Not once in the recent border wall debate did I hear the question, “How are we going to pay for it?” enter the conversation. The U.S. needs border security and our immigration laws must be enforced, but how much are we willing to pay?
To answer, we must think back to Economics 101 and remember the true cost of anything is what we are willing to give up to obtain it. A family wanting to buy a new television must decide between raiding their savings, not taking the next vacation or putting it on a credit card. As citizens, are we willing to increase our debt, cut Medicare, Social Security or military spending? Since we haven’t figured out how to pay for the recent tax cuts, I think we should start asking some responsible questions about finances. I’m sure conservatives in Congress would agree yet they remain strikingly silent on the issue.
Let’s not forget that $5.7 billion is a down payment on the total cost of President Donald Trump’s wall. Anyone who has voted for border wall money, including Alaska’s entire congressional delegation, owes it to their constituents to answer the question: What are we giving up to build this wall?
— Asher Harley
Anchorage
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