[714] in libertarians
Re: there is hope yet.
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Vernon Imrich)
Wed Feb 15 17:47:01 1995
To: libertarians@MIT.EDU
Date: Wed, 15 Feb 1995 17:42:30 EST
From: Vernon Imrich <vimrich@MIT.EDU>
|> I remember that something like 10-15 years ago, some committee made a
|> series of recommendations on ways to cut spending without reducing
|> services. The name started with a B, I think, but it has slipped my mind.
Sound's like the "Grace Commision" a report that the Reagan people
comissioned and then ignored. Name came from head person, Peter Grace,
either a congressman or some wonk someplace. I got something in the
mail about this a while back, so it's not dead. Al Gore's REGO effort
was something similar. General difficulty has been that the problems arise
from lots of small things, no one or two sweeping measures could deal
with them (perhaps the "cutback day" or "committee on ending things,"
proposals from the GOP, would work.)
|> They made a large list of efficiency improvements, mostly involving
|> elimination of redundant bureaucracies and costly rules. They claimed
|> potential savings of over $100B. Does anyone remember the details better?
|>
|> I believe that a few of these ideas have been implemented piecemeal over
|> the years, but nothing on a large scale. Everybody talked about this
|> report for a few months, but nothing ever happened. Congress lacked the
|> political will to implement it, because it would be "politically impossible"
|> to do it. There would be resistance from too many entrenched bureaucrats.
|> Of course, it was much easier for Congress just to raise taxes on everyone
|> else.
|>
|> If this list could live up to its promise, half of the deficit could be
|> eliminated without any cuts in services. If Congress could work up the
|> will to say to its bureaucrats: "you WILL implement these recommendations,
|> or we will find someone who CAN." I am hoping that the new congressfreshmen
|> might be willing to try.
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| Vernon Imrich | market failure, n. The inabilty of the |
| MIT, Dept. OE | market to recover from a blow by |
| Cambridge, MA 02139 | intervention. (The Exchange) |
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| MIT LP: http://www.mit.edu:8001/activities/libertarians/home.html |
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