Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
What Departments Would You Dissolve?
What three federal government departments would you immediately dissolve, if you could? Feel free to offer an explanation of why or just list them.
The three that I’d eliminate:
- Department of Education
- Housing and Urban Development
- Homeland Security
DOE, self explanatory. Get the federal government out of college financing. End the the “free money” manipulation game for High Schools, Colleges, and College students. Colleges would need to model themselves after Hillsdale or shutter their doors.
HUD, Fannie and Freddie…
Homeland Security, created in 2002 and already the third largest department. Just leads to further bloating of our anti-terror programs.
So, Ricochetti what are the first three departments that you would dissolve?
Published in General
I’d like the US to leave the UN. And force the UN to move their headquarters out of NYC.
But your idea of having the UN Ambassador dress as Bozo the clown would be hilarious.
I wish to enter into evidence A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson and go after the Park Service also.
OK, I’ll admit that maybe a reformed stand alone Park Service is a workable, if imperfect, option but I still think everyone should review the book (NOT THE MOVIE) at least for the humor included. We all need a good laugh these days.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
It should have been shut down the day they caught that little weasel from San Antonio on hidden camera, the little slimebucket.
Thanks, but I cannot take full credit for the idea. The concept is nothing but a half step further into the ridiculous than President Obama has already gone. As funny as I think it would be, I fear that so very few in that austere body would even notice.
1. Dept of Ed
2. Homeland Security
3. Dept of Labor
EPA needs to be eviscerated and revamped, but is important for keeping pollution (not CO2) in check.
Labor–put unemployment insurance & labor statistics in another dept then end the scores of overlapping employment programs. Let the states and private sector figure out how to train and place workers.
I had three all picked out, but I can only remember two of them.
It’s a trick question, right? Because there are no wrong answers.
Maybe you should turn and ask Dr. Ron Paul for help with the third one.
Education, Energy, and a toss up between HUD, HHS, Agriculture, Homeland Security, and the VA. In truth they all should go. But even then, the easiest thing the CEO/POTUS could do is institute a hiring freeze. Government employees that retired would in only the direst of circumstance be replaced. Over eight years/ two terms a President could shrink the bureaucracy by 35%, maybe more. Less people to enforce the rules would mean only the most important regulations would be left to interfere with our lives.
That’s a nice theory, but given human nature, I’m not sure it would work that way. Still, let’s starve the beast anyway we can.
Department of Education. Homeschooling is where the liberty and virtue strands of conservatism are woven beautifully. The Department of Education is where the cord is cut. The Mordor of oppressive, mediocre liberalism.
Justice Department. I often forget how presumptuous and comic book silly the title is. From one part-time attorney in Washington’s cabinet to a $22 billion behemoth mismanaging just about every hot button controversy in the country. Also an assembly line for hack, media hound politicians in both parties.
BLM/Forest Service. The arguments for federal government ownership of vast lands in the states are maybe the most condescending, top-down, elitist rationales found outside of the Department of Education.
I think it is vital that the TSA remain a federal agency and that their uniforms become more authoritarian, their scripted commands more obnoxious, and the staffing performance a complete Keystone routine. Let the TSA be the face of the feds. The DMV of the 21st century. Make sure the TSA precheck lines are routed in the most evident and maddening manner.
Great post. Thanks.
Not many people realize how new most of it is. Most federal investigative and police officers were part of Treasury.
Yes!
Possibly not an answer to your question but the first cut back that I’d like to see but never will is – strip all universities that impose speech codes of:
Mucking with the First Amendment has real world consequences if you want to ram your face in the federal trough.
As for #2) the TSA, definitely the TSA.
As for #3) Investigate for real what the hell happened to weaponize the IRS.
Just and FYI, when you cut HHS, you also cut the National Institutes of Health and it’s clinical center (Dr. Rahe may care a bit about that). It’s fine if you want to, just and FYI
I would argue that the importance at the national level is as nothing more than a coordination, monitoring, and reporting function of the actual operating agencies at the state level, where local and/or unique issues can be addressed by those closest to the source and governed by those with the proper authority to do so.
If a federal level is to exist at all it shall have no real power and be required to present issues to congress in order to obtain specific legal authority to act on a case by case basis with sunset provisions on every authorization. Its staff shall not exceed five people. Anything larger and more powerful than this is not worth the risk of the bureaucratic tyranny that necessarily comes with such an agency…national pollution control be damned.
Not bad, not bad, although I suspect your upper employee limit is at least 4.5 too high.
A baby step would be to reduce the number of departments and agencies with law enforcement powers and service weapons.
Comparing the US’ to other countries’ federal law enforcement bodies listed here (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_law_enforcement_agencies) shows a lot of room to trim. I’ve never understood why the DEA and ATF can’t be merged into the FBI, for starters.
Mr. Comey sends his thanks.
Yes, and I’ll cut it even below that.
Aside from completely disappearing the entire organization, I (as President) like the idea of having my EPA Administrator clock-in on October 1 of each year just long enough to sign 50 checks and then clock-out and go home for 364 days at his real job.
A few years of that…a minimal bureaucratic footprint and no real attraction for lobbyist fun and games (at The People’s expense)…and it should be much easier to have the whole thing officially flushed (without an environmental impact study, nonetheless).
Can we tear down the buildings and salt the earth as well?
That’s the wrong question. It should be “Which departments do we keep?”
We need defense, state, and justice. Even justice probably has a lot of unnecessary redundancies that belong in state governments.
I’m open to keeping more departments. Make a positive case for each department that should be in the federal government, then limit them to those duties that are required.
I think Rick Perry has a list of three, but he can only remember two.
He’ll just text Ron Paul to double check if you ask him.
@rightangles , that must be some ponytail…
Wait, you’re Dilbert’s ex-girlfriend Liz?!?!
I pretty much agree.
Just pick something and start somewhere! If a President Trump could eliminate one department, that would be more that the rest of the previous Republican presidents.
Department of the Interior is the fifth oldest, going back to 1849. It might be worth keeping, if kept small.
Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security could be put under Defense.
You’d probably need some government agency to investigate airplane crashes, to count the people during the census, etc.
Does the Secretary of the Treasury really even do anything anymore now that the FED runs everything and with the secret service now under Homeland Security?
My first thought was the House, Senate, and Supreme Court, because they’re completely redundant now. The president just does what he or she wants anyway.
Sorry to be a stick in the mud, but in the real world if you eliminate a federal Department what happens is that all of its functions and funding get transferred to another federal Department – and then there’s probably some additional funding needed to facilitate the reorganization. A bureaucracy is harder to kill than a vampire. The only way I know to drive a stake through it’s heart is to cut its funding and force it to shrink.
Ditto