Trump the Turnaround Manager

[Right_in_Virginia]

Trump the Turnaround Manager
Townhall, Mar 18, 2018, Bruce Bialosky

<snip>

President Trump has gotten flack for not filling a significant number of political appointee positions in his first year.  His answer to that is “You don’t need them.”  He has cut positions across departments by eliminating people who probably don’t like the guy anyway.  In his first six months, the federal employee count went down 10,700. It is not just what he cut, but likewise what he has not added.  In their first six months, President Bush (the younger) added 36,000 and President Obama added 60,000. While 10,700 may be a small dent in the total number of federal workers (2.8 million), it is still headed in the right direction. 

More evidence of the advances the Trump administration has made include the proposed termination of 22 programs as part of their 2019 budget proposal.  A few of you may have heard of the Legal Services Corp., but most I have never heard of and I am supposing that they will not be missed except for their minor constituency. Maybe next year he can aim to put 32 or 42 agencies on the chopping block.   

You are likely aware of the significant regulation reduction that has occurred since Mr. Trump took office.  The pro-government forces want more regulations and more personnel to enforce those regulations to allow faceless bureaucrats to dictate how we operate our businesses and our lives.  For these types, business at any level is questionable as citizens need to be protected against the evils of their neighborhood businesspeople.  Other presidents have talked about less-invasive government, but Mr. Trump is making it happen.  His administration has just touched on clearing the brush of unneeded, contradictory, outdated and harmful rules. 


More:  https://townhall.com/columnists/brucebialosky/2018/03/18/trump-the-turnaround-manager-n2461290

[Right_in_Virginia]

IMO, this is the money quote from this long and well written article:

Politicians by definition feel a need to be loved and admired. Businessmen don’t think that way. They may want to be loved, but they become fixated on the bottom line.  It is a different mentality.  Discount the continuing storyline of Mr. Trump needing his ego to be stroked.  Certainly, some of that may be true.  But he is a businessman first and that means he often offends others to accomplish his goals. 

[Concerned]

Interesting piece.  Here's the money quote to me:

"President Trump’s biggest challenge will be tackling the budget imbalance.  Our country cannot continue to deficit finance our operations.  As of now, Trump has shown no interest in doing that.  He stated there appears to be no appetite for this in the Congress, but he needs to create that appetite.  That means going after the so-called entitlement programs."

I think we have to attack the debt (and entitlements).  We just can't keep adding trillions to it. We need real Presidential leadership on the debt and deficit IMO.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Interesting piece.  Here's the money quote to me:

"President Trump’s biggest challenge will be tackling the budget imbalance.  Our country cannot continue to deficit finance our operations.  As of now, Trump has shown no interest in doing that.  He stated there appears to be no appetite for this in the Congress, but he needs to create that appetite.  That means going after the so-called entitlement programs."

I think we have to attack the debt (and entitlements).  We just can't keep adding trillions to it. We need real Presidential leadership on the debt and deficit IMO. 

What we need is to end this damn General Council sucking so much oxygen out of the room .... and a successful mid-term election cycle.

Then, I agree ... let's tackle entitlements ...