What to do with US$3.3 billion tax dollars
A message to President Joe Biden.
With US$3.3 billion tax dollars every year, you could…
- Alleviate America’s homelessness crisis.
Inflation has caused rent across the US to skyrocket, making houses more difficult to access for Americans. In California, there are “23 affordable houses for every 100 extremely low-income renters,” according to the New York Times. More houses are needed to meet the demand. Rent needs to be more affordable for low-income families.
- Fight food insecurity.
Food insecurity, caused by a rise in the cost of living, plagues 17 million families across America, including nine million children. Fighting food insecurity can include investing more in anti-poverty and anti-hunger programs.
- Make healthcare more affordable.
Although America spends more on healthcare than any other wealthy country in the world, half of working-age citizens in the country cannot afford healthcare. Many delay treatment or don’t refill their prescriptions because they’re too expensive. With inflation, this problem is getting worse.
- Make college tuition more affordable.
College tuition in America has become seven times more expensive since the 1960s. Three-fourths of Americans believe college is too expensive. Providing more grants to students and more incentives to the colleges that decrease tuition can alleviate this issue.
- Tackle environmental racism.
Environmental racism occurs when waste facilities are placed near communities where African Americans, Indigenous peoples, Latines, immigrant farmworkers, and low-income workers mainly live. As a result, these communities are exposed to cancer-causing pollutants, such as toxic dust, fumes, and ash.
- Provide clean drinking water to the Americans who don’t have it.
Jackson, Mississippi; Flint, Michigan; and Buffalo, New York. These are places that have a contaminated drinking water problem. In these areas, water is polluted either by lead or industrial runoff. Millions of Americans drink this water.
Instead of using US$3.3 billion to further these efforts, however, the US government donates that amount every year to a foreign military that drops bombs on five-year-olds and journalists, destroys hospitals and schools, detains children without trial or charge, desecrates cemeteries, shoots teenagers in the streets, deprives civilians of food and water, suffocates newborns in their incubators, and shells civilians with illegal incendiary substances like white phosphorus. That foreign military is Israel’s.
In total, the US has donated a total of US$158 billion to Israel’s military since World War II. This money is derived from US taxpayer dollars. That means that the Americans who can barely afford healthcare, rent, food, or a college education are working countless hours every day so that their government can spend their wages on missiles and rockets that get dropped on Palestinian civilians’ heads.
Staff Writer (Volume 50) — Maryam is a third-year student completing a double major in English and Professional Writing & Communication. She started her journey with The Medium in 2022, where she’s written articles for News, Opinion, Features, and Sports. In her spare time, Maryam enjoys painting, cooking, and finding creative ways to educate people about world issues that matter to her.