To the editor:
Any poll of Americans on the question of whether there is fraud, waste and abuse in the federal government would come back with an overwhelming response of “Yes.” However, if the question were phrased, “What fraud, waste and abuse have Elon Musk and President Trump uncovered in the federal government in the firings of thousands of government employees?” it is doubtful if a single respondent could cite a single example.
The fact is no charges have been brought against a single federal employee terminated from the Social Security Administration, the Veterans Administration, or any of the other federal agencies in which mass firing occurred. Therefore, no fraud, waste or abuse has been demonstrated.
According to the Office of Inspector General U. S. Agency for International Development, an agency totally gutted and dismantled by the Musk-Trump operation, the definitions, for governmental purposes, of fraud, waste and abuse are as follows. Fraud: Wrongful or criminal deceptions intended to result in financial or personal gain. Waste: Thoughtless or careless expenditure, mismanagement or abuse of resources to the detriment of the U. S. government. Abuse: Excessive or improper use of something in a manner contrary to the natural or legal rules for its use.
Not a single terminated federal employee has been charged with any of the above conduct. Just because the world’s wealthiest man says something doesn’t make it true. Just because the president claims there is fraud, waste and abuse does not prove the claim.
The mass terminations of Federal employees are not about making the government more efficient. They are simply “smoke, and mirrors” to claim governmental savings in order to attempt to justify massive federal tax cuts designed to benefit the mega-wealthy individuals and corporations.
The ”fraud, waste, and abuse” being committed upon the citizens of our country is from the quasi-governmental entity — Department of Government Efficiency. Our senators and representatives must be held accountable for their failures to stop the DOGE attack on our democracy!
