The tax filing deadline is soon. In recent years I've commented and supplied facts as to how our money is used.
Over 50 percent of our money goes for the Department of Defense (Pentagon), and $700-plus billion is new proposed military spending. While this huge amount is spent to continue to police the world, fund hundreds of military bases of occupation in other countries and give more obscene wealth to weapons makers and death merchants, these following shameful facts of neglect and cruelty exist.
The U.S. has over 45 million living in poverty, making less than $22,314 per year. The U.S. has the highest rate of childhood poverty in the industrialized world. Of the 500,000 people homeless each night, 200,000 of them are veterans. An "honored" veteran commits suicide every 65 minutes; 70 percent of them are over 50 years old.
Average college loan debt accrual per year, per student, is over $30,000. Yet the U.S. ranks 23rd in science, 31st in math and 49th in literacy among all industrialized countries.
Despite the U.S. having the highest medical costs in the world at $8,805 (per person) the U.S. ranks 29th in infant mortality, 37th in quality of healthcare, 42nd in life expectancy.
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If the U.S. is to be "great" we need to get our priorities in line with respect and care for our people's needs and care for our homeland - the environment. Trump speaks of wanting the U.S. to be safe. Safety doesn't exist for the many living in poverty, without health care, without decent housing and jobs.
The U.S. spent $1.55 trillion on needless wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. That amount of money could have provided universal health care for all for the same period.
There is no justification for military madness with our tax dollars.
Our choices: More war, or peace, jobs, education and health care at home and urgent care for Mother Earth undergoing climate change.
Chuck Goyette
Red Lake Falls, Minn.
