Dear Elon,
We at the Esselstyn Foundation fully acknowledge that the federal bureaucracy has grown quite massive and unwieldy. It is clear to most budget-minded Americans like ourselves that some "tightening of the belt" and improved oversight needs to happen when it comes to way the government spends our tax dollars. Your interest in reducing the size of the bureaucracy is easy for us to wrap our heads around and we applaud the spirit of what you are trying to do.
However…
To date, it appears you and the DOGE team are wildly swinging your chainsaw around instead of relying on the accuracy of a surgeon's blade. That is, you are hacking and chopping blindly and irresponsibly with no understanding of the damage you are doing. We suggest you pump the brakes a bit and become more discerning.
In light of this, we have a few recommendations for you, ones that will help you improve the health and wellbeing of millions of Americans and save the government a ton of money.
Cut 100% of Meat and Dairy Subsidies: The US Government spends roughly $38 billion on subsidies to the meat and dairy industry yearly. This would be an easy chop and would reduce the consumption of foods that are directly linked to disease. Go for it, Elon.
Reduce Medicare Payouts for Heart Disease: Medicare spends roughly $280 billion on heart disease each year. Heart disease is one of the most expensive health conditions to treat, yet it is the easiest to prevent via lifestyle. This reminds us of the illogical tradition of FEMA dolling out billions to help people rebuild their houses in well-known flood zones that will flood again soon. There is no incentive for individuals to make a better choice or make lifestyle changes if the government keeps paying the tab for repeated dumb thinking.
Reduce Subsidies for Junk Food: Our government heavily subsidizes corn, soybeans, wheat, and rice production. While these foods are not inherently evil, the vast majority of them are used for livestock feed or converted to cheap products and additives like corn sweeteners, processed food, vegetable oils, and refined carbs. This is why junk food is so darn cheap. The government is essentially helping to pay for the obesity epidemic. Remember: The current economic burdens of CVD and diabetes, two of the many diseases predominantly caused by poor diet quality, are estimated to approach $700 billion per year.
Hack Medicare Payments for Tobacco-Related Diseases: While the US government does not give subsidies to the tobacco industry directly, it does absorb the cost of the health outcomes. In the US, treating tobacco-caused disease costs about $225 billion per year with 60% of those costs being covered by taxpayers. It is time for some personal responsibility. What if the incentive to stop smoking was because the government will not cover your treatments for lung disease?
Tighten Up the Rules for SNAP: It is estimated that 25% of the money that goes towards the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Food Stamps) is used to purchase junk food, including soda, candy, potato chips, cookies, and ice cream. One cannot buy cigarettes with SNAP money; why can people buy soda?
Reduce Dollars to Corporate Agribusiness: Large agribusinesses that specialize in growing major commodity crops used to make highly processed food like soybeans and corn receive 50% of all subsidies. Shockingly, previous versions of the US Farm Bill actually stipulated that farmers could not grow other fruits and veggies. If they did, they were penalized! Once again, the incentive is to farm a small array of cash crops. That's it.
Cut All Support to the Alcoholic Beverage Industry: Alcohol is a leading risk factor for cancer, CVD, and liver disease. It also contributes to road injuries, homicides, suicides, and domestic abuse. Yet, each year, using tax breaks, production subsidies, marketing deductions, tax rebates, developmental assistance, and trade agreements, billions of tax dollars are spent to support the alcohol industry. Two of the most subsidized crops in the U.S., barley and sorghum, are used to make beer. About 44% of barley in 2010 was used for beer production.
So, Elon, let's stop firing nuclear safety employees, park rangers, and veterans working for the VA. Why not plunge your saw blade into the parts of the government budget that are actively and knowingly contributing to shortening our lives and spreading debilitating diseases.
America has never really been healthy, so let maybe change the slogan to Make American Healthy Now vs. Make America Healthy Again. Why not kick off the initiative with some broad cuts to the funding that is quite literally helping to kill us.
Sincerely,
The Esselstyn Foundation
