Late last night, just before the Finance Committee passed the Senate’s version of the tax bill slashing taxes on corporations and the rich, a remarkable moment unfolded that perfectly captured the GOP’s whole handling of the tax debate — in all its dishonesty, misdirection and bottomless bad faith.
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) engaged in extended sparring with committee chairman Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) over who would benefit from the Senate bill, with Brown insisting that it fundamentally represents a tax cut for the rich and not the middle class. This drew an enraged response from Hatch, even though Brown’s argument was 100 percent correct.
Yesterday, as I was walking home from a doctors appointment taking Fairfax Blvd, I had to walk over two people asleep on the sidewalk, one covered in a kind of tarp, the other lying on one arm, one shoe on and one shoe somewhere else. I passed three extensive building projects, with one announcing that if you buy now you can get a one bedroom one bath condo for $1.5 million. Fairfax Blvd used to be a cacophony of Kosher markets, a market place for the many Jews who once lived in the area. Times change and Fairfax has changed with it. Now as I was walking home, I witnessed at least 10 stores selling designer athletic shoes, designer baseball caps, and designer athletic ware. This particular night must have been special as half of the stores had lines of about two dozen young people standing in line eager to purchase, sneakers and sweats starting prices at least $250. I was standing on the corner, where Cantors’ Deli is located, waiting for the light to turn green. Suddenly, a man arose from the bus stop bench holding a can, at first I thought he was going to throw it me, but the target was three young guys sitting in a convertible, calling this man names. In a flash, I saw a can being thrown into the car, the driver narrowly missing an older woman holding two large plastic bags, who had only been looking down, most likely from the weight of the items in her bags. The car sped off and the bus stop bench guy, picked up another can from the ground and began to drink it. I passed him, quickly, and as I approached Melrose and Fairfax, the traffic had piled up, as one car decided to double park, with the driver running to pick up some coffee from a mom and pop coffee place advertising that even though their coffee is price, it will keep you up for all the night time adventures ahead of you; a small cup costing $9.50. Needless to say, there was a lot of thinking of horns, middle fingers being raised and a chorus of fuck you’s. It was at that corner, that an older woman with a very stuffed shopping cart walked over to me and asked me, do I like it here. Here, I replied, you mean right now? She walked closer to me and said, isn’t this all we have anyway? And then she walked away from me and started to push her cart.
On Friday, the Senate Finance Committee, voted to pass the House’s Bill for tax cuts, basically for the wealthy, people like Trump, most of the members of his Cabinet, and people like Senator Orin Hatch, who is assumed to be the wealthiest Senator in Congress. Flint Michigan’s water is dangerous, Puerto Ricans are living in filth, Veterans are still being denied quick and professional health care, people are still prioritizing which to pay, food, medicine or rent. I don’t understand how the answer to all that ails us is so clear, yet so ignored. I don’t get it, I just don’t get it!
