WSJ: REVIEW AND OUTLOOK: Million-Dollar Mascot

ESPN college football analyst Lee Corso likes to dress up as a school mascot to show which team he’s picking to win. Perhaps he’d be willing to serve his country in a similar way by choosing a mascot for the federal Department of Homeland Security. Turns out the feds have been creating various animated characters for materials intended to “prepare” kids for disasters, and Senator Ron Johnson (R., Wis.) reports that Washington could save $2.6 million over 10 years if the bureaucrats could simply settle on one mascot.

We trust Mr. Corso’s impeccable judgment in selecting among Herman the Crab, Jett the Turtle and other worthies, and we also find compelling Mr. Johnson’s new catalog of potential federal cost savings.

Going way beyond mascots, the Senator has identified $1.4 trillion in savings over 10 years for any Congressional “Super Committee” members looking to make sensible cuts on behalf of taxpayers. Reasonable people can argue over the details, but what’s encouraging about the plan is that it shows how much leaner the federal government could be without even cutting back on services that many voters demand.

Relying heavily on the work of Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn as well as independent groups like Third Way, Mr. Johnson has found impressive savings across federal operations. The biggest item takes $248 billion out of salaries for most federal workers, but no one gets fired or suffers a pay cut. The cuts are achieved through attrition and a pay freeze for civilians through 2015. Mr. Johnson reports that federal workers are now making 30% to 40% more in combined wages and benefits than comparable workers in the real economy. His plan therefore gives taxpayers a fighting chance to catch up with the public servants they’re supporting.

The Johnson plan also has at least one element that President Obama should love: eliminating federal reviews on transportation projects whenever state and local rules meet or exceed federal standards. Cutting this duplicative red tape and streamlining approvals would save $50 billion. Mr. Obama should sign this-if we may borrow a phrase-right away.

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Senator Johnson Co-Sponsors Bill for Transparency & Accountability

U.S Senator Ron Johnson (R-Oshkosh) is co-sponsoring a bill to require federal investigations into companies that go bankrupt after getting renewable energy funds. The Wisconsin lawmaker is teaming up with fellow Republican David Vitter of Louisiana – who’s critical of White House loan guarantees given to Solyndra Incorporated of Fremont California. Critics said the White House rushed the approval without enough oversight. The company filed for Chapter-11 bankruptcy earlier this month, and laid off all of its 11-hundred employees. In announcing the bill, Johnson and Vitter said quote, “We can’t afford any more crony capitalism where the federal government picks winners-and-losers, and then leaves taxpayers on the hook when everything falls apart.” But the Associated Press said Vitter tried seven times since 2009 to get money for his state from the same program he’s now criticizing. Vitter said he has always pushed for renewable energy as part of a comprehensive energy policy. But quote, “In the age of Solyndra, we need full transparency and accountability.” The Vitter-and-Johnson bill would also require federal agencies to conduct full audits of all renewable energy projects that received federal tax money since 2009. The audits would determine how many jobs were created by the funding – and any company that fails to meet the required objectives would go under an inspector general’s investigation.

Full article.

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Sen. Johnson makes recommendations to reduce federal deficit

Washington, D.C. (WQOW) – A Wisconsin lawmaker is offering his own savings plan for the country.

Sen. Ron Johnson, the ranking Republican on the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight of Government management, has his own recommendations.  Johnson has submitted them to the committee in charge of cutting the federal deficit.

The recommendations are made up of ideas, old and new, from Johnson and others.  Johnson says by not filling ten percent of open positions and freezing pay for three years, the Federal Government can reduce costs by 250 billion dollars.

That is just one of nearly 60 ideas in the recommendation.

“What I’m doing here is proposing things for the committee to consider and I wanted to accumulate and demonstrate you don’t have to reinvent the wheel here to search for areas the federal government can be considered for spending reductions,” says Sen. Ron Johnson, (R) Wisconsin.

Some recommendations include eliminating Fusion Centers which are used in counterterrorism efforts, the Senior Corps and cutting emergency food and shelter assistance at FEMA.

“Another problem with some of these programs, nobody evaluates whether they’re effective or not, so until we have some metrics of if a program is doing what its supposed to do, I don’t think we should be spending money on it,” says Johnson.

Not only does the recommendation include billions in freezes and cuts to things like federal vehicles, buildings and property, but also what employees contribute to their benefits.

“It’s a matter of taking a look at the federal government, their policies, their pay structures and bringing them more in line with what the private sector does because lets face it, the private sector funds government workers,” says Johnson.

Some recommendations save more than others, but even some small items can send a message.  Johnson says a three-year freeze on pay for members of Congress would save $6 million, consolidating mascots used by the Department of Homeland Security used in marketing would also save money.

“That one would save only $2.6 million which isn’t a lot, but it just goes to show the waste that does occur in the federal government,” says Johnson.

As for President Obama’s deficit reduction plan, which includes raising taxes for the rich, Johnson says it will hurt small businesses and keep them from hiring which is needed to get the economy going.

Full article.

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