Mississippi State Auditor Shad White takes a bold step in addressing government inefficiency by channeling the spirit of Elon Musk's federal waste-cutting initiatives.
According to Fox News, White will release an extensive 800-page report on Monday detailing approximately $400 million in government waste uncovered during his tenure, drawing parallels between his office and Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the Trump administration.
The state auditor's office has dubbed itself MOGE (Mississippi Office of Government Efficiency) in a playful nod to Musk's federal initiative, demonstrating their commitment to fiscal responsibility and government accountability in the Magnolia State.
White's comprehensive investigation revealed significant problems with Medicaid spending, where tens of millions of dollars in subsidies were distributed to individuals who did not meet income eligibility requirements. The audit also uncovered excessive spending on basic equipment, including televisions purchased for nearly triple the federal government's price.
State auditor White emphasized that government inefficiency at the state level often surpasses federal waste. His team's findings highlight the urgent need for better oversight and management of public funds.
The investigation exposed numerous instances of misappropriated welfare funds, including approved community gardens that were never constructed and nonprofits that diverted assistance money to increase executive salaries instead of helping the poor.
White specifically addressed wasteful spending in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, revealing that Mississippi colleges alone spent $11 million in taxpayer funding on such initiatives.
Mississippi state auditor White shared his concerns about DEI spending:
We dig into what they're doing with all of this staff time and all of these resources, they were doing things like holding microaggression training sessions for engineers — I don't know why we need to do that. They were handing out grants for social justice yoga for preschoolers. Just crazy stuff.
The findings are particularly significant given that 20% of Mississippi's population lives below the poverty line, making efficient use of public funds crucial for the state's development.
White's efforts have sparked interest in similar initiatives across other southern states. While some neighboring states have different statutory limitations on their auditors' roles, Oklahoma's State Auditor Cindy Byrd is pursuing comparable waste-cutting measures.
The Mississippi auditor's office serves as a model for other states interested in implementing their own versions of DOGE. White encourages collaboration between state auditors, key legislators, and governors to address government waste systematically. White emphasized the importance of state-level oversight with this observation:
Really, I think the big-picture point here is, this kind of waste happens at every level of government. And now that DOJ is taking the lead and showing the country how much fraud, waste and abuse there is, it's really incumbent on every single state government to take a look at their own house.
Mississippi State Auditor Shad White's groundbreaking investigation has exposed $400 million in government waste throughout his tenure, prompting the creation of MOGE, inspired by Elon Musk's federal DOGE initiative. The comprehensive audit revealed widespread inefficiencies in various government programs, from Medicaid spending to DEI initiatives at state colleges, highlighting the critical need for better fiscal management in a state where one-fifth of residents live in poverty.
The 800-page report, set for release Monday, represents a significant step toward government accountability and could serve as a blueprint for other states seeking to implement similar waste-cutting measures. White's collaboration with other state auditors and his emphasis on inter-state cooperation suggests a growing momentum for government efficiency reforms across the southern United States.
