Most Americans agree the country should not be in debt by trillions of dollars, especially since we citizens aren’t allowed to owe our creditors without paying and most of us do not have infinite borrowing limits.

Two readers are asking the community to lend objective consideration to the question: “Are some of the massive cuts being made going to actually solve the national debt or cause irrevocable harm to the already marginalized in our society?”

Read their perspectives here.

#1 Jessica Simpson, Director of The Davis Center for Child Development

Cutting SNAP hurts kids and families 

Dear Editor,

I was disheartened to learn that the U.S. Senate approved $290 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by shifting costs to states and limiting updates to the Thrifty Food Plan, which sets the formula used to determine SNAP benefits. This would take food off the tables of millions of families.

I know the difference SNAP can make because I lived it. My family relied on the program when I grew up and now, as a parent and early childhood educator, I see how vital that support is for kids. Children can’t learn when they’re hungry — research shows food insecurity in early childhood is linked to falling behind in reading and math by the time they start school.

SNAP is one of the most effective tools we have to fight hunger. It has long had bipartisan support because it works — it reduces food insecurity, improves health outcomes and strengthens local economies. Every $1 spent on SNAP generates about $1.79 in economic activity.

Here in Tennessee, where food prices are high and wages haven’t kept pace, families are already making tough choices. Weakening them would have serious consequences.

Lawmakers must reject these harmful cuts and invest in policies that help kids and families thrive. Protecting SNAP is both the right and the smart thing to do.

Sincerely,

– Jessica Simpson 

#2 YMCA of East Tennessee urges continued support for 21st century community learning centers funding

The YMCA of East Tennessee is calling attention to the critical need for continued federal support of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program — a vital funding source for more than 10,000 afterschool programs nationwide, including those operated by the YMCA of East Tennessee. On July 1, 2025, the Y and other out-of-school childcare providers were notified that the federal government is holding the money to review 21st CCLC funding, even though the funds were mandated by Congress’s FY 2025 spending bill and signed by the president in March. No timeline or process has been shared for this review.

“If this funding is withheld this fall, 149 children in our community will lose access to Y afterschool,” said Matt Ryerson, president & CEO of the YMCA of East Tennessee. “We’re looking at an immediate $70,000 funding gap this fall and an additional $95,000–$100,000 needed for the spring semester to serve these families.”

Beyond the 149 students directly affected, the funding loss would impact four full-time YMCA staff members and approximately 20 part-time childcare counselors. The ripple effect could be devastating, particularly in East Knoxville, where families rely on this care to maintain steady employment.

As the only federal funding source exclusively dedicated to high-quality, local afterschool, before-school, and summer learning programs, 21st CCLC is specifically designed to support high-poverty, low-performing schools. These funds allow the YMCA to provide essential after school childcare services to children and working families who need them most, services like tutoring, literacy and math support, STEM education, nutrition education and healthy snacks.

Currently, the YMCA of East Tennessee operates 21st Century-funded afterschool programs at four elementary schools: Sarah Moore Greene, Inskip, Green Magnet and Spring Hill. These programs serve neighborhoods where families often cannot afford to miss a single workday or work shift, and where access to safe, enriching childcare is essential.

Because the YMCA is only at the beginning of a three-year grant cycle, these funds have already been budgeted and communicated as available to families. If the Y is forced to implement parent fees, many families — already financially stretched — may not be able to afford the cost. Though many are technically eligible for state childcare assistance through DHS, those funds are often exhausted before children even enter elementary school.

“Without our Y childcare programs,” continued Ryerson, “we worry that children could be left unattended or placed in unsafe, unregulated situations simply because their parents have no other options.”

A child at Green Magnet once summed it up best: ”I love the YMCA because it means I don’t have to sit in my mom’s car every day while she finishes her work shift.”

The YMCA of East Tennessee urges community leaders, policymakers and stakeholders to recognize the value of these programs and to protect the funding that helps working families thrive.

– Rebekah Grace is an executive director, C. W. Cansler Family YMCA, and vice president of marketing

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