[Ed. Note: Senate Republicans want to pass this bill by tomorrow, before people have a chance to see how really terrible it is. And John McCain just got on board.
As the New York Times puts it, “It Started as a Tax Cut. Now It Could Change American Life.”
“With a potentially far-reaching dimension, elements in both the House and Senate bills could constrain the ability of states and local governments to levy their own taxes, pressuring them to limit spending on health care, education, public transportation and social services. In their longstanding battle to shrink government, Republicans have found in the tax bill a vehicle to broaden the fight beyond Washington.
The result is a behemoth piece of legislation that could widen American economic inequality while diminishing the power of local communities to marshal relief for vulnerable people — especially in high-tax states like California and New York, which, not coincidentally, tend to vote Democratic.”]
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From Indivisible Somerville, whose mission is to empower members of the community to actively and effectively participate in the political process combining traditional grassroots strategies with modern technology, rapid innovation and collaborative action :
” The Senate will vote soon on the Republican tax plan. If passed, the plan will decimate higher education, the Affordable Care Act and many of the deductions that matter to hard-working Americans. Meanwhile, it slashes corporate taxes while greatly favoring the very wealthy. A recent analysis indicates that it will ultimately lead to tax hikes for 50% of Americans, primarily members of the middle class. Meanwhile, Trump and his family stand to gain more that $1 billion under the plan.
The overwhelming majority of economists predict that the Republican plan will also balloon the deficit. As a result, the Congressional Budget Office says, it could trigger $25 billion in automatic Medicare spending cuts next year, plus another $111 billion in reductions to other programs. And the deficit will give Republicans an excuse to make further Medicare cuts as well as cuts to Medicaid, Social Security, and programs that benefit the poor and the powerless.
This bill will give massive tax cuts to corporations and the very wealthy while 277,000 Bay Staters will lose health insurance coverage and 654,900 Massachusetts families will see a tax increase.
Polls indicate that most Americans oppose this tax scam. Call Senators Markey (202-224-2742) and Warren (202-224-4543) and urge them to delay the bills passage by withholding consent and offering hundreds of amendments.”
Fred Rich LaRiccia
Member, Indivisible Somerville
Donald Green says
This bill has an even worse consequence. It solidifies reactionary politicians’s view of economics. In its rawest sense it is the creation of .a feudal state. The Lords are the over monied Oligarchs who pushed their sponsored legislators to increase their political power by putting even more cash in their hands to suppress voting and keep incomes out of whack with inflation. It is moving a majority of the population into being vassals. However their belief in this economic model has a major flaw. When people are pushed to subsistence or near subsistence levels any tinkering from the top that creates a “bubble” will push the economy into a severe recession.
Further shortfalls from the Feds on necessary government spending will fall to the states whether Red, Blue, or Purple. Those that have a history of stinginess or limited sources of revenue will be hurt the most.
I am not sure which is better. Letting it happen or tossing these legislators out to prevent the worst effects of this legislation. Our present governor and legislature do not seem inclined to fund critical elements necessary to boost our economy or have erroneous notions of what will work to do so. We have reached a “How the hell did this happen?” stage since the downturn has been gradual. The macro numbers belie the degree of suffering that many of our citizens endure. Under the trickle down i.e. feudalism, they have gotten the dirty end of the stick.
We can only fix it by joining the grass roots organization of your choice, and putting in government officials who understand that an economy that works for the few is a recipe for collapse.