DOGE cuts mean less services

Elon Musk and Donald Trump, through the actions of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE,) have initiated deep spending cuts. The Department of Education cut 1,300 positions; Veterans Affairs cut 20,000 positions and Health and Human Services cut 20,000 positions. Spending cuts mean eliminating services for the average citizen.

Cuts to the Department of Education means:

• Fewer people to administer student aid grants for average-income students (not hurting higher income students who don’t qualify)

• Fewer services for disabled students who need additional help (again not hurting higher income citizens who can provide for themselves)

• Less tracking of student achievement per schools (meaning less help for lower-income schools)

Cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs means:

• Fewer staff to schedule appointments

• Fewer doctors to treat our veterans medical issues

• Fewer dollars to provide nursing home care for our veterans

Cuts to Health and Human Services means:

• Cuts to Meals on Wheels which provides nutritious meals to the elderly

• Cuts to AmeriCorps which means less help for people finding jobs, responses to disasters, and protecting clean air and water

The rich can afford to provide for their own services; however, these budget cuts are detrimental to everyday Americans — that’s right, you and me living in northeast Iowa. We will get fewer services and the rich will pay less taxes.

Ann Fields

Lansing