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From: John B. <slocombjb@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.tech
Subject: Re: [OT] How to live like a Doge
Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2025 09:23:58 +0700
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On Thu, 20 Feb 2025 17:31:29 -0800, Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com>
wrote:

>On Fri, 21 Feb 2025 07:50:29 +0700, John B. <slocombjb@gmail.com>
>wrote:
>
>>On Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:00:22 -0800, Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com>
>>wrote:
>>
>>>On Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:15:59 -0500, Catrike Ryder
>>><Soloman@old.bikers.org> wrote:
>>>
>>>>On Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:13:07 -0500, Frank Krygowski
>>>><frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>On 2/20/2025 8:57 AM, AMuzi wrote:
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> So far, Mr Musk, and others including Mr Zeldin, seem to have made good 
>>>>>> progress. But the problem is many times larger than results to date.
>>>>>
>>>>>Good progress? It's been chaotic in the extreme, most of it done with 
>>>>>little rational analysis other than "We can pull off cutting this," much 
>>>>>of it likely illegal, often generating "Oops, we didn't mean that," with 
>>>>>negative consequences sure to appear.
>>>>
>>>>Nonsense. Why are you against getting rid of wasteful spending by the
>>>>federal government?
>>>
>>>Perhaps it's because Musk and accomplices are looking in the wrong
>>>places to cut government waste?  Oddly, the following report, which
>>>has been released annually by senator Rand Paul (R-KY) isn't
>>>mentioned:
>>>
>>>"DOGE Subcommittee’s First Hearing Uncovers Billions Lost to Fraud and
>>>Improper Payments, Launches "War on Waste""
>>><https://oversight.house.gov/release/hearing-wrap-up-doge-subcommittees-first-hearing-uncovers-billions-lost-to-fraud-and-improper-payments-launches-war-on-waste/>
>>>"The Festivus Report 2024"
>>><https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/FESTIVUS-REPORT-2024.pdf>
>>>
>>>I haven't found an up to date list of the "waste" that the Doge has so
>>>far attacked but I suspect that none of the items listed in the 2024
>>>report will be on the list.  Why?  Because they are all "sacred cows",
>>>"pork barrel", payoffs for political favors, etc.
>>>
>>>The 2024 list is itemized on Page 3 and 4 of the report.
>
>>I read the report and all of it was just a bunch of claims, not even a
>>tiny bit of data showing what, where, or why. Frankly it seemed very
>>reminiscent to one of Tom's posts.
>>Is there anywhere the details are published?
>
>You'll find some pointers to details in the footnotes listed at the
>end of the Fesivus Report 2024.
>
>The report was not intended to be a detailed indictment of those
>involved.  Such reports are written as an indication that something is
>wrong and is worth investigating.  If someone accepts the task, they
>will provide whatever facts they can find.  Eventually, we'll have a
>formal investigation, probably by a congressional committee.  
>
>There should be something on all the items on internet.  Starting from
>the top:
>"Ghost Towns on the Government's Dime: The federal government spent
>$10 billion on maintaining, leasing, and furnishing almost entirely
>empty buildings"
>
>Under the first photos is "Source GAO-23-106200" which leads me to:
>
>There are 3 footnotes for highlighted text at (i), (ii) and (iii)
>which can be found among the footnotes at the end.  As an example,
>I'll follow the beaten path in the first footnote:
>
>(i) Marroni, David. "FEDERAL REAL PROPERTY Preliminary Results Show
>Federal Buildings Remain Underutilized Due to Longstanding Challenges
>and Increased Telework." Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public
>Buildings, and Emergency Management, Committee on Transportation and
>Infrastructure, House of Representatives, July 2023. 
>
>That points to an official GAO (government accountability office)
>report:
>
>Federal Real Property: Preliminary Results Show Federal Buildings
>Remain Underutilized Due to Longstanding Challenges and Increased
>Telework  GAO-23-106200 Published: Jul 13, 2023. Publicly Released:
>Jul 13, 2023.
><https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-23-106200>
>which seems quite real to me has considerable detail.
>
>Is that sufficient?  All you need to do now is repeat the same process
>for every item in the Festivus Report.  Eventually, you'll have the
>start of an investigation.
>

Ah, thank you. I guess I should have gone all the way to the bottom
before bitching :(

I'd still like to see more details but I suspect that they aren't
available. Or don't want to be made available.

Re ships, I noted a long time ago that the cost of building ships in
the U.S. was multiple times greater then the cost in China. The
results is, of course, that China is the largest shipbuilder in the
world while the U.S. isn't even on the list.

-- 
Cheers,

John B.