Economics, She Wrote

Introducing our new column by Susan Feiner explaining the issues connected to the production, consumption and transfer of wealth.

A DOGE IN THE LIFE

by Susan Feiner

Woke up, fell out of bed
Budget cuts all in my head

Elon Musk’s 20-something goons know nothing about the 18 agencies they’ve been tasked to destroy. That’s why they were forced to re-hire thousands of air traffic controllers, nuclear safety experts and ebola prevention staff previously fired by DOGE gangsters. The DOGE cuts came out of the blue and, as of now, the money’s disappeared. No matter that the multi-year low-income housing rehab program was one-quarter completed (oh so efficient!), no need to research pediatric brain cancer (oh the waste!), who cares if the bomb-sniffing K9s don’t get fed (oh the fraud!), Meals on Wheels not needed (oh the corruption).

Forget nuance — these cuts aren’t the product of thoughtful review. They're algorithmic and ideological. Programs with decades of bipartisan support are scrapped for containing words like “equity” or “sustainability.” If the language offends MAGA memes, it must be wasteful.

The big lie behind DOGE is that these destructive cuts are good for the American people because they save billions. In the DOGE mind, there’s no downside to firing public servants and eliminating agencies while canceling funds to farmers, schools, highway departments, veterans’ centers, libraries and public health.

Take a look at the DOGE gang’s “wall of receipts” and keep in mind MAGA’s culture war on DEI. The first entry, dated Feb. 7, boasts of cuts across 35 agencies and termination of “199 wasteful contracts saving ~$250 million,” including funding for “Asia Pacific - Sri Lanka climate change mitigation adaptation and resilience coordinator services” and a workshop for “Intercultural communication diversity dialogue circle communicating across differences.”

Culture war purging is the through-line of this feeding frenzy. DOGE hacks into government databases and searches for trigger terms: race, gender, equity, inclusion, climate, liberty, justice, democracy. When the system flags them, DOGE zeros them out. Eliminated. Workers fired. Leases canceled. Lights off. Last one out, lock the door.

Found my way downstairs and saw a con
Looking up, damn the budget's gone

After Congress passes a budget, the Treasury makes it “real” by crediting 129 accounts with the allocated funds. Once authorized, it is ILLEGAL to impound or redirect that money. SCOTUS ruled in 1974 that Nixon couldn’t do it — and neither can DOGE. Every DOGE action preventing authorized spending is unconstitutional. Over a dozen federal judges have said as much.

Until Trump fired them, seventy-three Inspectors General oversaw how thousands of agencies spent money. 128 of the 129 direct-receiving orgs passed audits. The Department of Defense is the only one that’s never passed. So of course DOGE skips the Pentagon and hunts for “waste” in departments that do pass audits. Makes perfect Trumpland sense.

Here’s a question: what happens after DOGE lays off workers, closes offices, freezes cards, and guts services? Where’s that budget money now? Congress didn’t change the allocations. So where did the funds go — still on agency books but inaccessible? Returned to the Treasury? Or vanished into the orange void? No one seems to know.

Found my notes, used my cell
Reporting on the cuts from hell

Because DOGE cut federal employment by 216,000 workers March 2025 layoffs spiked 205% over last year, making it the third highest monthly loss ever.

Is America Great Again yet?

Never before have system-wide budget cuts been imposed mid-cycle. Normally, cuts are planned and managed by civil servants who understand agency needs. That’s manageable. But DOGE’s surprise slashes left contractors and landlords on the hook for billions.

Imagine signing a five-year lease with the federal government — then, boom, Elon’s axe swings. No warning. Then DOGE brags of cutting over $8 billion in leases.

Another question: Will landlords sue? And how much will it cost us to fight the lawsuits?

Here’s another gem: Trump’s Jan. 20, 2025 executive order on energy froze over $2 billion in USDA payments to 30,000 farmers and ranchers. They’d upgraded to renewable energy based on USDA contracts. Suddenly, they were on the hook for monthly payments — with no reimbursements. Farmers were reportedly just weeks from bankruptcy. Ironically, 78% of farm county voters supported Trump. The USDA eventually relented — too late for many.

Multiply that chaos across thousands of contracts and dozens of agencies.

Raced to court in seconds flat
DOGE is criminal that’s a fact

At March’s end, legal scholar Steve Vladeck reported 46 federal cases where judges blocked Trump schemes. These came from 39 judges appointed by 5 presidents, across 11 courts and 7 circuits. This isn’t liberal lawfare. It’s the rule of law saying: enough.

DOGE stole $24.8 billion of authorized funds. Section 641 of the U.S. Code defines theft of government property as a felony punishable by 10 years per offense. That’s 25 million years in prison, Elon. Concurrently served, of course.

Congress approved the spending. Agencies completed all paperwork. Then DOGE techies swooped in and vacuumed up billions meant for salaries, housing, transportation, medicine, child care and more.

Government works best when it’s fully staffed with skilled public servants. Fire hundreds of thousands and the work simply stops. From New England to Texas to Alaska, programs for nutrition, healthcare, infrastructure, safety — all grind to a halt. So Elon and his billionaire bros can swoop in with private contracts. So much “saving.”

I heard the news today, oh boy
Four billion holes in budgets everywhere
None of the holes were very small
They couldn’t count them all
They still don’t know how many holes it takes to fill the Muskrat hall
We’d love to turn DOGE off

(Apologies to Lennon and McCartney)

Susan Feiner is a Professor Emerita at the University of Southern Maine where she taught economics and women's studies for over twenty years. Susan has written for the Portland Press Herald, Truthout, CommonDreams, Women's Enews and In These Times. She was one of the founding scholars of feminist economics. Susan's research on what today would be called “diversity, equity and inclusion” in economics education was generously supported by the National Science Foundation, the Ford Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation. In retirement Susan plays pickleball as often as possible.