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Opinion: A form letter canceled my project to support local health departments
"The letter canceling my public health project ended with ‘Respectfully,’ of all things. There's nothing respectful about gutting health funding with a form letter,” writes Jess Steier.
A version of this essay first appeared in Jess Steier’s newsletter, “Unbiased Science.”
Well, it happened. My colleagues and I tried to dodge it, but we finally got DOGE’d. On Tuesday, the termination letter arrived from the National Association of County & City Health Officials (NACCHO) for a project we’ve poured our hearts into for several months. Eleven billion dollars that were earmarked and appropriated to stop outbreaks and strengthen public health have simply evaporated into thin air. Poof. Vamoose.
