The Republican fantasy of lower taxes and hard-to-access social safety net programs will now be a reality
For decades, Republicans have argued that the US would be better off if taxes were low, and programs to help low-income Americans were harder to access. With Donald Trump’s marquee tax and spending bill now set to become law, the country will find out what it’s like to live under that sort of system.
The massive legislation that Trump plans to sign Friday will make his campaign promises a reality by extending tax cuts enacted during his first term, and creating new deductions aimed at the working-class voters who backed his re-election.
But it will also fundamentally reorder two major social safety net programs, slashing funding and imposing new work requirements that nonpartisan estimates say will cost millions of people their benefits. The ripple effects, experts say, will be felt across the country, and not just by the poor.
Medicaid, which provides healthcare to low-income and disabled Americans
[…]
At one point, House speaker Mike Johnson circulated research from the conservative American Enterprise Institute finding that, after sleeping, playing video games was how Medicaid recipients who do not work spend most of their time.
Yes, because heaven forbid the poor and disabled enjoy life a little.
I’ve said this to my very conservative family when they talk about cheaters and welfare queens - I’d gladly give 10 people assistance even if some of them don’t “need” it. If it helps even a majority of the group, it’s worth it.
Edit: And here’s a thought. What would be an acceptable third thing they most spend their time doing?
Not to mention that qualifying for Medicaid requires that your income doesn’t exceed a certain amount, and that said amount is very low. Make a penny over, and there goes your “benefit.”
I struggle to imagine how one could legally collect Medicaid and do more than sleep or play games.
I used to game with a veteran who broke his back during his last tour. He could still get around, but had enough problems that he was on disability and spent most of his time gaming. He was also a huge Trump supporter who constantly talked about “welfare queens” and immigrants destroying the country… He also sold things online and didn’t report his income from that so he could keep his disability. A perfect example of the pot calling the kettle black, and I still wouldn’t take his disability away if it meant other people that rely on theirs also had theirs taken.
The logic is “I hate my job so you have to hate whatever you spend most of your time doing too”. It makes sense if you think life is supposed to be hard but it seems like the obvious solution is to make life easier for everyone rather than harder for those who have trouble participating in our dumb economic system.
For the edit:
Go to Southern Baptist Church of course!
No, the Republican fantasy is doing that and having the benefit cuts pay for the tax cuts. This is the Republican reality where the tax cuts still require borrowing an enormous amount of money.
Edit: Society is always making a trade-off between helping the poor and using that money for other purposes and if, with the support of working class Americans, a candidate is elected who decides that society will help the poor less, then that’s a reasonable outcome in a democracy even if it isn’t one that I personally support. However, running the debt up like this is an extremely reckless and selfish decision to buy lower taxes in the present day at the expense of America’s future. It’s so short-sighted that I think it isn’t a reasonable choice for any ideology except perhaps nihilistic disregard for anything beyond the next election cycle…
I think it’s time for Italian plumbers to introduce themselves.
You’re not wrong but everyone seems to think that’s someone else’s job. We’re not going to see actual change until people like you and I start fixing pipes ourselves.
Well, all it takes now is for someone to not have anything to lose. With this bill, I think we will be seeing more of that.
Love low taxes. Keep it up.
Weak ass troll.
Supposedly an American spouse, on a Finnish instance? Probably a Russian account.
Edit: and it’s a day old account.
They’re not even trying.
Are you rich?
If not, you should look into it some more.
Corporations and affluent individuals are among the biggest winners in this legislation. It reinforces the 2017 tax regime, prioritizes accelerated depreciation, and directs most of the tax relief to those at the top. I’m not personally in that category, but my husband is, so of course I support it.
So you’re a gold digger that’s giddy at the thought of people dying because your sugar daddy has more money now.
You’re truly a bad person.
So you’re part of the fucking problem. Good to know. I’ll make sure to tag your account to remind me of the context when your stupid posts show up later on.
Makes me really wonder though how an affluent American spouse ends up deciding that a Finnish Lemmy instance is the one to make their account. Much more likely you’re just a Russian troll.
Don’t feed the troll
How do you tag an account?
Maybe the client I’m using doesn’t support that.
I think it’s an in app thing.
Voyager supports tags
Fuck you.
I’m not personally in that category, but my husband is, so of course I support it.
I hope now that he’s richer, he’ll find a younger, prettier replacement for you in your Gilead fantasy.
I’m glad people get to starve and die in order for wastes of life like you to pay less taxes.
Can’t wait for your divorce, see if you change your mind if you find yourself on the brink of homelessness.
Even at the cost of millions losing healthcare?
Every major bill helps some and hurts others.
Except that it’s not remotely balanced. Your husband gets a bit more money. The other people lose their houses, jobs, or lives. That you can even equate the two in your mind shows you’re a person of no moral character.
Except this one hurts way more people than it helps. So much winning.
I’ve heard Russian troll farms don’t pay very well. Is that true?
Reading is hard, I get it. Just say what you want to be true like it is.
Love low taxes. Keep it up.
But enough about the ideas of the rich aristocracy leading up to the French Revolution…
Rich people will kill us all.
With all that extra dough you can take a trip to a warm water port!
