Fox News panelists spent a Valentine’s Day segment hating on the U.S. government and especially public sector unions.

The pretext for this round of animosity was a comment from AFGE union president J. David Cox slamming cost-cutting politicians who talk about tightening the belt and threatening to hit them with his belt, instead.

Panelist Steve Forbes might be well advised to stay far away from Cox. Forbes said to host David Asman, “The government is way over bloated today. You see it playing out even in the Defense Department, David, as they’re cutting back uniform personnel, they’re increasing one-for-one the bureaucratic personnel, as if the bureaucratic army can keep us safe. You could cut the federal government employees by 20-25%, and the rest of the American people would not notice the difference. Very, very inefficient organization.”

Asman nodded in agreement.

Panelist John Tamny wanted to dump entire departments. “It’s got to be about abolishing programs and departments altogether because spending cuts, they just grow back. You’ve got to get rid of them.”

Bill Baldwin thought likewise. “I’ve been engaging in some fantasy thinking,” he began. “We eliminate the Department of Education, we eliminate the Department of Energy, we repeal Dodd-Frank so we’re no longer parasitized by 100,000 regulators and compliance officers. But that’s pure fantasy.”

But it’s the kind of fantasy Fox Newsies love. Asman asked Forbes, “Steve what about that? Just cut back on the institutions that create all this government excess?”

Forbes was all in. “That’s right David. That would be a good start,” he said.

I’d bet even Forbes would notice a lack of governmental services with a quarter fewer federal employees. I would also bet that those people who get laid off would notice a big difference in their financial situation, and it would not be good. Something Forbes won’t have to worry about.

Crossposted at News Hounds
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