Another angle that bothers me about this: Ernst is claiming the federal government could save $8 billion or whatever by not having to maintain what she asserts are mostly-empty federal buildings. Yet she also calls for forcing federal employees to work in the office full-time. So would we be able to save money by ditching vacant buildings, or not?
I haven't dug into the whole vacant space issue, but I know it's been around for a long time. I also suspect it's not as easy as some make it out to be. There were many times when I walked through the factory at the Rock Island Arsenal and saw hardly any workers. Yet, many Arsenal backers, including our congressional delegation, argued that keeping it "warm" was vital to maintaining readiness.
Thanks, Ed, for an excellent article! As far as I am concerned, Joni Ernst has always been a lacky for the Republican Right. She loves to kiss Trump's ring. The recent photo of her over lunch with Trump and Musk just turned my stomach. When she, herself a victim of sexual abuse, supported Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court, it was clear that she had sold her soul in exchange for the favor of despicable people. Her lies about government employees that you have share in this article just confirm that conclusion. I am willing to bet real money that if Hegseth makes it to the Senate confirmation hearings, Ernst, both as a victim of sexual abuse and as a military veteran will vote in favor of affirming him as Secretary of Defense, in spite of his lurid history, and public claims that women do not belong in the military, and his leadership failures in organizations that pale in comparison to the expansive and complex organization over which the Secretary of Defense presides. Ernst has no moral compass, only self-aggrandizement.
It’s always nice to get the rest of the story. Thanks for doing your homework and I’m wondering how you will be “villainized” for questioning the senator’s report. The truth is the budget situation is going to be a painful process to correct and the Democrats need to also be more honest about it. But creating false narratives is not a going to help solve the problem
Agreed, Dan. I've always thought it will take revenue increases and spending cuts to get the budget under control. But that will take the kind of courage that is almost entirely absent in Washington.
thanks Ed. Substacks can be a motivator and creator of action. After reading your column, I am writing Sen. Ernst and posing the following questions that I believe are important for understanding the potential impact of these recommendations. Perhaps some of your Iowa readers will similarly contact her office.
1. Your proposals disproportionately reduce funding for critical social safety net programs, including SNAP (food stamps), Medicaid, and unemployment insurance. Could you explain the specific rationale behind targeting these essential support systems for low-income populations?
2. These programs directly support some of our most vulnerable citizens: children, elderly individuals, and people with disabilities. What comprehensive analysis demonstrates that reducing these supports will not cause immediate and long-term harm to these populations?
3. Your tax proposals shift financial burdens toward economically vulnerable communities while potentially maintaining or expanding benefits for higher-income brackets. What economic modeling supports this approach as beneficial for overall economic mobility?
4. If your proposed cuts are enacted, what specific strategies will you implement to:
Maintain food security for at-risk families
Ensure continued healthcare access for low-income populations
Expand job training and unemployment support
Prevent families from falling deeper into poverty
5. Your approach appears to prioritize short-term budget reduction over human welfare, particularly impacting marginalized communities with limited economic resilience. What comprehensive, long-term economic impact assessment supports these proposed cuts?
I respectfully request detailed, data-driven responses that demonstrate how your proposals will address these significant concerns and avoid exacerbating existing socioeconomic disparities.
Truthfulness has never been a Republican trait, just ask Trump. They rely on a statistic from P.T. Barnum that there is a sucker born every minute. Otherwise why would anyone vote for a convicted felon, a riot inciter, and a womanizer for President?
Thanks for digging into these numbers.
Another angle that bothers me about this: Ernst is claiming the federal government could save $8 billion or whatever by not having to maintain what she asserts are mostly-empty federal buildings. Yet she also calls for forcing federal employees to work in the office full-time. So would we be able to save money by ditching vacant buildings, or not?
It's mostly smoke and mirrors.
I haven't dug into the whole vacant space issue, but I know it's been around for a long time. I also suspect it's not as easy as some make it out to be. There were many times when I walked through the factory at the Rock Island Arsenal and saw hardly any workers. Yet, many Arsenal backers, including our congressional delegation, argued that keeping it "warm" was vital to maintaining readiness.
Thank you for this. I would love to see this piece published in the DM Register!
Thanks, Ed, for an excellent article! As far as I am concerned, Joni Ernst has always been a lacky for the Republican Right. She loves to kiss Trump's ring. The recent photo of her over lunch with Trump and Musk just turned my stomach. When she, herself a victim of sexual abuse, supported Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court, it was clear that she had sold her soul in exchange for the favor of despicable people. Her lies about government employees that you have share in this article just confirm that conclusion. I am willing to bet real money that if Hegseth makes it to the Senate confirmation hearings, Ernst, both as a victim of sexual abuse and as a military veteran will vote in favor of affirming him as Secretary of Defense, in spite of his lurid history, and public claims that women do not belong in the military, and his leadership failures in organizations that pale in comparison to the expansive and complex organization over which the Secretary of Defense presides. Ernst has no moral compass, only self-aggrandizement.
It’s always nice to get the rest of the story. Thanks for doing your homework and I’m wondering how you will be “villainized” for questioning the senator’s report. The truth is the budget situation is going to be a painful process to correct and the Democrats need to also be more honest about it. But creating false narratives is not a going to help solve the problem
Agreed, Dan. I've always thought it will take revenue increases and spending cuts to get the budget under control. But that will take the kind of courage that is almost entirely absent in Washington.
thanks Ed. Substacks can be a motivator and creator of action. After reading your column, I am writing Sen. Ernst and posing the following questions that I believe are important for understanding the potential impact of these recommendations. Perhaps some of your Iowa readers will similarly contact her office.
1. Your proposals disproportionately reduce funding for critical social safety net programs, including SNAP (food stamps), Medicaid, and unemployment insurance. Could you explain the specific rationale behind targeting these essential support systems for low-income populations?
2. These programs directly support some of our most vulnerable citizens: children, elderly individuals, and people with disabilities. What comprehensive analysis demonstrates that reducing these supports will not cause immediate and long-term harm to these populations?
3. Your tax proposals shift financial burdens toward economically vulnerable communities while potentially maintaining or expanding benefits for higher-income brackets. What economic modeling supports this approach as beneficial for overall economic mobility?
4. If your proposed cuts are enacted, what specific strategies will you implement to:
Maintain food security for at-risk families
Ensure continued healthcare access for low-income populations
Expand job training and unemployment support
Prevent families from falling deeper into poverty
5. Your approach appears to prioritize short-term budget reduction over human welfare, particularly impacting marginalized communities with limited economic resilience. What comprehensive, long-term economic impact assessment supports these proposed cuts?
I respectfully request detailed, data-driven responses that demonstrate how your proposals will address these significant concerns and avoid exacerbating existing socioeconomic disparities.
Wish there were more factual reporters. Thanks! Can you get this article published in other papers?
Excellent article, Ed. Thanks for fact-checking her comparison of apples to oranges.
Truthfulness has never been a Republican trait, just ask Trump. They rely on a statistic from P.T. Barnum that there is a sucker born every minute. Otherwise why would anyone vote for a convicted felon, a riot inciter, and a womanizer for President?
Savings on salaries while salutary pale in comparison to parsing programs, the GOP party’s premier pitch.