Questions the media should ask about reductions in work force

by Vinay Prasad 

Substantial reassignments occurred in HHS agencies. Many employees were asked to report to, for instance, the Indian Health Service, or face an impending layoff. Most have chosen lay-offs. This spans CDC, HHS, FDA, and NIH.

The media coverage has used words like blood bath, or the FDA is dead, or the US is over. Yet, here are some questions I have not seen answered.

1. The reduction in work force returns the size of these agencies to what levels? 2019 levels? 2015 levels or 1976 levels? The media coverage suggests the latter, but given the massive growth of these agencies we may be talking about the former.

2. In the private sector corporations downsize of all sorts of reasons, including incorrect ones. What is the burden in the public sector? Can it never downsize? Does it have to first commission a ten year committee to find out who should be laid off, and, in doing so, hire a few more people in the interim? How often do politicians run on cutting government size and actually cut government size?

3. Where is the US on the curve of spending on biomedicine and biomedical advances? Are we on the steep slope, i.e. each dollar spent means many more cures, or are we on the flat tail, meaning that we have long surpassed efficient spending. (provide data not quotes)

4. When people are laid off, how many staff remain in those departments? How many entire departments are instead gone, and what did they work on?

5. When experts are quoted, what percent were appointed by Democratic presidents?

https://www.drvinayprasad.com/p/questions-the-media-should-ask-about