After President-elect Donald Trump announced the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy as the brainpower, it was inevitable that some leaders in Alabama would model that initiative.
The Alabama Policy Institute (API) did just that by starting an Alabama Department of Government Efficiency (ALDOGE) to fight waste and promote efficiency in Alabama’s state government.
On Monday, API launched ALDOGE, “an initiative inspired by the principles of the national DOGE program led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.”
Birmingham-based API is a “nonpartisan research and education organization dedicated to ensuring limited government, free markets, and strong families. For 35 years, API has been at the forefront of advocating for a government accountable to its people.”
In a release announcing the effort, API stated as follows:
ALDOGE is designed to address long-standing issues within Alabama state government, including regulatory overreach, lack of transparency, and inefficiency in government expenditures. The need for such an initiative is evident when we consider the numbers. Combined ETF/GF spending has grown by 52.3% over the last decade and by 26.5% in just the past five years.”
Every year since 2016, Alabama has collected and spent more taxpayer dollars than ever every year. In total, combined revenues have grown by over $6.3 billion in the past decade. With these surging revenues, inefficiencies persist. The combined budgets have run surpluses every year since 2016, peaking at $2.84 billion in 2022 and reaching nearly $2.4 billion in 2024. Yet, taxpayers often see little improvement in the efficiency or responsiveness of government services.
At a recent meeting with members of Congress in Washington, DC, Elon Musk emphasized the importance of government efficiency, stating, "We need to make sure we’re spending public money well." U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson echoed Musk’s sentiments, saying, "The taxpayers deserve better. They deserve a more responsive government, a more efficient government."
ALDOGE will focus on more than just cost savings. It will tackle issues like regulatory overreach and misuse of taxpayer funds. For example, over the last decade with stagnant growth, public school support staff positions have increased by 3,332 and state government vehicle registrations grew by 801 from 2014 to 2023. Such trends highlight the need for more accountability in how taxpayer dollars are allocated.
ALDOGE’s ultimate goal is to streamline bureaucracy, cut red tape, reduce inefficiencies, and ensure Alabama taxpayers receive the best return on their dollar. ALDOGE also seeks to restore self-governance, a sentiment shared by Vivek Ramaswamy, who stated, "DOGE’s full success will be measured not just in cost savings, but in restoring self-governance in America."
The project will be driven by API’s policy experts and the citizens of Alabama. Public input will be received on API's website and will play a critical role in identifying waste, fraud, and abuse in state government spending. ALDOGE hopes to create practical solutions that deliver real results.
"Regulatory overreach and lack of accountability aren’t just federal problems," API president and CEO Stephanie Smith stated. "There are significant challenges at the state level too. ALDOGE will address these issues head-on, ensuring that Alabama taxpayers have a government that is efficient, transparent, and accountable."
API has invited state employees, lawmakers and Alabamians from all walks of life to participate in the ALDOGE efforts. Together, this initiative aims to create a more effective state government and reinforce the principles of self-governance.
Jim ‘Zig’ Zeigler writes about Alabama’s people, places, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at ZeiglerElderCare@yahoo.com.
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