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Representatives of progressive political activist groups join members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus for a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 4, 2017. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Support for GOP Tax Scam Drops as Corporate America Gorges on Record Stock Buybacks
The buyback bonanza further undercuts the White House claims that benefits from the tax package would go to workers
Jun 27, 2018
Roughly six months after President Donald Trump put his signature on the GOP "tax scam," a new poll reveals dwindling support for the corporate-friendly law whose benefits went mostly to the nation's wealthiest.
The finding from the POLITICO/Morning Consult polling out Wednesday comes as financial reporting this week showed that corporations have broken their own record of stock buybacks--a tactic deemed illegal and akin to stock market manipulation until 1982--used to reward executives and wealthy investors but that do nothing for consumers, workers, or regular taxpayers.
According to Politico, just 37 percent of registered voters now say they support the tax package, a drop from the 44 percent that said they backed it back in April.
The poll also found that a majority of workers, 52 percent, reported seeing no increase in their paychecks, as promised by Trump and Republican lawmakers, while only 25 percent said they did.
The drop comes as evidence continues to roll in that the unpopular tax law is bearing the fruit it was intended to--benefits for the wealthy few, and crumbs for the many.
One way wealthy executives are rewarding themselves thanks to the windfall they're reaping is through "a record stock buyback and dividend spree." As NBC News explains, "Buybacks reduce the number of shares on the market, immediately increasing the value of the shares that investors already hold."
The Associated Press reported,
Stock repurchases hit $189.1 billion in the first quarter for the S&P 500, according to preliminary results from S&P Dow Jones Indices. That tops the prior record of $171.9 billion set during the summer of 2007, just before the Great Recession struck.
The robust buying of their own shares continues a yearslong trend where companies have returned more and more cash to their investors through buybacks and dividends. S&P 500 companies returned a total of $1 trillion to their shareholders in the 12 months through March, the first time they've passed that threshold.
Buybacks, or open-market stock repurchases, as William Lazonick, professor of economics at University of Massachusetts Lowell explains, "wreak immense damage on households, companies, and the economy. The profits that major corporations reinvest in productive capabilities form the foundation for a prosperous middle class. Buybacks deprive companies of that investment capital, instead serving as a prime mode of making the richest households richer while eroding middle-class employment opportunities."
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This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
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Roughly six months after President Donald Trump put his signature on the GOP "tax scam," a new poll reveals dwindling support for the corporate-friendly law whose benefits went mostly to the nation's wealthiest.
The finding from the POLITICO/Morning Consult polling out Wednesday comes as financial reporting this week showed that corporations have broken their own record of stock buybacks--a tactic deemed illegal and akin to stock market manipulation until 1982--used to reward executives and wealthy investors but that do nothing for consumers, workers, or regular taxpayers.
According to Politico, just 37 percent of registered voters now say they support the tax package, a drop from the 44 percent that said they backed it back in April.
The poll also found that a majority of workers, 52 percent, reported seeing no increase in their paychecks, as promised by Trump and Republican lawmakers, while only 25 percent said they did.
The drop comes as evidence continues to roll in that the unpopular tax law is bearing the fruit it was intended to--benefits for the wealthy few, and crumbs for the many.
One way wealthy executives are rewarding themselves thanks to the windfall they're reaping is through "a record stock buyback and dividend spree." As NBC News explains, "Buybacks reduce the number of shares on the market, immediately increasing the value of the shares that investors already hold."
The Associated Press reported,
Stock repurchases hit $189.1 billion in the first quarter for the S&P 500, according to preliminary results from S&P Dow Jones Indices. That tops the prior record of $171.9 billion set during the summer of 2007, just before the Great Recession struck.
The robust buying of their own shares continues a yearslong trend where companies have returned more and more cash to their investors through buybacks and dividends. S&P 500 companies returned a total of $1 trillion to their shareholders in the 12 months through March, the first time they've passed that threshold.
Buybacks, or open-market stock repurchases, as William Lazonick, professor of economics at University of Massachusetts Lowell explains, "wreak immense damage on households, companies, and the economy. The profits that major corporations reinvest in productive capabilities form the foundation for a prosperous middle class. Buybacks deprive companies of that investment capital, instead serving as a prime mode of making the richest households richer while eroding middle-class employment opportunities."
Roughly six months after President Donald Trump put his signature on the GOP "tax scam," a new poll reveals dwindling support for the corporate-friendly law whose benefits went mostly to the nation's wealthiest.
The finding from the POLITICO/Morning Consult polling out Wednesday comes as financial reporting this week showed that corporations have broken their own record of stock buybacks--a tactic deemed illegal and akin to stock market manipulation until 1982--used to reward executives and wealthy investors but that do nothing for consumers, workers, or regular taxpayers.
According to Politico, just 37 percent of registered voters now say they support the tax package, a drop from the 44 percent that said they backed it back in April.
The poll also found that a majority of workers, 52 percent, reported seeing no increase in their paychecks, as promised by Trump and Republican lawmakers, while only 25 percent said they did.
The drop comes as evidence continues to roll in that the unpopular tax law is bearing the fruit it was intended to--benefits for the wealthy few, and crumbs for the many.
One way wealthy executives are rewarding themselves thanks to the windfall they're reaping is through "a record stock buyback and dividend spree." As NBC News explains, "Buybacks reduce the number of shares on the market, immediately increasing the value of the shares that investors already hold."
The Associated Press reported,
Stock repurchases hit $189.1 billion in the first quarter for the S&P 500, according to preliminary results from S&P Dow Jones Indices. That tops the prior record of $171.9 billion set during the summer of 2007, just before the Great Recession struck.
The robust buying of their own shares continues a yearslong trend where companies have returned more and more cash to their investors through buybacks and dividends. S&P 500 companies returned a total of $1 trillion to their shareholders in the 12 months through March, the first time they've passed that threshold.
Buybacks, or open-market stock repurchases, as William Lazonick, professor of economics at University of Massachusetts Lowell explains, "wreak immense damage on households, companies, and the economy. The profits that major corporations reinvest in productive capabilities form the foundation for a prosperous middle class. Buybacks deprive companies of that investment capital, instead serving as a prime mode of making the richest households richer while eroding middle-class employment opportunities."
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