BREAKING: US Senate Passes Historic Tax Reform Package, 51-49

Townhall.com ^ | December 2, 2017 | Guy Benson

[Nextrush]

I believe in capitalism, not fixed capitalism that favors the big players in business.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

“This tax bill isn’t what he promised. That is not my doing or my fault.”

And if you voted for Trump for Dictator, you’d undoubtedly be getting exactly what you voted for. But you didn’t cast your vote for the office of Fuehrer...you voted for a President is a system of distributed power. In fact, this president is extremely limited in power simply because he has exceedingly few political allies anywhere in the other two co-equal branches of government.

You have a Senate made up of elites who became Uber-wealthy in lifetime positions that skim and extort from Federal spending in order to line their own bank accounts. Trump has no power over these bodies...he cannot even get his immigration policies in place because of district court judges from those same socialist states that vote their taxes into the stratosphere in order to then deduct them on their Federal returns.

You lost in sausage-mill of government this time and you can be pissed off about it. That’s fair...I’d be pissed if I still had to live in one of the socialist states too. That is fair. But to blame the president you voted for for this situation because he doesn’t have the power that Hitler or Mussolini or Stalin had borders on delusion. If Trump had the power to implement his policy, you’d be happy today. But to be angry at him because he doesn’t have that power in our system of government is just howling at the fates.

[madison10]

Same with my parents, not in skilled care per se, but able to deduct home care and numerous medical bills. Why did they go after the elderly?

[aMorePerfectUnion]

Taxation and capitalism are different

[antidisestablishment]

I agree that illegal immigration is a huge concern, and the same special interests control government policy and enforcement. The puppet masters want everyone divided and distracted from the fact that they own Washington lock, stock, and barrel. This tax bill is an exceptionally successful ploy—it’s got conservatives fighting among themselves and has solidified Democratic opposition in one fell swoop.

Just one or two more “successes” like this, and they will be able to place Trump’s deplorable populists into the dust bin of history —right beside their old TEA Party activists.

[central_va]

It’s not just illegal immigration that is a problem. It’s the amount of all immigration. It is killing the working class.

[SkyPilot]

Thanks for a well thought out and civil post. It is refreshing.

True, Trump is not a dictator - and he had to work with Congress.

But it isn't like Trump didn't have any input into this process. In fact, he said this:

Trump: 'I will be blaming Mnuchin and Cohn' for any trouble with tax reform

If Trump didn't want tax cuts to hit so hard on many middle class, he had these two Goldman Sachs veterans working with Congress.

But as I said before, my side lost this effort. Both the House and Senate bills passed. A bill will be on the President's desk shortly, and both bills are very similar.

I hope the economy does do well. But the balance sheets of most coroporations have been filled with cash for some time, and they have not used that to "reinvest." Instead, they sat on it or used much of it to buy back stock. Salaries of high ranking executives and their stock dividends seemed to be the areas of priority rather than wages. Even Gary Cohn was mystified when he asked a room of CEO's who would reinvest in their companies, and only a handful of hands went up.

I don't even think most Republicans on the hill are positive about what is going to happen. They have made a big gamble. And many of us will be paying for the bet.

Anyway, time to move on to the next issue. The tax bill debate is pretty much over.

[antidisestablishment]

I’m not sure I can agree with that statement. I have known many legal immigrants who have come here and became outstanding examples of the American Dream.

In my experience, the greatest barrier to economic growth has been excessive regulation and taxation leading to expatriation. Once the costs of compliance exceed the pain tolerance or profit, companies have little choice but to move—sometimes states, sometimes countries. Immigration reform won’t stop that, though it would help repair the labor market and the associated income stagnation.

Immigrant labor can only displace Americans when the government allows it. It would take one or two major prosecutions to stop virtually all illegal immigration, but it will not happen. Neither will significant H1x visa reform pass. Everyone knows that the entire immigration gamut (legal and illegal) is corrupt, but the big players want to keep it that way.

[central_va]

Come on. Legal immigration has been so abused. It is killing us. Get real.

[JohnyBoy]

>I’m not sure I can agree with that statement. I have known many legal immigrants who have come here and became outstanding examples of the American Dream.

Sure, and once there’s enough of them they discriminate against people outside their group reform their own insular culture that’s distinctly non-American. Ask people FR what happens when Indians get into manger slots in IT. They fire the whites and other Asians and only other Indians.

[Yogafist]

Since you use that term, subsidize, so frequently, we can assume you are filing in the 35% bracket, right? Or are those who are, subsidizing you?

[antidisestablishment]

We agree that both legal and illegal immigration are problems, so let’s attack the real culprits: unethical businessmen and politicians. I’m neither one.

How does the public regain control of this corrupt republic?

[KTM rider]

Yep very hard to get excited about a reshuffled tax bill that caters to the DC lobbys

Not blaming Trump, he will just take whatever he can get, thanks to the politicians for Making America Screwed Again

still no reversal of "Affiordable (my A$$)healthcare" , just a Fake Tax reform bill

[RRismyhero]

Good to know it wasn’t you. I don’t post there, but I certainly do read it. I am not thrilled with the tax bill, but it is a beginning. Hopefully it will be improved. (It can’t be very conservative, because McCain voted FOR it).

[Jane Long]

Interesting that your anti-Trump tax bill posts are being posted on DU.

What a badge of “honor”.

Not.

[Kickass Conservative]

I guess this means all those .Com Silicon Valley Billionaires will be moving East to Nevada where there are no State Income Taxes.

With the passage of this Bill, the top Tax Rates for those living in CA will exceed 50%, (39.5% Federal plus 13.3% State).

Funny how the Governor Moonbeam just passed a Gas Tax hike of $.12 a Gallon and also raised the Car Registration Fees anywhere from $25 to $175 on top the already outrageous DMV Fees people are paying.

Taxes on Diesel Fuel even went up about 5% which I’m sure was great news for the Trucking Industry.

These new Taxes and Fees impact Low Income people the most yet I don’t hear the Democrats denouncing them, not one.

[sparklite2]

I admire your self-control. I read DU posts, the anger welling up in me like the teary eyes of Kathy Griffin, until I can’t resist creating an account, posting, and lasting maybe half a day before being banned.

[frogjerk]

I don’t give a rat’s a$$ whether this bill is helpful to me personally or not. It may be a lousy first step, but it IS a first step.

Unbelieveable.

[frogjerk]

I should not have to subsidize another citizen’s college tuition, nor their mortgage, nor their medical expenses, nor their state income and property taxes, nor the number of children they create.

As your fellow American I am just trying to keep as much of my hard earned money and not give it to the governement - you know, a principle of conservatism and individualism - you aren't subsidizing my children. It is the obligation of the government to recognize and respect marriage and the family as institutions created by God in anyway they can - even by the tax code if so be.

Conservatives in blue states are being orphaned by the GOP for the sake of a win. They could of just slashed all the tax rates and lowered the corporate tax rate in a one page bill - but no, they can't keep it simple because they are the party of stupid.

[antidisestablishment]

The Senate bill drops the mandate for Obamacare—probably the best part of this package. The sad thing is real reform like a fair or flat tax was possible here and this is what the GOP serves up.