Letter to DOGE

20 New Nations of North America

https://wp.me/p7NAzO-3jL

Mr. Musk,

I applaud you for agreeing to chair the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), but I am afraid that you are off to the wrong start, and DOGE recommendations will likely go nowhere.

Here is my recommendation on how to conduct this very important, long-overdue review of the US federal government’s budget and employment levels:

First, set up ten subject matter blue ribbon panels that will be empowered to do the bulk of the review, with DOGE headquarters staff serving in a coordinator role to ensure that the reviews are completed in time and are comprehensive worldwide reviews with actionable proposals for legislative and executive actions.

The panels will be selected with the advice and consent of the House and the Senate, with 10 members appointed by Republicans or Democrats and one nonpartisan member. Each panel will have at least four women members, three minority members, one LGBTQ member, and two international members. Their commissions will conduct their work in public and televised hearings, primarily in English, but will post their final recommendations in multiple languages on the website.

Schedule:

Begin May 1, 2025: Selection of the Commissioners.

June 1, 2025: Selection of staff members, all with interim TS/CSI Clearances.

July 1, 2025: Web page, commission work schedule, and policies set up.

July 1 – August 2025: Conduct a comprehensive world review of the subject in multiple languages and make prior recommendations using the latest AI research tools. Use that review to guide the rest of the work of the commission.

August 1 to September 30  Send questionnaires to selected government employees federal labor unions, retired employees, university experts, and media following the work of the agencies and agency heads with follow-up interviews soliciting their input and suggestions as to how to cut waste and operate their agencies more efficiently and effectively.

 October 2025: The Commission will conduct public hearings in the United States and internationally, talking to academicians, and world leaders in their respective fields.

November 2025: Publish initial findings, including research findings with links to prior reports, media coverage, recommendations, and specific actionable executive and legislative proposals, with budgetary implications spelled out.

December 1, 2025 – January 1, 2026: Public comment period.

April 1, 2026: Release the final report online, considering public comments received, and in multiple languages to the President, OMB, House and Senate committees, and international organizations such as the UN, World Bank, IMF, major universities, think tanks, the media, and foreign missions.

July 1, 2026: Send recommended legislative proposals to the US Congress, international organizations, think tanks, universities, experts consulted, the media, the UN, mayors of major metro areas, and governors of the 50 states.

August 2026: Congress will hold hearings and enact relevant legislation.

September 2026: Legislation enacted and sent to the President prior to the beginning of the fiscal year.

December 31, 2026: The revised fiscal year begins, coinciding with the calendar year being merged into the fiscal year, which will be a major recommendation of the commission, considering the budget for the next two years prior by Congress.

January 2026: Congress begins annual oversight hearings and requests for supplemental budget requests.

April 2026: DOGE commissions report their first action report, after considering public comments received.

July 2026 – September 2026: Congress considers additional legislative proposals presented by the DOGE commissioners.

April 2027: Second follow-up action report after considering public comments received.

July 2027: Congress considers additional legislative proposals.

Starting in 2028: The DOGE commissions will conduct independent oversight hearings every Spring (in light of the new two-year budget cycle) with recommended legislative and executive actions.

 The commissions will look in detail at the following programs and policies of the Federal Government, considering best practices around the world, and in the States as well, as prior commission recommendations.

 Federal Budget  Process

Reform the Federal Budget Process

Reform the tax code every year

Expand the number of States and the number of Senators and Representatives

Consolidation of Government Agencies -Reforming Immigration Policy by Creating a New Department of 

Immigration and Consular Affairs,

Expand US Government Support for International Trade by Creating a New Cabinet Department of International Trade

DOD Savings

Set up two three Federal Service academies following the military service academies –  one focused on intelligence and diplomacy, public health and science, law enforcement

Consolidate Intelligence Agencies into the CIA

Merge National Forest Land and BLM Lands, 

Eliminate the BLM, turning that land back to the States.

Merge National Monuments into the National Park Service

International Relations

The War in Ukraine and a Durable Peace: Ending the War in the Mideast and Establishing a Durable Peace. 

Work towards ending Islamic terrorism,

Engage the Taliban 

Address the North Korean nuclear threat and work towards the reunification of the Koreas.

Offer the Iranians a grand bargain

With the decline in terrorism expanding the Peace Corps Reform NATO and other military alliances in light of the resolution of the 

Ukraine war.

Restructuring the Military: 

Educational Reforms

Review the Department of Education:

Expanding Apprenticeship Programs:

Public Health: including Fully funding Operation Moon Shot to eliminate cancer by 2035,  fully funding comprehensive COVID vaccination that will vaccinate against the common cold, pneumonia, and the flu in annual vaccinations Developing and Deploy an STD/HIV vaccine, Developing and deploying a Malaria/Yellow Fever, Dengue, and Zinka vaccination,

Climate Change and Energy Policy

Expand high-speed trains and transit systems using the latest technology making intracity train travel the majority of inter-city travel reserving airline travel for lost distance flights only expand urban mobility helicopter transit systems to help reduce traffic.

Build more housing, especially multi-family apartments, and group housing bringing back boarding houses and corporate and government-provided dormitories

Agriculture

Reform but not Eliminate Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Government Support for the Arts

Expand NASA’s Mandate to include setting up lunar and Mars colonies by 2040, and developing interstellar travel by 2024

More detailed proposals follow;

Reform the Federal Budget Process

Reform the budget process to end automatic CRs and government shutdowns and eliminate the debt ceiling limit.  The USG faces a fiscal cliff. To address this, the government must become more efficient, generate new revenue, and reduce non-essential spending starting with DOD.

Shift to a two-year budget cycle, with the first year of a new congress reserved for passing the budget, and the second year of the congress devoted to oversight and supplemental budget requests. The budgets will include an automatic increase in the budget set at the federal COLA

Reform the Tax Code Every Year

The tax code must be simplified and reviewed annually as part of the budget review process. Most deductions will be eliminated keeping only mortgage interest, credit card interest,  SALT taxes paid, business travel, charitable giving, medical and educational expenses. The minimum tax rules will be re-imposed.  Both personal and corporate tax rates will be set at 5 percent, 10 percent, and 15 percent with 5 percent being the minimum tax collected from all taxpayers, and more people will be required to file and pay taxes. Overseas filters will only pay taxes after reaching 250,000 annual income after deductions including foreign taxes .  Tariffs should be increased with revenues going to reduce the federal government debt.  A five percent VAT could also be introduced.

In general, the Federal government should pay for day-to-day operations out of tax revenues reserving borrowing for high-value items such as major defense spending, NASA spending, and infrastructure spending.

Expand the number of States and the number of Senators and Representatives

Create up to 80 new states by converting territories and DC to states and dividing mega-states like California, Florida, Illinois New York, and Texas, creating city-states like NYC, LA, and Chicago uniting cities and their suburbs, and creating five native American states,  and looking at extending Statehood to American territorial possessions and DC.

The new states would be consist of:

Splitting California into seven new states,

Northwest Coast, Jefferson (Northeast California, Southern and Eastern Oregon, and Eastern Washington capitol Spokane) Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley, Delta, Davis-Tahoe region, San Francisco Bay Area including Monterrey and Santa Cruz, Central Coast, LA and San Diego including TJ and Baja California and Eastern California desert region.

Spliting New York state into New York City and its Suburbs, and the rest of New York becoming its own state.

Splitting Illinois into Chicago and its suburbs and downstate Illinois,

Splitting Texas into five city-states – Austin/Hill country, Dallas/Ft Worth, Houston, San Antonio, and El Paso each with hinterlands attached,

 Splitting Florida into Northern, Central Florida Southern Florida Miami City State

Create new Mega City States in biggest metro areas 

                                         Philadelphia/Baltimore city state including Atlantic City,

Washington DC city-state called Colombia combining DC, Northern Virginia, Western Virginia, and Maryland suburbs down to Fredericksburg.

                                               Create new City States of Denver/Boulder, Detroit, Seattle/Tacoma and New Orleans and Baton Rouge.,

Create  Indian States, consisting of Alaskan native state, Navaho Reservation, Eastern Oklahoma, Yakima Reservation, Blackfoot in Idaho, Iroquis in New York, and Sioux Reservation in North and South Dakota.

Each federally recognized tribe will be affiliated with the nearest Native State, be allowed to move to the Native State and receive a stipend from Indian Gambling and other state-run businesses, and be federal government income tax-free,

Extend statehood to Guam, Micronesia, PR, Samoa, and VI.

Expand the House and the Senate and create new council of governors as new legislative branch.

The House of Representatives will be expanded to 600 members and the Senate to 160 new members, and a new third legislative body called the Council of the States consisting of governors and vice governors will meet once a month virtually and once a year to review and approve major Federal legislation that affects the states.  The number of representatives will be adjusted every ten years to reflect increased populations.

Convene a Constitutional Convention to enshrine changes into the new Constitution including the new states, the expanded congress, and the new council of governors super-legislature.

Reforming Immigration Policy by Creating a New Department of Immigration and Consular Affairs

Merge the Consular Affairs Bureau, DHS CIS, ICE, and Department of Labor certification programs into a new cabinet-level agency. Most employees will work at the Kentucky Consular Center, immigration service centers, passport offices, or ports of entry, spending 40% of their time overseas. Only senior staff will remain in DC. All staff will be Foreign Service officers, undergoing one year of training, followed by two domestic and two overseas assignments.

Routine NIVs will be processed via ETA, with most countries part of the VWP. Overseas positions will have

three to five line officers and a section chief. There will be four divisions: NIV, immigration visa processing,

fraud detection, and consular protection services.

Entry to the Department of State, Immigration and Consular Affairs, and DHS will require graduate degrees and overseas experience. Credit will be given for military or Peace Corps service. Officers will start at FS level 05, serve three years of probation, and be promoted to 03 upon tenure.

They will serve ten-year terms with reviews every ten years. Retirement will be aged 60, with optional service to age 70. The maximum entry age will be 30.  Adjust immigration enforcement and deportation to fit the newly established legal immigration framework.

Expand US Government Support for International Trade by Creating a New Cabinet Department of International Trade

Merge offices within Commerce, State, DOL, and other agencies. Expand the number of foreign commercial and agricultural officers, requiring the same entry criteria as State Department and the new Immigration  Consular Services. This will also include setting up a national tourism board with offices in every state and major cities, and in embassies overseas to promote tourism to the U.S. and oversee participation in international expos and sporting events.

DOD Savings 

Private Commissary, PX, golf courses, bowling alleys, and other support services. Consolidate all military air services into the Air Force. Privatize military lodging and turn over base schools to local districts, keeping DOD schools overseas.

There is no rational reason why DOD should be operating the eighth-largest grocery chain in the world. Walmart or Target could operate it much more efficently.  They could provide discounts for active duty personnel based on rank, and shopping would be tax free.

The same applies to domestic DOD schools; they should be turned over to the local school district. The same goes for base libraries; they should also be turned over to the local library system, with a branch library on base. The military lodging facilities should be contracted as well.

On-base dining should also be contracted out. Recreational facilities should also be contracted out to local government parks and recreation except for bases located overseas.  Overseas schools, libraries, and recreational facilities should be run by DOD except where it is practical to have local governments manage them on a contract basis. Certainly,

Costco, Walmart or Target could and should operate international commissaries and PX services. All of these services could and should be privatized, saving the government money without harming national security.

Move the Coast Guard to DOD

  Set up two three Federal Service academies following the military service academies –  one focused on intelligence and diplomacy, public health and science and law enforcement

Consolidate Intelligence Agencies into the CIA

Merge National Forest Land and BLM Lands, 

Eliminate the BLM, turning that land back to the States.

Merge National Monuments into the National Park Service

International Relations

The War in Ukraine and a Durable Peace: Address the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and work towards a sustainable peace agreement.

Ending the War in the Mideast and Establishing a Durable Peace: 

Focus on creating a true two-state solution, including a land swap allowing for a land bridge from Gaza along the southern border to Palestine and the creation of a Trans-ordan Federation with its capital in Jerusalem. Expand the Abraham Accords to include additional Middle Eastern countries.

Work towards ending Islamic terrorism,

 Engage the Taliban to bring them back into the international community, and end their horrific treatment of women.

Address the North Korean nuclear threat and work towards the reunification of the Koreas.

Offer the Iranians a grand bargain reestablishing diplomatic relations and expanding people-to-people exchanges including the Peace Corps

With the decline in terrorism expand the Peace Corps to include Afghanistan, India, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, United Korea, (North Korea and rural South Korea)  Sudan, Somalia, Syria and Yemen.

Reform NATO and other military alliances in light of the resolution of the Ukraine war.

Military Relations

Restructuring the Military: 

Consider whether to extend the draft and expand the GI Bill. Explore the possibility of requiring public service in exchange for military

service, move the Coast Guard back to DOD.

Educational Reforms

Review the Department of Education: Decide whether to extend or  revamp the department. Reform secondary and tertiary

 education, considering the impact of AI on the education system and addressing the implications of the demographic cliff facing colleges.

Answer the question of how many colleges and Universities the United States needs and what the basic   basic structure of university education should be. The basic goal is to ensure that students have options to enter into training programs rather than college.  Expand opportunities for employment in government and elsewhere for non-college educated. Expand the GI bill, providing college and vocational training tuition in return for public service in the military or government sector.  Make college tuition free. Reduce the burden of student debt by forgiving student debt for public sector service..

 Expanding Apprenticeship Programs: Develop training programs and expand nationwide military and other training certificate programs, including nationwide recognition of such certificates as military EMT certification..

Public Health: Define the role of the US government in promoting public health and its involvement in the WHO and other international health  agencies including  Fully fund Operation Moon Shot to eliminate cancer by 2035, fully fund comprehensive COVID vaccination that will vaccinate against the common cold, pneumonia, and the flu in annual vaccinations which should be fully paid for in insurance programs, Develop and deploy an STD/HIV vaccine, Develop and deploy a Malaria/Yellow Fever, Dengue, and Zinka vaccination, along with biological eradication programs targeting those disease-bearing mosquitos, with the goal being the complete elimination of mosquito and insect diseases by 2030…

Climate Change and Energy Policy

US Government’s Response to Climate Change: Determine the appropriate response and how to encourage countries like China to engage fully in climate change initiatives.

Expand high-speed trains and transit systems using the latest technology making intracity train travel the majority of inter-city travel reserving airline travel for lost distance flights only expand urban mobility helicopter transit systems to help reduce traffic.

Build more housing, especially multi-family apartments, and group housing bringing back boarding houses and corporate and government-provided dormitories

Agriculture

Promotion of Insect Agriculture: Explore and promote insect agriculture, and other sustainable agricultural production in light of widespread climate change and populatation growth.

NASA

Give NASA a new mandate – and appropriate budget bump up -setting up sustainable lunar, space, and Martian colonies by 2040. And develop true interstellar spaceships by 2040 and set up colonies on the Jupiter and Saturn moons and Alpha Centura by 2050.  The AI-driven review will look at how to develop interstellar travel capabilities and colonies on the Moon, Mars Jupiter, and Saturn moons by 2040, and Alpha Centura by 2050 reviewing the vast Sci-Fi literature on these topics focusing on what is most feasible given today’s technologies and making recommendations on future research topics…

These points aim to address key international relations issues, military restructuring, educational reforms, public health promotion, climate change response, and agricultural innovation. By focusing on these areas, the United States can work towards solving pressing problems and creating a better future for all.

Sincerely,

John (Jake) Cosmos Aller

Retired U.S.  State of State Foreign Service Officer

these are entirely my opinions and do not reflect the views of my prior employers.

for more information, please consult the following background information supplied by Co-Pilot

Official Web Page

• Department of Government DOGE – White House  
• Progressives Show Curiosity in DOGE Initiative – The Hill: This article discusses how some progressive lawmakers are intrigued by the potential for Pentagon cuts and other reforms proposed by the DOGE initiative.
• progressive view on DOGE

Right-Wing View

• DOGE: A New Way to Talk About an Old GOP Aim – Mother Jones: This article critiques the DOGE initiative as a continuation of traditional GOP austerity measures, focusing on entitlement reform and spending cuts.
• right wing Perspecive

International View

• Bill Gates Supports Musk’s DOGE Plans – Fortune: This article covers Bill Gates’ support for Elon Musk’s cost-cutting plans, highlighting international perspectives on government efficiency and spending.
• DOGE: A New Way to Talk About an Old GOP Aim – Mother Jones: DOGE: A New Way to Talk About an Old GOP Aim

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