At last Congressman Erik Paulsen has found an issue sufficiently worthy to draw him out of hiding (“America’s broken tax code needs some repair” Nov. 2).
The tax bill he and his Republican comrades are pushing through Congress was drafted behind closed doors, with no hearings and no input from Democrats.
Paulsen, Trump and the other Republicans have forgotten that trickle-down economics have not worked in the past and certainly did not work in the 1980s when Reagan foisted them upon the country. Reagan’s own budget director, David Stockman, even authored a book admitting they do not work.
Paulsen and friends must stop repeating and perpetuating the myth that tax cuts to big corporations result in the “trickling down” of wealth to the middle class. Corporations hoard profits and give raises to their CEOs. They don’t give pay raises to employees, nor do they hire more people.
While Paulsen pretends to empathize with “hard-working families” he neglects to mention that the bill benefits the richest of the rich. Elimination of the estate tax or “death tax” as he and Trump refer to it, would net Trump’s hard-working children, Don Jr. Eric, Ivanka and Tiffany a cool $525 million when Trump dies, as calculated by Forbes.
The ability to deduct medical expenses is to be eliminated as well. This hurts the sickest of the sick. You need to incur thousands of dollars to begin with, in order to take this deduction.
The ability to deduct student loan debt will be eliminated. No more deducting state and local taxes on your federal tax return. This deduction was originally created in order to prevent double taxation by federal and state governments.
The tax credit for those over age 65 or on disability will be eliminated. Honestly, Paulsen, have you and Mr. Trump any shame whatsoever?
We do thank you for the few crumbs you’ve tossed our way, such as the $300 credit for each parent and non-child dependent, (to be phased out in five years). We also thank you, of course, for increasing the child tax credit from $1,000 to $1,600.
You know and we know it is the wealthy campaign donors behind Trump and the Republicans who are demanding these tax cuts to the corporations and to the super-rich, not your voters.
Hopefully, constituents here in the 3rd District will call you with a reminder that we pay your salary and expect that you represent our interests — not those of billionaire campaign donors.
Gail Fischer, Chaska
Chaska Herald, November 6, 2017