Jesse Jackson on Defense Spending

In criticizing national budget priorities (“Who Will Bear the Burden of Deficit Cuts?” Commentary, May 4), the Rev. Jesse Jackson calls the Pentagon “the world’s costliest bureaucracy.” Wrong. We spend much more on the Social Security Administration (outlays of $396 billion in fiscal 1997) and the Department of Health and Human Services ($351 billion) than on the Defense Department ($288 billion, including civil defense).

Jackson also claims that the defense budget is “maintaining Cold War budget levels.” Wrong again. In fiscal 1961, defense accounted for 51% of all federal spending, but now the figure is down to 16%. Jackson’s wild errors call to mind a saying from Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan: “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.”

JOHN J. PITNEY JR.

Claremont

* Jackson justifiably reminds us of the waste in defense spending that we all deplore, but his comment, “Would [Congress] siphon from the gravy ladled out to the powerful and wealthy or from the gruel spooned off to the disorganized poor?” continues the tired and misleading rhetoric of the left about evil corporations and greedy owners.

But where do our tax dollars spent on defense go? Most of them ultimately go to providing jobs, health insurance and retirement benefits for multiple millions of people who either work for defense contractors (and subcontractors down the line) or serve directly in the defense/military system. All of those people are subject to income taxes on their earnings, and most pay into the Social Security and Medicare systems.

MEL WOLF

Burbank