Trump-Musk already have a model for trimming government: President Bill Clinton | Opinion

Elon, here is how to trim government

I noticed in the latest Doonesbury cartoon that you published that there were some ridiculous claims about government reductions by President Clinton. Doonesbury is noted for ridiculous comments, so I decided to check it out.

Clinton and Gore reduced the federal workforce by 426,000. That a reduction of 21%. Turns out to be true. They consolidated 800 agencies and eliminated 10,000s of pages of rules. Again true. And in addition, they produced a balanced budget.

How did they do it? Well, they first put together key government folks along with congressional oversight people for six months to do a proper review without disrupting government functions. This effort produced 384 recommendations. Where they could, they issued executive orders and where it was appropriate, they involved Congress to pass laws. The net result was a significant improvement in government functioning and reduction in cost.

They used a thoughtful inclusive process that worked. No wild hatchet swinging by neophytes, but a selective scalpel.

Besides giving Trump a copy of the Constitution to read, it would be good to give him and Musk a copy of the National Performance Review that was the result of the Clinton/Gore government increase in efficiency effort.

Richard Caputo, Clovis

Valadao-Fong are rubber stamps

What is with our local congressmen David Valadao and Vince Fong being the Rubber Stamp Brothers in Congress, who vote yes, yes, yes to everything our royal king Donald Trump requests.

How can anyone be in total agreement with Trump or anyone else 100 percent of the time? What exactly do they do in Congress? What do they do that is beneficial to the people in the Valley? Do they agree with Trump arresting undocumented fathers and mothers who have legal children in the US?

Why are they allowing Trump to disrupt our farms and packing houses with INS raids? Do the Rubber Stamp Brothers agree with Trump tariffs on our most important friends and allies?

Are they rubber stamping the alliance of Trump and Elon Musk meddling in affairs usually reserved for Congress or the Senate? There are many questions for the the Rubber Stamp congressmen — I am sure I left some out.

Steven Trevino Jr., Clovis

Women’s vote is powerful

Immigration reform is personal to me. It drives my commitment to vote and encourage others to do the same. But I haven’t always seized the opportunity for civic engagement.

In fact, I wasn’t involved in politics until I watched a debate where a nominee spread lies about immigrants. I was shocked and deeply offended. That moment motivated me to get informed and vote.

Getting involved, using my voice, and understanding the impact of my participation empowered me and created a ripple effect in my family and community. I realized that the issues that matter to me — immigration reform, economic justice, and protecting families — are directly tied to the choices we make at the polls.

Latinas must recognize that our vote is crucial, from social and economic justice to environmental protection. It ensures we are seen, heard and represented while fighting for those who cannot vote.

It’s not too late, you can make a difference — and the first step is registering to vote. This Women’s History Month, let’s celebrate the power of Latina women in civic engagement and remember our voices shape a more just and equitable future.

Claudia Garcia, Fresno

Biggest threat are progressive Democrats

Progressive Democrats and their allies in the news media are screaming “constitutional crisis” now that President Trump is trying to bring both the federal government and illegal immigration under control.

They certainly didn’t think it was a constitutional crisis when President Biden openly defied the Supreme Court on student loan relief and abortion, when he forced social media sites to censor dissenting voices concerning COVID and other issues, or when he had the Justice Department persecute conservative schools, churches, and organizations, among other things.

For that matter, singling out and prosecuting President Trump on mostly politically motivated charges wasn’t a constitutional crisis at all. As far as the progressives are concerned, it’s only Republicans who cause constitutional crises; they never do, no matter how serious their transgressions.

They truly believe that the laws and rules don’t apply to them, and as such, they consider themselves free to do whatever they want, knowing that much of the news media will look the other way.

The Democrats’ claim that the Republicans are a “threat to democracy,” is ironic; they’ve shown themselves to be by far the biggest threat to democracy in this country.

Larry Parmeter, Fresno

Cell phones and Newsom

Wow, now our governor wants to send cell phones to CEOs, which the state really can’t afford? How about this: send an email to all the same CEOs with Gov. Newsom’s personal number and then add those numbers to Newsom‘s phone. Problem solved with little or no cost to the state.

And what makes Newsom think that CEOs in the state of California want his phone number, so they will have a direct line when they decide to move their companies out of California? Give them a direct line for the heads up with that “Hi, we’re leaving.” This is just another hare-brained idea from a politician that is totally out of touch with the business community in this state.

Let’s make the state more conducive to business to stay in California. How about we make big business a priority vs. big government? But you and I both know the ruling party in California would never stand for that. Their egos won’t allow it.

Time for the citizens of the state of California make a change.

Duane Opie, Fresno

Dems should back Trump’s tax cuts

Why are the leaders of the Democratic party wanting to vote against the tax cuts that President Trump put forth in 2016?

Listen, Trump is for the working people. Also Trump wants to eliminate taxes on Social Security retirements. Also he wants to eliminate taxes on tips and on overtime.

Call your congressman and tell them to vote for these tax cuts.

Jerry Jones, Visalia

This story was originally published March 23, 2025 at 5:30 AM.