Op-Ed: Union Leader Says N.J. Reps Must Reject Tax Reform Bill

The following op-ed comes courtesy of Kevin Brown, vice president and New Jersey state director of 32BJ SEIU. Send local news tips, op-eds and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Members of Congress are expected to vote on a final version of the tax reform bill next week.

The U.S. already spends nearly $20 billion each year to deport people, even though undocumented immigration is decreasing. That’s more than all other federal law enforcement programs combined. Representatives Lance and Frelinghuysen should reject the GOP’s calls for increased spending on mass deportation programs at the expense of vital funding for children, seniors and people with disabilities.

We need Representative Frelinghuysen to reject the GOP budget that guts Medicare, Medicaid, nutrition assistance, job assistance and infrastructure programs in favor of tax cuts for the wealthy.

Our 12,000 32BJ SEIU members in New Jersey are on the front lines of the public services that help working families. They know how their communities will suffer if these cuts to vital services are made in order to pay for corporate tax cuts.

Our members will not stand silent as the GOP attempts to use the same budgetary gimmicks they employed during the healthcare debate to ram through tax cuts for corporations, millionaires and billionaires with only Republican support.

Representative Frelinghuysen needs to spend their time helping to create good jobs and help working New Jerseyans thrive - without wasting one penny on tax cuts for millionaires, billionaires and corporations.

• See related article: Late-Night Senate Tax Vote May Be 'Disastrous' For New Jersey

If the tax plan becomes law:

• 34% of the tax cut will go to the richest 1% in New Jersey by the tenth year.
• 27% of New Jersey households would see their taxes increase in 2027 by $2,040 on average.
• The overwhelming majority of New Jersey taxpayers will get a tax increase ranging from $530 to $2,290 on average.
• New Jersey would be among the states hardest-hit by the partial repeal of SALT, a tax write-off for state and local taxes.

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File Photo: 32BJ SEIU