Davin News Server

On 2025-02-11 13:05, AlleyCat wrote:
> 
> RIGHT NOW: Democrats are marching in DC to protest DOGE's crackdown on government waste.
'DOGE Claims It Has Saved Billions. See Where.

A WSJ analysis of government data found that many claims of savings were 
overstated and ‘woke’ cuts were only a tiny fraction of the total'

<https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/elon-musk-doge-federal-savings-claims-783b9507>

Here are a couple of fun excerpts:

'The Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency touts 
cuts of $55 billion in federal spending, often citing canceled DEI and 
climate contracts. However, a Wall Street Journal analysis of government 
contract data showed a much different picture: “Woke” cuts were a tiny 
fraction of the total, and many claims of savings were overstated.

While DOGE hasn’t offered details about all of the stated savings, it 
has posted a list of more than 1,100 canceled contracts to its website. 
As of Friday, it said the savings from these contracts amounted to about 
$7 billion.

The Journal analysis projects the actual savings could be closer to $2.6 
billion over the next year if spending levels remained constant—and 
about 2% of the funds would have gone to contracts related to DEI.'



'DOGE terminated more than 60 Health and Human Services contracts 
including a clinical evaluation of an Alzheimer’s and traumatic brain 
injury drug and a study of smokers with chronic lung disease. DOGE 
described these as “administrative expenses.” '



'Many of the Education Department’s canceled contracts funded research 
on college costs, student career paths and early childhood development. 
DOGE said one $1.4 million contract funded “mailing and clerical 
operations.” The contract was used to mail surveys to respondents 
participating in studies and was nearly complete when canceled, creating 
no savings for terminating it.'



'On Monday, DOGE posted its “wall of receipts” touting transparency, 
showing 1,127 contracts. But as the Journal and others raised questions 
about the figures, the tally of savings on DOGE’s website dwindled from 
$16 billion to about $7 billion.

Two contracts also disappeared from the site Thursday because DOGE 
counted the same $665 million USAID contract three times, the Journal 
found.'



'Even as DOGE edited the numbers, the total savings listed on its site 
remained overstated, experts told the Journal. Agency contract amounts 
are often akin to credit card limits, said Deniece Peterson, senior 
director of federal market analysis at Deltek.

“If I have a credit card with a $30,000 limit and I have a $2,000 
balance and I cancel the credit card, I’m not saving $28,000,” she said. 
“What I’m seeing in many of these transactions is not savings.”'



'More than a quarter of the contracts listed by DOGE were actually 
already paid, the Journal found, saving no money. '