A Conversation with IFF President Ron Nate & Tea Party Bob
Podcast Notes by Bob Neugebauer
The term “Doge” has become a political buzzword since President Trump announced the Department of Government Efficiency with Elon Musk at the helm. Now Idaho politicians are attempting to capitalize on the concept’s popularity, but their proposal fundamentally misunderstands what makes the federal Doge initiative valuable. As my recent conversation with Idaho Freedom Foundation President Ron Nate revealed, Idaho’s approach puts the very architects of government waste in charge of finding that waste.
A Wolf Guarding the Henhouse
House Bill 364, the “Idaho Department of Government Efficiency Act,” proposes creating a committee of nine legislators: three senators appointed by the Senate President, three representatives appointed by the House Speaker, and three members of the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee. This structure fundamentally undermines the purpose of a true government efficiency initiative.
“They want to put the foxes in charge of the hen house,” Nate observed during our interview. “They are the wolves and they’re going to manage the other wolves.”
The contradiction is obvious to anyone paying attention. These same legislators have already been in positions of power with the authority to eliminate waste and reduce spending. Instead, Idaho’s budget has increased by 55% over the past five years. As Nate pointed out, “How incentivized are they going to be to say, ‘You know what, we are spending too much in health and welfare’ when they are the ones who voted for those budgets?”
Idaho Already Has Multiple “Efficiency” Entities
What many Idahoans don’t realize is that we already have multiple government entities supposedly responsible for ensuring efficiency. The Office of Performance Evaluation, the Legislative Research Council, and the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee all have oversight responsibilities. Despite their existence, government bloat continues unabated.
According to the Idaho Fiscal Policy Center, state government has grown to include 189 agencies, commissions, and departments. The proposed “Doge” committee would add yet another layer of bureaucracy while accomplishing little, especially considering its members would be appointed by the same legislative leadership that has facilitated government expansion.
The committee would be divided into three subgroups focusing on regulatory accountability, budget accountability, and government operations. Each subgroup would meet outside the legislative session, creating additional expenses for taxpayers while producing questionable returns.
The Real Doge: Independent Oversight
The federal Doge initiative works because it places oversight in the hands of an outside entity—someone like Elon Musk who has experience identifying inefficiencies in his own businesses and isn’t beholden to the government establishment.
According to Nate, “The Idaho Freedom Foundation was Doge before Doge existed. We have been here for 15 years, diligent and hardworking at pointing out all the waste, fraud, and abuse in Idaho government.”
Independent watchdog organizations like the Freedom Foundation produce annual “pork reports” identifying wasteful spending. Their Idaho Freedom Index rates legislators’ voting records on fiscal responsibility and limited government principles. These tools provide the transparency needed for citizens to hold their representatives accountable.
However, Nate acknowledges that identifying waste is only half the solution. “You have to have somebody point it out, but then you have to have the will within the body and within the executive branch to cut it out.”
Special Interests: The Hidden Power
The conversation revealed another obstacle to true government efficiency: the outsized influence of special interests. As Nate explained, “When special interests rule, the chairman is a powerful position.”
Our discussion touched on how committee chairs can single-handedly prevent good legislation from reaching a vote, making them prime targets for lobbyists. According to Idaho Secretary of State campaign finance reports, millions flow from special interests to key legislators, particularly those in leadership positions.
“Just go and look at the contributions to Governor Little’s campaign,” Nate noted. “It is the rich and famous, the who’s who in corporate cronyism.”
One example he cited was the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry (IACI), which recently opposed Senate Bill 1023, the Medical Freedom Act that would prohibit requiring vaccinations or other medical procedures as conditions of employment or public access.
The Path Forward: Citizen Engagement
Despite the flawed “Doge” proposal, Nate sees signs of hope in the legislature. More conservative representatives are winning elections, and the Idaho Freedom Index shows more legislators scoring in the 90th percentile for conservative voting.
For meaningful change to occur, Idahoans must become more engaged. “Government should fear the people,” Nate emphasized. “The people should not fear their government.”
This requires citizens to know who represents them and how they vote. Unfortunately, as I’ve discovered over 15 years of political activism, most Idahoans can’t name their state legislators, despite these officials having more direct impact on their daily lives than congressional representatives.
Until we achieve greater citizen awareness and engagement, we’ll continue seeing performative initiatives like the proposed “Doge” committee rather than genuine reform. True government efficiency requires independent oversight, transparent accountability, and an engaged electorate willing to vote out politicians who enable waste and special interest control.
