Misplaced priorities

To the Editor;

On Wednesday, April 1, soon after he proposed the largest increase in military spending ever (from $1 trillion this year to $1.5 trillion in 2027), President Trump said it is not possible for the federal government to fund Medicare and Medicaid and that the states should take over these programs.

Medicare currently takes up about $1 trillion of total US spending and medicaid $700 billion. Maine, already having budget battles in the legislature, cannot add $4 billion (the proportion of the total Medicare budget Maine would be expected to bear) to its current $12 billion budget. And that would not take into account the cost of developing and administering its own Medicare program or the cost of taking on Medicaid, another $3 billion.

Among high income developed countries, the US ranks last overall in health outcomes and life expectancy despite paying more per person. If Maine is forced to take over Medicare and Medicaid, the best we could expect would be greatly diminished programs and our health outcomes and life expectancy will decline proportionately.

Of the 10 countries with the highest military spending, the US currently spends more than the other nine, combined. Our constitution says we are a “government for the people”. Markedly cutting our healthcare expenditures while greatly adding to an already bloated military budget sounds like a government with misplaced priorities.

Bob Lodato

Charleston