Sahil Lavingia's diary recounts his brief 55-day involvement with the DOGE initiative within the Department of Veterans Affairs, highlighting unexpected operational structures. His experiences illuminated the complex rules around layoffs, including how seniority and veteran status played influential roles, contrary to his assumptions about efficiency. He likened DOGE's role to that of a consultant without direct decision-making power, revealing the organization as a scapegoat for controversial decisions made by agency leaders. Lavingia's reflections convey both his initial enthusiasm and subsequent disillusionment with the realities of government operations.
DOGE had no direct authority. The real decisions came from the agency heads appointed by President Trump, who were wise to let DOGE act as the 'fall guy' for unpopular decisions.
I was surprised to discover facets like seniority and the person's veteran status determined who could be targeted in layoffs, while performance was factored in lower on the list.
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