Editor, The Beacon:

In a recent letter, Mr. Duncan DeMarsh praises DOGE and its war on American institutions. He claims it is fighting waste and fraud in the government.

Allowing Musk and his band of 20-year-olds to rummage through agencies does not lead to finding waste and fraud. There is no transparency, no logical process. They have no idea how government works or even what these agencies actually do, and they are wreaking havoc in agency after agency.

Workers who secure our nuclear stockpile were fired. Scientists working on bird flu were fired. IRS agents are being fired in the middle of tax season. Researchers at the NIH’s Alzheimer’s

Research Center and the incoming director were fired.

After realizing that some of these workers were essential, they were rehired, but the firings continue as important work is disrupted. Recent firings at NOAA, the Department of Veterans Affairs and Social Security could cause major disruptions in services. We are losing expertise that cannot easily be replaced.

After touting savings in canceled contracts, DOGE was forced to retract much of it, since many of the contracts were old or had already been canceled. Nothing they are doing fosters efficiency or is actually saving money.

Every agency benefits someone. Maybe it is your aunt who beats cancer, the child who does not go to bed hungry, food that is safe to eat, and the veteran who receives necessary health care. The indiscriminate firing of our federal workers, many of whom are veterans, is dangerous to our health and national security. That should concern us all.

Anna Santilli

DeLand