Letter: War of choice causes suffering at home

Published 1:30 am Saturday, April 11, 2026

Editor,

Donald Trump submitted his 2027 budget for review. A 41% increase for defense, 10% decrease for everything else.

My priorities aside, what caught my attention is this: President Trump said that social programs should be funded at the state level. “We have to take care of one thing: military protection.”

His war of choice squandered our military stockpiles while driving up cost of groceries and gas and now axing social programs, critical infrastructure, regulation of toxic industries, fairness – much of which is what makes American great.

He can’t have it both ways, insisting states cover everything but weapons and a standing military, while nationalizing what rightly belongs to the states: elections. He wants to stop mail-in ballots — the way we vote in Washington — while saddling us with services our federal tax dollars should support.

States run their own elections.

He’s got it reversed. Cutting programs to help children, seniors, education and environment to fund his war of choice — while taking over how we run our elections. I hope Secretaries of State keep howling over this intrusion into what’s often a Republican issue: states rights.

Our election. Our right. Our taxes. Our citizens’ well being.

Vicki Robin

Langley, WA