Big government = Big problem
By Easton Martin | December 28, 2025
Opposing large government poverty programs is not a conservative policy position due to lack of empathy. Instead, the evidence shows that many of these programs suffer from widespread fraud, abuse, and waste.
Recent reporting by Nick Shirley documented just how severe these problems can become when massive sums of money are distributed with poor oversight and weak accountability.
When programs reach that level of dysfunction, skepticism is not only reasonable, it is necessary. Taxpayer funds are being misused at a scale that directly undermines the stated goal of helping those in need. Resources that should be reaching struggling families are instead captured by bad actors, shell organizations, and administrative layers that produce little measurable benefit.
Calling attention to these failures is a policy critique, not a moral accusation. It is entirely legitimate to reject programs that repeatedly demonstrate they cannot safeguard public money or deliver effective outcomes. Ignoring documented fraud and waste does nothing to address poverty and only entrenches systems that reward mismanagement.
