Deep Something

Cutting a Program Is Not the Same as Making Government Efficient

July 23, 2026 B. John 21 Views 0 Comments Hillsborough County DOGE, indigent health care, county spending, government efficiency, Medicaid gap, voter-approved tax, Tampa General Hospital, public services, health care access

This entry is in the series Hillsborough DOGE Report Analysis

The Hillsborough County DOGE committee calls the county health care plan a source of major savings. But ending care for more than 22,000 low-income residents is not the same as making government more efficient.

This essay looks at what the program actually does, why voters approved the tax that funds it, and what happens when needed care disappears from one budget line only to reappear in emergency rooms, hospitals, charities, and family finances.

Cutting a program may make a spreadsheet look better. The harder question is whether the community pays more when the service is gone.

Featured Places Tampa Politics County Commission

Who Chose the Watchdogs?

July 23, 2026July 23, 2026 B. John 49 Views 0 Comments political influence, budget review, Jake Hoffman, county spending, public accountability, Hillsborough County DOGE, committee appointments, government oversight

This entry is in the series Hillsborough DOGE Report Analysis

Before accepting the Hillsborough County DOGE committee’s findings as a neutral review of county spending, it is worth asking who selected the people doing the reviewing.

The five-member panel included several people with solid professional backgrounds, but only one had clear forensic accounting credentials. At least three had strong Republican Party ties, including committee chair Jake Hoffman, a former Republican candidate and Young Republican leader.

This essay looks at how the committee was formed, how its members were chosen, and why a politically tilted advisory panel should not be treated like an independent audit team.