Who Knew: Trump Cuts are Hurting Catholic Programs at Military Bases


Providing Catholic services, baptisms, etc., at military bases and to the communities near the bases has been subsided in various ways by the Federal Government. Now, these subsidies are evaporating. The cuts are especially obvious in Southern states that have lots of military bases. 

These are states that voted for Trump by big majorities. The link talks of grants to fund churches combined with community centers near military bases. The churches and centers were enthusiastically endorsed because they gave a sense of community to families who move around a lot. Some of the stories are about facilities who active planning was underway, staff being trained and many decisions made in anticipation of promised money. Locals say they are confused about what happened.

From my decades in as an economics professor, the entire saga now playing out is a catastrophe without equal. During other economic downturns, government policy was used attempting, not always successfully, to offset problems in one area by actions somewhere else. During COVID, for example, people were being laid off. This meant rents would not be paid and landlords would evict people. Biden's governments threw money at people losing jobs, stopped evictions and handed out huge amounts of money to keep various parts of society afloat.

The Trump people are doing just the opposite. Whenever a problem area pops up, it tries makes things worse somewhere else as well so there is no safety valve. Cutting government in several places would not bring down the economy if stimulation and counter steps were being taken elsewhere. But, tariff wars are raising prices multiplying the downturn from the layoffs. 

This period is different, also, because usually when a policy or practice coming from Washington looks to be a mistake there is a reversal and rapid corrections. Trump keeps adding to the tariff threats instead of recognizing it is all a mistake. 

As is said often, we live in interesting times.   

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