Column: Common sense vs. nonsense

A few weeks back, I pointed out the dire financial situation our nation is facing due to the U.S. Debt Clock. We are long past the point of ignoring the financial cliff, something those in Washington, D.C. never seem to worry much about. President Trump made no secret of his plans to cut costs during the last two years of his campaign for office, and the country as a whole decided his agenda was the best solution for the country in the recent election. So why are the same people who applauded when President Obama proudly announced his Power of the Pen and Phone now going berserk? Obama made it clear he would use these presidential tools if Congress were not giving him what he wanted: executive actions and calling people together. It's another avenue a president can use to pursue his economic agenda. Democrats have sought an injunction from Judge Jeannette A. Vargas of the Federal District Court to prevent recently appointed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent from doing his job. The courts recently overturned that injunction. Among many other efforts to stifle the administration's plans, they are offering nothing but childish foot-stomping and crying wolve at every turn to slow down, if not prevent, wasteful spending from continuing its fraudulent activity. We are fortunate to have business leaders like Elon Musk, who have proven records of success in bringing to light the massive failures of agencies that have for far too long been allowed to ignore congressional and executive oversight while pursuing their own agendas by diverting funds. The old theory that reining in government spending was just too big of a task to accomplish is quickly being debunked by DOGE. It can and must be done if we are serious about serving the American taxpayer with an efficient government that meets its budget and opens its books to regular audits. Government bloat has been a cancerous joke for far too long, and for the sake of current and future generations, we must not allow the doomsayers to hinder what we see with our own eyes. Hearings on DOGE are underway now. The USAID hearing last week revealed many spending issues. The money trail and facts on how well agencies have met their core mission will be laid bare for all to see. Suppose Musk and The DOGE group have overstepped their boundaries and can't produce factual details to support their position. In that case, I am confident that those who oppose their actions will be able to produce facts to support their allegations. If they cannot, then the only conclusion left to us is that they have been part of the problem. — Columnist Dan Alexander is a resident of Elizabethtown, N.Y. He serves as Publisher Emeritus and President of Denton Publications, Inc. The Thoughts from Behind the Pressline Column reflects his observations of current events, not from a journalist's perspective, but as an independent-minded, local businessman.

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Column: Common sense vs. nonsense

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