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Tim Pawlenty and “The Google Test”
This morning, Tim Pawlenty delivered a speech on his economic plan at the University of Chicago. The speech itself includes a few humdrum specifics on how to go about cutting taxes, simplifying the tax code, and raising government revenue (via economic growth, not tax hikes). But my favorite part of the speech — and where I give Pawlenty a solid A for creativity and memorability — is his introduction of “The Google Test” to determine what government programs and agencies would be axed under a Pawlenty presidency.
Published in GeneralIf you can find a good or service on the Internet, then the federal government probably doesn’t need to be doing it.
The post office — the government printing office — Amtrak — Fannie and Freddie were all built for a different time in our country when the private sector did not adequately provide those services. That’s no longer the case.
I loved the sunset clause. Keep ’em busy justifying existing programs so they can’t layer and pile on others. Seriously, all laws should sunset and be forced to prove efficacy.
Of course, you can have arguments all day about the definition of “adequately”.
Pawlenty invented another term–Sam’s Club Republicans–that was widely misunderstood. His point was, too many people still believe that where you’ll run into the “typical Republican” is at the Country Club. Pawlenty said, “no, nowadays you run into the typical Republican at Sam’s Club, trying to stock up and save a few bucks on toilet paper. That’s where you find the average Republican these days.”
Truly spoken to, oddly the sun never sets in D.C. due to all the taxpayer sunshine.
Oddly enough the Green Folks seem not to address all that shiny junk mail that everyone throws away…. How many tons might that amount to ?
I like Pawlenty and hope to hear more from him. He seams to be the best balance of competence, electability and conservative principles we have right now. I’m still keeping my fingers crossed for Paul Ryan but can happily support T-Paw.
I know he’s had his mistakes but our future as Americans relies on a roll-back of the non-sense of the past 100 years.
I’m looking forward to a flood of Tweets sent to Obama asking for specifics on various (to Obama) embarrassing issues, and delivering the snarky accompanying commentary, a la the European Pub Crawl.
Perhaps one a week on the Brazilian deep water oil drilling project. “Hey, Barack, after you give Brazil our drilling technology, can you at least get a discount on the crude oil they sell us?”
Diane, I couldn’t agree with you more. While I was an early skeptic on Pawlenty, he seems to serve up another stellar pitch every week or so. It’s early yet, but this is the best idea, most succinctly expressed, that we’ve yet seen in the 2012 race.
Perhaps one a week on the Brazilian deep water oil drilling project. “Hey, Barack, after you give Brazil our drilling technology, can you at least get a discount on the crude oil they sell us?” ·Jun 7 at 7:58pm
I nominate Duane for Social Media adviser to the Pawlenty 2012 campaign!
Duane Oyen: I’m looking forward to a flood of Tweets sent to Obama asking for specifics on various (to Obama) embarrassing issues, and delivering the snarky accompanying commentary, a la the European Pub Crawl.
Perhaps one a week on the Brazilian deep water oil drilling project. “Hey, Barack, after you give Brazil our drilling technology, can you at least get a discount on the crude oil they sell us?” ·Jun 7 at 7:58pm
I’ve been following Fred Thompson, Tim Pawlenty and Paul Ryan and had to drop Fred because I was laughing too hard and had to get work done. I suspect that its really Pat Sajack writing his stuff.
I’m all for reducing the size and scope of government (we don’t need a Dept. of Ed… especially one with SWAT teams) but…
I’ve read that state and local governments will be laying off a lot of workers – adding to a huge number of the unemployed (many of whom are unemployed for a long time).
Now we’re contemplating adding a few hundred-thousand federal workers to the unemployment line? Look at the racial makeup of the government workforce and give some thought to the implications of adding a lot more people to a population that’s already underemployed.
How are all these people supposed to find jobs? What’s the practical answer?
My point is that “googlization” may well save a lot of time and money but I’ve yet to see practical discussion of what to do about the dislocations it will cause.