Trump's economic boom myth

In today's (6/21/2017) editorial cartoon, The Indianapolis Star's Gary Varvel depicts Donald Trump riding a rampaging bull as it jumps over the moon. I guess we're meant to give thanks to Trump for the Dow's record-setting pace. The only problem is that the majority of Americans are not invested in the stock market. As of a few years ago, the top 20% of Americans owned 92% of the stocks leaving just 8% for the remaining 80%. And Varvel wants those 80% to be thankful for Trump? Is Mr. Varvel unaware of the wealth inequality gap or does he just not care? Either way, his cartoon is a slap in the face to the majority of hardworking Americans.

Illegal immigrants have earned tax credits

Rep. Luke Messer recently wrote in a letter to the editor that taxpayers are paying billions of dollars in refundable tax credits to illegal immigrants. Messer fails to mention the obvious: that to claim a Child Tax Credit, one must file taxes with the IRS. It is not necessary to have a Social Security number to file taxes. An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) is sufficient. To be eligible for the tax credit, children must be U.S. citizens and live with the claimant for a minimum of six months.

The Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy estimates that households headed by unauthorized immigrants pay an estimated $12 billion in taxes each year. Out of fear some immigrants use fake Social Security numbers, paying an additional estimated $11-13 billion in Social Security taxes per year for benefits they will never receive. Those monies go into the IRS Earnings Suspension File and add to the cash flow for the Social Security Administration. In 2010, these unauthorized immigrants paid $121.6 million in personal, property and sales taxes in Indiana. So, illegal immigrants contribute to the well-being of the economy at the local, state and national levels.

It is a shame that Messer begrudges children who are U.S. citizens a paltry $2.74 a day credit when he makes $174,000 for approximately 138 legislative days each year and his wife receives a $20,000 a month stipend from Fishers.

Yes, Messer is right when he says hardworking families are being punished. And I agree with him that "most Hoosiers get it."

Voters excuse Trump's behavior

In an Aug. 1 letter to The Indianapolis Star, David Nealy bemoans the "...chaos exhibited by the Trump administration..." and he goes on to state that  the "...president's personal character is beneath the dignity of the office -- and dangerous to the nation as a whole."  Yet Nealy said he voted for Trump and "...would probably opt for that position again..." Perhaps Trump is just a symptom and the root problem is the voters who would reward "disregard for constitutional constraints," undignified character and dangerous behavior.

Congressman deceives voters

Recently the Indianapolis Star published a letter by U.S. Congressman, Luke Messer (R-IN), who dog whistled that taxpayers are paying billions of dollars in refundable tax credits to illegal immigrants. Messer fails to mention the obvious, that to claim a Child Tax Credit, one must file taxes with the IRS. It is not necessary to have a Social Security number to file taxes. An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) is sufficient. To be eligible, children must be U.S. Citizens and live with the claimant for a minimum of six months.

The Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy estimates that households headed by unauthorized immigrants pay an estimated $12 billion in taxes each year. Out of fear some immigrants use fake Social Security numbers, paying an estimated $11-13 billion in Social Security taxes per year for benefits they will never receive. Those monies go into the IRS Earnings Suspension File and add to the cash flow for the Social Security Administration. In 2010, these unauthorized immigrants paid $121.6 million in personal, property and sales taxes in Indiana. So, illegal immigrants contribute to the well-being of the economy at the local, state and national levels.

 It is a shame that Messer begrudges children who are U.S. citizens a paltry $2.74 a day credit when he makes $174,000 for approximately 138 legislative sessions each year and his wife receives a $20,000 a month stipend from Fishers, IN regardless of the work she does from her suburban Washington D.C. home.

Yes, Messer is right when he says hardworking families are being punished. And I agree with him that "most Hoosiers get it."

Where were the girls?

I recently read a story of the rage unleashed upon a woman who moved NASA tank tops from the boys' section to the girls' in a big box store (see link below). It's not surprising that there's still a stigma attached to gender. There's a gender pay gap for identical job titles and responsibilities.Women/girls are usually prohibited from competing against boys athletically. And many people disliked Hillary Clinton because she was "outspoken" and "pushy," qualities admired in male presidents.

Because I recently attended my high school reunion and have renewed friendships from long ago I began to wonder about the overt and subtle prohibitions that girls faced years ago. It was brutal enough going to Catholic school for 12 years but were there other restrictions in play? How did they manifest themselves? For example, up through 8th grade we were in one room so we all learned the same lessons. Once in high school, classes were by subject. In Freshman and Sophomore years, there were an equal number of boys and girls in math and science classes. By Senior year there weren't any girls in math classes nor in Physics, that I can recall. Why was that? It certainly had nothing to do with intelligence. How did that happen?

http://www.womenyoushouldknow.net/because-i-moved-5-shirts-portrait-of-an-unexpected-twitter-storm/

Patriot or traitor

Air Force veteran, Reality Leigh Winner, 25, was arrested for mailing a top secret document detailing Russian meddling in the American election to a news outlet, The Intercept.

Is she a whistleblowing patriot or a traitor?

The World According to Trump

To Donald Trump, the world is made up of only two sorts of people, or nations: strong winners whom others respect and fear, and weak losers whom others exploit and laugh at. There is no other alternative.

“At what point does America get demeaned? At what point do they start laughing at us, as a country?” Trump asked Thursday during his major announcement from the White House Rose Garden that the US would be withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement. “We don’t want other leaders and other countries laughing at us anymore. And they won’t be. They won’t be.“

For Trump, there is no such thing as collaboration for mutual gain. Cooperation is a sham. 

Similarly, social insurance is a con. Billionaires can be trusted because they’ve already made their money – presumably by out-exploiting others. 

Dictators are admirable because they’re respected and feared. But democratically-elected prime ministers and presidents need to be shown who’s boss – their hands grabbed in white-knuckled contests of dominance, their bodies shoved aside if they get out in front. And treaties and compacts need to be renegotiated so America wins.

It’s the same at home: Political opponents must be humiliated, White House staffers demeaned (even the Vice President shown his place), the press degraded, recalcitrant judges debased, others intimidated. 

Everything is a giant zero-sum game in which either you win and they lose, or they win and you lose. And if they dare put up a fight, you get even.

This is the personality of a sociopath. 

Trump is now the single most powerful person on the planet, with the ability to order the destruction of the world in just over four minutes. It is necessary to get him out of the White House, peacefully and legally, as quickly as possible.

Published by Robert Reich

June 4, 2017