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Sarah Claassen: In whose interest did Congressman Tipton vote?

This is an open response to Congressman’s Scott Tipton’s column regarding the Tax Cuts and Job Acts passed by the House of Representatives.

Dear Congressman Tipton:

Thank you for telling us why you voted for the House tax bill. It sounds fabulous. If only it were accurate.



You say that “independent analysis” shows that the bill will help Americans at every tax level, “especially” Americans at the low- and middle-income levels.

But you fail to tell us who performed the analysis. Congress’ own Joint Committee on Taxation does say that 92 percent will pay less or see little change … initially … but after five years, only 40 percent will pay less. The Tax Policy Institute reports that those with the very highest incomes will receive the largest cuts, and they will not share in the falling impact of the tax cuts, unlike the low- and middle-income earners.



You say “there are some in Congress who would prefer to preserve tax loopholes for special interests” meaning the Democrats who voted “no.”

But you fail to tell us that your bill retains the loophole for golf course owners and eliminates the estate tax on the remaining 5,500 families who are even still affected by estate tax, while cutting the $250 credit for school teachers buying classroom supplies. How many of the 5,500 live in your district Mr. Tipton? How many school teachers?

You say a recent study by the Tax Foundation estimates that under the new tax plan median-income families will see a $2,682 increase in their income. But you don’t tell us that the Tax Foundation is heavily funded by the Koch constellation of entities and chaired by one of their own.

And you don’t tell us what  Colorado’s “median income” is? That may be great if you were the representative of the 1st of 2nd districts, but as the representative of Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District, surely you know that the median income in only one of the 28 counties in your district exceeds Colorado’s median household income (Pitkin, i.e. Aspen), only three others come close and the majority fall far short, some as much as by half.

Your constituents are probably more concerned to know that the effect of your tax bill is to cut Medicare by $25 billion in the first year alone.

You say that the last significant tax reform was in 1986.

But then why for something so significant, did you and your colleagues spend less time on crafting the legislation than we expect a high school student to spend on her senior thesis?

You also don’t explain why, as a fiscal conservative, you voted for a bill that will increase the national debt by $1.4 trillion, and by the conservative Forbes magazine prediction, will cause another recession.

More than one of your colleagues has admitted that this bill is a gift to the mega-donors.

Whose interest did you really vote for, Congressman Tipton?

Something tells me it wasn’t mine or my neighbors.

Sarah Claassen

Steamboat Springs


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