A Gimmick We Like

We spend a lot of time warning about budget gimmicks. But OMB’s new contest for federal employees to submit ideas for how the government can save money, with President Obama choosing the winning idea next month, is a gimmick we like. While the bigger ideas that would save a significant amount of money, such as raising the retirement age or broadening the tax base, may not be the types of ideas sent in from the agencies who are charged with ‘improving the quality of output at lower costs,’ there is sure to be many productivity enhancing, cost saving ideas.

OMB should open up the contest to outsiders as well.

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