestrate today? Is that an intelligent question?

The size of government, too much or too little, might be a symptom of a problem, although not the actual problem or diagnosis. In fact, better indications that something is wrong comes from the size of government debt and the magnitude and rate of the deficit.

Debt is the amount owed. The deficit is an excess of expenditure or liabilities over income or assets in a given period.

Knowing that in the year 2007, the nation nearly collapsed financially due to excess spending on war and a too-generous tax cut to wealthy Americans and corporations, most citizens understand that we are not out of the woods.

The Obama administration put the brakes on wars while infusing the nation with borrowed capital. Monetary and banking policy and regulations helped stabilize the economy. Eventually, the market picked up, and job growth returned.

Today, the Republicans in Congress and President Trump are attacking the size of government with little regard for facts and without the appropriate methods.

For instance, they are chopping departments and agencies that they have decided are excessive. They selected the National Endowment for the Arts and Public Broadcasting, for example. Those are drops in the bucket compared with building a wall along the Mexican border by comparison.

Today, the administration is attacking the federal workforce. Instead of performing a systematic analysis of the purpose and performance of departments and agencies, The White House is just hacking away based on factless notions. That's the way that they operate.

Lying and disregarding facts is the brand of this illegitimate government that should be an embarrassment and disgrace to all citizens.

Laying off federal workers will accomplish what? Increasing the employment rate is one answer. It will degrade government services on which citizens in need depend. However, this government is one without social and environmental responsibility. When a government loses its purpose and traction with citizens, what happens next?

Federal workforce early target of Trump’s ‘deconstruction’ era 

By Joe Davidson

President Trump speaks during a discussion on health care in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on March 10. (Olivier Douliery/pool via Bloomberg News)
Republicans are divided on the best way to deprive millions of their health-care coverage, but they are a cohesive pack when it comes to ganging up on the federal workforce. 

The Federal Insider, The Washington Post

To what extent is the little cabinet aligned with the majority of Americans?

The small cabinet and liars club.