Pick an Agency, Any Agency

[malkusm]

I will be writing a series of articles on federal agencies, departments, and bureaus that we could easily do away with. Most of these are things that the vast majority of Americans has never heard of; their objectives are dubious, obscure, and/or unconstitutional, and they are generally a waste of taxpayer dollars.

I will post the articles in succession in this thread for the reading pleasure of Liberty Forest. I hope that you guys will read and pass them on to others as a tool to demonstrate how out of hand our federal government has become with its tangle of bureaucracy and excessive spending.

-Matt

The Articles:

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics - http://www.yaliberty.org/posts/pick-an-agency-any-agency-bts
http://libertymaven.com/2010/07/26/pick-an-agency-any-agency-bts/10265/
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) - http://www.yaliberty.org/posts/pick-an-agency-any-agency-amtrak
http://libertymaven.com/2010/07/28/pick-an-agency-any-agency-amtrak/10282/
Grain Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards Administration - http://libertymaven.com/2010/07/30/pick-an-agency-any-agency-gipsa/10302/
http://www.yaliberty.org/posts/pick-an-agency-any-agency-gipsa
Federal Housing Finance Agency - http://libertymaven.com/2010/08/02/pick-an-agency-any-agency-fhfa/10320/
http://www.yaliberty.org/posts/pick-an-agency-any-agency-fhfa
The Broadcasting Board of Governors - http://libertymaven.com/2010/08/06/pick-an-agency-any-agency-bbg/10389/
http://www.yaliberty.org/posts/pick-an-agency-any-agency-bbg
The Social Security Administration - http://www.yaliberty.org/posts/pick-an-agency-any-agency-ssa
http://libertymaven.com/2010/08/12/pick-an-agency-any-agency-ssa/10444/

Total Reduction in Spending: $709.6168 billion

[messana]

Fda.

[Philhelm]

Irs

[malkusm]

Fda.

My approach is generally just to pick obscure crap that no one's ever heard of, although I'm sure that I'll throw a couple heavy hitters in there. ;)

[johngr]

Treasury (as one of its bureaus, that would include the IRS and some other nasty ones as well).

[Acala]

The Ministry of Silly Walks

[PreDeadMan]

The Lollipop Guild

http://images.icanhascheezburger.com/completestore/2009/1/22/128771440954296709.jpg

[FrankRep]

Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) (http://portal.hud.gov/portal/page/portal/HUD)

[malkusm]

Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) (http://portal.hud.gov/portal/page/portal/HUD)

This is an excellent suggestion - I will try to fit this one in for sure. I've written about the government's housing and urban policies in past articles, most notably in this one: http://libertymaven.com/2010/03/25/the-u-s-governments-love-affair-with-discrimination/9394/


Throughout the first half of the 20th century, racial segregation continued to oppress African-Americans, mostly for the political benefit of those in power (affluent white males). Starting in the 1910s and 20s, the federal government embarked on a national housing segregation program which denied housing loans (http://www.law.fsu.edu/journals/landuse/Vol141/seit.htm)to those living in “areas in decline” (majority black neighborhoods), since it was believed that the presence of blacks in a white neighborhood would bring down property values. Historically black neighborhoods were destroyed (http://jpe.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/22/2/99) to make way for elevated highways which connected white neighborhoods. Politicians, eager to gain the votes of those white voters in the majority opinion, happily violated the rights of the minority race, both to gain re-election and to expand government power in housing and transportation.

[jake]

Office of Thrift Supervision

[malkusm]

Office of Thrift Supervision

I had never heard of this one. Another excellent suggestion. Looks like there's plenty of dirt here as well....thanks a lot! :)

First article in the series should be posted momentarily - I'll bump the thread and post it in the OP when it's available.

[ClayTrainor]

Open World Leadership Center - http://www.openworld.gov/

[Number19]

It would be a tough nut to crack, but the EPA is a heavy regulatory anchor on business.

Also, the Dept of Transportation; Dept of Energy; Dept of Agriculture.

The FDA is a major factor in the high cost of medical care.

As mentioned, the Dept of Education.

And the BATF, the DEA and the Dept of Homeland Security.

[malkusm]

Open World Leadership Center - http://www.openworld.gov/

WTF? This is taxpayer funded? :mad: Thanks for the link.


It would be a tough nut to crack, but the EPA is a heavy regulatory anchor on business.

Also, the Dept of Transportation; Dept of Energy; Dept of Agriculture.

The FDA is a major factor in the high cost of medical care.

As mentioned, the Dept of Education.

And the BATF, the DEA and the Dept of Homeland Security.

These are all really big, heavy hitters....but I am definitely thinking about either the DEA, DHS, or TSA as one of the big ones I go after. :)

As far as the Department of Transportation - my first article in the series will be about a sub-bureau of the DOT. I'm hoping to build bridges with mainstream conservatives with a lot of these as well, so it's best to start with the obvious, I think.

[jdmyprez_deo_vindice]

Here is a list of pretty much all of them

http://www.usa.gov/Agencies/Federal/All_Agencies/index.shtml

[ClayTrainor]

WTF? This is taxpayer funded? :mad:

I have no idea... are government agencies ever not taxpayer funded? :confused:

[malkusm]

I have no idea... are government agencies ever not taxpayer funded? :confused:

Haha, wasn't really questioning it, just asking it rhetorically as a sign of my outrage :p

[jdmyprez_deo_vindice]

American battle monuments commission. I am involved with a lot of historical research and preservation organizations and I can assure you that private groups and charities could handle this much better than our government does. We spend millions upon millions putting up new monuments and maintaining the ones we have and it is really quite ridiculous. The government also discriminates against people of certain ancestries.

[CaseyJones]

The Federal Communications Commission
The Broadcasting Board of Governors
The Department of Housing and Urban Development
The Department of Health and Human Services
The Office of National Drug Control Policy
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation

off the top o my pate

[malkusm]

First article is up!

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics - http://www.yaliberty.org/posts/pick-an-agency-any-agency-bts
http://libertymaven.com/2010/07/26/pick-an-agency-any-agency-bts/10265/

[djdellisanti4]

Looks great! I hope you tackle HUD eventually. I've always held a special hatred for HUD in my heart.

[malkusm]

Looks great! I hope you tackle HUD eventually. I've always held a special hatred for HUD in my heart.

Might be the next one I do :p Depends on how I'm feeling in the next couple days. I'm going to try to stay on a schedule of releasing 3 per week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday).

[newbitech]

I will be writing a series of articles on federal agencies, departments, and bureaus that we could easily do away with. Most of these are things that the vast majority of Americans has never heard of; their objectives are dubious, obscure, and/or unconstitutional, and they are generally a waste of taxpayer dollars.

I will post the articles in succession in this thread for the reading pleasure of Liberty Forest. I hope that you guys will read and pass them on to others as a tool to demonstrate how out of hand our federal government has become with its tangle of bureaucracy and excessive spending.

First one should be up sometime tonight....hope you enjoy it! :)

-Matt

The Articles:

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics - http://www.yaliberty.org/posts/pick-an-agency-any-agency-bts

State unemployment offices.

[james1906]

434 positions in Congress.

[Philmanoman]

Thanks for this malkusm.

Maybe one on these guys...

Government Printing Office (GPO)

[malkusm]

434 positions in Congress.

:p


Thanks for this malkusm.

Maybe one on these guys...

Government Printing Office (GPO)

Wow - this one is quite outdated. Makes sense if there's only one huge printing press in the entire government like there was back in 1861....but it's most certainly just a waste and a drain at this point. I'll definitely write about this - thanks! :)

[lx43]

How about the Department of State? According to Wikipedia the US federal budget for Department of State and internetionial programs is $50 billion for 2010.

Clearly we don't need to be providing for welfare for dictators.

[johngr]

Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) (http://portal.hud.gov/portal/page/portal/HUD)

I thought they were called the Department of Housing and Multiculuralism through Social Engineering

[Elwar]

Overseas Private Investment Corporation (http://www.opic.gov/)

[Elwar]

Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (http://www.gipsa.usda.gov/GIPSA/webapp?area=home&subject=landing&topic=landing)

[Elwar]

Bonneville Power Administration (http://www.bpa.gov)

[libertybrewcity]

Office of Thrift Supervision

This is being merged with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency in 2011.

[libertybrewcity]

How about this bureau under the Department of Labor (or DoAG, not sure) called 4-H.


4-H in the United States is a youth organization administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), with the mission of "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development." The name represents four personal development areas of focus for the organization: head, heart, hands, and health.

The organization has over 6.5 million members in the United States, from ages five to nineteen, in approximately 90,000 clubs. Clubs and related organizations now exist in many other countries as well; the organization and administration varies from country to country.

The pledge is screaming lib bs:

I pledge my head to clearer thinking,
my heart to greater loyalty,
my hands to larger service
and my health to better living,
for my club, my community, my country, and my world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4-H

[libertybrewcity]

Bureau of Labor Statistics (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bureau_of_Labor_Statistics)

[fisharmor]

Washington Headquarters Service.
http://www.whs.mil/

Gold star to whoever figures out what the fuck it is that they do.

[fisharmor]

US Geological Survey.
http://www.usgs.gov/

[libertybrewcity]

Washington Headquarters Service.
http://www.whs.mil/

Gold star to whoever figures out what the fuck it is that they do.


Think strategically, act corporately and communicate clearly;
Provide outstanding services and timely, best value results;
Establish a mission-ready team of employees empowered to make decisions;
Act with integrity and measure performance for efficiency and optimal results;
Promote innovation and plan for a successful future within a changing environment.
The Strategic Plan challenges each of us to exceed the expectations of those who depend on us to deliver reliable, responsive and relevant capabilities. The objectives will not be easy to accomplish given the predictable obstacles of competing priorities and constrained resources. We believe we can, and must, accomplish these objectives for the good of our workforce and our customers.

The Strategic Plan provides a road map to shape WHS into an employer of choice. We welcome your questions about the direction of the organization and encourage you to get involved in working groups that will be responsible for developing and implementing the Strategic Plan objectives. Incorporate the Strategic Plan into your work process. Use the WHS guiding principles when making difficult decisions.

Finally, remember that the Strategic Plan is a living document and, like our organization, will be what you make of it. Our customers deserve nothing less than our best – the defense of our Nation depends on it.



Mission:

WHS is an essential capabilities provider that enables the Secretary of Defense, Senior DoD Leaders, and their staffs to fulfill the mission of the Department.

This sounds like a joke me. Looks like they don't do anything but work to make the Department of Defense a better place to work. WTH?

[Mahkato]

This is a great idea and an excellent thread.

[malkusm]

This is a great idea and an excellent thread.

Thanks!

I'll have the next article ready by tomorrow. :)

[Mahkato]

It won't be too long before you can type any 3-letter combination in your browser's address bar and add ".gov" to the end of it to get to a valid web site. However, FedGov won't release a list of the .gov URLs (http://www.informationweek.com/news/government/policy/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=215600330).

[fisharmor]

This sounds like a joke me. Looks like they don't do anything but work to make the Department of Defense a better place to work. WTH?

Oh, no, it's not a joke.... there's like 100,000 square feet of new building devoted just to WHS getting built smack in the middle of some real estate where I'll never be able to afford to live in Alexandria, VA.

[malkusm]

Next article will be up later today, guys. :)

[malkusm]

New article!

The National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) - http://www.yaliberty.org/posts/pick-an-agency-any-agency-amtrak
http://libertymaven.com/2010/07/28/pick-an-agency-any-agency-amtrak/10282/

[forsmant]

good series

[Philmanoman]

This one makes me cringe,heheh.

Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (Wilson Center)

I guess its an agency?


Committee for Purchase from People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled

Sounds like another that we could get rid of.

[lx43]

Good article Maulkusm. What is the next agency we want to eliminate?

Make it something big like most of the Department of State. ;) Even Thomas Jefferson shut down most Embassies we had around the world with the exception of a few for key nations.

[djdellisanti4]

What exactly would be your plan for abolishing Amtrak, if you were in charge? Sell the trains and tracks for scrap metal or something? Or hand it over to a private company with less regulations or something else? Just curious.

[libertybrewcity]

What exactly would be your plan for abolishing Amtrak, if you were in charge? Sell the trains and tracks for scrap metal or something? Or hand it over to a private company with less regulations or something else? Just curious.

there is no need to abolish amtrak. if there weren't so many rules and regulations restricting travel and upping costs for the railroads i could see more people taking trains than airplanes.

all the government has to do is sell it off as a whole or in sections to companies that want to buy it. one main reason why amtrak is in the read is because the government subsidizes lines that would never be profitable if in the free market.


Did I mention that the Obama administration's stimulus bill contained an additional $1 billion for Amtrak? Apparently railroad passengers are the lifeblood of the modern economy.

They would be if the free market could take it over, and if trains were allowed to go whatever speed they desired.

[malkusm]

What exactly would be your plan for abolishing Amtrak, if you were in charge? Sell the trains and tracks for scrap metal or something? Or hand it over to a private company with less regulations or something else? Just curious.

You make a good point. I'll try to address this in future installments. What becomes of the capital and infrastructure in place to support these agencies? For something like Amtrak, that's important. For other agencies (like my first article on the Bureau of Labor Statistics), maybe that doesn't even exist. But it should be addressed, and I'll keep it in mind in the future. :)

[HOLLYWOOD]

Where all the trouble begins: Department of State

Pandora's Box

[malkusm]

I don't know how so many bleeding-heart liberals (or Amtrak PR representatives) stumbled upon my most recent article....would any of you mind posting a comment to combat this nonsense?

http://libertymaven.com/2010/07/28/pick-an-agency-any-agency-amtrak/10282/

I'll have a new installment up later today, by the way. :)

[lx43]

I commented. Be proud your stiring up the statist, simply means you hit a nerve. ;)

[malkusm]

I commented. Be proud your stiring up the statist, simply means you hit a nerve. ;)

Thanks! My next article has been submitted and should be published sometime this evening. I'll post it here when it's available. :)

[libertybrewcity]

done, those commenters have made no valid arguments..losers!

[heavenlyboy34]

nice, but a lot of people will ignore it because you cite wikipedia, JFYI.

[malkusm]

nice, but a lot of people will ignore it because you cite wikipedia, JFYI.

That's fine - it's an internet blog, not a dissertation. I try to pick and choose my Wiki references carefully. I don't find it worthwhile to research in-depth on every point I'm making at this point - though, obviously, if I were ever to collect these into a book or something, I'd revise all of my citations to more airtight sources.

[libertybrewcity]

nice, but a lot of people will ignore it because you cite wikipedia, JFYI.

a lot of the factual information on wikipedia is cited. you can delete if it is not backed up with a legit source.

[heavenlyboy34]

a lot of the factual information on wikipedia is cited. you can delete if it is not backed up with a legit source.

I know, but a lot of people look down on wikipedia anyway. Snobbery is quite common in media and academia.

[MN Patriot]

Here is one that has caused personal aggravation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_Corps_of_Engineers

Specifically, its role in environmental regulation and ecosystem restoration has opened a Pandora's box of regulations that puts every square inch of the globe under control of bureaucrats. If a drop of rain falls on it, they will regulate it.

Plus all the environmental damage this government agency has done.


Some of the Corps of Engineers' civil works projects have been characterized in the press as being pork barrel or boondoggles such as the New Madrid Floodway Project and the New Orleans flood protection. Projects have allegedly been justified based on flawed or manipulated analyses during the planning phase. Some projects are said to have created profound detrimental environmental effects and/or provided questionable economic benefit such as the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet in southeast Louisiana.Faulty design and substandard construction have been cited in the failure of levees in the wake of Hurricane Katrina that caused flooding of 80% of the city of New Orleans.

[malkusm]

Here is one that has caused personal aggravation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_Corps_of_Engineers

Specifically, its role in environmental regulation and ecosystem restoration has opened a Pandora's box of regulations that puts every square inch of the globe under control of bureaucrats. If a drop of rain falls on it, they will regulate it.

Plus all the environmental damage this government agency has done.

Thanks! I'll look into it further, and I'll try to dedicate an article to it. I don't know how long I'll run this series, but there is plenty of "low-hanging fruit" on the federal government's tree, so it could be a while. :)

[malkusm]

Next article is up!
Grain Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards Administration - http://libertymaven.com/2010/07/30/pick-an-agency-any-agency-gipsa/10302/
http://www.yaliberty.org/posts/pick-an-agency-any-agency-gipsa

[malkusm]

New article!

Federal Housing Finance Agency - http://libertymaven.com/2010/08/02/pick-an-agency-any-agency-fhfa/10320/
http://www.yaliberty.org/posts/pick-an-agency-any-agency-fhfa

[oyarde]

I saw this mentioned.I would be willing to keep it as it is part of the Dept. of Defense and is a Constitutional organization. Just open up the whole list and get rid of anything not in Article One , Section Eight of the Constitution.

[oyarde]

I saw that mentioned as well , yes , it should definately be privately run.

[malkusm]

Unfortunately, I won't be posting an article today on my usual schedule, due to circumstances beyond my control.

Expect another scathing critique of a federal agency on Friday, though. :)

[malkusm]

New article is up!

The Broadcasting Board of Governors - http://libertymaven.com/2010/08/06/pick-an-agency-any-agency-bbg/10389/
http://www.yaliberty.org/posts/pick-an-agency-any-agency-bbg

[malkusm]

New article is up!

The Social Security Administration - http://www.yaliberty.org/posts/pick-an-agency-any-agency-ssa
http://libertymaven.com/2010/08/12/pick-an-agency-any-agency-ssa/10444/