Pentagon among spending programs that rarely end

In his commentary (“Put Build Back Better on pause and do the math,” Jan. 22), John Faso advocates pausing President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better program and claims some of its popular support stems from the public liking “free” things, without knowing what they truly cost.

According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, the real cost over the next 10 years would be close to $5 trillion, instead of the billed cost of $1.75 trillion. Here Faso is assuming that the extra $3.25 trillion — over the next 10 years — would undoubtedly affect public opinion. There is nothing to support the conclusion that the public can make judgments of this kind, entailing these kinds of numbers, over 10 years at that, by the U.S. government when individual trillionaires are on our horizon.

When Faso cautions about spending programs that rarely end, one quickly comes to mind: The Pentagon. Our political parties may joust over what to spend on this or that, but when it comes to military spending, they are all in. These total costs also run into the trillions, but they are spent on destruction rather than construction, and wouldn’t you like to know just the total of reparation payments made for all the innocents who happened to be in the way of our bombs.

Further, Faso complains the plan would expand the role of government. Former President Ronald Reagan said government is the problem, but decisions still have to be made. If government — which ostensibly is accountable to the public — does not make them, then they will be made by private interests with no accountability to the public.

James Rothenberg

North Chatham