Tax reform is what Trump signed into law in December and many legislators who supported and voted for it are now planning to seek re-election in 2018 and beyond. Most people in the United States do not know what it was all about! Lobbyists and the Treasury Department are still trying to decipher it. Basically, it was the oligarchy, the ruling 1 percent of billionaires and wannabes who celebrated because it was a “gift” to them.
We were told that the tax code would be simplified. It remains confusing and complicated. The overhaul cuts taxes for businesses and shifts and changes them for the middle class. Trump called it a “middle-class miracle.” Commentators say the miracle exists only in his imagination. Could it be another lie coming from Trump!
More than ever, we must understand what political and economic issues are and how they are inter-related. For example, did you know that there are 97 types of taxes that are paid by us?
(http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-03-25/list-97-taxes-americans-pay-every-year)
Do you know what an estate tax is? What are tax brackets? What are deductions when you prepare your long IRS return? One thing that’s for sure is that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act has removed the individual mandate from the Affordable Care Act. This means that individuals who do not sign up for Obamacare will not be penalized. The likely importance of this provision is that there will be less money for millions of people who depend on help with their healthcare. An estimated 13 million people could lose healthcare after the tax-reform dust settles.
Congress is preparing to discuss the federal budget. Trump released his first draft in March 2017. Briefly, the proposed budget adds $54 billion to the military! He also plans to get this money by taking away from nearly everything else that keeps the country and economy functioning – including education, jobs, and non-military investments in national security. One of Trump’s campaign promises was to add more jobs. Well, he is proposing cuts to the Department of Labor’s job training and placement programs for youth and seniors.
The best advice is to get involved, research, get ready for more resistance in 2018. Find information here:
http://www.nationalpriorities.org/analysis/2017/national-priorities-project-statement-trump-fy-2018-budget-proposal/
Along with this resistance to the transfer of our wealth to the billionaires, we must learn to unite and work together and help each other. Start in your own neighborhood and city.
