1. United States
2. N.J.
3. Letter

Kristi Noem’s billion dollar contract could have done so much good for humanity. I think that Congress has become so self possessed as to not see the possibilities of what that kind of investment could do for tax payers. So I’ve composed a list l of things you claim we can’t afford, but we clearly can… because we can afford a wall and a war. But I digress: Here are concrete examples of what roughly $1 billion could accomplish if directed at basic human needs. The numbers are approximate but based on real project costs used by development organizations. ⸻ Clean Water • A community well in many developing regions costs about $5,000–$15,000 and can serve 500–1,000+ people. $1 billion could fund: • ~100,000 wells • Provide clean water to 50–100 million people That alone could dramatically reduce deaths from waterborne diseases. ⸻ Food Security School meal programs are extremely cost-effective. • Feeding a child a daily school meal in many programs costs about $50–$75 per year. $1 billion could: • Feed 13–20 million children for a full year This also boosts school attendance and reduces child labor. ⸻ Vaccinations Large global vaccine programs operate at enormous scale. For perspective: • Global immunization alliances have raised about $9 billion to vaccinate hundreds of millions of children over several years. $1 billion could roughly: • Vaccinate tens of millions of children • Prevent millions of deaths from diseases like measles, polio, and tetanus. ⸻ Housing Basic low-cost housing in many regions can be built for about $10,000–$25,000 per unit. $1 billion could build: • 40,000–100,000 homes • Housing for 150,000–400,000 people ⸻ Medical Clinics Small rural clinics typically cost about $250,000–$500,000 to build and equip. $1 billion could fund: • 2,000–4,000 clinics That would serve tens of millions of people with primary care. ⸻ Education Building and equipping a school in many low-income regions can cost $200,000–$1 million depending on size. $1 billion could build: • 1,000–5,000 schools • Education capacity for hundreds of thousands to millions of students ⸻ Renewable Energy Small solar microgrids that power villages often cost $100k–$500k. $1 billion could electrify: • 2,000–10,000 communities • Potentially 10–50 million people ⸻ Sanitation Basic sanitation (toilets, sewer systems, hygiene programs) can cost $50–$150 per person. $1 billion could provide sanitation to: • 6–20 million people ⸻ Perspective A billion dollars sounds abstract, but in human terms it could realistically provide: • Clean water for tens of millions • Food for millions of children • Homes for hundreds of thousands • Healthcare access for millions • Schools for entire regions So please spare me your song and dance about how hard you’re trying to provide for your constituents. We can see how our money is being spent- and it’s not what we voted for.