As a self-employed taxpayer that pays at a higher rate than MOST of our politicians, I really resent that my taxpaying dollars are going directly to the formula industry.  I do not want my tax dollars subsidizing and industry that overcharges for a product that creates waste by:

a) shipping promotional sample to individuals who do not want or need it
b) engaging in deceptive advertising that makes individuals who do not want or need it think they need it
c) co-opts public institutions into using VALUABLE staff time to store and promote their products
d) creates unnecessary environmental waste by producing an excessive amount of a product that is not needed

The milk gap created by the distribution of formula paid for by my tax dollars in so far in excess of what is needed that you could easily use the same amount of my tax dollars for:

a) increased staff training to better assist mothers to breastfeed
b) NON-PROFIT human donor milk banks to cover the milk gap
c) breast pumps for mothers who cannot feed directly from the breast.

In reality, every really good economic study I've ever read shows that the reason why WIC succeeds is that it is an INCOME TRANSFER program. The money funneled through the formula industry would actually be less if you just gave the money to the women to make their own decisions.  This has been replicated with studies of famine situations.  It would be far more cost effective just to give people money to purchase what they need than to ship surplus agricultural products from developed countries.

A disgruntled US taxpayer.

Sincerely,

Susan E. Burger, MHS, PhD, IBCLC

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