FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 30, 2017

10 Reasons Why You Should Stop What You're Doing and Call Your Senator Over This Abysmal Tax Bill

Arkansas Senators Boozman and Cotton are expected to vote on the Trump/Republican tax plan by the end of Friday.  The bill is shockingly bad for Arkansas.  Please take just a moment to call and tell them you expect them to VOTE NO!

Senator John Boozman-(202) 224-4843 or email him here.

Senator Tom Cotton-(202) 224-2353 or email him here.

Here are the top ten ways the plan is bad for Arkansas:

1. The tax plan will hurt economic growth.

Most economists agree that tax cuts are not likely to create economic growth, especially when they are targeted for major corporations and the wealthiest Americans.  Trickle down economics simply fails every time, most recently in Kansas.  Even worse, this giant tax giveaway means that we won’t have the resources to invest in things that ARE PROVEN to stimulate the economy.  We won’t have the resources to invest in things we need right here in Arkansas like: strengthening our infrastructure of roads, bridges, levees, drinking water systems, internet access and more.  We won’t have the resources to invest in workforce development, pre-k, and programs to make college more affordable. We won’t have the resources to place Arkansas at the forefront of the green energy economy with investments in bio-fuels, wind, solar and energy efficiency programs.  The list of more effective things we could do with the money in this tax giveaway is enormous.

2. Redistributes wealth from working families to the top.

The tax plans in the House and senate substantially favor the most powerful corporations and individuals in America, at the expense of working families.  In the first year of the tax plan, people earning less than $30,000 will actually see a small tax increase, people earning $30,000-$50,000 will see a very modest tax cut, and people earning between $50,000 and $100,000 will see a tax cut of around 1%.  But people earning $500,000 to $1 million see a tax cut of above 3%.  It gets worse as time passes, with the lower your income, the sooner you see a tax increase.  By 2027, everyone earning less than $75,000 a year will see their taxes go up, while the tax cuts for corporations are permanent and the remaining tax cuts are targeted to the wealthy.  Taking from working families to give to the rich is immoral, and it’s bad policy.  

3. Makes healthcare less affordable for everyone.

The Senate tax plan, at Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton’s urging, eliminates the individual mandate for health insurance.  That will have devastating impacts on all Arkansans.  The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 13 million more Americans will lose access to health care, and costs will soar for everyone else.  AARP estimates that people aged 50-64 will see their insurance premiums rise by $1,500 a year under the Senate plan, with even bigger increases for some.  It’s a bad deal as many Americans will see health care costs increase more than whatever small tax savings they get under the legislation.

4. Explodes the deficit.

The Senate tax plan increase the Federal Deficit by $1.4 TRILLION dollars over 10 years.  This leaves our children with an enormous burden to pay off, and it cripples our ability to meet future needs.  Many experts fear it will lead to sweeping budget cuts in programs Americans rely on like assistance for hungry children, supports for family farmers, health and education programs and more.  The Senate’s so called “trigger” that would increase taxes again if economic growth doesn’t lower the deficit is being derided as a gimmick by many experts.  

5. Makes college and higher education less affordable.

The House tax plan makes college much less affordable.  It eliminates the deduction for student loan interest and it taxes scholarships and fellowships as income for many students.  The Senate plan is better for higher education, but it still would impose new taxes on colleges.  We should be making higher education more accessible to working families, not placing it even further out of reach.

6. Opens the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling.

What?  What’s this have to do with taxes?  The Senate tax plan includes a rider that would open the Arctic National Refuge to drilling.  This proposal, rejected several times before, will have a severe negative impact on wildlife like Caribou and one of America’s most wild and pristine public lands.   Conservation groups like the National Wildlife Federation are sounding the alarm.

7. Gives companies incentives to offshore jobs and profits.

The Senate tax plan actually gives companies a TAX BREAK for moving jobs and profits offshore.  Other tax breaks are for companies that automate jobs.  It will cost American jobs.  Absolutely the opposite of what our tax codes should do.

8. Massive cuts in social services.

Many Republicans are talking about their plan to cut taxes now, and then use the looming deficit it creates as an excuse to cut social services like medicaid and medicare in the future.  This will be making our elderly, chronically sick, and disadvantaged vulnerable at the expense of a tax break that mostly benefits the most powerful people in America.  It’s wrong.  

9. No money for infrastructure.

The President has said he wants to spend $1 trillion more on updating American infrastructure.  It’s badly needed, especially in Arkansas.  Many of our bridges are aging, our water systems are over 100 years old in many parts of the state, our levvy systems need massive repairs and our internet service in rural areas is poor.  But the tax cuts already add $1.4 trillion to an already oversized deficit.  Where is the money for infrastructure spending going to come from?  And the bill makes it harder for states to raise income for their own infrastructure projects because it eliminates the tax deduction for state income taxes.  

10. Weakens our democracy by increasing secret dark money in our elections.

Our political system is already being corrupted by secret, dark money that’s untraceable back to the donors seeking to influence our elections and policy makers.  The House tax plan makes that worse by eliminating the Johnson Amendment that forbids churches and other tax-exempt nonprofits from influencing elections.  Without the Johnson Amendment, major campaign donors like the Koch brothers will be able to funnel political contributions through churches and nonprofits without the funding being able to be traced back to them.  

Please call now.  This is your future at stake!

Senator John Boozman-(202) 224-4843 or email him here.

Senator Tom Cotton-(202) 224-2353 or email him here.

HERE and attend the hearing tomorrow to support clean energy policies.  

Net-metering is a utility industry term for a billing mechanism that allows customers who generate their own electricity from solar power or windmills to push electricity back out onto the grid when they have excess and receive credit from the power company for that electricity.  Since net metering when into effect in 2000, customers have been credited the retail rate of electricity, or one-to-one kilowatt- hour. Due to pressure from electric utilities the PSC is considering reducing the compensation a customer receives for generating power.  A reduction in compensation for net-metering would stifle advancements in clean energy upgrades on personal property.  

Keeping the retail rate for net-metering…

• Gives customers more control over their electric bills

• Creates jobs and encourages investment

• Protects the electric grid by reducing strain on the distribution system

It is important for the PSC to hear from you! Comments can be submitted here and attendance to the hearing is highly encouraged to show your support for clean energy policies!

“First of all we want people to be safe and respect the law,” said Britton. “Our response to the Klan will not be a one day or one weekend thing. We will respond throughout the year and through our lives to bring people together to make our community a better place for all people to live. We are disappointed the Klan, in 2017, is still an organization that appeals to some individuals, but they don’t represent the community we know and love.”

The Concerned Citizens of Monticello Area is a community group made up of people who are working to make life better in their community.

The Arkansas Public Policy Panel advances social and economic justice through respect for human dignity, diversity, empowerment and an inclusive, fair and transparent political process.