It is not those she claims to warn
McMorris Rodgers and the entire Republican blare machine is dishing out breathless bullshit about the Inflation Reduction Act, like her bald-faced lie that “Democrats Just Voted to Raise Your Taxes” that I wrote about on Wednesday. In the same email McMorris Rodgers goes on [the bold is hers, not mine]:
This bill will spend an estimated $740 billion by raising taxes on the American people in an attempt to implement price controls on prescription drugs, allow the IRS to hire 87,000 new agents, and spend billions on Green New Deal initiatives.
Her audience has been plied for decades with bogus claims that any increase in taxes anywhere in the economy will come directly out of their personal pockets, that any sort of price regulation of industry is bad, that the IRS is evil and selectively targets households of middle and low income taxpayers like them, and that climate change isn’t real and therefore doesn’t need to be addressed—and most certainly not by an initiative put forward by an extremely bright person of color from New York. It is all hot air. For sane analyses of the Inflation Reduction Act’s effects I recommend: Forbes’ (not exactly a “liberal” outlet) “The Inflation Reduction Act Won’t Affect Most Americans’ Tax Bill” and this evenhanded interview on PBS “How the Inflation Reduction Act could affect your taxes”.
Whom is McMorris Rodgers and the entire Republican Party trying to protect with their barrage of lies about a piece of legislation that imposes a minimum tax on very large corporations and endeavors to re-fund the IRS efforts to conduct a reasonable audit sample of taxpaying entities (consider the legal barriers and the cost the IRS faces in auditing businesses like those of former President Trump)?
Spend six minutes watching a video that I cannot get out of my head, a video that obliquely offers the answer. I linked it once before months ago, but only a few readers followed the link. This time I want to make it the centerpiece. Here’s the link:
The video dates from late 2012. The disparity it illustrates has only widened in the last ten years. With more than 24 million views this video has captured quite a lot of well-deserved attention.
McMorris Rodgers and her entire Republican Party are using misinformation to perpetuate and expand the sort of wealth (and income) gap illustrated. It’s time to send them packing with their blatant lies about any legislation that might level the playing field even slightly.
Keep to the high ground,
Jerry