As I peruse the April 10 edition of the paper, I find a catalog of federal spending programs: miners’ safety; VA research; home healthcare; public transit; social security; public lands; and assistance with utility bills. Most of the articles feature complaints about funding cuts.

But before injecting federal money into every facet of life, did we ever ask how we would afford so many endless programs? Or how we would manage if the federal debt grew too large?

As Margaret Thatcher said, “the problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.”

Brad Tupi
Upper St. Clair

First Published: April 13, 2025, 8:00 a.m.