An Open Letter To Tom MacArthur Concerning GOP Tax Plan

MOORESTOWN, NJ — Moorestown resident Paul Conlow provided an Open Letter to Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-3) on Monday. Moorestown Patch is always accepting letters to the editor on any topic. To send a letter for publication on Patch, email Anthony.Bellano@patch.com.

Dear Rep. MacArthur:
First let me say I’m disappointed that Governor-elect Phil Murphy hasn’t accepted your challenge to debate the merits of the GOP tax plan now streaking through Congress. You must be disappointed, too. Perhaps as a consolation you could schedule one of your infrequent constituent town halls to explain your support for this complicated and consequential legislation.
As you know, the House and Senate have passed separate versions of the GOP tax plan. A conference committee will meld the two versions together, then both chambers will vote on the same final bill. I have many questions about the plan which I hope you can answer before you cast your vote. Here are just a few:

• Reforming the bloated, byzantine federal tax code, which the GOP plans purport to do, is a monumental task. One could reasonably expect extensive public hearings with expert testimony, careful deliberations to balance many competing interests, and a serious effort to achieve bipartisan support. Yet the GOP tax plans were formulated in secret, bullied through committees without meaningful public hearings or expert witnesses, and rushed to the floor for votes.

How can you expect your constituents to believe that such a slapdash process will yield fair and beneficial results? How can we believe that the 500-page legislative behemoth isn’t laced with unpleasant surprises and unsavory giveaways to special interests?

• The GOP tax plan will explode the federal deficit by $1.5 trillion. Supporters chanting the magic words “trickle down” assure us that the tax cuts will stimulate economic growth and swell tax receipts enough to fill the budget crater. But Congress’ own Joint Committee on Taxation projects that economic growth will make up only about one-third of the revenues lost by the tax cuts.

Before you cast a vote on the final bill, it seems fair to ask what spending cuts you will support to fill the enormous hole the GOP tax plan will blow in the budget. Do you expect cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid?

• The GOP tax plan reportedly will trigger an immediate $25 billion cut in Medicare. Your district includes a high percentage of seniors and veterans who depend on Medicare. How will the Medicare cuts impact them?

• To your credit, you supported efforts to restore a fraction of the state and local tax (SALT) deductions eliminated in early versions of the bill. But the GOP tax plan still disproportionately hurts high-tax states like New Jersey. You were the only New Jersey representative to vote for the House bill. How could you support legislation that so clearly disadvantages your own constituents?

• By every measure, the GOP tax plan favors corporations and the wealthy, which is odd considering that corporations and the wealthy are flourishing in the current economy. You are a person of enormous wealth. How will the GOP tax plan benefit you and your family? Given your cordial relationship with President Trump, perhaps you could ask him to honestly answer the same question.

• The Senate GOP tax plan eliminates the individual mandate, a key provision of the Affordable Care Act, and an estimated 13 million people could lose health insurance coverage as a consequence. Will you support a final bill that eliminates this key ACA provision?

• The GOP tax plan eliminates a modest deduction teachers currently may claim for buying school supplies for their students. Isn’t eliminating this deduction more mean than meaningful?

• Proponents of the GOP tax plan promise that, thanks to their proposed reforms, we will be able to file our federal taxes on a postcard. Has anyone actually seen this postcard? Can you show us a copy?

These are just a few of the many questions I hope you will answer. But please hurry. The GOP tax plan is streaking like a meteor towards passage, and I fear its impact will vaporize the social safety net and hasten the extinction of the American middle class.

Sincerely,
Paul Conlow
Moorestown