They told us these programs were bloated.
That America couldn’t afford to feed, educate, or care for its own.
That fiscal responsibility meant sacrifice.
But look closer.
It wasn’t a shared sacrifice.
It was a targeted gutting—of the most vulnerable, while the powerful got a windfall.
✂️ What Was Cut?
In the One Big Beautiful Bill, social programs were not trimmed. They were gutted.
❌ AmeriCorps
Nearly $400 million slashed
Over 1,000 programs shut down
More than 32,000 service positions eliminated
Gone: disaster recovery teams, senior support, environmental stewards, mentors
❌ Head Start
Proposed budget cuts threaten services for 800,000 children
Lost: early learning, daily meals, health screenings, dental care
These are working-class kids—not statistics. This is our future, slashed to balance a billionaire’s ledger.
❌ SNAP (Food Assistance)
New restrictions and funding reductions
1.3 million fewer people receiving aid each month
At a time of rising food costs and shrinking wages
And while we debate whether a child deserves a sandwich,
the top 1% is writing off their third house.
🏞️ The Impact on Wyoming
This is not abstract. This is home.
Teton Science Schools, Wyoming Conservation Corps, and other AmeriCorps programs—on life support
Low-income families facing longer waitlists for Head Start and reduced classroom access
Rural counties losing social infrastructure that used to anchor struggling communities
And what fills the vacuum?
Nothing.
Because in America today, if the private sector won’t profit, the public sector gets punished.
🧠 The Real Math
Let’s be honest about what these programs cost—and what we chose instead.
For every $1 billion cut from social aid, we spent $3 billion on military expansion
For every AmeriCorps worker laid off, we expanded ICE budgets and border contracts
For every child who loses Head Start, a CEO gets a new tax write-off
This isn’t math.
It’s moral accounting—and the books don’t balance.
🧭 Who Are We?
We are the neighbors who shovel your sidewalk.
The teachers who patch together classrooms with duct tape.
The volunteers who show up when FEMA doesn’t.
The parents who skip meals so their kids can eat.
And we’re being asked to give even more—so the wealthy don’t have to give at all.
This is not fiscal discipline.
This is fiscal cruelty dressed up in flag pins and press releases.
🚨 What Happens Next?
If we let this stand, here’s what’s coming:
A generation of children permanently behind before age five
Rural counties with no clinics, no service workers, no relief
A population too sick, too broke, and too isolated to respond when the next shock comes
And the elite?
They’ll be fine. They always are.
✊ But We Remember
We remember when government meant support, not abandonment.
When public service was honored—not defunded.
When shared sacrifice meant everyone chipped in—not just those with the least.
📌 Coming Next: Episode 6 – Economic Implications and Market Reactions
We’ll look at the broader fallout: the weakening dollar, the rising interest rates, and what happens when America’s credit card hits its limit.
This is not just bad policy. It’s broken values.
And we’re not staying quiet.
This Is Us. And we fight for each other—especially when the system won’t.
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