Musk, Ramaswamy mark return of unelected elites

The Republican Party is preparing to kick off at least two years of a trifecta rule. President-House-Senate. How will this work out?

As a tax guy, I am certainly interested in the impact on the tax laws, particularly the soon-to-be expiring 2017 law.

But tax laws don’t operate in a vacuum. With massive budget deficits, the spending side of the budget should, at least in theory, affect the revenue side.

Although this is a tax column, I want to focus today’s discussion on the issue of smaller government. Achieving smaller government should impact tax policy.

To address what the Republican trifecta might mean for the next two years, let’s highlight some things we’ve been told are conservative principles.

Bedrock refers to a solid layer that is optimal to build upon. Bedrock principles are then foundational, unwavering principles.

We have always been told that a bedrock principle of conservative thought is small government. Small government would seem to lead to fiscal discipline.

Small government would also mean limiting intrusions of government on our daily lives. We are told that means less regulation of our lives.

Small government also believes in the power of the electorate. Government should be closer to the people and their preferences.

I did a little research on conservative concerns about regulation. This led to criticism of unelected bureaucrats.

Specific references criticized the “administrative state” that seeks to cross over from the executive branch to the legislative branch.

Top current Republicans were quoted as criticizing the current system that shields unelected bureaucrats from accountability.

One well known legislator said that Congress had abdicated its authority to an unelected elite.

All this criticism is why conservative thinkers praised the recent Supreme Court decision that overturned the 40-year-old “Chevron deference” decision.

Chief Justice John Roberts said it is the role of the judiciary to interpret laws. No more deference to administrative bodies. Separation of powers returns.

So how will the Republican trifecta play out? Interestingly, it is beginning to seem that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will have much to do with the budget.

Musk and Ramaswamy oversee the “Department of Government Efficiency.” This is not a real department.

Musk and Ramaswamy have started their “department” to, they say, eliminate departments. Musk first said he could eliminate $2 trillion annually from the federal budget.

Two-thirds of the federal budget is on auto pilot. Musk and Ramaswamy most recently said they could eliminate $500 billion of “other” programs.

In addition to the $500 billion, they could eliminate programs they believed (my emphasis) aren’t in line with lawmakers’ intentions.

Well, that must be OK, because conservative thought wants small government. Elections have consequences.

And conservative thought hates unelected elites telling the people’s elected representatives what to do. Powers must be separated.

That’s right, government must get closer to the people. Boo, hiss to those unelected elites who want to run everything.

Elites tend to get degrees from fancy Ivy League schools. To us commoners, Yale is how a southerner says “yell.”

Between the two of them, Musk and Ramaswamy have three degrees from three Ivy League schools. And neither one of them has ever been elected to any public office.

That would appear to make them unelected elites. And worse, they seem to want to tell Congress how to spend, or not spend, money.

Well Misters Musk and Ramaswamy, conservative thinkers will rein you in. Like in the Reagan administration when the unelected “Grace Commission” was clearly advisory only.

The great conservative columnist George Will is clear on Musk and Ramaswamy. Will says, “My column has as much power as that commission is going to have.”

I’m not sure Musk and Ramaswamy got that message. They seem to be dictating to Congress what changes will be made to federal spending. And regulation.

To be fair, they say that they will be joined by “high IQ” people who will also work for free to rewrite the budget.

Work for free? What if you could dictate how the regulatory state will affect your business? A high IQ person might see value in that.

Musk is said to have increased his net worth by $150 billion or so since the election. Perhaps the unelected elite have finally arrived.