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Tax Policy for Grown-Ups
This article stands in stark opposition to the tax changes,
positions, and ideas urged by the GOP and Trumpists as the current session of Congress
proceeds from its budget framework to fill in the income and outgo for the
nation. You see, they want to give Jeff Bezos a tax cut and make Trump’s
grandchildren billionaires at birth.
It’s a long
article so I will summarize it here: Jeff Bezos made $6 Billion one-day
last week, and he does not need a tax cut.
Tax policy is one method for doling out economic fairness and
justice in America. Tax policy proceeds on the strength of the nation- an asset
that belongs to all of us collectively and to none of us individually.
A fundamental truth binds tax policy to the sacred social contract between the Government and the Governed, namely, that the US currency and its economy are common assets, and tools for every individual’s “ pursuit of happiness”.
A fundamental truth binds tax policy to the sacred social contract between the Government and the Governed, namely, that the US currency and its economy are common assets, and tools for every individual’s “ pursuit of happiness”.
McConnell Gang and an
Historically Big Swindle
Alaska from Russia was one sided deal, although Americans
ridiculed it, called it Seward’s Folly. Putin may have a plan to get it back.
In the meantime, the GOP tax plan hold a credible claim as the greatest theft
of our time. This one involves
$1.5Trillion—just for starters.
o
A tax policy that abolishes the estate tax- when
it needs to be increased by a large margin- deprives our government of valuable
funds needed to provide health care and other support for vulnerable citizens
including older Americans. ( No, the money is not just for minorities- need
does not know the silly differences of the outer shell when the inner self
lacks food, water, shelter or medical care).
o
A tax policy that unduly limits pre-tax savings
for workers that need to save for their certain dependence on uncertain Social
Security and Medicare, really stands out when Donald Trump’s family might gain
$1 billion in additional monies.
o
The McConnell tax cuts will be financed by
cutting off medical care for the poor, ignoring public infrastructure, and
taking a meat-cleaver to all non-defense spending: Education, research,
environmental programs.
[George Soros was the top Hedge Fund earner with $4 Billion
in 2013, we are not feeling sorry for George]
Privatization plans exist for public education, Veterans
medical care Medicare, and the remnants of Medicaid. State governments will
lose needed funding and will adjust their priorities with higher taxes, and a
greater dependence on user fees.
Should the deficit begin to crowd investment and profits,
sales taxes shift the burden onto the poor and middle class and away from the
top earners and fabulously wealthy American families.
[ Some top
Hedge Fund managers only grossed $1.5 Billion per year in 2016, a bad year—but,
they do not need a tax cut]
--Tax and Spending Priorities
Define Us
We can now justify the exorbitant amounts of unneeded billions
that we spend on defense. The current elected leadership intends to create as
many enemies for the nation as possible; they are limited only by the shortness
of human life.
Given the largest part of the budget is set aside for wasteful
defense spending, the payment for the tax cuts must come from the entitlements,
domestic spending programs, foreign aid, and research. (Wasteful because it has
become obvious to everyone outside of Trumpism that cyber-attacks can
neutralize a nuclear arsenal, and reports that Putin has already evaded US
antimissile defenses by putting his launchers on untrackable railroad cars
spread randomly over Eastern Europe.)
The current so-called tax reform will shape and limit future
federal spending. The proposed changes would reduce or eliminate categories of
spending that aid Americans directly and indirectly such as Medicaid,
Children’s Health Insurance, and feeding programs for children.
The tax changes do not support pressing American goals such as catching up with the rest of the world in education for our children, professionals, and re-trainable workers. It does nothing to provide jobs for people that want and need them, and it does nothing to help meet the current deficiencies in person power needed for critical fields like Artificial Intelligence, alternative energy, and cybersecurity.
The tax changes do not support pressing American goals such as catching up with the rest of the world in education for our children, professionals, and re-trainable workers. It does nothing to provide jobs for people that want and need them, and it does nothing to help meet the current deficiencies in person power needed for critical fields like Artificial Intelligence, alternative energy, and cybersecurity.
The proposed tax changes would limit the amounts workers can
save without taxation for retirement and likely raise the retirement threshold
for social security- unless it eventually eliminates social security by
privatization.
The current tax reform misses the marks that are important
to America and reaches out to those who need it not at all. It could instead raise taxes for everyone,
raise them significantly for businesses, multinational corporations, and upper
income earners. It could provide economically beneficial things like the
below-listed items.
·
a financial framework for creating 500,000 or
more public service jobs to add to and reinforce infrastructure while providing
training and experience in trades and crafts (we desperately need more flood
protection and trained crafts persons).
·
Infrastructure and power grid improvements to
meet the critical pressures from climate change and intensive storms, rains,
floods, and communications infrastructure (redundancies to keep vital
communications in emergencies)
·
Train and develop a cybersecurity cadre of practicing
technology professionals, coders, developers, and teaching professionals. (We
need to keep up with adversaries like Russia and North Korea that could now
immobilize our defense and civilian electronic infrastructure leaving us as
helpless as Puerto Rico after the Hurricane waiting for their President to Twitt-himself
a conscience)
--Truth has Consequences
I don’t recognize the widespread popular sentiment favoring
the billionaire at birth tax reform, and rule by Oligarchy. These are two of
the ways in which the US has begun to take on the Putin- Russia model for
economic fairness. In Putin’s Russia, everything the oligarchs want is fair, and
the rest really don’t matter because they are trained voters with confined to
propaganda and echo-chamber style communications. The enemies wind up in
prison, or dead, the available press is bought and paid for—and fake; authentic
journalism is rare, and journalists are often killed.
The Politics of Untruth
An election landslide in 2018 should begin with this tax
“deform” effort, except that it likely already -began with the repeal-by-sabotage
of the nation’s fledgling healthcare system. The public may have the odd
sensation of being angry at the politicians that are hurting them rather than
those the simply get the blame.
Finally, the population can see that Obamacare was not a curse from God, it was just principled but overpriced health insurance—overpriced by the private insurance companies---who are definitely getting some tax cuts. [HM1]
Finally, the population can see that Obamacare was not a curse from God, it was just principled but overpriced health insurance—overpriced by the private insurance companies---who are definitely getting some tax cuts. [HM1]
The Polls have a
Message
Trumps popularity rates amongst the lowest in history for a
new president, many people see the assault on truth (prosecuting leaks of the
truth, assault on the press as fake news) as legally objectionable conduct. To
most Americans their idea of a real President is a person that faithfully executes
the laws of the land—not just the ones that tickle a fancy, or please a dubious
base.
Tax reform thus far is spectacularly unpopular and very few
voters see it as relevant to helping their situation. Nearly everyone (more
than 72% of respondents in an October 20 Reuters/IPSOS poll) sees the plan as benefits
for corporations, businesses, and the wealthy.
If the past is a prologue, this upcoming Presidential cycle will
require a lot of voter suppression and help from the Russian-bots; the
Trumpists must convince their voters once again to accept the words of someone
clearly not known for truth; the voters will have to disbelieve what they see—
GOP voters- believe us and don’t believe your lying eyes.
