# DOGE; the department of Government Efficiency **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** elon-musk\ **Created:** [November 13, 2024, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227 "2024-11-13T23:28:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/261 "2025-01-21T09:52:42Z")
Personally, I’d pronounce it like “dodgy”, which seems very appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/262 "2025-01-21T22:59:58Z")
I just read it [here](https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/establishing-and-implementing-the-presidents-department-of-government-efficiency/). Its really not clear what is going on with it. Its basically cannibalizing the [United States Digital Service](https://www.usds.gov/mission) and renaming it the United States DOGE Service. This could be limiting Musk’s power, or it could be just a quick way to get it established without a lot of paperwork. No idea what happens to the people who currently work there. Also there is this weird organization structure that have sub agencies of at least 4 people on them which include a leader an HR specialist, a tech specialist and an attorney. It sounds like it was made up one late night with a legal pad, a sharpie and way to much Ketamine. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/263 "2025-01-21T23:05:50Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > sub agencies of at least 4 people on them which include a leader an HR specialist, a tech specialist and an attorney. I read that as, “Enough minions to keep him occupied, but not enough to actually do anything.” ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2025, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/264 "2025-01-21T23:06:25Z")
And the first lawsuit has been filed against DOGE: > **[Trump and Elon Musk’s ‘Doge’ violates federal transparency rules, suit claims](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/20/elon-musk-doge-lawsuit)** > > Lawsuit filed moments after Trump’s swearing-in challenges legality of ‘department of government efficiency’ From the item: > [@](#): > > The public interest law firm National Security Counselors says in the claim that Musk’s efficiency panel meets the bar to be considered a “federal advisory committee”, a class of legal entity regulated to ensure the government receives transparent and balanced advice, but fails to have “fairly balanced” representation, keep records of its meetings and be open to public scrutiny, as required by law. > > “All meetings of Doge, including those conducted through an electronic medium, must be open to the public”, the lawsuit states. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2025, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/265 "2025-01-22T00:10:51Z")
Are you ready for the doge web page? [https://doge.gov/](https://doge.gov/) ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2025, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/266 "2025-01-22T00:22:21Z")
Looks like serious stuff about to happen! How can you not take that website very seriously?!?!? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2025, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/267 "2025-01-22T01:31:21Z")
Please tell me that is a joke site. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2025, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/268 "2025-01-22T01:38:11Z")
Everything about Elon Musk is a joke. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2025, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/269 "2025-01-22T01:45:12Z")
What about his “salutes”? I wouldn’t call those a joke. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2025, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/270 "2025-01-22T02:04:10Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Please tell me that is a joke site. No, it’s real. **This** is a joke site about the DOGE government entity. > **[D.O.G.E | The Department of Government Efficiency](https://dogegov.com/)** > > Bringing accountability back to government spending, plus memes. CTO and the OG The one with a cartoon dog is a real one. > **[DOGE has an official government website.](https://www.theverge.com/2025/1/21/24348908/doge-has-an-official-government-website)** > > There’s barely anything on it, but doge.gov is now a real website. And after I first published this, it got a new, cartoony image. Update: Added the new picture, but you can see the original in the below gallery. Note that sites within the .gov top-level domain can only be registered by government agencies or those working for them, so you’re not going to get a “joke” .gov web site (unless the government itself is a joke, as in this case). ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2025, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/271 "2025-01-22T19:50:47Z")
They updated [doge.gov](http://doge.gov). Not with more information, but they removed the cartoon dog. Still, no information. Just that we voted for major reform. I guess removing the cartoon dog is fairly major when it was about 50% of the website. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2025, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/272 "2025-01-22T19:57:13Z")
There is also a site out there called [dogegov.com](http://dogegov.com) that looks like a Merchandizing vehicle for…someone… ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/273 "2025-01-23T15:22:41Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > Did you read the Executive Order that established DOGE? It’s far more limited than anyone was thinking it would be. Its only mandate is to look at computing systems, and it had a limited lifetime of 18 months. Trump has already mostly neutered Musk. What’s unclear is if Musk realizes it. The influence of Musk and the other technofascists is way, way greater than this silly non-department. Much of what Trump is doing can clearly be seen to be something that will enrich the technofascists. Musk, Zuckerberg, Bezos et al. are all manipulating him so they can grow their empires. Musk, certainly, sees this as a way to take over the USA; I’m not sure to what extent the others want to do that but it’s absolutely their chance to effectively stage a coup. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/274 "2025-01-23T15:34:51Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > > > Please tell me that is a joke site. > > No, it’s real. I keep lowering my expectations, they keep limbo-dancing beneath them. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/275 "2025-01-23T20:09:55Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > I guess removing the cartoon dog is fairly major when it was about 50% of the website. I was bummed, later in the day yesterday when I wanted to show my 10-year-old daughter what a federal government agency website looked like, the picture was gone. ☹ I thought it would be great if she thought they all had cute cartoon puppies on them. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/276 "2025-01-23T20:19:22Z")
**[The Wayback Machine](https://web.archive.org/web/20250000000000*/https://doge.gov/)** appears to have it. Just try any capture from relatively early in the day on 1/21/2025. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/277 "2025-01-23T20:33:28Z")
I just showed her the version that was in a screenshot in an article, I just thought it would be cool if she saw the live page come up that way. I’m pretty sure that once they add content (if they ever do) it will be a clown show again. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/278 "2025-01-23T20:45:13Z")
How efficient is DOGE? Are these assholes drawing a salary for their service? ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2025, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/279 "2025-02-06T03:26:35Z")
Not sure where to post this since there are so many threads about Elon ransacking the US govt, but now he’s taking on Medicare and Medicaid. If you have any elderly loved ones, make a point to tell them you love them one more time. [https://www.reuters.com/world/us/doge-aides-search-medicare-agency-payment-systems-fraud-wsj-reports-2025-02-05/](https://www.reuters.com/world/us/doge-aides-search-medicare-agency-payment-systems-fraud-wsj-reports-2025-02-05/) ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2025, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227/280 "2025-02-06T03:49:14Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > Are these assholes drawing a salary for their service? Musk could pay them out of this pocket without even really thinking about it. It’s likely a small price to pay for the power he’s getting out of this. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doge-the-department-of-government-efficiency/1010227.md?page=15)