Trump's First Week: Five federal departments that could be shut down first

[EasyAce]

By John Stossel
http://reason.com/archives/2017/01/18/trumps-first-week/print

Donald Trump will be busy Friday.

He and Mike Pence have promised, Mother Jones magazine points out, that on Trump's first day in office he will repeal
Obamacare, end the "war on coal," expel illegal immigrants, begin construction of a "beautiful Southern border wall,"
fix the Department of Veterans Affairs, come up with a plan to stop ISIS, get rid of "gun-free zones," "start taking care
of our ... military," withdraw from the TPP trade agreement, cut regulations and designate China a currency manipulator.

OK, much of that was probably just campaign talk. I'm grateful for that. I hope some of it never happens.

But there's a lot of good Trump and Pence could do their first day, or, let's be generous, their first week. How about this?

Monday: Abolish the Department of Commerce.

Trump is a businessman, so he knows that business works best when government stays out of it. Why does America need
something called a Commerce Department?

Commerce just happens; it doesn't need a department.

Today the Department of Commerce spends $9 billion a year subsidizing companies with political connections, gathering
economic data, setting industry standards and doing a bunch of things companies ought to do for themselves.

Get rid of it.

Tuesday: Abolish the Department of Labor.

The Department inserts itself into almost every protracted argument between workers and management. Why should we let
government referee every argument? Let workers, bosses, unions and their lawyers fight it out.

Then people can make contracts as individuals so they can get deals tailored to their individual needs. That's fairer than letting
government bureaucrats and labor union bosses pretend to speak for them.

The Labor Department also spends about $9 billion gathering information on workers. Top labor-union bosses make six-figure
salaries. I'm sure their organizations could spend a little on statistics and workplace studies. Leave the poor, oppressed taxpayer
out of it.

Wednesday: Abolish the Small Business Administration.

I love small businesses and the entrepreneurs who create them.

That's exactly why I don't want them chosen or coddled by the state, just as big corporations shouldn't be. Entrepreneurs should
devote their energy to inventing things, not sucking up to bureaucrats who give loans to businesses they favor.

Businesses should sink or swim in accordance with the wishes of customers on the open market.

Thursday: Abolish the Department of Education.

Every time government pokes its nose into some activity, it pretends that activity could never have happened without government.
Left-wing activists agree and pretend the sky will fall if anyone got rid of a department.

But we've only had a federal Department of Education since 1980, and it's done nothing useful.

The department doesn't teach kids or pay teachers. It comes up with studies, test requirements, and one-size-fits-all rules that limit
what schools can do if they want federal money. That money gets taken from states and shipped to Washington, D.C., which then
ships it back to states if they do something the department likes. On that long journey, plenty of the money disappears into the
hands of bureaucrats.

Turn education back over to local governments, the way it was not so long ago. Let entrepreneurs and local governments compete
to improve schools.

Friday: Abolish the Department of Energy.

Politicians say that America needs "an energy policy." But we have one—the free market. If someone invents a better or cheaper
form of energy, the rewards will be huge.

Investors will eagerly fund it. We don't need federal bureaucrats funneling your tax money to their vision of what's best.

When government does that, we get nice-sounding but expensive boondoggles, such as the Solyndra solar company and giant
windmills that don't budge on windless days.

Your taxes go to the politically connected, like Al Gore and his friends.

The department's nuclear supervision responsibilities belong in the Department of Defense

Of course, Defense and other parts of government deserve to be cut, too—but I'm patient. That can wait for week two.

Nice gauntlet to thrown down. Will Donaldus Minimus listen? (Especially considering how much his businesses
benefitted from government help in one or another fashion . . .) Which is one way of saying I'll believe it if and when
I see it.

[Wingnut]

If Trump could do away with even one of those agencies.. it would be a victory.

[Oceander]

Civil servants and career bureaucrats will always outlast a bombastic president.  This ain't gonna happen. 

[skeeter]

I wonder what on that list Stossel hopes 'never happens'? Even if its a pipe dream it all looks good to me.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Civil servants and career bureaucrats will always outlast a bombastic president.  This ain't gonna happen.

untrue statement when one looks at what Reagan did to Air Traffic Controllers.

More accurate statement is the word 'almost'.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Liberals will go batshit and act like it's the end of the world.

[EasyAce]

Liberals will go batshit and act like it's the end of the world.

They always do. Whether it comes from the right or, very occasionally, from their own side.

But, alas, so do some professed conservatives who fit the description of the contemporary conservative once formulated
by George F. Will: Today's conservative has reached into his heart of hearts, prayed hard, and decided it was high
time that the government cut his neighbour's benefits.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Liberals will go batshit and act like it's the end of the world.

it is their character. They see nothing good on the other side.

The sad thing is some conservatives did the same as Never-Trumpers and have dug a hole they cannot easily vacate.

[Smokin Joe]

it is their character. They see nothing good on the other side.

The sad thing is some conservatives did the same as Never-Trumpers and have dug a hole they cannot easily vacate.

You don't have to like Trump to be fair. If he does well, credit where credit is due. If he follows the Constitution, kudos! He hasn't sold me to the point where I will accept everything he says or does without checking it over, and if I think it is wrong, I'll say so.

If he is so good, he should welcome a level of scrutiny that will end up proving it, and his supporters should, too.

If I have been wrong about the man, I will eat crow and dine on the bird gracefully, but dinnertime is at least four years off.

Kindly don't confuse that with the raving Democrats. Those of us who did not support Trump had our reasons, which we stated at great length. Now we'll see where the chips fall.

Besides, the agency I would like to see gone first is the EPA.

[Bigun]

You don't have to like Trump to be fair. If he does well, credit where credit is due. If he follows the Constitution, kudos! He hasn't sold me to the point where I will accept everything he says or does without checking it over, and if I think it is wrong, I'll say so.

If he is so good, he should welcome a level of scrutiny that will end up proving it, and his supporters should, too.

If I have been wrong about the man, I will eat crow and dine on the bird gracefully, but dinnertime is at least four years off.

Kindly don't confuse that with the raving Democrats. Those of us who did not support Trump had our reasons, which we stated at great length. Now we'll see where the chips fall.

Besides, the agency I would like to see gone first is the EPA.

 

   Quickly followed by the Department of Education!

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Besides, the agency I would like to see gone first is the EPA.

I would rather get rid of Education.  FY 2016 budget is $70.7 billion vs $8.6 billion for EPA.

Both should not exist as both are easily run by the respective states.

[Bigun]

I would rather get rid of Education.  FY 2016 budget is $70.7 billion vs $8.6 billion for EPA.

Both should not exist as both are easily run by the respective states.

I vote for the EPA first ONLY because I think it currently has a bigger impact on economic activity!  BOTH need to go without a modicum of doubt.