There are 39 comments.

1. Coolidge
   Red Herring

   @EHerring

   12:34 PM EST ⋅ Jan 7, 2025

   Mark Camp (View Comment):

   The Reticulator (View Comment):

   Red Herring (View Comment):

   The real power in Congress lies with career staffers. They are part of the “deep state.”

   Yes, yes, yes! That’s where cuts need to be made.

   @ Reticulator,

   The sole purpose of career staffers is to do the research and other detailed administrative work required by the legislator to make informed decisions in support of the legislator’s goals.

   Are you saying that more of them are retained than needed to do that job?

   If so*, then yes, absolutely!

   Headcount reductions are called for, to save a few bucks on staff salaries and other per-employee costs.

   * * *

   *Note:

   If not, then to me this seems like a bad idea. Like removing a lung and a half, to cure a brain tumor that is causing self-destructive violent episodes.

   It would do nothing to fix the problem in the brain.

   And it would reduce the ability of the brain, which needs oxygen from the lungs, to do its job even more.

   Career staffers are the permanent decision-makers in Congress just like the rest of the “deep state” employees who see our elected officials as the temp hires. They are the invisible representatives behind all those senile senior citizen Congress critters. When certain ones called the Pentagon, they would jump in fear and it rolled downhill to us staffers at the MAJCOMs. The Pentagon has some, too. One of those SOBs leaked to the press a document I was drafting for my MAJCOM general. The press person at least had the courtesy to call and give me a heads up (somehow had my name, too). I had to jump through hoops to warn my colonel, general, and Pentagon point person.

2. Coolidge
   kedavis

   @kedavis

   1:29 PM EST ⋅ Jan 7, 2025

   I didn’t know that Elizabeth Warren is her married name.  She was born Elizabeth Herring.

   Now, if Elizabeth Herring was born Elizabeth Warren, the space-time continuum may be in danger.

3. Member
   The Reticulator

   @TheReticulator

   1:45 PM EST ⋅ Jan 7, 2025

   Mark Camp (View Comment):

   The Reticulator (View Comment):

   Red Herring (View Comment):

   The real power in Congress lies with career staffers. They are part of the “deep state.”

   Yes, yes, yes! That’s where cuts need to be made.

   @ Reticulator,

   The sole purpose of career staffers is to do the research and other detailed administrative work required by the legislator to make informed decisions in support of the legislator’s goals.

   Are you saying that more of them are retained than needed to do that job?

   If so*, then yes, absolutely!

   Headcount reductions are called for, to save a few bucks on staff salaries and other per-employee costs.

   * * *

   *Note:

   If not, then to me this seems like a bad idea. Like removing a lung and a half, to cure a brain tumor that is causing self-destructive violent episodes.

   It would do nothing to fix the problem in the brain.

   And it would reduce the ability of the brain, which needs oxygen from the lungs, to do its job even more.

   I would cut the staffers who provide constituent services. Are they not career staffers? 

4. Coolidge
   Red Herring

   @EHerring

   2:40 PM EST ⋅ Jan 7, 2025

   The Reticulator (View Comment):

   Mark Camp (View Comment):

   The Reticulator (View Comment):

   Red Herring (View Comment):

   The real power in Congress lies with career staffers. They are part of the “deep state.”

   Yes, yes, yes! That’s where cuts need to be made.

   @ Reticulator,

   The sole purpose of career staffers is to do the research and other detailed administrative work required by the legislator to make informed decisions in support of the legislator’s goals.

   Are you saying that more of them are retained than needed to do that job?

   If so*, then yes, absolutely!

   Headcount reductions are called for, to save a few bucks on staff salaries and other per-employee costs.

   * * *

   *Note:

   If not, then to me this seems like a bad idea. Like removing a lung and a half, to cure a brain tumor that is causing self-destructive violent episodes.

   It would do nothing to fix the problem in the brain.

   And it would reduce the ability of the brain, which needs oxygen from the lungs, to do its job even more.

   I would cut the staffers who provide constituent services. Are they not career staffers?

   Not a good idea. Representatives have to service many more people than in bygone years

5. Member
   Mark Camp

   @MarkCamp

   2:41 PM EST ⋅ Jan 7, 2025

   Red Herring (View Comment):

   Mark Camp (View Comment):

   The Reticulator (View Comment):

   Red Herring (View Comment):

   The real power in Congress lies with career staffers. They are part of the “deep state.”

   Yes, yes, yes! That’s where cuts need to be made.

   @ Reticulator,

   The sole purpose of career staffers is to do the research and other detailed administrative work required by the legislator to make informed decisions in support of the legislator’s goals.

   Are you saying that more of them are retained than needed to do that job?

   If so*, then yes, absolutely!

   Headcount reductions are called for, to save a few bucks on staff salaries and other per-employee costs.

   * * *

   *Note:

   If not, then to me this seems like a bad idea. Like removing a lung and a half, to cure a brain tumor that is causing self-destructive violent episodes.

   It would do nothing to fix the problem in the brain.

   And it would reduce the ability of the brain, which needs oxygen from the lungs, to do its job even more.

   Career staffers are the permanent decision-makers in Congress just like the rest of the “deep state” employees who see our elected officials as the temp hires. They are the invisible representatives behind all those senile senior citizen Congress critters. When certain ones called the Pentagon, they would jump in fear and it rolled downhill to us staffers at the MAJCOMs. The Pentagon has some, too. One of those SOBs leaked to the press a document I was drafting for my MAJCOM general. The press person at least had the courtesy to call and give me a heads up (somehow had my name, too). I had to jump through hoops to warn my colonel, general, and Pentagon point person.

   Thank you for your Reply.

6. Member
   The Reticulator

   @TheReticulator

   7:50 PM EST ⋅ Jan 7, 2025

   Red Herring (View Comment):

   The Reticulator (View Comment):

   Mark Camp (View Comment):

   The Reticulator (View Comment):

   Red Herring (View Comment):

   The real power in Congress lies with career staffers. They are part of the “deep state.”

   Yes, yes, yes! That’s where cuts need to be made.

   @ Reticulator,

   The sole purpose of career staffers is to do the research and other detailed administrative work required by the legislator to make informed decisions in support of the legislator’s goals.

   Are you saying that more of them are retained than needed to do that job?

   If so*, then yes, absolutely!

   Headcount reductions are called for, to save a few bucks on staff salaries and other per-employee costs.

   * * *

   *Note:

   If not, then to me this seems like a bad idea. Like removing a lung and a half, to cure a brain tumor that is causing self-destructive violent episodes.

   It would do nothing to fix the problem in the brain.

   And it would reduce the ability of the brain, which needs oxygen from the lungs, to do its job even more.

   I would cut the staffers who provide constituent services. Are they not career staffers?

   Not a good idea. Representatives have to service many more people than in bygone years

   That is the source of power that the deep state has over them. And it’s a corrupt way of doing business. 

7. Member
   Sisyphus

   @Sisyphus

   

   9:04 PM EST ⋅ Jan 7, 2025

   A quick note on constituent services. Used properly, they are an important lever for the average constituent to enlist their elected representation against the federal behemoth or Fortune 500 villainy. One of my children is likely alive today thanks to the intervention of my representative’s office at the time. (And that’s all I will say on that.)

8. Member
   The Reticulator

   @TheReticulator

   9:07 PM EST ⋅ Jan 7, 2025

   Sisyphus (View Comment):

   A quick note on constituent services. Used properly, they are an important lever for the average constituent to enlist their elected representation against the federal behemoth or Fortune 500 villainy. One of my children is likely alive today thanks to the intervention of my representative’s office at the time. (And that’s all I will say on that.)

   But it’s a sign of failure of the system of empowering the deep state that people like you need to resort to that.  Congress has no motivation to fix it so that you don’t need to go to them cap in hand in order to get help.  

9. Member
   Sisyphus

   @Sisyphus

   

   9:14 PM EST ⋅ Jan 7, 2025

   The Reticulator (View Comment):

   Sisyphus (View Comment):

   A quick note on constituent services. Used properly, they are an important lever for the average constituent to enlist their elected representation against the federal behemoth or Fortune 500 villainy. One of my children is likely alive today thanks to the intervention of my representative’s office at the time. (And that’s all I will say on that.)

   But it’s a sign of failure of the system of empowering the deep state that people like you need to resort to that. Congress has no motivation to fix it so that you don’t need to go to them cap in hand in order to get help.

   It is inevitable in large systems that unintended consequences will threaten horrible outcomes. For all the reasons Hayek cites for government competence in The Road to Serfdom. If we had no government at all, most of us would be dead.