Please help a liberal; raise their taxes

Not one Democrat voted for lower taxes or employee bonuses!

The indentured servants at the Stately Manor gathered in front of the Philco to watch democracy in action Tuesday and Wednesday. First the House of Reps and then the U.S. Senate debating the epochal tax bill.

They were tuned to C-Span — straight-on coverage with no interpreters, no talking heads telling us what we just heard. Love how the congressmen refer to each other as “My friend” while ripping each other a new one.

Most memorable: Sen. Orrin Hatch waiting while a heckler in the gallery, unseen, was dragged away, seemingly protesting all the way down the hallway, down the stairs, and out on Constitution Avenue. “I’d be embarrassed if he were on our side,” the senator remarked.

What’s the matter, Capitol Police? Tasers not working? Even so, there’s a lesson for Dane County Board on keeping order. What is it about our … acquaintances that makes them think shouting is a substitute for democracy?

Hatch’s remarks were worth waiting for, as were those of Speaker Paul Ryan in the other house. So was Sen. Tim Scott, a black Republican from the birthplace of the Confederacy, South Carolina.

Thought Joe Manchin of West Virginia might break ranks with the Democrats but not so. Democrats have that union mentality; they present a solid front even if it will kill them at the polls. (Spoiler alert: It will.)

Those evil corporations

The white lab coats of the Policy Werkes will only say that if the Democrats didn’t like this tax reform they could have put up their own when they ruled the roost. They chose ObamaCare (a new tax) instead. One more bonus platinum subscriber point: not everything has to be an income redistribution scheme. Right, Comrades?

But go ahead and hate on business and those evil corporations. All the Squire knows is his 401(k) is fatter today than when he retired and he’s been drawing on it all these years to pay for his motorcycle addiction and wine collection. The stock market is up 24% since Trump was sworn it (and at).

Immediately after Wednesday’s vote, Wells Fargo and Fifth Third Bancorp announced they will hike minimum wages to $15 an hour. Bancorp, Comcast and AT&T are giving $1,000 bonuses — covering a cumulative 300,000 workers. Boeing is investing $300 million on working training. (More here.) Not top-down coercion, acquaintances. Economics.

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How will the Republic survive?

From that trusted news source, The Babylon Bee:

WASHINGTON — The nation was in an absolute uproar as the GOP tax bill passed Congress Wednesday and made its way to President Trump’s desk, with millions of irate citizens expressing their total fury over the fact that the federal government will now be taking less of their money week in and week out. …

“America is dead,” one weeping woman said as she found out she would be giving the government $2,000 less under the new tax plan. “If ever there were a time for Americans to rise up and revolt against government oppression, this is it.”

The socialists remonstrate about “tax cuts for the rich.” National Review reminds:

The middle class only shoulders a tiny part of the federal income tax. Over 70% of the tax is paid by the top 10% of earners. That means any reform of the income tax is probably going to affect them the most. Yet, this tax plan managed to make the income-tax system even more progressive than it already was.

Taxes paid by earners of incomes between $40,000 and $50,000 will decrease 56% — the most generous percentage tax reduction. Those earning less pay nothing. Taxpayers earning one million dollars or more get a 6.4% reduction, the smallest of all. But because that reduction is applied to such large amounts …

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Property taxes lowest since Jim Doyle

Speaking of taxes, your Squire did a Danny Thomas coffee spit-take upon opening the WI State Journal Wednesday morning to see the editorial page actually praising Scott Walker and the Republican legislature for holding down property taxes.

Controlling property taxes has been a longtime goal of Democrats, too. And they failed under the previous administration to deliver this kind of lasting relief.

Overall, Wisconsin property taxes are lower today than they were eight years ago, before Walker took office. As a percentage of personal income, they are the lowest since 1946.

So, it will be interesting to see Tammy Baldwin finagle her vote for higher taxes next fall, especially if her opponent is Leah Vukmir, who helped cut taxes in the state senate. Second District Rep. Mark Pocan, on the other hand, can campaign on his vote for higher taxes. He represents Madison and Dane County, after all.

Dues on the Stately Manor went up 6.2% for Madison schools, 7.6% for MATC, 8.3% for the City of Madison (“bridge that digital divide“), and 12.0% for Dane County — and that doesn’t count the wheel tax)! Overall, the servants are indentured 7.7% more than last year. Somehow, Green Bay was able to reduce property taxes 4.4% over the past five years while Madison has gone up 8.2%.

Those evil corporations.