A Christian view on Republican tax cuts for the rich

This "echo" is a re-blogged letter to the editor, published in the Cincinatti Enquirer opinion section. Honestly, I'm glad to read a Christian point of view about the Republican "tax cuts for the rich", whereby the widening economic disparities between rich and poor are finally exposed. (From my cruising through the nation's newspapers' opinion pages.)

Submitted to the Cincinnati Enquirer by Rev. Alan Dicken (@AlanDicken1). He is the senior pastor at Carthage Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

Earlier this month, Senator Rob Portman took to the pages of this paper to extol the virtues of so-called “tax reform.” Since then, more details have emerged about the Republican tax plan, and it’s clear “reform” isn’t quite the right word for it. 

Rather, it seems like an exclusive invitation to a small table with a large feast.

Like the House bill, the Senate bill puts more money in the pockets of super wealthy on the false promise that somehow average Americans will benefit. The bill cuts the corporate tax rate from 35 to 20 percent with more than one-third of the benefit going to the top 1 percent. It also makes deep cuts to the estate tax that will benefit the heirs of the richest 0.2 percent of estates, who would get a tax cut of $4.4 million. The bill lowers the tax rate for business income and individual rates, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. That’s a large helping of tax relief for those who seem to have more than enough.

Even the provision GOP senators tout as a break for working families – an expansion of the Child Tax Credit – tilts towards the most fortunate. Under the bill, a married couple with two kids earning $500,000 would receive a $4,000 credit. Meanwhile, a single mother with two kids making $14,500 would get $75, according to CBPP. Another healthy dose of assistance to those with plenty.

The Senate bill eliminates Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate, which keeps health care premiums down and stabilizes the market. Republican senators are banking on people dropping out of the subsidized marketplace to help pay for their tax cuts. When younger, healthier people leave, premiums will go up, and sick people who need care could find themselves unable to afford insurance. An abundance of servings of care to those who have sufficient care already.

I’m not concerned about this bill as an economist, policymaker or politician. I am a faith leader. My faith tells me a lot of things about how the poor and oppressed should be treated. They are to be lifted up, cared for, clothed, fed, and treated with dignity and respect that is deserving of all of God’s children.

Unfortunately, we have many in our community who are poor and oppressed. Cincinnati’s overall child poverty rate for children under 6 is 52 percent – one of the highest in the nation. For black children, it is 74 percent. The bill will widen the gulf between the haves and the have-nots and strip away at programs that lift up our neighbors.

This bill doesn’t feed the hungry, it stuffs those who are already full. This bill doesn’t clothe the naked, it adorns the opulent. It doesn’t treat the poor with dignity and respect, instead, this bill would add $1.5 trillion to the deficit over 10 years. Which means likely budget cuts to programs like federal food aid, Medicaid, Pell Grants, job training programs and more.

Portman has spoken openly about his Christian faith. In our Christian tradition, there is a scripture in Luke 14:12-14 in which Jesus tells us, “When you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.” Who is really getting invited to the bountiful banquet provided by this bill? As far as I can tell, the most vulnerable don’t have a seat at the table.

I applaud Portman’s efforts to combat human trafficking, to stem the drug epidemic, and when he expanded the table to advocate for LGBTQ equality. If this tax bill passes, we might not have the resources needed to give a struggling addict treatment through Medicaid. Or help a victim of human trafficking get the job training she needs to start a new life. Portman, think about your neighbors in Cincinnati. Expand your table. Invite more of God’s children to the banquet.