(Letter to the Editor - Photo Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

In a previous letter to the editor, I discussed some of the problems with cutting government fraud, waste and abuse under DOGE.

Now, I will outline a proposal to effectively make those cuts. The head of each department (Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of Defense, etc.) appointed by President Trump should examine the mission statements of each agency under his/her command. Each statement should be paired down to the simplest form and all of the “mission creep” eliminated. Americans should have the right to live with a minimum amount of government interference and not be forced to live under the administrative state which has evolved.

Once we have gotten back to the basic mission statements, Inspectors General and an adequate staff who are dedicated to making necessary cuts should be appointed by the department heads. In keeping with the mission of Inspectors General, they would be in a position to delve into every job in their organization and make sound recommendations to their bosses, who have implementation authority, as to necessary actions to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse.

The solution I have proposed, would allow the cuts to be made effectively without interference from the emotional “good old boy network.” The question remains, “do the taxpayers really want to dismantle the administrative state and cut fraud, waste and abuse even when it affects local jobs?”

Lt. Col. Lance K. Hickel

U.S. Army retired

Parkersburg