Op-Ed: Social Justice Requires Social Discipline

By John Livingston • February 23, 2025

The following Op-Ed was submitted by John Livingston. Op-Eds do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of those at the Idaho Dispatch.

Since Covid, States including Idaho have used accounting gimmicks to “scam” Federal Medicaid Dollars into programs like food stamps—The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and housing subsidies. In an Editorial in today’s Wall Street Journal, by simply returning Medicaid spending to pre Covid levels adjusted for inflation over $1.4 trillion in savings could be realized at the Federal level over 10 years. Similar savings to the various States could also be realized.

Progressive liberals in Boise and Washington claim that Republicans want to take food and health care away from poor people, but the reality is that most of the increased Covid welfare spending went to middle class Americans—those who can support themselves but choose not to. For Democrats and Republicans alike, this is a moral issue. Progressives frame the argument as an all or non-proposition and it is not. There are moral obligations by those who distribute government benefits at all levels of government. The allocation of scarce resources can be a difficult task but remembering that the resources being allocated to others in the form of transfer payments, are not resources that were earned by the legislators themselves, may help reinforce a more fiduciary standard on each legislator. Unlike Nancy Pelosi who opined during a CNN interview that “we feed them (the poor)”, by handing out government subsidies in the form of transfer payments, she is taking credit for an act of charity when there is not such an act being made. Charity is considered by many Christian and Jewish denominations as a covenant act between giver and receiver to which God is a party. It is voluntary. The act is not coerced. Nowhere in the New Testament can I find that government can be assigned a role in such an act. “Render unto Ceasar…..” frames the argument for the roles of government and the individual and the church regarding government assistance as opposed to acts of charity.

There are today 100 million Americans on Medicaid. 10% more than in 2019. Medicaid spending is almost at the level as spending for our military $952 billion/year. There are according to the WSJ 10 million people receiving Medicaid aid, who prior to Covid were in a full-time job with health care benefits. Many of those people choose purposefully not to look for higher paying jobs or new jobs because they will lose their government welfare benefits, and the new increased salaries will not be greater than the wages and benefits they are paid today. Others purposefully work part-time, work a “side gig,” and still remain eligible for government benefits. Nobody, Republican or Democrat, wants to decrease support for people who can’t take care of themselves through no fault of their own. Being good stewards requires that we root out people gaming the system,m including those in upper management in large hospital systems and insurance companies who have seen their own salaries increase during Covid—at least partially subsidized by increased payments from Medicaid.

Food stamps, now called SNAP has increased from $33billion in 2019, to $43 billion today—an over 20% increase in 5 years! In California 35% of the population is on food stamps and Medicaid. Both programs reimburse at a discounted rate, and people who pay for their own food and medical care are forced to make up the difference by paying increased prices at the market or increased premiums and co-pays for health care services.

In Idaho, Representative John Vander Woude has presented a Bill before the Idaho House of Representatives that would withdraw Idaho from participating in programs that were expanded pursuant to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), aka Obama Care. Medicaid is the largest part of the State Department and Welfare Budget and overall counting for Federal subsidies has an annual price of over $5 billion. I support the good Representative’s Bill 100% but let’s just pass a bill insisting on our State spending at pre (ACA) levels for Medicaid. We can stop subsidizing the 10% that are gaming the system—–including hospital administrators and insurance executives.