I'm trying to read "Inside Elon Musk’s Plan for DOGE to Slash Government Costs/Mr. Musk has turned to Silicon Valley to help recruit executives who will take up unofficial positions across the federal government" — in the NYT — but I was put off by the sources: "This story is based on interviews with roughly a dozen people who have insight into DOGE’s operations."
What kind of distinction is that? We've all got insight.
Let's see:
Many of the executives involved are expecting to do six-month voluntary stints inside the federal government before returning to their high-paying jobs. Mr. Musk has said they will not be paid — a nonstarter for some originally interested tech executives — and have been asked by him to work 80-hour weeks....
So I guess some of the "originally interested" offered the "insight" that it's a special sort of person who wants to work that hard and for no pay.
After some consideration by top officials, DOGE itself is now unlikely to incorporate as an organized outside entity or nonprofit. Instead, it is likely to exist as more of a brand for an interlinked group of aspirational leaders who are on joint group chats and share a loyalty to Mr. Musk or Mr. Ramaswamy.
"Share a loyalty" — that struck me as an odd phrase, odd enough for me to search for it in the NYT archive. This is only the third time it has appeared... and look at the second one!
From the Tesla article: "Tesla enthusiasts often also share a loyalty to the company, much the way Apple has engendered true believers...." We're also told that "Tesla enthusiasts... tend to embrace the cars with an almost cultish devotion."
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Nice piece by Ann. Almost always with a news story, the “real” story is who is leaking and why. The reporters know this but do not reveal.
Everything the government spends money o has a constituency and a bureaucracy that will resist any changes. It's going to be very tough. Nevertheless, there are plenty of expenses to cut.
Give it a couple more stories, and then 'loyalty' will be tied in with White Privilege, colonialism, and ultimately, racism.
Blind loyalty to democrats is ALWAYS just fine.
In NYT world, no rational intelligent being could decide to work long hours for no pay to try to make our government less wasteful. There must be an explanation involving sinister forces or irrational attachments.
That DOGE means well is not enough not enought to ensure safe passage through the birth canal. Van Halen's Panama strikes again.
I’ve been told (endlessly) the only reason these tech titans are involved is to enrich themselves. Make up my mind NYT…
We've all got insight.
Do you remember there was a religious show in the 1960s called "Insight" that used to air near dawn either on Saturday or Sunday?
I remember getting up early one morning and watching the show alone, then running upstairs because the show's introduction scared the shit out of me.
Here's a clip preceded by William Shatner overacting.
Oh, those faces!
Search Engine AI: "Brand loyalty is essentially even across all age brackets, according to research. However, 18- to 24-year-olds are the most likely to engage with a brand emotionally, which may serve as the truest expression of loyalty"
The reason I looked it up is because before the cell phone, I used to pickup the phone when it rang. And one time it was a product survey who wanted to know what products l liked. The session was halted before it got started when I told them my age.
The Times maybe stretching the "loyalty" label here. I mean, how many captains of industry, under 24 could there be?
"Dollar a year men" were executives who took essentially unpaid jobs in government to win the two World Wars. Over the years, executives with start-ups or troubled firms have taken dollar a year salaries even without government service or a world war. They retain their expense accounts, company shares and options, and bonuses. Lee Iacocca managed to be one of the lowest paid and highest compensated CEOs in the country when Chrysler was having troubles.
Know your double before posting: "cultish devotion" also applies to New York Times readers.
This story is based on interviews with roughly a dozen people who have insight into DOGE’s operations.
I would at least have a little respect for the NYT if they were honest and admitted they're just spitting balling here.
Bureaucrats fear not the reaper, rather turn your eye towards a job not funded by tax payers. Depart from the teat of the Beast, enjoy honest labor and you will be recompensed according to your merit.
"...will not be paid". You mean like true civil servants?
Sounds to me like the sort of thing Kushner come up with during the pandemic. A bunch of friends who threw themselves into trying to fix problems, like PPE, masks, testing; who apparently did some good things and some not so good things. If Musk does as well with DOGE as Al Gore did with his Reinventing Government I'll be impressed.
Turtles all the way down
Insights, huh? I got yer insights. Right here.
Trump, Musk, and Ramaswamy are doomed to fail unless they and their team make a serious effort to understand the myriad complex (and often nonsensical) rules that govern federal employment. Those rules cannot be changed without legislation, which (a) takes time, and (b) gives Democrats a great opportunity to demagogue. He’s going to need veterans from the Reagan OPM (not from either of the Bush administrations) to help chart a path through the thicket.
As head of OPM Donald Devine managed to trim 100,000 federal jobs during the Reagan years. That’s a small drop in a very large bucket but it was hard fought all the way. Devine is still alive but he’s well into his 80s. Musk must find and recruit someone who learned from Devine.
Only a few more days until Inflation starts picking up,gas prices rise,groceries will still stay high,Market will go back to Rollercoaster Days,Government shutdown in 100 days, and More...stand by write the numbers down now and check em in June,,You'll see you got what you deserve. Hang on Hanna , at least we may be able to take free tours of Greenland, the place where they say " we don't want to be Americans.....beautiful Bannon gets Musk talking to people with INSITE"
it's a special sort of person who wants to work that hard and for no pay.
I imagine there is a very large group who are willing to work 6 months for "no pay" - but if they've already lived that way years ago - OR, they finally settled down and now have a young family, then the 80 hours for 6 straight months might be a deal-breaker.
clueless idiot.
It is conceivable that Trump, with some assistance from the legislative bodies, and some lawyers, may be able to reduce government spending. At most, DOGE will play an advisory role. Musk has apparently forgotten that before he laid off everyone at Twitter who wasn't working 80 hours a week, he had to pay $40 billion for it. He has not bought the federal government, and the people who own it are not going to let him fire anybody.
Especially as Dunning-Kruger DOGE team has absolutely no clue about the Mandarin, Ottoman, Laozi (Lao-Tsu), and Machiavellian realities of federal agencies and positions. Many jobs are not meant to be productive. Many jobs are pork barrel gifts to supporters (left and right wing). Many jobs are in fact necessary per the ultra complex stuff mandated by congress, per its social benefit programs, weapons systems, etc. Finally, Trump's proven willingness to say something outrageous and then "cut a deal" suggests the DOGE effort will be completely different in 6 months.
We have a massive government waste problem. I hope DOGE amounts to something.
The government wastes our hard earned money with absolute cruel recklessness.
Absolutely 100% correct. The Democrats stuffed the hiring pipeline in 2024, and many jobs today were funded with the 2021, 2022, or 2023 budgets. The Democrats are fully prepared to bring back the "gridlock" / trench warfare of the Reagan and GHW Bush eras.
The most realistic DOGE strategy would be to team up with cooperative Democrats (e.g., Bernie Sanders, Fetterman) to shape centrist structural changes 3-5 years out.
Pew Research is on this, great summary here:
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/01/07/what-the-data-says-about-federal-workers/
Milei seems to have done a pretty good job in spite of all of the obstacles.
Coming soon near you. Although the racism angle might need to rest up for awhile before it's trotted out again.
Not the same thing as our problems of course, but I hope it can provide some sort of template we could modify to our needs.
And who do you think the NYT reached out to to get this insight? Not Trump insiders I'm guessing. Dem donors would be most likely. People who don't have a clue (or insight) in other words.
similar, argentine inflation had been higher, Milei doesn't have an operating majority in the Parliament
Just a note for people: We are currently running a 6.1% deficit. We are not at war. 6.1% deficit is crazy high. This "great economy" Biden talks about? How much is fueled by deficit spending vs. real economic growth?
“The phrase "a man, a plan, a canal, Panama" is a palindrome that refers to the construction of the Panama Canal.”
Very smart my AI is.
Elon Musk says DOGE probably won't find $2 trillion in federal budget cuts ~ MSNBC
“Trump ally Elon Musk promised last year that his so-called Department of Government Efficiency would cut “at least $2 trillion” from the federal budget. Wednesday, he said the real figure may end up being half that. But I do think that you kind of have to have some overage. If you try for two trillion you have a good shot at getting one.” ~ Elon Musk
Only a few more days before '47' too. You changing up your handle, STINKY ?
The 'experts' warned of all kinds of dire consequences, but the biggest hit so far has been the devaluation - of their credibility.
I think it most likely the Times made all the insights up. I wouldn't have thought this 20 years ago.
It's not so much the amount of dollars that can be cut from the federal budget but rather how many useless regulations and hurdles can be cut from the regulatory state such that local governments local builders and other developers can or rapidly build housing units. Also, how can we reduce hurdles to industrial and infrastructure construction.
Only way Bernie will cooperate with anything is if they promise him another seaside house.
Fetterman - when he first popped onto the scene I was thinking he was going to be another lockstep Dem. I've been pleasantly surprised... and wonder how long it'll be before he's anathema to the Dems.
MSNBC - LOL. The joker & liar consortium
MSNBC has zero credibility. They are a over-paid vanity project for the Democratic-Soviets.
I think we're about to find out. We'll probably go from 'Best Economy EVARR!' to 'Worse than the Great Depression by far!' in roughly a month.
What I find really baffling and depressing is how many people are openly opposed to making government more efficient and less costly. What the hell is wrong with these people?
The classic example was Watergate. Woodward and Bernstein missed the story of the century, an FBI official taking down the president.
I remember when the goal of the deficit hawks was to trim the yearly deficit spending by 5%. 10% if you wanted to be optimistic. Musk is shooting for a surplus at 2 trillion in cuts. Over 50% yearly deficit reduction at 1 trillion. If he can get half that I'm happy. Last I heard Musk was thinking of a buyout of sorts. 2 years full pay and retirement benefits to shrink the government workforce. It wouldn't shrink the deficit on day one, but it does make it more palatable and makes a big difference in the outyears.
Without the regulations and hurdles, there'd be no need for the excess dollars.
It's all about priorities!
chuck,
Woodward and Bernstein didn't "miss the story" -- they were *active participants* in Felt's scheme, it seems to me .
I'm guessing a dozen people who work at the Times, speculating on what the Doge boys will do.
The plan is for a cohort of unpaid, unofficial volunteers to live within federal agencies for six months, working 80 hours per week on undefined tasks, conspire with one another on Signal, and get nearly everyone around them fired. It doesn’t sound fully baked to me.
"But parts of the operation are becoming clear: Many of the executives involved are expecting to do six-month voluntary stints inside the federal government before returning to their high-paying jobs. Mr. Musk has said they will not be paid — a nonstarter for some originally interested tech executives — and have been asked by him to work 80-hour weeks. Some, including possibly Mr. Musk, will be so-called special government employees, a specific category of temporary workers who can only work for the federal government for 130 days or less in a 365-day period.
The representatives will largely be stationed inside federal agencies. After some consideration by top officials, DOGE itself is now unlikely to incorporate as an organized outside entity or nonprofit. Instead, it is likely to exist as more of a brand for an interlinked group of aspirational leaders who are on joint group chats and share a loyalty to Mr. Musk or Mr. Ramaswamy." ~ NYT
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