The root cause of everything bad, the error of errors, is to have private property of the means of production. Without it, we'd have a wealthy, technologically advanced civilization within planetary boundaries. Socialism first!

I don't buy this. You wrote, “It's not really cheaper for those who matter (the bourgeoisie).” and then “Cheaper for government isn't the point that drives policy.” Yes, it is! Because the government is the government of the bourgeoisie. It is the ruling assembly for their capitalist economy. Ultimately, it is the working class who funds the government because it is the class which does all work. So, you could pretend that costs do not matter for the capitalists. But the working class can only pay in taxes what they got in wages. This means higher costs for government lower the profits of capitalists. (And we know that capitalists want to slash government spending wherever possible.) And that is why it is a cost to everybody in society when politicians decide to punish the poor for what is not their fault, when, for example, they maintain a homeless population at great costs while it is cheaper to house them in existing empty housing. This hurts the homeless the most, at the expense of everyone.