Dear editor:
Republican-controlled Congress has granted the wealthiest $600 billion in permanent tax cuts with one cut benefiting just 5,400 families. And these tax cuts are not paid for, nor did they ask or consider how to pay for them. Yet we cannot move forward on a highway funding bill because they want to know where we'll find the money? Excuse me? Just repeal those permanent, unpaid for, tax cuts of $600 billion granted to the wealthy and then we can do something that benefits the rest of us.
Rep. Westerman wants to take $15 billion from the Medicaid expansion that benefits 200 Arkansans, to plug the hole in the highway funding bill, see his Facebook page. And another Republican from Washington that suggested they get it from Medicare? They want to cut Head Start another $421 million, plus there have been changes in the tax code that will constitute a tax increase to anyone who files a tax return and itemizes their deductions. I suppose this is how they expect to pay for it. Grant huge tax cuts for the few (trickle down economics) and spread out the pain of those cuts to the millions of us who are barely making it now?
It's time to hold our representatives feet to the fire and demand they do something that results in a direct benefit to the people and not just the wealthy. Call now, 202-224-3121, and ask for your representative.
Judith Zitko
Hot Springs Village
Editorial on 05/25/2015