Kids

I'm intrigued.  News reports say that Walmart is planning to spend 3 billion dollars over the next 10 years to strengthen the US economy. The agenda includes supporting new technologies, underwriting new businesses - a long list of investments. It's a sizeable goal, and obviously Walmart is doing quite well financially. As business people the company leaders expect the investment to pay off in the long run. New jobs mean more money back into the economy, which means more jobs.

With an estimated 50,000 children coming into the country from places like Guatemala,  the government is balking at spending 3 billion dollars to assist them. Actually the proposal is to spend 1.5 billion to assist them, with the remainder going to beef up the border patrol to keep additional kids and adults out. That remainder seems to be a bone thrown to the anti-immigration crowd which wants to block the border completely.

I can't do the math very well. But it would seem that $1.5 billion is enough to provide and underwrite food, clothing, and medical care for 50,000 kids over 10 years. That would be 150,000,000 a year, or 3,000 a year per child for 10 years. Put the first year of expenses to work, invest the rest, and the principle grows exponentially. Give  a financial incentive to cities around the country willing to set up staffed residence homes.

Maybe the idea isn't at all feasible. But don't try to convince me Walmart can come up with the money and the government can't. If these kids aren't on our conscience now, they will be in the future.