The War on Efficiency

If irony were a government contract, the Trump Administration would have won it in a no-bid process. In their supposed quest to make government more efficient, they’ve gutted a division of the General Services Administration (GSA) whose entire mission was—wait for it—to improve government efficiency. You heard that right; they eliminated a division focused on government efficiency in the name of government efficiency.

The division was named “18F.” It was located at 1800 F Street in Washington, DC, hence the name 18F. 18F was a brilliant idea conceived in 2014 that brought together some of the most talented minds to examine how the government was run and find ways to enhance its efficiency using technology. A highly skilled, tech-focused team was assembled, and they committed themselves to streamlining government operations. However, earlier this month, under the infinite wisdom of Elon Musk, the division was dismantled by his army of pimple-faced teenage hackers working in the newly created Department of Government Efficiency—or, as it’s more commonly known, DOGE.

If you recall, Elon Musk is the individual who broke Twitter by firing the people who knew how to make the machine run. If Twitter were a jet airliner, Elon Musk would break into the cockpit, throw out the pilots, and replace them with his pimple-faced teenage hackers carrying the book “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Flying and Gliding.” Unfortunately, we are all sitting white-knuckled in the passenger section.

At its peak, 18F employed around 250 people. By the time it met its demise, only 91 remained—a skeleton crew of digital problem-solvers whose work was deemed unnecessary in Trump’s brave new world of government dysfunction.

One of 18F’s most notable achievements was a software package called “Direct File.” It was a free, user-friendly online tax filing tool allowing tax-paying Americans to bypass predatory tax software companies like TurboTax and H&R Block. For years, these companies lobbied aggressively against this free software package, pouring tens of millions of dollars into Washington lobbyists to ensure tax season remained an annual headache for every American. Thanks to the Trump Administration, their investment finally paid off.

With 18F gone, so is the government’s ability to provide a streamlined, no-cost alternative to the tax industry’s abusive grip on tax filers. One might argue that in the new definition of efficiency, government efficiency now means maximizing profit for its billionaire and corporate owners.

So, what else did 18F Accomplish?

Beyond Direct File, 18F spearheaded several innovative initiatives that improved public access to government services, making government more efficient. This includes:

• Weather.gov – Developed with NOAA to make crucial weather information more straightforward and more accessible to the public.

• Login.gov – A secure, single sign-on for government websites, streamlining access to various federal services.

• Cloud.gov – A government-run cloud hosting service that helped agencies deliver digital services securely and efficiently.

• U.S. Tax Court Case Management – An online system that made it easier for taxpayers to submit petitions online.

• Notify.gov – A messaging platform that allowed government agencies to communicate with citizens via text.

Now, they’re all gone. These weren’t just flashy tech projects; they were practical solutions to real bureaucratic inefficiencies—solutions that saved taxpayers time, money, and frustration.

The New Definition of Efficiency

For all its talk about eliminating government waste, the Trump Administration targets the very people and departments that do exactly that. One of its first executive actions was to fire nearly all Inspectors General, the watchdogs responsible for rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse in federal agencies. It was a clear signal: under the Trump Administration, “efficiency” means whatever benefits Trump. And, of course, Elon Musk.

So, with 18F gone, the Administration has killed off another check on inefficiency—this time, one that made government services more accessible and less reliant on overpriced private contractors. If you’ve ever wondered what a government run like a business looks like, take note: it looks like the CEO firing all the auditors and handing out contracts to his buddies.

Folks, this is what happens when you vote for a president who runs the government like a business. The government redirects all money to billionaires and corporations while squeezing every last dollar out of its hardworking taxpayers.

Here’s the thing: In Trump and Musk’s world, if a private company (preferably one owned by them) can’t make money off a government service, then that service must be, by definition, inefficient—and thus, it must be eliminated.

The result? A government that works less for the people and more for the billionaires and corporations that bankroll its destruction. From a perspective of gross profits, this is indeed efficient.