by Andrew Linn
Clash Daily Guest Contributor
With the fiscal cliff almost here, there appears to be no solution coming from Washington. It’s unclear how much they listen to their constituents on this matter. Nevertheless, I propose the following:
First, get rid of all the czars. The constitutionality of such positions is questionable. Besides, why do we need them when we have all these government agencies which practically do the same thing as them?
Next, get rid of the Department of Education and the Department of Energy. The Department of Homeland Security is practically another law enforcement agency, so it can be placed under the Justice Department (exceptions: transfer the Coast Guard to the Defense Department, FEMA to the Department of Health and Human Services, and either privatize or eliminate the TSA). Also, the Department of Veterans Affairs can be part of the Defense Department.
Then there the various Independent Agencies, Board, Commissions, Committees, etc. Some of them (e.g. Postal Service, TVA, FDIC, Amtrak, Smithsonian) could be sold to private entities. Others could be placed under an Executive Department. Such examples are as follows: the Department of Commerce could obtain the Securities & Exchange Commission, the Defense Department obtaining the Selective Service System, the Department of the Interior obtaining the EPA, and the Department of Transportation obtaining the National Transportation Safety Board.
Meanwhile, some of these Independent Agencies, Board, Commissions, Committees, etc. should be eliminated. They include the Federal Reserve, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Federal Energy Regulation Commission.
Several White House Offices can be eliminated as well, such as the Council on Women and Girls, Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy, and the White House Initiative and President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
The White House could also undergo some consolidation. For instance, the National Security Council should obtain the Homeland Security Council, Office of the National Security Advisor, and the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board and Intelligence Oversight Board. The National Security Council could also obtain the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Office of the National Counterintelligence Executive. In additon, the Office of the Staff Secretary would obtain the Oval Office Operations and the Office of Scheduling and Advance, while the Office of Management and Administration can obtain the Office of Presidential Personnel.
In addition, some agencies could be transferred to state or local jurisdictions. For example, the Denali Commission would become Alaska’s (and not the federal government’s) responsibility. Meanwhile, the Presido Trust would be the City of San Francisco’s responsibility, thus removing it from federal control.
So there you have it, restructuring the federal government via consolidation, privatization, elimination, and even transferring a few agencies to state or local governments would be the best way to handle this fiscal crisis. Because smaller government will help lead to less taxes and more fiscal responsibility.
May everyone have a Happy New Year.
Andrew Linn is a member of the Owensboro Tea Party and a former Field Representative for the Media Research Center. An ex-Democrat, he became a Republican one week after the 2008 Presidential Election. He has an M.A. in history from the University of Louisville, where he became a member of the Phi Alpha Theta historical honors society. He has also contributed to examiner.com and Right Impulse Media.
