"If facts could kill the myth of trickle-down tax cuts, I'd have given the eulogy at its graveside lo these many years ago," writes Jared Bernstein. (Photo: Gage Skidmore/flickr/cc)
Jun 07, 2017
In a move characterized as a decisive rejection of a right-wing experiment that closely resembles the tax proposals President Donald Trump has touted for months, Kansas lawmakers overrode a veto by Republican Governor Sam Brownback on Tuesday night in order to roll back existing tax cuts and prevent cuts that were scheduled for the near future.
"Congratulations to Kansas for voting to roll back outrageous tax cuts for the wealthy that devastated the state."
--Sen. Bernie SandersKansas Republicans have, for the last several years, been forced to contend with how the tax cuts--passed in 2012 as part of what Gov. Brownback called a "real live experiment"--have devastated the state's public services, particularly education and healthcare.
As such, the lawmakers' actions on Tuesday were, for many, worthy of applause.
\u201cNow Kansas can finally start digging out from the disastrous GOP trickle-down experiment that tanked its economy. https://t.co/krF5XPjW5V\u201d— Flippable (@Flippable) 1496805972
\u201cIt's official: After 5 years, the Kansas legislature has undone Brownback's trickle-down tax experiment with a veto override.\u201d— Justin Miller (@Justin Miller) 1496803702
\u201cthe Kansas tax experiment was crafted and endorsed by the most influential conservative policy figures, and it failed catastrophically\u201d— Simon Maloy (@Simon Maloy) 1496803907
"Congratulations to Kansas for voting to roll back outrageous tax cuts for the wealthy that devastated the state," Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) wrote on Twitter in response to the news.
In statement released on Wednesday, Nick Johnson of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) joined lawmakers and activists in celebrating the move, calling it a "striking repudiation of far-right wing economic orthodoxy."
"Kansas's five-year experiment shows us what happens when we try to tax-cut our way to prosperity," Johnson added, "but the legislature's action reminds us that we have other options."
Tuesday's vote also presented a chance to consider what may be on the horizon as the Republican Party, with Trump at the helm, gears up to craft legislation that would slash taxes for the wealthiest Americans.
If Kansas is any guide, analysts have noted, such a move could prove disastrous.
"Kansas's five-year experiment shows us what happens when we try to tax-cut our way to prosperity."
--Nick Johnson, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities"I've long argued there's just no evidence to support the claims made by the trickle-downers," wrote Jared Bernstein, a senior fellow at CBPP, in an op-ed for the Washington Post. But, he added, "If facts could kill the myth of trickle-down tax cuts, I'd have given the eulogy at its graveside lo these many years ago."
On the question of whether Trump or Republicans on Capitol Hill will learn from the Kansas experiment, Bernstein sounded a pessimistic note.
"It is not immaterial that the same folks who pushed the Kansas cuts are behind the Trump cuts," he observed. "In Kansas, to better serve the vast majority of their constituents, policymakers said 'no' to that cynical play. I hope I'm wrong, but in D.C., I fear the will of the majority to represent those outside the top 1 percent is not nearly so strong."
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
In a move characterized as a decisive rejection of a right-wing experiment that closely resembles the tax proposals President Donald Trump has touted for months, Kansas lawmakers overrode a veto by Republican Governor Sam Brownback on Tuesday night in order to roll back existing tax cuts and prevent cuts that were scheduled for the near future.
"Congratulations to Kansas for voting to roll back outrageous tax cuts for the wealthy that devastated the state."
--Sen. Bernie SandersKansas Republicans have, for the last several years, been forced to contend with how the tax cuts--passed in 2012 as part of what Gov. Brownback called a "real live experiment"--have devastated the state's public services, particularly education and healthcare.
As such, the lawmakers' actions on Tuesday were, for many, worthy of applause.
\u201cNow Kansas can finally start digging out from the disastrous GOP trickle-down experiment that tanked its economy. https://t.co/krF5XPjW5V\u201d— Flippable (@Flippable) 1496805972
\u201cIt's official: After 5 years, the Kansas legislature has undone Brownback's trickle-down tax experiment with a veto override.\u201d— Justin Miller (@Justin Miller) 1496803702
\u201cthe Kansas tax experiment was crafted and endorsed by the most influential conservative policy figures, and it failed catastrophically\u201d— Simon Maloy (@Simon Maloy) 1496803907
"Congratulations to Kansas for voting to roll back outrageous tax cuts for the wealthy that devastated the state," Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) wrote on Twitter in response to the news.
In statement released on Wednesday, Nick Johnson of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) joined lawmakers and activists in celebrating the move, calling it a "striking repudiation of far-right wing economic orthodoxy."
"Kansas's five-year experiment shows us what happens when we try to tax-cut our way to prosperity," Johnson added, "but the legislature's action reminds us that we have other options."
Tuesday's vote also presented a chance to consider what may be on the horizon as the Republican Party, with Trump at the helm, gears up to craft legislation that would slash taxes for the wealthiest Americans.
If Kansas is any guide, analysts have noted, such a move could prove disastrous.
"Kansas's five-year experiment shows us what happens when we try to tax-cut our way to prosperity."
--Nick Johnson, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities"I've long argued there's just no evidence to support the claims made by the trickle-downers," wrote Jared Bernstein, a senior fellow at CBPP, in an op-ed for the Washington Post. But, he added, "If facts could kill the myth of trickle-down tax cuts, I'd have given the eulogy at its graveside lo these many years ago."
On the question of whether Trump or Republicans on Capitol Hill will learn from the Kansas experiment, Bernstein sounded a pessimistic note.
"It is not immaterial that the same folks who pushed the Kansas cuts are behind the Trump cuts," he observed. "In Kansas, to better serve the vast majority of their constituents, policymakers said 'no' to that cynical play. I hope I'm wrong, but in D.C., I fear the will of the majority to represent those outside the top 1 percent is not nearly so strong."
In a move characterized as a decisive rejection of a right-wing experiment that closely resembles the tax proposals President Donald Trump has touted for months, Kansas lawmakers overrode a veto by Republican Governor Sam Brownback on Tuesday night in order to roll back existing tax cuts and prevent cuts that were scheduled for the near future.
"Congratulations to Kansas for voting to roll back outrageous tax cuts for the wealthy that devastated the state."
--Sen. Bernie SandersKansas Republicans have, for the last several years, been forced to contend with how the tax cuts--passed in 2012 as part of what Gov. Brownback called a "real live experiment"--have devastated the state's public services, particularly education and healthcare.
As such, the lawmakers' actions on Tuesday were, for many, worthy of applause.
\u201cNow Kansas can finally start digging out from the disastrous GOP trickle-down experiment that tanked its economy. https://t.co/krF5XPjW5V\u201d— Flippable (@Flippable) 1496805972
\u201cIt's official: After 5 years, the Kansas legislature has undone Brownback's trickle-down tax experiment with a veto override.\u201d— Justin Miller (@Justin Miller) 1496803702
\u201cthe Kansas tax experiment was crafted and endorsed by the most influential conservative policy figures, and it failed catastrophically\u201d— Simon Maloy (@Simon Maloy) 1496803907
"Congratulations to Kansas for voting to roll back outrageous tax cuts for the wealthy that devastated the state," Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) wrote on Twitter in response to the news.
In statement released on Wednesday, Nick Johnson of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) joined lawmakers and activists in celebrating the move, calling it a "striking repudiation of far-right wing economic orthodoxy."
"Kansas's five-year experiment shows us what happens when we try to tax-cut our way to prosperity," Johnson added, "but the legislature's action reminds us that we have other options."
Tuesday's vote also presented a chance to consider what may be on the horizon as the Republican Party, with Trump at the helm, gears up to craft legislation that would slash taxes for the wealthiest Americans.
If Kansas is any guide, analysts have noted, such a move could prove disastrous.
"Kansas's five-year experiment shows us what happens when we try to tax-cut our way to prosperity."
--Nick Johnson, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities"I've long argued there's just no evidence to support the claims made by the trickle-downers," wrote Jared Bernstein, a senior fellow at CBPP, in an op-ed for the Washington Post. But, he added, "If facts could kill the myth of trickle-down tax cuts, I'd have given the eulogy at its graveside lo these many years ago."
On the question of whether Trump or Republicans on Capitol Hill will learn from the Kansas experiment, Bernstein sounded a pessimistic note.
"It is not immaterial that the same folks who pushed the Kansas cuts are behind the Trump cuts," he observed. "In Kansas, to better serve the vast majority of their constituents, policymakers said 'no' to that cynical play. I hope I'm wrong, but in D.C., I fear the will of the majority to represent those outside the top 1 percent is not nearly so strong."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.