The Tale of the Taxes

Donald Trump pushed hard for his so-called “tax reform” bill, claiming that it would be “so simple you could do it on a post card.” Well, yes, there used to be a joke about that many years ago: there was a post card from the IRS. On it, it was written:

“1. How much did you make last year?

2. How much do you have left?

3. Send it to us.”

Trump further claimed that his tax reform would benefit the middle class, already stung by flat wages over the last 40 years and by the decline in good, middle class jobs. The cost of living is up, the quality of life is down, and we’re supposed to STFU and take it in silence.

Now, in the first year of filing taxes after his tax reform bill, about 30 million taxpayers are unpleasantly surprised to learn that they are either getting a substantially smaller refund — -or they actually owe the IRS. This is not what the middle class signed up for.

There comes a point where someone (perhaps a monetary Moses) rises up and cries out: “Pharaoh, we can’t make bricks without straw.” Trump is that Pharaoh, denying his people the straw (decent fiscal policies, including sensible and just tax laws) to make bricks (lead decent lives, with good housing, education, health care, environmental protection, and modern infrastructure).