Josh Heath wrote in his column the following on Feb. 27: “Consider a classic example, that of hunger. According to an analysis from the nonprofit Hunger Free America, it would cost $25 billion a year to ensure everyone has enough to eat. A cynic may see that figure and come to the conclusion that it’s just too high, a price tag we can’t afford.”
Naturally, Mr. Heath doesn’t dig into the actual numbers, he just throws out a number and if you don’t want to pay it, you’re a cynic. So in the interest of disclosure, I present the following data:
In President Donald Trump’s last year in office, the country spent $79 billion and change on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. One year later it was $113 billion, or an increase of 43%. Curiously, I could not find data for 2022 or 2023, but no doubt the costs continued to climb astronomically. So there’s your $25 billion, Josh, and then some: www.statista.com/statistics/315032/us-supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-total-costs.
And lest you think I’m one of your cynics, I don’t even mind giving out an extra $25 billion that you want. But ONLY if you cut $25 billion from somewhere else to pay for it. You see, we’re not cynical, but we are practical, logical, and have enough foresight to know that endless spending will one day hammer 95% of every citizen in this country and their offspring. We’ve already started to see the “fruits” of massive spending and it’s not good.
People like Mr. Heath have tunnel vision and think we can endlessly spend on any and every whim imaginable. And yes, Republicans are guilty of this as well. How about next time you look into the numbers, Josh, and maybe one day, just maybe, you might come to realize that money does not solve every problem — especially money laundered through D.C. and Sacramento.
Brian Richards
Stevenson Ranch
