Printed in Courier on 11/9/2017
I just received an e-mail from Congressman Greg Walden brimming with good news about “tax reform.” Walden explains that, “While reform is never easy, and always subject to partisan hyperbole, we do know two important facts about this draft plan courtesy of the nonpartisan Tax Foundation analysis: (1) Annual, after-tax income for the middle class will rise in every state; (2) the U.S. economy will grow by 4 percent and create 975,000 new jobs as a result.” Not a speck of partisan hyperbole there. Although, curiously, this is the first time I have realized that economic prognostications based on hypothetical models, formulated by a foundation known for its pro-business, anti-tax bias for 80 years, have magically become “facts.”
In spite of these misgivings, I’m planning to spend all of that extra after-tax income soon — in supporting a qualified, intelligent candidate not prone to misrepresentation, misinformation and outright lies to replace Walden. The fact is, it can’t happen soon enough.
PAUL FALLETTA
Grants Pass