Government might just be too big when even left-wing bases like Detroit are measuring government employee terminations by the hundreds.

“Detroit Mayor Dave Bing, who outlined an emergency plan two days ago, isn’t wasting any time taking action” in tackling his city’s financial crisis, our colleague Micki Maynard at the Changing Gears project reports. “Today, Bing said the city will lay off 1,000 employees, or about 9 percent of the city’s payroll, by Feb. 25.”

Bing (D), writes the Detroit Free Press, said in a statement that the layoffs “will be strategic. We will limit the impact on residents, protecting core services like police and fire protection as much as we can.”

Wait, you mean it’s possible to retain proper government roles while also significantly reducing the size of government? Why, it’s almost as if government is too big. Mind: blown.

Why the sudden urgency? I mean, announcing layoffs shortly before Christmas isn’t the best option. Well, as soon as April (jobs will be cut in February) Detroit will face a cash flow shortfall of $45 million, “at which time it would be insolvent”. City council members will announce their own plan, possibly including even deeper cuts, on Monday.