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Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, Hank said:

 

Great example of Elon Musk not understanding how research grants work and deliberately using the term "siphoning" while referencing a graphic he created, or his team. Admin would only be a fraction of indirect costs. But again, where's the money going. 

Heres more info. Harvard def is crappy and deserves less but it's a negotiated rate 

https://osp.finance.harvard.edu/fa-rate-agreements

Just looked up UB, they run between 50 and 60%. The result of this will be students will pay more in tuition. https://www.buffalo.edu/research/research-services/ub-rates-and-facts/ub-and-rf-rates.html

But wait, there's more:

Screenshot_20250208_125849_Bluesky.thumb.jpg.653071b8c92cfd3207132eaf6b492e49.jpg

Source for this info: 

https://www.fiercebiotech.com/research/report-every-dollar-nih-research-funding-doubles-economic-returns

 

Here's a good read up on the outcome and it's not cost savings:

https://bsky.app/profile/drmikewiser.bsky.social/post/3lhogq6rlzu2c

 

Edited by LGR4GM
Posted
1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

Ok, show the dataset that has that. Cuz I'd believe Kennedy about as far as I can kick him up Mt everest. 

That’s a total bull$hit stat. We are being conditioned to make social security the enemy. Then again, I was told in this very forum that social security is an infringement on one’s personal freedoms, so apparently some already do think SS is a bad thing and are already conditioned to accept Musk’s findings without question. 

Posted

Rough estimate is just over 1 billion dollars will now disappear from NY higher education. Universities can either reduce research which costs a lot of money, raise tuition, or find other funding streams if possible. Considering there's a project 2025 push to tax endowments by 21% we might be at the start of the compete collapse of research universities. For example the university at Buffalo, along with roswell Park, and children's hospital would be impacted by this. UB in particular could be forced to cut all kinds of support staff as well as SUNY might have to raise tuition.

It will end up costing more than it will ever save but project 2025 is about destruction. 

Posted
1 hour ago, K-9 said:

That’s a total bull$hit stat. We are being conditioned to make social security the enemy. Then again, I was told in this very forum that social security is an infringement on one’s personal freedoms, so apparently some already do think SS is a bad thing and are already conditioned to accept Musk’s findings without question. 

I won't question if what Musk is doing is legal, I have no idea. Do I think it's right? Probably not. Will the ends justify the means regarding fraud, waste and abuse?  All we can do is wait and see. what I do know is this, Trump was transparent about this. He said way back in September, maybe sooner, that he was implementing his DOGE program and putting Musk in charge of it. Democrats had FOUR MONTHS to figure out if it was illegal and how to stop it. If it is legal they had FOUR MONTHS to figure out a way to come up with a strategy to combat it. All I've seen is a couple feeble protests with congressmen screaming the same ***** they've been screaming for the last four years that got Trump elected in the first place. The Biden/Harris administration was so bad it caused a shift in the base, people are moving from far left towards center. People are tuning out CNN/MSNBC, evident by thier tanked viewership. Approval rating for dems is at an all time low, Trump's Approval rating is at an all time high. Orange man bad doesn't work anymore, it's time for a new playbook. 

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Posted (edited)

NIH cuts will impact ongoing clinical trials, cancer research, and drug research. Most likely outcome is researchers leave the US and develop these things elsewhere. This will lead to a continually negative economic outcome and worse health outcomes for Americans. Hitting NIH and universities will cost jobs and lives. 

NIH cuts are part of project 2025. It's part of the plans efforts to privatize everything in America to further their Christian Nationalist agenda. 

Edited by LGR4GM
Posted
3 hours ago, Hank said:

I won't question if what Musk is doing is legal, I have no idea. Do I think it's right? Probably not. Will the ends justify the means regarding fraud, waste and abuse?  All we can do is wait and see. what I do know is this, Trump was transparent about this. He said way back in September, maybe sooner, that he was implementing his DOGE program and putting Musk in charge of it. Democrats had FOUR MONTHS to figure out if it was illegal and how to stop it. If it is legal they had FOUR MONTHS to figure out a way to come up with a strategy to combat it. All I've seen is a couple feeble protests with congressmen screaming the same ***** they've been screaming for the last four years that got Trump elected in the first place. The Biden/Harris administration was so bad it caused a shift in the base, people are moving from far left towards center. People are tuning out CNN/MSNBC, evident by thier tanked viewership. Approval rating for dems is at an all time low, Trump's Approval rating is at an all time high. Orange man bad doesn't work anymore, it's time for a new playbook. 

You can’t stop something that hasn’t been implemented and while everyone and their mother knew Trump was gonna implement the Project 2025 playbook (even though he knew nothing about it (yeah, right)), upon his potential inauguration, there was nothing to be done until it became a reality. As I’ve said previously, there are multiple lawsuits already followed with more on the way. 

And I don’t give a crap about approval ratings and I don’t belong to the Democratic party. Having a convicted felon as president who has no compunction about trampling on the Constitution and the rule of law is all I’m concerned about. It’s a shame many of my fellow Americans aren’t. 

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Posted

Why Elon Musk And DOGE Terrify Democrats

Derek Hunter

 

 

You may have noticed the absolute meltdown of the left over the existence of Elon Musk and the DOGE team doing exactly what Donald Trump was elected to do. I phrased it that way because that’s exactly what is happening – someone is finally going through the government’s books and records to figure out what people do, how much it costs, where the rest of the money is going and whether or not we can live without it since we’re more than $36 trillion in debt.

 

Why would anyone meltdown over that? There’s a very simple reason: Democrats cannot afford for the American people realizing how much government they can live without. More than that, they can’t have the public recognize how much the government was actually getting in their way and impeding their success. The public doing either of those two things would be the end of the Democratic Party.

 

Not one single person in the Democratic Party, either elected or in journalism, has commented positively on anything the Department of Government Efficiency has uncovered and ended so far, nothing. No matter how wasteful, no matter how absurd, no matter how insane or stupid, Democrats are angry that DOGE exists, not that we taxpayers are being ripped off. That tells you something.

 

The most amazing part of all of it is how these people, who’ve spent decades milking taxpayers for their pet causes, for money to fund organizations that employ their children and fund their campaigns, that hire and pay them exorbitant amounts of money for no-show or symbolic jobs when they retire, that use insider information that make them more successful at stock trading than people who do it for a living, have the audacity to refer to what Musk and the crew are doing as somehow motivated by “greed.”

 

{snip}

 

The “kids,” as the left likes to belittlingly call them, who work with him are not in it for the money, either. Most have founded companies, won massive investments in their ideas, and don’t need anything to be more successful than anyone whining about them. What they want, what they crave is a challenge. 

 

People who’ve risked and accomplished nothing have no understanding of how successful people, at any level, need a challenge. Standing on top of a mountain is boring, climbing to the top of it is what life is all about. Get there, conquer, then move on to the next things

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Posted

Lol trying to claim cutting 4 billion in NIH funding as wasteful is hilarious considering all the evidence that every dollar of nih funding nets 2.5 dollars back. 

Of course believing that Elon Musk, a man with billions in government contracts is just doing this out of the goodness of his heart is also hilarious. Trump ballooned the deficit with his tax cuts for rich ppl and now story is we gotta cut spending because the democrats just take all the money. 

I don't trust DOGE because there's no transparency and there's no vision as evidence by the NIH cuts. Keep claiming not to be a die hard conservative though Hank. Of course you've dumped enough 1 sided propaganda into this thread to convince any sane person otherwise.

When Musk and Trump turn around and privatize everything they destroy costing tax payers more while also getting more tax breaks ik you won't post that. You didn't last time it happened and you won't now. 

Y'all wanna know what musk and Trump are doing? Project 2025. Destroy the government, privatize everything, profit. It's pretty simple. 

Posted
1 hour ago, Hank said:

Why Elon Musk And DOGE Terrify Democrats

Derek Hunter

 

 

You may have noticed the absolute meltdown of the left over the existence of Elon Musk and the DOGE team doing exactly what Donald Trump was elected to do. I phrased it that way because that’s exactly what is happening – someone is finally going through the government’s books and records to figure out what people do, how much it costs, where the rest of the money is going and whether or not we can live without it since we’re more than $36 trillion in debt.

 

Why would anyone meltdown over that? There’s a very simple reason: Democrats cannot afford for the American people realizing how much government they can live without. More than that, they can’t have the public recognize how much the government was actually getting in their way and impeding their success. The public doing either of those two things would be the end of the Democratic Party.

 

Not one single person in the Democratic Party, either elected or in journalism, has commented positively on anything the Department of Government Efficiency has uncovered and ended so far, nothing. No matter how wasteful, no matter how absurd, no matter how insane or stupid, Democrats are angry that DOGE exists, not that we taxpayers are being ripped off. That tells you something.

 

The most amazing part of all of it is how these people, who’ve spent decades milking taxpayers for their pet causes, for money to fund organizations that employ their children and fund their campaigns, that hire and pay them exorbitant amounts of money for no-show or symbolic jobs when they retire, that use insider information that make them more successful at stock trading than people who do it for a living, have the audacity to refer to what Musk and the crew are doing as somehow motivated by “greed.”

 

{snip}

 

The “kids,” as the left likes to belittlingly call them, who work with him are not in it for the money, either. Most have founded companies, won massive investments in their ideas, and don’t need anything to be more successful than anyone whining about them. What they want, what they crave is a challenge. 

 

People who’ve risked and accomplished nothing have no understanding of how successful people, at any level, need a challenge. Standing on top of a mountain is boring, climbing to the top of it is what life is all about. Get there, conquer, then move on to the next things

Let's look at Derek Hunter, I'm just going to post the titles of things he's wrote within the last month:

"USAID Might Be the One Thing Democrats Love More Than Abortion"

"Democrats Insist On Destroying Themselves. Let Them." 

"Democrats Can't Quit Kamala Because They Have Nothing Else"

"Imagine What Republicans Could Achieve Without Undoing Democrats’ Failures"

"Trump’s Department of Justice Needs To Go After the Biden Family Immediately"

"Republicans Need to Treat Liberal Journalists Like the Garbage They Are"

"Getting Ready to Exhale After Four Years of Biden and Democrats"

Derek Hunter sure seems like a fair impartial source of information we should give credence too... I mean that's if we ignore his open hatred of liberals and his total lack of fact checking or sources in his opinion pieces 

Posted
4 minutes ago, K-9 said:

I won’t believe ANYTHING that comes out of the mouths of Trump, Musk, Rubio, or any other GOP politician without actual PROOF. 

They can't give proof unless it's manufacturing outrage based on 1 tiny thing. Like Hank posting the USAID thing above that we're clearly suppose to blame them because 15yrs before a dude became a terrorist they helped get him into college.

I wish a group of adults would audit the government and make recommendations to eliminate waste but the goal isn't to eliminate waste, it's too privatize everything. 

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Posted
17 hours ago, Hank said:

 

Perhaps Pamela Brown should revisit how the Regan administration armed and funded Osama Bin Laden and the Mujaideen, many of whom became the Taliban. Or how they backed Sadam Hussein in his war against Iran. 

We don’t have a crystal ball to see which current enemies of my enemy won’t come back to haunt us. You make your best assessments of a situation at the time when it’s critical to make them. 

Brown’s article is just an example of 20/20 hindsight armchair quarterbacking with the intent to frame a narrative in order to convince us that everything Musk or Rubio or cheeto man says about USAID is the gospel truth. It’s 1930s Europe all over again. 

One would think history informs us. Apparently not. 

Posted
6 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

They can't give proof unless it's manufacturing outrage based on 1 tiny thing. Like Hank posting the USAID thing above that we're clearly suppose to blame them because 15yrs before a dude became a terrorist they helped get him into college.

I wish a group of adults would audit the government and make recommendations to eliminate waste but the goal isn't to eliminate waste, it's too privatize everything. 

It’s ironic that the funding for the future terrorist’s education was provided under a Republican administration. 

Posted

There's no point though, countering the *****. In about 4-6 months things will start to get bad. It will take that long for the lag and the stacking of problems. I'm done with this here, it will get worse long before it's gonna get any better. 

Posted
On 2/8/2025 at 11:18 AM, LGR4GM said:

A museum exhibit isn't misuse of funds. And again, okay, they found money, where's it going now.

For what it's worth, I wasn't saying it was. I had said apparent misuse of funds and was directing more at the "uncovered" items. My commentary earlier regarding cutting things like a museum exhibit fall more in the "useless is in the eye of the beholder". I have not seen the museum exhibit on Fauci, I'm not sure I give enough of a damn to want to. I could see how it's wasted money in wondering is there really a need for THAT exhibit?  I don't know.

On 2/8/2025 at 2:16 PM, K-9 said:

That’s a total bull$hit stat. We are being conditioned to make social security the enemy. Then again, I was told in this very forum that social security is an infringement on one’s personal freedoms, so apparently some already do think SS is a bad thing and are already conditioned to accept Musk’s findings without question. 

And I will say it again. The Social Security system is an absolute scam that takes my money and redistributes it, theoretically, to the "masses". Social Security is the "safety net" for people who cannot figure out how to save their own money and invest it themselves. Worse yet, the government loves to "borrow" that money when they need to. The government, run by both Democrats and Republicans, that have amassed an insane amount of debt because they can just up and spend money without having the revenue to back it up.  A very simple concept that every business owner (and human) should understand.

20 minutes ago, K-9 said:

Perhaps Pamela Brown should revisit how the Regan administration armed and funded Osama Bin Laden and the Mujaideen, many of whom became the Taliban. Or how they backed Sadam Hussein in his war against Iran. 

We don’t have a crystal ball to see which current enemies of my enemy won’t come back to haunt us. You make your best assessments of a situation at the time when it’s critical to make them. 

Brown’s article is just an example of 20/20 hindsight armchair quarterbacking with the intent to frame a narrative in order to convince us that everything Musk or Rubio or cheeto man says about USAID is the gospel truth. It’s 1930s Europe all over again. 

One would think history informs us. Apparently not. 

The first mistake is involving themselves in the affairs of the Middle Eastern countries in the first place. The United States need to intervene to protect oil interests have led to continued rise and fall of dictators and terrorists. The Democrats and Republicans are both on the same team when it comes to funding the up and coming resistance to only find out that it's yet another power hungry individual hell bent on wiping out those with opposing ideology.  In the Middle East I think we don't need a crystal ball.  It's best to stop intervening in their affairs and let them be.

I don't want people walking in my house telling me how to live my life.  Why should they accept that we are in their countries attempting to control their very existence?

Posted (edited)

If DOGE and Musk were really looking for fraud, wouldn't they have hired forensic accountants instead of programmers? 

Edited by LGR4GM
Posted
33 minutes ago, LTS said:

For what it's worth, I wasn't saying it was. I had said apparent misuse of funds and was directing more at the "uncovered" items. My commentary earlier regarding cutting things like a museum exhibit fall more in the "useless is in the eye of the beholder". I have not seen the museum exhibit on Fauci, I'm not sure I give enough of a damn to want to. I could see how it's wasted money in wondering is there really a need for THAT exhibit?  I don't know.

And I will say it again. The Social Security system is an absolute scam that takes my money and redistributes it, theoretically, to the "masses". Social Security is the "safety net" for people who cannot figure out how to save their own money and invest it themselves. Worse yet, the government loves to "borrow" that money when they need to. The government, run by both Democrats and Republicans, that have amassed an insane amount of debt because they can just up and spend money without having the revenue to back it up.  A very simple concept that every business owner (and human) should understand.

The first mistake is involving themselves in the affairs of the Middle Eastern countries in the first place. The United States need to intervene to protect oil interests have led to continued rise and fall of dictators and terrorists. The Democrats and Republicans are both on the same team when it comes to funding the up and coming resistance to only find out that it's yet another power hungry individual hell bent on wiping out those with opposing ideology.  In the Middle East I think we don't need a crystal ball.  It's best to stop intervening in their affairs and let them be.

I don't want people walking in my house telling me how to live my life.  Why should they accept that we are in their countries attempting to control their very existence?

I understand what you are saying about the Middle East. Other than making sure the Strait of Hormuz stays open I would be fine with letting people of that region figure their own messes out. 

Unfortunately the Great Power Competition may not allow for that.

Posted (edited)

First DOGE hearing will be Wednesday 10AM. If C-SPAN airs it I recommend the fear mongerers on here watch it. 

 

Edited by Hank
Posted
1 hour ago, LTS said:

For what it's worth, I wasn't saying it was. I had said apparent misuse of funds and was directing more at the "uncovered" items. My commentary earlier regarding cutting things like a museum exhibit fall more in the "useless is in the eye of the beholder". I have not seen the museum exhibit on Fauci, I'm not sure I give enough of a damn to want to. I could see how it's wasted money in wondering is there really a need for THAT exhibit?  I don't know.

And I will say it again. The Social Security system is an absolute scam that takes my money and redistributes it, theoretically, to the "masses". Social Security is the "safety net" for people who cannot figure out how to save their own money and invest it themselves. Worse yet, the government loves to "borrow" that money when they need to. The government, run by both Democrats and Republicans, that have amassed an insane amount of debt because they can just up and spend money without having the revenue to back it up.  A very simple concept that every business owner (and human) should understand.

The first mistake is involving themselves in the affairs of the Middle Eastern countries in the first place. The United States need to intervene to protect oil interests have led to continued rise and fall of dictators and terrorists. The Democrats and Republicans are both on the same team when it comes to funding the up and coming resistance to only find out that it's yet another power hungry individual hell bent on wiping out those with opposing ideology.  In the Middle East I think we don't need a crystal ball.  It's best to stop intervening in their affairs and let them be.

I don't want people walking in my house telling me how to live my life.  Why should they accept that we are in their countries attempting to control their very existence?

Perhaps the most short-sighted and uninformed take on the social security program I’ve ever read. Safe to say we have no more to discuss on that subject.

Our involvement in the middle east was solidified when the new border lines were drawn by the British and French after WWI. That will only change when oil becomes an antiquated energy source and the other petroleum products we derive from it can be made from other sources. Good luck with that, world.

Many middle eastern countries don’t accept ours or any other foreign presence. Others welcome it. And it’s not that we are attempting to control their very existence, it’s that it’s extremely important to our interests to prevent other hostile/adversarial countries from exerting influence. Ironically, we can thank USAID for that as that has been their mission since it’s inception in 1961. 

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