Letter to the editor: Berg, Hoeven push doctrine to lean on average taxpayers

Rep. Rick Berg and Sen. John Hoeven, both R-N.D., have declared their allegiance — to penalizing the average taxpayer and increasing the national debt to give more handouts to the very wealthy.

On July 25, the Senate passed S. 3412, which extends current tax cuts for incomes under $200,000–$250,000, but ends them for the very wealthy. Hoeven voted Nay against middle-class tax relief.

On Aug. 1, the House passed HR 8, which extends all current tax cuts. An amendment to make this bill resemble the Senate’s was defeated. Berg voted nay on the amendment and yea on the original bill, protecting tax cuts for the wealthy.

The same day, House Republicans proposed HR 6169, more tax breaks for the wealthy and taxes for middle incomes. Proposed recommendations for fairer, more progressive taxation failed. Berg voted Nay on the amendment and Yea on the original bill, to increase handouts to the wealthy.

Berg and Hoeven promote national Republican doctrines. These include tax cuts for America’s wealthiest 2 percent, and tax increases for others — increases of $800 for 12 million families, $1,100 for 11 million families and $500 for 6 million. While the average millionaire already received $1 million in tax breaks, the House GOP lower taxes for the rich by raising taxes on 10 times as many people as the Democrats. The tax system is already rigged in favor of the ultra-rich at our expense. Berg, Hoeven and other Republicans want to make it worse.

They make the following false claims about fair taxes on the wealthy:

*That they would hurt small businesses. False: Fewer than 3 percent of small business owners make more than $250,000 a year.

*That they would hurt job growth. The opposite is true. Bush “supply-side” tax cuts delivered the weakest job growth since World War II.

*That they would hurt investment. False: Investment growth during the “supply-side era” lagged far behind growth at other times.

*That they would hurt growth. False: Productivity and overall growth increased more in times without “supply-side” tax favoritism.

Republican policies have also caused other calamities: low or negative wage growth, stagnation of middle incomes, doubling of the national debt.

Republicans like “supply-side” economics to support the wealthy, like themselves, at the expense of the rest of us. Their false claim that that prosperity will “trickle down” to all has caused 30 years of American decline.

We do not need more Republican lackeys. Berg’s blind allegiance to self-service over national well-being should earn him a sound defeat in November. The same should also be true of Kevin Cramer this fall, and Hoeven, when his time comes. Vote for Heidi Heitkamp and Pam Gulleson for U.S. Senate and House.

Gary Towne

Grand Forks

Tags: opinion, letters, politics