{"id":868654,"date":"2021-10-11T17:59:05","date_gmt":"2021-10-11T21:59:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=868654"},"modified":"2021-10-11T17:59:10","modified_gmt":"2021-10-11T21:59:10","slug":"three-ways-the-democrats-stick-up-for-the-wealthy-at-the-expense-of-the-middle-class","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/three-ways-the-democrats-stick-up-for-the-wealthy-at-the-expense-of-the-middle-class\/","title":{"rendered":"Three Ways The Democrats Stick Up For The Wealthy \u2014 At The Expense Of The Middle Class"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">34<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fthree-ways-the-democrats-stick-up-for-the-wealthy-at-the-expense-of-the-middle-class%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=868654&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/GettyImages-1072593766-scaled-1.jpg?w=1200&amp;h=800&amp;ixlib=react-9.3.0\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" \/><\/div>\n<p>While Democrats often brand themselves as the champions of the poor and downtrodden, they have morphed into the party representing the views \u2014 and financial interests \u2014 of America\u2019s wealthiest elites. Their role as caretakers of the rich is on display in many of their tax-and-spending proposals, which would disproportionately favor those they claim to oppose.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Repealing The SALT Tax Limit<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, signed by President Donald Trump, did not merely lower federal taxes but had a provision which squeezed <a href=\"https:\/\/taxfoundation.org\/state-and-local-tax-deduction-benefit\/\">high-tax<\/a> state and local governments. Prior to the bill, people could deduct 100% of the amount they paid in state and local taxes (SALT); in effect, the federal government made it easier for people to live in blue states and urban areas with progressive tax rates. But the 2017 law capped the SALT deduction at $10,000, forcing wealthy people to feel the financial burden of liberal governance in blue states and cities.<\/p>\n<p>Democratic congressmen who represent those areas want to eliminate the SALT limitation \u2014 a move that would massively favor the top 1% of income earners. The left-of-center Brookings Institution <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brookings.edu\/blog\/up-front\/2020\/09\/04\/the-salt-tax-deduction-is-a-handout-to-the-rich-it-should-be-eliminated-not-expanded\/\">calculated<\/a> that 57% of the benefits from repealing the SALT cap \u201cwould benefit the top one percent&nbsp;(a cut of&nbsp;$33,100); and&nbsp;25 percent would benefit the top 0.1 percent&nbsp;(for an&nbsp;average tax cut of nearly&nbsp;$145,000).\u201d The middle class would save \u201ca little less than $27\u201d a year.<\/p>\n<p>Repealing the SALT limit would also worsen racial income disparities, according to the left-leaning Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. \u201c[J]ust 5.6 percent of [b]lack families would see a tax cut compared to 9.7 percent of white families. Similarly, only 6.5 percent of Hispanic families would see a tax cut from SALT cap repeal, meaning they are 33 percent less likely than white families to benefit,\u201d ITEP <a href=\"https:\/\/itep.org\/salt-cap-repeal-would-worsen-racial-income-and-wealth-divides\/\">reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Yet repealing the SALT limit remains a top priority of some Democrats \u2014 especially <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/news\/northeast-dems-threaten-to-block-bidens-infrastructure-package-unless-tax-deductions-included\/\">in the Northeast \u2014<\/a>&nbsp;who have threatened to derail the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package if it doesn\u2019t contain a sop to America\u2019s toniest taxpayers. \u201cWe\u2019re going to keep fighting until this is part of the bill. It\u2019s as critical as a road or a bridge or a tunnel, which is why we are going to keep fighting for it until the end,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.standingforfreedom.com\/2021\/04\/28\/irs-data-shows-that-democrats-not-republicans-are-now-the-party-of-the-rich\/\">said<\/a> Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ). Gottheimer was one of eight congressmen who wrote in a <a href=\"https:\/\/sherrill.house.gov\/sites\/sherrill.house.gov\/files\/4-1-21%20Sherrill%2C%20Malinowski%2C%20and%20Gottheimer%20Letter%20to%20Secretary%20Yellen%20re%20SALT.pdf\">letter<\/a> to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on April Fool\u2019s Day that they \u201ccould not vote for a bill that has a meaningful tax impact on our constituents unless it restores SALT deduction relief to our middle-class families,\u201d adding that it\u2019s a \u201cmisconception that the SALT deduction doesn\u2019t help middle class families.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Republicans have skewered Democrats\u2019 devotion to the issue. Raising or eliminating the SALT limit would \u201ccreate tax havens for billionaires against the very tax hikes that they are proposing,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollcall.com\/2021\/10\/01\/making-salt-relief-pay-for-itself-among-democrats-options\/\">quipped<\/a> Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX), ranking member of the House Ways and Means Committee. \u201cPenthouse occupants are cheering. The building janitor gets nothing.\u201d Similarly, Rep. Peter Meijer (R-MI) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/votemeijer\/status\/1437573352760152064\">called<\/a> the \u201cTax the Rich\u201d dress that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) wore to the Met Gala \u201cquite the swipe against [Senate Majority Leader Chuck] Schumer [and Speaker of the House Nancy] Pelosi\u2019s plan to repeal the SALT deduction cap.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\" readability=\"5.4431137724551\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">quite the swipe against <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SenSchumer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@SenSchumer<\/a> + <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SpeakerPelosi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@SpeakerPelosi<\/a>\u2019s plan to repeal the SALT deduction cap <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ADWgOeWGFR\">https:\/\/t.co\/ADWgOeWGFR<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Peter Meijer (@VoteMeijer) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/VoteMeijer\/status\/1437573352760152064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 14, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>As President Joe Biden met behind closed doors with Democrats on Capitol Hill Friday, congressmen <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2021-10-04\/salt-cap-relief-faces-rollback-as-democrats-eye-less-spending\">negotiated<\/a> various scenarios to help their most affluent patrons, such as raising the SALT limit without abolishing it or enacting a one- or two-year suspension of the cap. A one-year suspension would reduce tax revenues by $89 billion; a two-year suspension would lower revenues by $178 billion, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation.<\/p>\n<p>And, as left-of-center think tanks have noted, virtually every dollar saved will benefit the rich.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Thousands Of Dollars To Ride In A Tesla (And More Handouts Each Month)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As part of their efforts to reduce carbon emissions, congressional Democrats have proposed greatly expanding subsidies for those who buy electric cars, trucks, and e-bikes. Yet, even after taxpayers are forced to pay for a portion of the sticker price, the wealthy will overwhelmingly benefit.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2021\/09\/14\/tesla-toyota-and-honda-criticize-4500-tax-credit-for-union-made-evs.html\">$15.6 billion<\/a> giveaway to the rich, which is part of the reconciliation bill, would give up to $12,500 to people who bought electric vehicles. \u201cA married couple would have to earn at least $200,000 to owe that much in taxes,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aei.org\/op-eds\/democrats-love-tax-cuts-for-the-rich\/\">wrote<\/a> Tim Carney of The Washington Examiner. \u201cSo basically, this is another tax break for wealthy lawyers and doctors.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The current proposal would compel taxpayers to give these funds to people making up to $400,000 a year \u2014 placing the recipients well within the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.investopedia.com\/personal-finance\/how-much-income-puts-you-top-1-5-10\/\">top 5%<\/a> of income earners \u2014 and to underwrite the cost of an electric car worth up to $55,000 and or a truck with a sticker price of up to $74,000.<\/p>\n<p>Another provision of the bill would give $750 to people who buy electric bicycles, which is still well below the cost of low-end e-bikes. Taxpayers\u2019 financial commitment to e-bikers doesn\u2019t end when the new owners pedal their purchases back to their driveways; Democrats want to assure that taxpayers provide another $81 a month to pay for maintenance and upkeep.<\/p>\n<p>All of this amounts to an enormous giveaway to rich, white men. \u201cThe top demographic of 2019 EV owners are middle-aged white men earning more than $100,000 annually with a college degree or higher and at least one other vehicle in their household,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fuelsinstitute.org\/Research\/Reports\/EV-Consumer-Behavior\/EV-Consumer-Behavior-Report.pdf\">according<\/a> to the Electric Vehicle Council. But the electric vehicle subsidy would also benefit a core Democratic constituency: labor unions. The current Democratic proposal would cap the subsidy at $8,000 for manufacturers who make their cars with non-unionized workers; the extra $4,500 is reserved for union shops.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats hope the funding will nudge Americans into purchasing electric vehicles and reduce greenhouse gases. But President Biden will need for a lot more people to purchase e-vehicles if he wants his carbon-cutting agenda to succeed. \u201cA recent&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/rmi.org\/insight\/scaling-us-climate-ambitions\/\">forecast&nbsp;<\/a>by RMI, an environmental advocacy organization, concluded that a 45 percent cut in emissions from transportation by 2030 \u2014 in line with Biden\u2019s overall goal for the nation \u2014 would require 70 million electric cars on the road and for Americans to drive 20 percent less,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/transportation\/2021\/09\/18\/ebikes-reconciliation-carbon-emissions\/\">reported<\/a> The Washington Post.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tax Write-Offs For Paying Union Fat Cats\u2019 Salaries<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If the Democrats\u2019 favoritism to unions were not yet clear, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA), would like to allow union members to deduct $250 a year in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2021\/09\/14\/house-democrats-tax-plan-511805\">union dues<\/a> from their taxes. Only <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/news.release\/union2.nr0.htm\">10.8%<\/a> of the workforce is unionized \u2014 down from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.historycentral.com\/sixty\/Economics\/Laborunion.html\">33%<\/a> in 1955 \u2014 and the vast majority of union workers are employed by government agencies. While this tax write-off goes to union members, the dues it offsets flow upward to well-paid union leaders. No fewer than 15 employees at the AFL-CIO alone earn enough to rank among the richest 10% of Americans (requiring a salary of more than $158,002 a year), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.unionfacts.com\/employees\/AFL-CIO\">according<\/a> to the Center for Union Facts. The average labor union president earns <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ziprecruiter.com\/Salaries\/Union-President-Salary\">$96,775<\/a> a year, according to ZipRecruiter.<\/p>\n<p>Labor unions spent an estimated <a href=\"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/elections\/report-big-labor-hides-millions-in-2020-election-spending\/\">$1.8 billion<\/a> to benefit Democrats during the <a href=\"https:\/\/nilrr.org\/big-labor-reported-spending-1-8-billion-on-politics-in-the-2020-election-cycle\/\">2020 election cycle<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who\u2019s The Party Of The Rich?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>These policies are part of the reconciliation bill, which remains mired in negotiations. As a result, some of these proposals may be expanded, others may be reduced or eliminated. Each represents an aspect of the Democratic Party\u2019s ongoing evolution into the party of the rich, the powerful, and the credentialed \u2014 a movement that has continued apace since <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/polyarchy\/2016\/6\/3\/11843780\/democrats-wealthy-party\">at least 2012<\/a>. \u201cIRS&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/democrats-party-wealthy-irs-salt-tax-trump\">data<\/a>&nbsp;shows that Democrats represent 65 percent of taxpayers with a household income of $500,000 or more while 74 percent of taxpayers in Republican districts have household incomes of less than $100,000,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.standingforfreedom.com\/2021\/04\/28\/irs-data-shows-that-democrats-not-republicans-are-now-the-party-of-the-rich\/\">wrote<\/a> Nathan Skates of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.standingforfreedom.com\/\">Stand for Freedom Center<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But the fact that congressional Democrats included these giveaways to the wealthiest and most elite Americans \u2014 and paired them with provisions to raise taxes and fees on people making <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/7-ways-democrats-would-raise-taxes-on-people-making-less-than-400000\">less than $400,000<\/a> \u2014 is revealing enough about the party\u2019s true constituency.<\/p>\n<p><em>The views expressed in this piece are the author\u2019s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><em>The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/subscribe\"><em>member<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>While Democrats often brand themselves as the champions of the poor and downtrodden, they have morphed into the party representing the views \u2014 and financial interests \u2014 of America\u2019s wealthiest &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-868654","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/868654","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=868654"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/868654\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=868654"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=868654"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=868654"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}