Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has announced the creation of a new state program aimed at cutting government waste, fraud, and abuse. Inspired by the federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which was launched under President Trump with help from Elon Musk, DeSantis said the initiative will focus on downsizing state government and improving financial accountability across Florida.
“I’m excited about this effort to take some of what we’ve seen in Washington that they’re doing with Elon Musk and apply it to Florida,” DeSantis told reporters during a press conference in Tampa on Monday.
What Will the Florida DOGE Task Force Do?
The Florida DOGE Task Force will operate for one year and is designed to eliminate wasteful spending while streamlining government functions. According to DeSantis, the plan includes:
- Cutting 900 state government positions across various departments.
- Eliminating 70 state boards and commissions deemed redundant or unnecessary.
- Mandating independent reviews and audits of state universities, particularly targeting spending on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs.
- Conducting thorough reviews of city and county budgets using artificial intelligence (AI) and other advanced technologies to uncover wasteful spending and questionable contracts.
DeSantis emphasized the importance of ensuring taxpayers have a say in how state funds are spent:
“For too long, nobody has cared about the taxpayers and the next generation that is ultimately going to have to pay for this mismanagement that we have seen over these many years.”
Florida’s History of Government Efficiency Reforms
While this task force marks a significant expansion of DeSantis’s cost-cutting agenda, Florida voters approved a Government Efficiency Task Force through a 2006 constitutional amendment. That earlier group meets every four years to suggest ways to improve government operations and reduce costs.
However, DeSantis’s new task force will be a more aggressive, short-term effort aimed at delivering results before his second and final term ends in 2026.
Political Reactions: Praise and Criticism
The announcement has drawn sharp reactions from both sides of the political aisle:
Support from Conservatives:
- DeSantis’s allies view the task force as a necessary measure to cut government bloat and prevent misuse of taxpayer funds.
- The governor’s comparison to federal DOGE efforts under Musk and Trump resonates with his base, especially those concerned with government overreach and financial inefficiency.
Criticism from Democrats:
Rep. Anna Eskamani (D-Orlando) criticized the initiative, arguing that the real issues facing Florida’s government are being ignored:
“The problems are the fact that we have a broken unemployment system, that we don’t have regulation of insurance companies and their predatory and fraudulent behavior,” Eskamani said.
“Unfortunately, a lot of the inefficiencies are created by Gov. Ron DeSantis himself.”
Eskamani suggested that DeSantis’s focus on cutting DEI programs and slashing government jobs diverts attention from the state’s ongoing struggles with issues like unemployment benefits and rising insurance rates.
The Role of Technology in Florida’s DOGE Plan
A major feature of the Florida DOGE Task Force will be its use of artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced analytics to root out inefficiencies. This technology will help:
- Audit government contracts and detect fraud.
- Streamline government processes by identifying redundant positions and agencies.
- Increase transparency and provide real-time monitoring of government spending.
DeSantis praised the role of technology, saying:
“Federal DOGE efforts have demonstrated the power of cutting-edge technology, and I look forward to Florida’s DOGE task force doing even more for taxpayers.”
