When you shine a light on the floor in a cockroach-infested room, the cockroaches scatter; not because they hate light but because they know that predators are more likely to see them in the light.
We are observing exactly the same effect with federal employees and the cleansing light of transparency. They scatter in a futile effort to preserve their $112,258 jobs. That number is the average salary for USAID employees. That is the average of 14,000 employees. For perspective, the highest salary in that agency is $212,000, so there’s no fat cat at the top skewing the average.
Nearly all the employees, paid for by you and me, were making six figures. Nearly all of them. This is just a few of the hundreds of thousands of federal employees who are demanding you finance the lifestyle to which they have become accustomed.
Our President has appointed a man who has a demonstrated track record of aggressively attacking waste and shining the cleansing light of transparency everywhere. No corner of USAID is going to escape this bright light.
The cockroaches in other government agencies are scurrying around looking for dark places to hide where they might not be noticed. They are doing this to preserve the overpaid positions that they see as their entitlement, and because that is what cockroaches do. Elon Musk once said that he wasn’t cutting deeply enough until he had to hire back 10% of the positions he eliminated. That’s certainly one way of finding the bottom, and I believe it’s better than any other option.
The bureaucratic cockroaches are everywhere. Like the insect, they are hard to kill with fast legs to escape, a resilient exoskeleton, are hardy, and adept at hiding from predators. They have also developed a resistance to pesticides and can survive on scraps.
The parallels between bureaucrats and these pests are likely no coincidence. If we leave bureaucratic cockroaches behind, they will breed, and the infestation will quickly return.
This needs to be more than just Elon Musk, though. We need an ongoing Department of Government Efficiency. I think it’s fair to say that our current President will remain vigilant and will be using many “exterminators” to stop these pests that are literally sucking the American people dry.
Don’t twist my words – I know there are many federal employees who are doing genuine work and delivering real value. They also are the individuals who do not scatter when the cleaning light of transparency shines. They stand up, clearly and proudly announce what they are doing, and how it benefits the American people.
We need these people to be working for us. Yes, bureaucracy is ponderous and expensive, but we do need a bit of it for government to function.
I’m applauding the work of those who are ferreting out the worst offenders in our government, and demanding accountability and efficiency from our government employees.
It’s difficult for some to believe right now, but this process will be healthy for all Americans once the audit is complete and a restart has been initiated.
