Tax Bill

[FlameBlade]

What the hell is up with legislative process where people voted on bills that nobody really knows what is in it? GOP is literally crayoning in pet amendments on the margins and number of these are illegible.

Don't say that the same was done for ACA. Months and months and lots of debates were spent on ACA. Everyone knew what was in ACA.

Tax bill is something else. While number of you might see some reductions, but they will be short-lived, and will be offset by lots of other things like health insurance.

It's going to be bad.

[FlameBlade]

Now, I understand that the bill now goes to house for reconciliation, but...

[Walrus]

I am still finding it hilarious that such a dishonest and slimy way of sneaking unwanted legislation through hasn't been shut down.

[Stan]

It's come down to tribalism. Are you on their side or ain't ya. If you on their side, you're expected to trust them and go along. No time to read the bill = no time for the media to complain about specifics. They used much the same tactic in their healthcare attempt.

There also might be a clock ticking. Given that Flynn has been charged, by the time congress comes back next year, shit might have already hit the fan. So, they need to get their plutocrat agenda through now.

[Phoebe]

Fuck all these people. Plutocrat is exactly the right word, but the unfortunate side effect that we feel warmly towards Pluto as a planet and that gives the word an undeserved sheen of pleasantness. They're all dishonest and selfish; they have absolutely nothing to do with the baby Jesus they so claim to love.

[Zen]

Is it wrong that my first thought when I read the thread title was, "Why? Bill's a nice guy! He doesn't deserve to pay more!"

On a more serious note... Business as usual. Same shit, different day. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. Need I go on?

[Mike]

Most poor people will see no change in their taxes. Most middle class people will see a small decrease in taxes for the next couple years. Therefore, a lot of them just aren't feeling the urgency.

Repeal of the individual mandate means 13 million people will lose health insurance. Most people assume that's not them so they aren't as outraged.

Health care costs are projected to rise an additional 10% year over year as a direct result of this. The child credit is being doubled (more money back for families, YAY) but it is no longer fully refundable so it mostly benefits upper incomes. Lower income families will actually see LESS money back as a result. The repeal of SALT means state/local/property taxes will no longer be deductible which will raise everyone's effective tax rate but will hurt high population states the most.

On average middle and lower incomes will see no change or a slight reduction in their base tax rate but will be paying more money out of pocket as a result of this bill. And then even those lower tax rates will expire after a few years and most of everyone making less than 250,000 a year will be very much worse off.

Not to mention that the deficit will increase by 1.5 trillion over this period.

At least three Republicans in Congress have stated outright that this bill is urgent for them because they need to repay their donors. At least one Republican Representative stated outright that this is phase 1: first we cut revenue and raise the deficit, and then use that as justification for cutting entitlements down the road.

But all of that is too complex to make outragable sound bites out of. People see that their base tax rate for next year isn't going up and they don't calculate all the complexities. The huge majority of the country think this bill is essentially a windfall for the rich (and it is) and the large majority of the country is not in favor of this bill (22% approval rating) but the GOP is pushing it through anyway.

If it becomes the law of the land we are stuck with it until at least 2020. Even if the Dems take the House and the Senate in 2018, Trump (Or Pence) will veto any attempt at repeal.

The Republicans are getting their donor payout to ensure that the PAC money keeps rolling in, but I don't know if it will be enough to outweigh the ill will this will generate with the voting public. No matter what the truth of this bill is, it is easily caricatured as Dr. Evil style supervillainy in 2018's Democratic campaign ads.

[bralbovsky]

I doubt there are enough competent democrats to make the case.

My personal disgust is voting 'yes' without having read it. I don't care what it is. If you haven't read it, it can wait.

[bralbovsky]

And with upwards of a trillion dollar deficit expected, where's our old pal Grover Norquist - he of "The Pledge?"
Oh, that's right, he's celebrating.
Smarmy bureaucratic microbes, all.

[Phoebe]

Sincerity dead; it's just raw plutocracy now. No more pretense. In the House bill, they added a provision to let churches be tax exempt while engaging in political advocacy. Such as endorsing Roy Moore, who like Jesus, some say, was falsely accused. Pretty sure we are all in some sort of purgatory and we failed.