The Department of Government Efficiency run by Elon Musk last week published an initial list of 1,125 contracts that it terminated in recent weeks across the federal government. Data published on DOGE’s “Wall of Receipts” shows that more than one-third of the contract cancellations, 417 in all, are expected to yield no savings.
That’s usually because the total value of the contracts has already been fully obligated, which means the government has a legal requirement to spend the funds for the goods or services it purchased and in many cases has already done so.
That’s usually because the total value of the contracts has already been fully obligated, which means the government has a legal requirement to spend the funds for the goods or services it purchased and in many cases has already done so.
“It’s like confiscating used ammunition after it’s been shot when there’s nothing left in it. It doesn’t accomplish any policy objective,” said Charles Tiefer, a retired University of Baltimore law professor and expert on government contracting law. “Their terminating so many contracts pointlessly obviously doesn’t accomplish anything for saving money.”
And in return for that the government’s going to have a much harder time making new contracts because no one’s going to trust that they’re going to follow through. This is going to erode the value of the dollar in the long run. Inflation is going to skyrocket.
That’s a stupid analysis, since it disregards the economic benefits of the programs that were cut. Based on that, 40% is a massive lowball estimate.
And Musk is transparent about attempting to eliminate any regulator that might cut into his profits by forcing him to make his products less lethal.
Cool story, bro 👍
Too bad it’s irrelevant because saving money was never anything but a red herring in the first place. The purpose of DOGE is to purge the Federal government of relatively-impartial career bureaucratic and install MAGA loyalist stooges in their place. “Efficiency” has fuck-all to do with it, except in the sense of efficiently inflicting their extremist agenda on us all.
Wake me up when the AP quits naively pretending Musk is acting in good faith and starts doing its damn job.
Trust liberals to always treat fascists as if they’re acting in good faith, shutting down the left, and allowing fascism to grow.
It’s also to perpetuate a lie that they saved so much money they can give the 1% huge tax cuts. Then when the bill comes due they’ll have to cut Medicaid and ss.
I came here to say what you said, but you said it better. I’ll just add…
Wake me up when the AP quits naively pretending Musk is acting in good faith and starts doing its damn job.
You’re going to be sleeping a long time.
Well wake me up when the bs is over ig
Just goes to show how effective it is to repeat a lie so much that people start to accept it as fact. By continually calling DOGE a “cost-cutting” effort, they’ve completely framed the conversation how they want.
The goal is not to save money. It’s to consolidate power in the executive.
And just coincidentally kneecap every department and service that was investigating elon or trump
a retired University of Baltimore law professor and expert on government contracting law. “Their terminating so many contracts pointlessly obviously doesn’t accomplish anything for saving money.”
it’s hilarious how these high ranking highly educated experts are all completely baffled by everything the fascists are doing. when the actual objective of obliterating us democracy is complete, will they still be saying “butbutbutbut they said they were trying to save money!!!”
fucking come on.
fuck ap too. find someone to talk to who will address what these chucklefuck fascists are doing, rather than their 100% bullshit explanations for what they’re doing
AP is big on both-sides and sanewashing. I guess that makes them “serious” journalists.
Where are you getting that he’s baffled? Elon says he’s saving us money, this guy points out that Elon is full of shit. Where is the confusion?
fuck ap too. find someone to talk to who will address what these chucklefuck fascists are doing, rather than their 100% bullshit explanations for what they’re doing
Well some circles call this kind of non-biased reporting journalism.
Avoiding a direct statement of fact that contradicts known liars to appear non-biased is shitty journalism.
This shit is not “non-biased!” By taking Musk’s claimed intent at face value even though the AP knows Project 2025 is a thing, they are blatantly spinning the coverage in the regime’s favor.
What would actually be non-biased would be to accurately report what’s actually happening, not to uncritically accept and repeat bald-faced lies!
They are trying to prove a point that there’s no cost cutting actually happening.
Highlighting that Musk’s own data, published by DOGE, says they aren’t making any savings on almost half the cuts doesn’t really seem very positive for the regime. It’s also absolutely neutral reporting.
It is absolutely not neutral because it leaves out the important half of the story, which is that the whole exercise of publishing that data is nothing but a misdirection tactic. Again, we know this from Project 2025 and various public statements that had been made previously, so there’s no excuse for the AP to be so excessively credulous that they mislead rather than inform.
The AP is parroting the Big Lie. It is absolutely biased and unacceptable!
I kept asking this question because I am familiar with contracts, and it made no sense.
Even if all the funds aren’t fully obligated, you still have to settle with the contractor if you terminate a contract for convenience. They likely have supplies or comtract related overhead you need to pay for, so the savings will be minimal… Oh and in a lot of cases it means you have paid a bunch of money for no benefit if the project gets scrapped.
you still have to settle with the contractor
Yeah, that’s not a thing that Trump does.
It will actually be fascinating if he just tells Musk to turn off payment somehow. Who would do business with the government at that point?
Wouldn’t that put the government in default? And sink the US Dollar?
Cronies.
The art of the deal
It can officially be called DOGI now.
Attacking the USA was always the goal.
Attacking the USA was always the goal.
Hopefully the citizens of the USA actually do something to stop it.
We asked for this. It’s not like there was a bait and switch, they’re doing exactly what they said they would do before being elected.
We asked for this.
Americans may have asked for this, but Greenland, Canada, Panama, Gaza and all the other countries that Trump is insulting, threatening and attacking didn’t.
Get your shit together, America. Fix your house.
Your “we” doesn’t include me or anyone I know.
Dozens of them were for already-paid subscriptions to The Associated Press, Politico and other media services that the Republican administration said it would discontinue. Others were for research studies that have been awarded, training that has taken place, software that has been purchased and interns who have come and gone.
They turned off auto renew and deleted a few rows and columns from some spreadsheets. Top notch bussiness-ing there Elon.
Do the DMV! I want to go pay for my license and get out!
A quick DMV is why we have so many bad drivers.
