About 30 people met on Friday, March 28, at IKE Box to discuss their views of the Department of Government Efficiency in an event organized by Braver Angels Salem.  Braver Angels is a national organization that facilitates conversations between conservatives and liberals and creates a respectful environment for people to debate and disagree. A group of community members recently started a chapter in Salem and holds regular “coffee talks,” each centered around a specific issue. The Friday event was about the Department of Government Efficiency, a government initiative led by billionaire Elon Musk to shrink the size of the federal government and decrease government spending perceived as wasteful. Since its creation in January, it has made mass layoffs across various departments and sought to eliminate some agencies, such as the U.S. Agency for International Development.  Jeff Spitzer, a former state coordinator of Braver Angels Oregon who identifies as “red-leaning” (conservative) and Rebecca Ralston, who identifies as “blue-leaning” (liberal) organized the event. They encouraged the group to especially talk with those who they disagreed with and to “play devil’s advocate” when paired with those with similar views.  Almost all present were middle-aged or seniors and the environment was peaceful and cooperative. Most attendees had negative views of DOGE but a few people raised their hand when one asked to be paired up with someone with positive views of the agency. Rebecca Ralston, a “blue-leaning” chair of Braver Angels Salem, introduces the rules of the coffee talk about the Department of Government Efficiency at IKE Box on Friday, March 28, 2025. (Alan Cohen/Salem Reporter) Rebecca Strader, a retired Presbyterian pastor who attended the event, said she is concerned that “the most vulnerable are the most affected” by DOGE cuts, for instance in food banks and schools. “The powerful see the vulnerable as disposable,” she said.  Strader also thinks there has been significant progress in diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in recent years but they are being threatened by the Trump administration, which has sought to eliminate such programs from all levels of government.  Strader works with homeless communities through local nonprofits and thinks DOGE cuts will not help those in need, but instead “it takes mentorship” to uplift vulnerable communities.  Jeff Spitzer, a “red-leaning” chair of Braver Angels Salem, speaks with “blue-leaning” chair Rebecca Ralston at the coffee talk about the Department of Government Efficiency at IKE Box on Friday, March 28, 2025. (Alan Cohen/Salem Reporter) Rick Newton shared Strader’s concerns and said that “people who are vulnerable aren’t the problem, they are the solution.” He also has a religious background and has done nonviolent communication training with Tim Buckley, one of the founders of Braver Angels Salem who was not present at the Friday talk.  Newton was mostly critical of Musk’s involvement in the Trump Administration and said Musk lacks empathy with groups affected by recent DOGE cuts. “Does Elon (Musk) believe greed is the solution?” he said.  Rick Saul, another attendee, described DOGE as “a smokescreen” for Musk and Trump to reach their political goals in the name of efficiency and said citizens should not “look at what they’re saying (but) at what they’re doing.” Saul lives in South Salem but is originally from Massachusetts, where he says there is also a sharp urban-rural divide. He has a military background and is critical of the Trump administration’s handling of classified materials after government officials recently leaked classified information and plans for military strikes in a group chat. He said the government took confidentiality more seriously when he was in the Air Force. Saul wonders why Musk has so much power in government despite being an unelected official and is afraid Americans will normalize his behavior of cutting essential services with little oversight. “Very strange things (are) going on” in the Trump administration, he said. Linda Schild, another community member at the event who is a Salem native, acknowledged some merits in DOGE and said that eliminating wasteful spending in government is necessary. However, she is critical of Musk’s approach because it “seems very extreme” and is “too fishy and ruthless.” Schild largely quoted DOGE’s lack of oversight and supervision in decreasing government spending and said it needs more “checks and balances” despite seeing a need to question government spending. She also thinks that Trump’s first term as president largely followed the law but the second is challenging democratic norms.  After the small group conversations, some attendees shared their experiences about discussing the issue with other community members.  Kirsten Collins, who identifies as blue-leaning, said the small-group conversations helped her interpret the issue from the other perspectives and understand its nuances. Mark Bulgin, the co-founder of Ike Box, said everyone could agree with how beneficial it is to be in a space where “you don’t have to worry they’re trying to convince you of something” and the initiative “allows you to examine your own beliefs.” Contact reporter Alan Cohen: alan.salemreporter@gmail.com. A MOMENT MORE, PLEASE – If you found this story useful, consider subscribing to Salem Reporter if you don’t already. Work such as this, done by local professionals, depends on community support from subscribers. 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