3 myths about the poor that Republicans are using to support slashing US safety ne

The following article by Michele Gilman, Venable Professor of Law, University of Baltimore, was posted on the Conversation website December 13, 2017:

Sen. Chuck Grassley recently seemed to suggest some poor people spend all their money on “booze or women or movies.” AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall

Republicans continue to use long-debunked myths about the poor as they defend lower taxes for the rich and deep cuts to the social safety netto pay for them. In so doing, they are essentially expressing scorn for working class and low-income Americans.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, for example, recently justified reducing the number of wealthy families exposed to the estate tax as a way to recognize “the people that are investing, as opposed to those that are just spending every darn penny they have, whether it’s on booze or women or movies.” Continue reading “3 myths about the poor that Republicans are using to support slashing US safety ne”