Bruce Jenket: Difference between tax rate and tax burden

To The Daily Sun,

Do readers know the difference between tax “rate” and tax “burden”? Probably not if they believe that the Trump tax “cuts” benefitted the rich. Democratic politicians like our own Maggie Hassan, Jeanne Shaheen, Chris Pappas and Maggie Goodlander are in on the misrepresentation. These politicians are not stupid. They are all well-educated and responsible for legislating national policy.

I have written to all four and asked a simple question. “If those making over $500K/year before the Trump Tax Cuts & Jobs Act (TC&JA) paid a total of $604B in 2017 and paid a total of $946B in 2022, how is that a tax cut?” The few that did respond ignored the question.

So, I asked Google AI the same question. Here is the response. “The increase in total tax revenue from high earners after the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) occurs because lower tax rates stimulated significant income growth and asset realizations, expanding the overall tax base even as individual tax percentages fell.” Read it again to grasp the genius of the TC&JA.

To further that point here is another fact. Those making over $500K/year paid 38% of all federal income taxes in 2017 and over 45% in 2022. So, why do millions of Americans believe the rich got a tax cut?

In my opinion, it’s because our elected representatives lack honor and integrity. Any one of them could have asked AI the same question I did but opted not to. Rather they emphasize the rich’s “tax (rate) cut” and refused to acknowledge their “tax (burden) increase”. It’s dishonest.

I believe this is the foundation of the “the rich don’t pay their fair share” lie claimed by Democratic Socialists and reinforced by a far-left media. As in Nazi Germany, if one controls the media, they control the narrative.

Bruce Jenket

Moultonborough