[tomder55]

The Bee nails it again

Democrats Warn Trump’s Unelected Shadow Government Is Dismantling Their Unelected Shadow Government | Babylon Bee

[jlisenbe]

Great article.

[tomder55]

Nobody voted for Musk !!!

Nobody voted for Soros

Far-left billionaire George Soros has a legion of loyal lieutenants who’ve racked up over two dozen meetings with top officials at the White House since President Biden took office, The Post has learned.
The progressive kingmaker’s unrivaled access into the Biden administration extends well beyond his 37-year-old son Alexander, who chairs the powerful, liberal grant-making network Open Society Foundations founded by his dad, and as The Post reported on Page 1 last week, has taken on the role of a de-facto White House “ambassador” by making at least 14 visits there.
At least four other past or present leaders at Open Society Foundations have amassed a combined 33 private meetings and other confabs in less than two years, according to recently updated White House visitor logs.

George Soros' army of lieutenants has easy White House access

George Soros' son has easy access to White House honchos


Musk is a private citizen with access to confidential and personal records .

Yes but so does a number of government contractors .

From Google AI

Deloitte provides audit support services for the US government, including government contractor compliance risk services and government audit support. Deloitte also helps federal agencies modernize and improve performance.

Deloitte works with the US government on a variety of projects, including defense, agriculture, health, and technology.

Yes, Deloitte may have access to personal information that includes government identifiers like social security numbers. Deloitte may collect this information to provide services to clients.

Department of Defense Financial Audits | Deloitte US

Moss Adams routinely audits for the government .
Federal Contract Compliance Audits

As for questions about Musk security clearance; He already had clearance from his government contracts with Space X . However the President has the power to award clearances on a temporary basis . Musk's DOGE has "read only " access.

Treasury says Elon Musk's DOGE has "read only" access to payment systems - CBS News

[tomder55]

Yesterday's revelations is that USAID has allegedly pumped $millions of dollars to foundering compliant press outlets . The charge is that the Slimes received money from both USAID and the National Science Foundation .

People on X provided screen shots from publicly available info at
Government Spending Open Data | USAspending

There is back and forth about the accuracy of the amount of these funding awards . Dems say the amount is not that much and the purpose was to purchase subscriptions .

The real question is how many subscriptions and why is it necessary spending ? The libs keep reciting that USAID ONLY represents 1% of Federal Spending .

But $million here and $millions there adds up to real money that is monopoly bucks. Taken 1 by 1 it never amounts to much compared to overall spending. $27 million for Moroccan pottery is chicken feed. What's a few $million to produce Sesame Street in Iraq ?

Americans who have to decide to spend their scarce resources on eggs or gas may not be so cavalier .

According to Benny Johnson on X $8.2 million USAID funds went to prop up left wing rag Politico. When funding was suddenly cut off ;Politico could not make payroll.

Politico’s Payroll Crisis And The Government Spending Freeze: Coincidence Or Connection?

[tomder55]

Politico has a subscription plan called Politico Pro that allegedly costs up to $10,000 . From a 2017 report ;

The new products come as Pro has gone from a 2010 side project to a 200-person operation that drives half of Politico’s yearly revenues. Over the past three years, revenue has grown 30 percent year over year, and it maintains a 90 percent renewal rate with its client base, according to the company.
“A lot of organizations have gotten a ‘Trump bump,’ which has died down. It hasn’t for us,” said Bobby Moran, Politico’s vp and gm. “[Pro] is not a luxury item. This is something [our subscribers] have to have to do their jobs.”
By digital media standards, Pro serves a small audience. Just 20,000 of Politico’s 30 million monthly unique visitors read Pro content, according to Moran.

Politico now has 20,000 paid subscribers that account for half of its revenue - Digiday

Ok the question begs to be asked . How many of those 20,000 subscriptions are government bought ? This really smells of corruption .If it is happening here where else is this abuse in the Federal Government ?

[tomder55]

The really scary thing is that it is critical that we continue to raise the debt ceiling while at the same time trimming the budget. The idea that you could just lop off $2 trillion off the deficit is a fantasy. The economy would have to grow at the same rate to prevent a Great Depression like event. . This is why Trump was furious at the Repubs in the House who refused to raise the debt ceiling.In the short term we need to continue printing monopoly bucks

The Dems will do everything possible to prevent the cuts . They have already had some success in the courts . They would love an economic collapse during Trump's watch.

[jlisenbe]

That's a great post, Tom. We should go back and look at what Gingrich did in the 90's. Now they weren't looking at the enormous deficits we have now, but they managed to go from a substantial deficit to a substantial surplus in just two or three years.

[tomder55]

Handled right it could work the same. At the end of the 90s the market was benefitting from the dot com boom (bubble? ) At the same time budget cutters were looking at what they called a "peace dividend" . Bubba was willing to reform welfare . That is what it took . GW came in and we had the dot com burst an increased spending after 9-11 at the same time there was a tax cut without any structural reform like reducing unsustainable spending Today there is an AI boom and an attempt at budget slashing .

The problem is no one wants to go near the sacred cow ..... entitlements

[tomder55]

and why did USAID pay $4000 thousand to Gallup for services during the closing days of the Presidential campaign ?

[tomder55]

Rush Limbaugh used to say that if people had to cut a check to pay their taxes instead of having it withheld people would appreciate the waste and fraud that they pay for .

Elon Musk is ripping the band aid off and oh does it sting !! $100 million here, $500 million there, $5 billion over there, $300 million there.All the taxes I have paid over the years is no more than a rounding error in the game the swamp plays

[tomder55]

Maxine Waters led Dems in a storming of the Dept of Education

Is this an insurrection ?

Liberals Have MELTDOWN After Getting Locked Out of Education Department

There are no thieves or thugs out here---we are members of congress But I repeat myself .

[jlisenbe]

Rush Limbaugh used to say that if people had to cut a check to pay their taxes instead of having it withheld people would appreciate the waste and fraud that they pay for .

Correct. I have thought the same thing many times.

[tomder55]

According to Wikileaks ;the money that went to Politico was small potatoes.

If what they claim is accurate ;$472.6 billion was laundered through an NGO called "Internews Network" (IN);a 501(c)3 nonprofit in California
According to their propaganda :

We support independent media in 100+ countries, from radio stations in refugee camps, to hyper-local news outlets, to individual activists and reporters. We’ve helped our partners reach millions of people with quality, local information that saves lives, improves livelihoods, and holds institutions accountable.

About Internews - Information Saves Lives | Internews

Almost a $half billion funneled through this office at 876 7th St Arcata, CA 95521-6358


I don't know how much taxpayer bucks filters down to actual journalists ;but the key officers of the charity are well paid.





At Internews, we believe everyone deserves trustworthy news and information to make informed decisions about their lives and hold power to account. We train journalists and digital rights activists, advance internet freedom, and offer business expertise to help media outlets become financially sustainable. We do all of this in partnership with local communities – who are the people best placed to know what works.
We support independent media in 100+ countries, from radio stations in refugee camps, to hyper-local news outlets, to individual activists and reporters. We’ve helped our partners reach millions of people with quality, local information that saves lives, improves livelihoods, and holds institutions accountable.
Internews is an international nonprofit with 30 offices around the world, including headquarters in California, Washington DC, London and Paris, and regional hubs in Bangkok, Kyiv, and Nairobi. Internews is registered as a 501(c)3 nonprofit in California as EIN 94-3027961.
Internews was established in France in 1999 as Non-Profit Association SIRET no. 425 132 347 000 13 and in the United Kingdom in 2013 as Charity no. 1148404 (England) and Company no. 7891107 (Wales).


If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? ? If an non-government agency (NGO) gets all it's funding from the government ,is it really an NGO ?

[jlisenbe]

The swamp is deeper and nastier than was first suspected.

[tomder55]

It is clear to me that the emperor really was the puppet master ;and that he used Samantha Power at USAID as his CFO enforcer. She may have been the puppet master behind the emperor for that matter .

She was a campaign advisor to him in 2008. She was in his State Dept transition team. She was part of his National Security Advisor team in his 1st term He elevated her to Ambassador to the UN in his second term. She along with Evita convinced him to do regime change in Libya and support of the rebellion in Syria ,and Egypt . (She was also supported by war party Repubs like McCain and his Sancho Panza Lindsey Graham (I can't wait to vote against him in the primaries )

[tomder55]

I considered starting a new post called 'The Schmuck Schumer Comedy Hour . But it is related to this thread

He got on X and posted that he was going to start a new portal where people could expose corruption, abuses of power, and threats to public safety with the legal protections of being a whistleblower. I'm guessing that he wants people in the bureaucracy to report . But he opened it up to general comments and the responses are precious . Here are a few :

Id like to report Chuck Schumer for threatening sitting Supreme Court Justices. Its all on video.

A month ago you were trying to jail whistleblowers.

I did.I submitted my complaint. It reads as such:"I am writing to formally express my concern regarding the ongoing and excessive waste of taxpayer dollars by the U.S. government. As a responsible and hardworking citizen, I find it deeply troubling that our hard-earned money is being mismanaged on inefficient programs, unnecessary expenditures, and bureaucratic redundancies.Specifically, I wish to highlight the following areas of concern:Excessive Government Spending – Reports consistently indicate wasteful spending in government projects that lack proper oversight, leading to cost overruns and mismanagement.Inefficient Programs and Bureaucracy – Many government-funded initiatives fail to achieve their intended objectives, yet they continue to receive funding without accountability or measurable improvements.Misuse of Public Funds – Cases of fraud, abuse, and misallocation of resources have been widely documented, with little to no consequences for those responsible.Lack of Fiscal Responsibility – Budget deficits continue to grow, with taxpayer dollars being spent without adequate scrutiny or transparency.The American people deserve a government that prioritizes fiscal responsibility, transparency, and accountability. I urge your office to take immediate action to address these issues by implementing stricter oversight, eliminating wasteful programs, and ensuring that taxpayer dollars are spent efficiently and effectively.I request a formal response detailing what measures your office is taking to curb government waste and promote responsible fiscal management. Additionally, I encourage you to support and advocate for policies that ensure greater accountability in federal spending.Thank you for your attention to this critical matter. I look forward to your response and to seeing meaningful reforms that protect taxpayers and promote responsible governance."

Wild that you’re recruiting government employees involved in the corruption to target the people exposing the corruption.Public Servant is a pretentious term for people who went into government because they knew the graft pays well

Great. I'll be reporting you for corruption and treason. They can investigate you after they finish the current investigation for you threatening a Supreme Court Justice.

We already have that… it’s called DOGE.

Everybody needs to flood this website with all of the fraud waste and abuse that @DOGE
is uncovering!

I’m reporting USAID and FEMA.

I'd like to blow the whistle on 535 members of Congress who have fraudulently squandered trillions of dollars in taxpayer money.

Chuck Schumer on X: "Today, I’m calling on our brave public servants: I’m launching a new portal for anyone who wants to expose corruption, abuses of power, and threats to public safety with the legal protections of being a whistleblower. https://t.co/pjm1tb4VDt" / X

[jlisenbe]

I must confess that I'm starting to warm up to Trump. As for Schumer and his ilk, they have had years to do something about this disgrace and did nothing. Hopefully, it will be good riddance.

[tomder55]

Nobody voted for Musk !!!

Nobody voted for Soros

Nobody voted for Jeff "Skunk Baxter . Who ? Oh he's a musician . He helped create the band Steely Dan ;and then joined the Doobie Brothers.

But he has other expertise. On the side he did things like data compression algorithms that are useful for large capacity storage devises . He self taught himself other skills that are useful in military applications . He wrote a how to essay on converting the ship's Aegis systems into a missile defense system. And his career as a military consultant began.

He got the security clearances to access classified materials and he became a consultant of choice for the DOD and all the military contractors of note. Now every one wants his expertise including NASA .

Nobody questions his role He has been a key player in government for more than 20 years . Governments like to have geniuses as consultants doing projects for them.

[tomder55]

'The Hunger Games' is fiction right ? The story centers around the wealthy and privileged living mostly in the Capitol city . The poor live in the outskirts (aka flyover ?)


Larry Kudlow interviewed Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent . This line struck me .

LARRY KUDLOW: And just one last point on the budget being DOGE. DOGE savings, are you, I saw it's interesting, a poll, a Democratic poll, my friend Mark Penn in his poll, 69% favored the idea of a $1 trillion budget savings, I'll call it, from Elon Musk and DOGE. This is a Democratic poll, so it's quite interesting. As you incorporate your big six projections and you put out a Trump budget, you are doing it at OMB obviously. Is there a DOGE, you know, is there a DOGE spot for this, and perhaps how much might that be?

TREASURY SECRETARY SCOTT BESSENT: Larry, I don't know yet, but to think that there's no waste, fraud, or abuse in the US government, you know, think about it.

Now that I live in DC, 25% of US GDP blows through area code 202.

Everybody is trying, there are all these markers on that same thing, Americans with healthcare, every Monday is paying for your healthcare. But when you think about 25% of GDP flowing through area code 202, everybody's trying to skim a portion of it, trying to reallocate it. I don't know what the savings level can be, but I think examining a lot of these contracts, a lot of this employment.

Treasury Secretary: We're Transitioning From Public To Private-Sector Based Economy; "25% of GDP Flows Through Area Code 202" | Video | RealClearPolitics

Over 900,000 government jobs were created during Clueless Joe's reign . Will we ever know how many of these are pretty much empty positions that serve no public good?

[jlisenbe]

Over 900,000 government jobs were created during Clueless Joe's reign

Not too sure about that. This is from USA Today.

Data show:

• The federal civilian workforce increased by 4.8% during Biden’s term — not by almost 50%.
• There were about 2.89 million federal employees when Biden took office, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics — not 2.1 million.

When Biden left office, there were about 3.02 million federal employees, Bureau of Labor Statistics figures show. The count includes about 600,000 postal workers who were not paid by taxpayer dollars because the U.S. Postal Service is generally self-funded. It also included congressional staffers and other employees outside the executive branch. It excludes the military’s 1.3 million active-duty uniformed service members, who are generally not counted among federal employees.

How much did the federal workforce grow under Joe Biden?