Government workers are generally overpaid. Economists have analyzed the job duties and compensation of workers in the private and public sectors, and the results have been consistent: government workers are paid one and one half to two times as much for the same roles as private sector workers. That, despite the fact that they also enjoy more job security. So, less risk and more reward. That makes sense only if you assume that public employees are systematically more capable and more hard-working than workers in private industry. Enough said.
The latest DOGE initiative is causing consternation in Washington: government employees are being asked to list five things they have accomplished in the last week:
I mean, if you can’t name five things you accomplished in a 40 hour work week, then you aren’t providing any value. https://t.co/MTbim9757k
— Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) February 23, 2025
The rational response from someone who actually does work for the federal government: https://t.co/wz2qvJWkBC pic.twitter.com/u2XjGxb54e
— Kyle Seraphin (@KyleSeraphin) February 23, 2025
It often seems that bureaucrats live in a different world from the rest of us: a world that is insulated from competition, where there is little or no accountability, a world where someone else (taxpayers) will always come through with the dough. If it seems that way, it’s because they do.
Thank goodness for DOGE. I suspect this email will generate some entertaining responses. I hope someone leaks some of them, with names redacted, of course. And I also hope that lots of federal employees quit rather than be subjected to the indignity of having to articulate some value.
Via InstaPundit, which you should check five or six times a day, as I do.
UPDATE: Lately the Democrats have been eager to jump in on the wrong side of one issue after another. Thus, Minnesota’s own Tina Smith is shocked at the idea that federal employees should have, and be able to explain, actual duties:
This is the ultimate dick boss move from Musk – except he isn’t even the boss, he’s just a dick. pic.twitter.com/3fSs2ud7Cz
— Senator Tina Smith (@SenTinaSmith) February 23, 2025
And when did all Democrats–even mousy little specimens like Tina Smith–become foul-mouthed?
Elon responded:
What did you get done last week?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 23, 2025
Also this:
The reason this matters is that a significant number of people who are supposed to be working for the government are doing so little work that they are not checking their email at all!
In some cases, we believe non-existent people or the identities of dead people are being used… https://t.co/Rj5Xe6vYZB
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 23, 2025
Are non-existent or dead people really collecting government paychecks? Or are some employees just so useless that you can’t tell whether they are non-existent or dead? Either way, Elon’s initiative is long overdue.
