1. Where are the biggest opportunities to streamline and modernize government processes?
2. How can we use government resources more efficiently and effectively?
3. Is there overlap or duplication within the federal government that could be consolidated or eliminated?
132 votes
I am sure that my fellow submitters have noticed that there is only one button available... the yes button. We need to be able to press a no button for those ideas that are stupid or off track.
We don't always agree. But the way the survey is set up, we only have one choice.
130 votes
If all persons and companies were charged a flat federal tax on income or revenue. Eliminate itemization and deductions and filing tax forms. Whatever was with held from paychecks or paid by companies would be just what they owed and reduce or eliminate the need to send refunds. Reduction of employees required by the IRS. No more processing tax forms. Everyone should pay equally.
129 votes
Reduce over spending of contractors for position federal employees can do at drastically reduced rate.
127 votes
Most people make less than the maximum amount that can be taxed for social security. There should be no maximum salary limit on how much can be taxed for SS.
The limits on social security benefits would have to stay the same or no benefit would result.
127 votes
Under a recently passed law, up to 1 year of sick leave can be used to add to your retirement pay - for example, if you retire at 30 years, you get retirement pay based on 31 years. This one percent difference can add a huge amount of money to our national debt. Why not let the employee use sick leave to retire with 29 years of service, but still receive a pension based on 30 years. One year less of contribution to FERS ...more »
Under a recently passed law, up to 1 year of sick leave can be used to add to your retirement pay - for example, if you retire at 30 years, you get retirement pay based on 31 years. This one percent difference can add a huge amount of money to our national debt. Why not let the employee use sick leave to retire with 29 years of service, but still receive a pension based on 30 years. One year less of contribution to FERS would easily be offset by not paying the extra one percent in retirement benefits for the next 20 years. It would also open up positions to new folks. A WIN-WIN-WIN for the employee, taxpayer and potential new employees..
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126 votes
If Federal workers are furloughed, House and Senate Reps should be furloughed as well. This way they will feel the brunt of what wage grade employees feel. Cut their outrageous pay to help balance the budget.
125 votes
Develop a sliding buy-out scale for ALL staff close-to or eligible to retire. This would increase turn-over and give incentive for senior employees to move on, reducing the higher salary costs of very senior or max'd out employees.
125 votes
Reduce costs by eliminating Spanish versions of text, internet, phone services for all Federal government communications with the Public.
124 votes
The Govt rate airfares we have to use under Carlson Trvl are way too high. For instance, a round trip airfare from Seattle to Salt Lake City, UT & return was $1,100 (city pair)! A traveler could purchase that much cheaper. The justificiation is the trvlr can exchange/change ticket w/o cost. That is not always true. We waste millions of dollars on inflated govt airfare. Cancel these external contracts and save money ...more »
The Govt rate airfares we have to use under Carlson Trvl are way too high. For instance, a round trip airfare from Seattle to Salt Lake City, UT & return was $1,100 (city pair)! A traveler could purchase that much cheaper. The justificiation is the trvlr can exchange/change ticket w/o cost. That is not always true. We waste millions of dollars on inflated govt airfare. Cancel these external contracts and save money on airfare costs in addiition saving on contract money. We always divide the pots of money (it's not our money, it's contracting's money). Well, it ALL comes out of taxpayer's money.
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124 votes
Telework can decrease costs by reducing utility use and potentially office space. Although the Department of Commerce, and likely other agencies, have instituted a telework program, the acceptance of a telework, or partial telework, schedules are not accepted in many offices. More mandatory telework days or more education and encouragement for supervisors could change the attitudes toward alternative schedule, which are ...more »
Telework can decrease costs by reducing utility use and potentially office space. Although the Department of Commerce, and likely other agencies, have instituted a telework program, the acceptance of a telework, or partial telework, schedules are not accepted in many offices. More mandatory telework days or more education and encouragement for supervisors could change the attitudes toward alternative schedule, which are become predominant.
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123 votes
Shorten the amount of vacations that they take. Eliminate their staffs (most federal employee's are doing more with less).
Keep them working during the month of August.
Eliminate free parking, lifetime healthcare benefits and other perks after leaving Congress.
122 votes
Congress should have the same wages, pay freezes, cost of living that is frozen and the same health benefit plans that federal employees have. Why should they be any different.
117 votes
What does it look like to have so many people unemployed and have a part-time Congress. Make Congress stay in session longer. They just came back from a ten (10) day break. An average of 160-190 workdays is too light for the problems that we have. Make it mandatory that a Congress' Session Calendar be posted to each Member's website, so that we can see what their workweek looks like. Basically, it is a three day week. ...more »
What does it look like to have so many people unemployed and have a part-time Congress. Make Congress stay in session longer. They just came back from a ten (10) day break. An average of 160-190 workdays is too light for the problems that we have. Make it mandatory that a Congress' Session Calendar be posted to each Member's website, so that we can see what their workweek looks like. Basically, it is a three day week. If they are going to be part-time, they should be paid accordingly.
http://www.thecapitol.net/FAQ/cong_numbers.html
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115 votes
Many states, localities and corporations currently use a 2-year budget cycle and I propose considering the federal government do the same. Senator Conrad and the Fiscal Commission discussed this as a way to make the budget cycle more efficient and enable better planning and accountability of resources. Congress hardly ever enacts budgets at the start of the fiscal year as is (the present is a case in point) and programmatic, ...more »
Many states, localities and corporations currently use a 2-year budget cycle and I propose considering the federal government do the same. Senator Conrad and the Fiscal Commission discussed this as a way to make the budget cycle more efficient and enable better planning and accountability of resources. Congress hardly ever enacts budgets at the start of the fiscal year as is (the present is a case in point) and programmatic, Agency and WH budget staff barely finish one CJ before planning for the next starts, leading little time for analysis, review, cost-benefit work, building the consensus to cut poor performing programs, or planning multi-year cost-saving initiatives. 2-year funding would also give Agencies and programs far more certainty in their own mission-related work. Planning a $3T+ budget every 12 months forces a frenetic schedule every year and gives Agencies, OMB and Congress little time to truly dig into public programs and build stronger fiscal expectations.
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115 votes
Currently, the Congress is exempt from and therefore do not have to abide by the legislation which they pass and subject the rest of us to. Perhaps, if Congress had to obey the same laws which everyone else does; they might pass better more thoughtfully crafted legislation. They might even read the legislation they are about to vote on.
113 votes
Wasted Government Equipment, Furniture and Computers are thrown away or sold for pennies at public auctions, but other Agencies buy new stuff because they are not aware of other Departments throwing away thier used equipment. Allow for EBAY.GOV or GBAY.GOV to be a Inter-Governmental Trading and Bartering platform for swapping Equipment and Resources from One Agency to another. The PAYPAL would be replaced by a "MIPR" ...more »
Wasted Government Equipment, Furniture and Computers are thrown away or sold for pennies at public auctions, but other Agencies buy new stuff because they are not aware of other Departments throwing away thier used equipment. Allow for EBAY.GOV or GBAY.GOV to be a Inter-Governmental Trading and Bartering platform for swapping Equipment and Resources from One Agency to another. The PAYPAL would be replaced by a "MIPR" app for transferring money and credits between agencies easily. If my old Government Laptop would help an Agency that can't afford to buy any Laptops then it should go that agency that needs it first before being lost. It would also help to track the Inventory of All Government Equipment. There needs to be a Universal Government Inventory System and the GBAY.GOV would be a good way to add all Tagged Equipment into a Trading Platform for Hand Reciept Holders to move Equipment around efficiently.
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113 votes
While many of the ideas submitted may be good, they have nothing to do with the Executive Branch. The Executive branch cannot mandate congressional salaries or anything else of the sort. A disagree button would allow for those of us who do diasagree with a submission to count also.
113 votes
Every government employee knows that close to September 30th, the offices will spend all of their remaining budget. There is a culture of spend what you have in order to obtain more. As an office, if we have $5,000.00 left over at the end of the year... we lose it. If a savings incentive is created in which agencies can keep what they save and receive awards for creative ways to save funding, our government would ...more »
Every government employee knows that close to September 30th, the offices will spend all of their remaining budget. There is a culture of spend what you have in order to obtain more. As an office, if we have $5,000.00 left over at the end of the year... we lose it.
If a savings incentive is created in which agencies can keep what they save and receive awards for creative ways to save funding, our government would run more smoothly and efficiently. For example, if an agency saves $1 million dollars then they will have $1.2 added to their next year’s budget. Agencies will be able to adjust their purchases and make equitable decisions without fear of it affecting next year’s budget. Agencies would be more inclined to work more cohesively with their local and national vendors to save money without the fear of losing it. Keeping this concept within each department will help enforce the idea of saving it till tomorrow.
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113 votes
111 votes
Instead of having ideas submitted like this once a year, why not have this website operational year round? Employees a bound to come up with similar ideas during other parts of the year but have no way to submit them.
111 votes
This proposal will never come to law but I would like to submit the idea. I believe that all taxpayers would support this change to all members of Congress with minor moderations. 1.) All members of Congress excluding the President and Vice-President should enter into a pay scale similar to those of the government employees. Notice, I said similar. 2.) All members of Congress should pay into and draw from Social Security. ...more »
This proposal will never come to law but I would like to submit the idea. I believe that all taxpayers would support this change to all members of Congress with minor moderations.
1.) All members of Congress excluding the President and Vice-President should enter into a pay scale similar to those of the government employees. Notice, I said similar.
2.) All members of Congress should pay into and draw from Social Security.
3.) All members of Congress excluding the President and Vice-President should pay for medical care in a manner in which all government employees do.
4.) All members of Congress excluding the President and Vice-President when the leave office should not draw any pay (their job has ended) from the taxpayers for the rest of their lives. Their medical should stop also. Give them the same option as we have to continue their medical at their expense.
5.) No policy and/or law should be passed that puts any member of Congress excluding the President and Vice-President above the citizens of the United States of America.
6.) We have a law that states the budget must be approved and in place by October 1 of each year. Then Congress created a new law that goes around the above law. This is called a Continuing Resolution (CR). Just enforce the first law and we are good. I can think of many ways to help.
I do realize a member of Congress is not Government Employee but the policies they pass for themselves puts them above everyone else and that should not be the case. I fully supports our system but it needs to be reevaluated.
If those who are making decisions for us are a part of the system, then the system itself will be fixed. Until that happens it won’t.
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110 votes
I think our current crop of legislators (both parties) are the biggest source of waste in our federal budget. Since they seem to be in constant campaign mode, their original reasons for being in office are either watered down or forgotten soon after entering office. What we end up with is a bunch of self serving, pork generating individuals hell bent on staying in office/power at any cost...and you know who pays for ...more »
I think our current crop of legislators (both parties) are the biggest source of waste in our federal budget. Since they seem to be in constant campaign mode, their original reasons for being in office are either watered down or forgotten soon after entering office.
What we end up with is a bunch of self serving, pork generating individuals hell bent on staying in office/power at any cost...and you know who pays for those costs...you and me the taxpayers.
Why not limit house members to 2 terms (4 years) and senators to 2 terms (12 years). They spend their first term learning their job and the second term actually working for the people to get something done. This should work as they won't have to worry about re-election during the second term.
Some say this will never work. I say lets give it a try as the current system is certainly not working. I do realize having legislators pass a law that curtails their stay in office could be difficult...but lets we the taxpayers demand it!
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110 votes
Why are we giving cash to people who don't work? We make it too easy for them to abuse the system. Supply them with basic needs like food, shelter and safety - but nothing more. Put them all in a big welfare hotel, supply meals, and provide security, but DO NOT give them money! If they want wonderful luxuries like cable TV, cell phones, cars, pets, tobacco, alcohol, etc, let them go to work and make money to get what ...more »
Why are we giving cash to people who don't work? We make it too easy for them to abuse the system. Supply them with basic needs like food, shelter and safety - but nothing more. Put them all in a big welfare hotel, supply meals, and provide security, but DO NOT give them money! If they want wonderful luxuries like cable TV, cell phones, cars, pets, tobacco, alcohol, etc, let them go to work and make money to get what they want like the rest of us. We should not be providing them money to spend how they see fit - they have obviously proven they are not responsible enough to make those decisions for themselves.
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107 votes
Please spend our tax dollars in the USA and stop sending funds to other countries to help them learn how to build a bridge or how to plan rice.
You share when you have extra money not when you are cutting your kid's education, firefighters work, etc.
106 votes
Not all employees have cogent ideas to TRIM spending, and in fact would severely increase cost of doing business. Unintended consequences are rife, and the back & forth dialog might be good.
