TAXwreck for the American People

Parties and people can disagree on policies and elections have consequences. And this past year’s and past day's events are no different. Trump campaigned on a Middle Class tax cut, planned jobs plan, and helping the American people, but when his plan actually changed into a tax plan that gave massive permanent tax cuts to corporations without any requirements or incentives to actually create jobs, raise wages or invest in the United States, the people opposed this crony capitalist approach and have opposed the plan at a rate 2-1. When the people's voice was not heard, and the tax plan continued to offer permanent cuts and deductions to corporations while temporary modest cuts to some but not all working class Americans and losing of deductions like medical expenses, state and local taxes (or low caps), mortgage deduction (or lower caps), teacher expense deductions and more the people voiced opposition, but Trump and the GOP did not listen. When Trump and the GOP decided to craft out special deals for corporations like allowing real estate and golf courses like Trumps to maintain deductions for the taxes they are were denying deductions to the American people, when the plan allows corporations to claim moving expenses even when moving overseas but denied it to displaced American workers, when the tax plan created exemptions from taxation for the rich and corporations but voted to make graduation tuition waivers taxable when America is trying to train ourselves for the record number of open high skilled jobs, and when they voted to get rid of the AMT that requires rich and corporations to pay a minimum floor of taxes as their fair share and eliminate estate taxes on assets over $11 million while eliminating health care supports and planning to reduce Medicaid, Medicare, and social security to pay for it, the people objected, but the GOP and Trump refuse to listen. When to pass the legislation, GOP and Trump make special deals to bring along isolated senators by allowing for drilling in the artic natural refuge, redefining when life begins, allowing non-profits to both keep the benefits of avoiding taxes and being political, and expanding dark money and making it tax deductible so the rich can write off their tax deductions, out of desperation to buy votes, the people objected and had to find a way to object. When the vast majority of economists said the math does not add up, not even close, and contrary to all statements will not pay for itself and will raise the debt by more than a trillion, people, opposed. How: on-line, tweeting, emailing, calling, marching, and ultimately, the last resource was voting in Alabama where Trump campaigned on the need for this one vote for tax reform, and lost, lost in a state where he won by 30% just a year ago--why--this was a broken promise to the people.

So, another election was held in Alabama, and for the first time in over 25 years, the voices were heard and democrats one, this election has consequences, and demands that Trump & the GOP listen and do not continue this rush to gifting the corporations and rich, to get something done, anything done. Being American is not about doing stuff, it about doing the right thing.

If tax changes are need and designed for the American people, and jobs, jobs, jobs, then the process should be opened up, and an actual debate should occur where the plans can be reviewed, open assessments by experts how to best proceed should occur. The process should be changed so that people can actually read the bill before voting as there are many unintended tax loopholes that the expensive, fancy tax lawyers and accountants will continue to distort and pervert to help the richest corporations and people avoid their tax responsibility.

If the focus of jobs, jobs, jobs, is the reason why the corporations get a 40% tax cut, then express that just like the GOP wants to test and make sure people "earn" their welfare, that corporations should do the same. It may be Christmas but the taxpayers do not need to gift a 40% tax deduction to the corporations who already have record profits, record cash on hand, and a competitive effective (no one pays statutory rate) tax rate, the tax payers should reward actual investment in the US, by agreeing to large deductions to corporations for doing what the plan claims it is doing, don't gift the money but rather: give massive deductions for actually creating jobs, give massive deductions for actually raising wages, give massive deductions for actually investing in US. The financial crisis bailout shows that when no strings are attached the money goes not to the people, not to US, but into executive salaries, parties, and shareholders--that does not help US. Learn from our mistakes, don’t ignore them. I may not agree that corporations need or deserve breaks, but elections have consequences and if this approach rules the day, targeted deductions as opposed to give-a-ways is a targeted way to achieve the goal without throwing money away to the already greedy.

If this is a Middle Class tax cut plan, and again, operate with some of the basic principles of the winning parties as elections have consequences, go back to the roots, the principles and help the Middle Class: increase the standard deduction but also keep the targeted deductions to further home-ownership, support health needs, help teachers, help displaced workers, support higher education, and support federalism.

If a choice must be made about who gets to keep deductions and who gets permanent deductions, follow our founding principles, WE the people, and give people the better deal, more money in their pockets before corporations. We know people spend money on goods and services, because people need more money and most don't have record cash on hand to meet needs, most people have record debt we need to get out of.

When deciding how to support the people and allow people to put more money in their pockets and drive the economy by reducing their debt, by investing in their qualifications to fill high wage jobs, and buy goods for themselves, their family, their children, while also making sure our debt remains under control, let’s not needlessly take money out of the tax coffers to those that have record assets, that have record wealth gap, that have record economic disparity. KEEP the AMT & estate tax. It’s offensive that people like Trump would reduce their tax burden in a given year by $31 million if we get rid of the AMT. It’s ill-conceived and unwise that people who have benefitted from current tax system want more when they have record disparities and growth. It makes no sense to burden the rest of us for a few thousand families whose assets exceed $11 million that they want more tax exemptions, so keep the estate tax. Not only does the estate tax benefit repeal benefit a few, it also create a wealth of untaxed growth for people like the founder Apple who received his initial share at $1, but are now worth over $179 each, would be able to pass billions of tax gains to his heirs completely tax free. They don't need it, and we can't afford.

So, as the people of Alabama, a deep GOP state showed, your voice can be heard, your voice can have impact, call, email, tweet, express your positions to your representatives so the American economy, American tax system can work for all of us, target actual goals, and limit the future debt we pass onto our following generations.