Letters to the Editor

Bockelman Letter: Tax bill

The first part of this letter is not opinion: It is simply a reference to congressional record.

Idaho Representatives Labrador and Simpson both voted in favor of the House tax bill.

Idaho Senators Crapo and Risch both voted in favor of the Senate tax bill.

There are many more problems with both bills than I have space to mention (or even know about – something I have in common with our congressmen, especially on the Senate side, because the final draft was released to the senators less than three hours before the vote), so I will mention two things: 1. some of their constituents’ taxes; and 2. the bills’ impact on the national deficit.

1. Republicans claim that taxes will be reduced, but if you make less than $30,000, your taxes will actually go UP starting in 2019, including more and more tax brackets as time goes by, until people making as much as $75,000 will see higher taxes by 2027.

2. Most approximations estimate these bills will increase the national deficit by between 1 trillion and more than 2 trillion dollars.

Who voted for this stuff?

Bret Bockelman, Meridian

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