When Elon Musk displayed a chainsaw on TV, vowing to reduce government spending, many Americans were pleased, while others were alarmed. However, neither side addressed the true issue of government inefficiency or how to solve it.

Musk’s recent change in approach, recognizing the need for caution and strategic planning, indicates that the Department of Government Efficiency is also learning this valuable lesson.

DOGE terminated probationary employees without fully understanding their roles, inadvertently providing Americans with insight into the functions of the government. Nearly compromising nuclear power plant operations, threatening Meals on Wheels deliveries, and jeopardizing the U.S. egg supply when swine flu containment teams were disbanded.

As a 20-year federal employee, I’ve seen the government’s impressive accomplishments as well as its frustrating inefficiencies. While I witnessed successes like the National Institutes of Health mapping the human genome and curing sickle cell anemia in a patient, I also observed extensive waste. This waste wasn’t due to lazy workers or fraud; instead, it stemmed from well-meaning systems with accumulated layers of requirements, akin to sedimentary rock, that are never removed.

In essence, the primary issue is cutting through the red tape.

Consider the example of a family with 12 children charged for helping each other, creating more administrative work than actual assistance. Similarly, the government operates through complex reimbursable agreements, with agencies being billed for resources shared among them.

By eliminating the General Services Administration (GSA) and mandating federal agencies to share resources without charges, billions could be saved in administrative costs, premiums, and delayed projects. The GSA and other past “efficiency” reforms have inadvertently led to a bloated system requiring time-consuming reports and complex management systems. Federal employees spend considerable time reporting rather than directly serving citizens.

To save billions more, ending the September spending spree, modernizing the Census, and shutting down the Government Publishing Office could also significantly reduce waste.

By addressing bureaucratic inefficiencies rather than cutting services, DOGE could spearhead government reform that all Americans can support, resulting in savings close to a trillion dollars.