<p><strong>To the editor:</strong></p>
<p>The points made in the opinion column "Where do your tax dollars go?" in the April 23 issue of the Daily Journal might have had more credibility were they not authored by two individuals employed by a highly conservative think tank, which receives funding through organizations funded by the Koch brothers – two of the wealthiest billionaires in this country – who essentially have been buying politicians and a good portion of the Republican party for years now.</p>
<p>Along with the Mercers, they bought and paid for Donald Trump – at least the part that Putin and the Russian oligarchs didn’t already own – and they have a clear agenda to eliminate all entitlement programs, oh and also Social Security.</p>
<p>As a citizen who has been paying into Social Security and every other federal tax imposed by my government all of of my entire working life I really don’t believe it’s up to a couple of uber-billionaires and a highly conservative think tank to decide which programs should be allowed to continue and which don’t. It’s indisputable that our government needs to stop deficit spending and all programs need to be reviewed, but considering how easy it is for billionaires to stand on high and proclaim that it is the safety net programs that need to be cut, with no comprehension of how many lives would be impacted, without guaranteeing there would be an adequate number of living wage jobs and affordable healthcare options, and offering ways to transition into a society that offers true pathways to achieve the "great American dream," it seems the authors do little more than raise the alarm.</p>
<p>So many in the conservative camp believe it’s a simple matter of just returning to the "good old days" of smaller government and no safety net programs. Like pulling those programs would just magically create enough jobs and affordable healthcare to sustain the entire population. And those that would suffer, can do just that, suffer.</p>
<p>Our federal spending is a nightmare, but what’s even more alarming is how a small handful of billionaires are deciding what is and isn’t suitable for the masses. If we really want our government to function and work like it was designed to, the best first step would be to stop letting billionaires and the uber- rich buy our politicians. Get the money out of Washington, and we might actually get better results.</p>
<p><p style="text-align: right"><strong>Lisa Voiles</strong></p>
<p><p style="text-align: right"><strong>Whiteland</strong></p>
