Columbia, SC — Cindi Scoppe’s column about Medicaid expansion basically said we should take the money from Washington as this will create jobs and help the medical needs of many.

I have learned more from Cindi’s articles about S.C. government than from any other source. She does lots of research, she is very good at what she does, and everything she suggested in the column on Medicaid expansion is accurate. But she presents the micro-picture.

The bigger picture is that this money comes from Washington, which is running trillion-dollar deficits. Medicare and Medicaid are the two most costly elements in the federal budget. There simply is not enough money to care for everyone’s needs.

South Carolina taking more Medicaid funds might win a battle for us here, but we also might lose the war in federal deficits.

Jay Graham

Columbia