Tax cuts for the rich benefit 1 percent of people - increases national debt by $1 Trillion a year

Republican tax cuts are daylight robbery- A graphic published in The Boston Globe 

The following letter to the editor is an echo opinion from Nebraska published in the McCook Gazette

Who really benefits from tax cuts?
Every tax system creates winners and losers.

The 2017 Trump tax reform gave 83% of the tax cuts to the richest 1% of the people.

This number has not been challenged by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the General Accounting Office (GAO), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the non-partisan Tax Foundation. The American population is 330 million people.

The 83% tax cut goes to 3,300,000, out of 330,000,000 people. The net result reduces the progressive nature of our tax system and increases our debt by one trillion dollars a year. Thus, tax revenue shrinks and more borrowed money is used to pay entitlement programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.

This further increases the gap between the richest 1% and the rest of us. If Donald Trump truly wanted to help the middle class he would have permanently cut payroll taxes. Instead, he implemented loopholes like the pass-through, reduced capital gains tax, and retained the carried interest provision.

Corporations which are plush with cash borrow money and write-off the interest on their debt.

Meanwhile, these low-interest rates, punish the little people who hold their money in bank accounts and CDs. The Trump tax cuts follow two major tax cuts by the George W. Bush administration. Rather than investing money in research and development and job creation, corporations have rewarded stockholders and CEOs with stock buybacks, stock options, and increased dividends rather than wages increases.

Over 90% of stock is held by 10% of the American people and foreign corporations. American companies have shifted risk to their employees by moving from a system of defined benefits to one of defined contributions.

Rather than increasing wages, they are giving one-time bonuses. President Trump has attempted to replace affordable healthcare with bare bones minimum coverage plans which do not guarantee coverage of preconditions. This is how he plans to reduce the cost of healthcare.

Tax cuts which dramatically increase the national debt when there is already full employment are contrary to traditional economic theory. When interest rates go up the cost of financing the national debt goes up accordingly.

Tariffs on imported goods increase inflation. Inflation eats up the little guy's tax cuts. Your paycheck may be a little larger, but you will end up with less purchasing power and a lower standard of living.

Mr. Trump says “the best is yet to come.” (MaineWriter- is this a "recession alert"?)

Is it?  Roger Green
Scottsbluff, Neb.

Pertussis ~ A 21st century public health opinion about Whooping Cough

Letter to the Editor ~ McCook Gazette 

Why vaccinate for pertussis?
April 20, 2018

(MaineWriter note~  This is startling. The April 20, date on this opinion letter published in Texas is significant, because a proven prevention to  stop the pertussis infectious disease, was available in 1940!)

PERTUSSIS is more commonly known as whooping cough. 

In fact, the vaccine for this highly contagious and sometimes lethal bacterial disease first became available in 1940. Prevention is mainly by vaccination with the pertussis vaccine. Diagnosis can be somewhat difficult in the early stages of the disease which is when antibiotics are most successful in its treatment. The reason for this is because it initially presents as a common cold with a runny nose, fever and a mild cough. However, as the disease progresses, the patient will experience fits of coughing that may last for 10 or more weeks. The cough can be so “violent” that it can result in vomiting, broken ribs and pure exhaustion from the effort. 

Children may not cough at all or very little and instead have periods where they do not breathe. Many children less than a year of age require hospitalization.

Pertussis is an airborne disease which spreads easily through the coughs and sneezes of an infected person. It is sometimes identified following a fit of coughing when the patient gasps or breathes in and there is a high-pitched “whoop” sound. From the start of symptoms until after approximately three weeks of the coughing fits, the infected person is contagious. Pertussis may occur in those who have been vaccinated, but the symptoms are typically milder.

Babies should receive the vaccine between six and eight weeks of age. Four doses are given before the baby is two years old. However, pertussis disease is not limited to infants. Because the vaccine becomes less effective over time, additional doses are recommended for older children and adults. The pertussis vaccine is included in the regimen for children entering kindergarten and then again when they enter the seventh grade. Adults should also receive at least one dose. It is now common protocol for pregnant women to receive the vaccine in their last trimester of each pregnancy in order to provide their newborn with some immunity. Doctors are also insisting that adults who are going to be around newborns be vaccinated to protect the baby. In addition, we are finding that more and more doctors are recommending that their geriatric patients receive the pertussis vaccine. Some older patients who suffered from whooping cough as a child may have some immunity for up to 70 years following their bout with the disease but it is definitely safer to receive another vaccine to reassure protection.

The Red Willow County Health Department invites you to call (308-345-1790) for an appointment for your baby or your kindergarten or seventh-grade student. Adults should also check on their immunizations to see if they are protected. Although Medicare does not cover this vaccine, most insurance policies do. It is considered a preventative vaccine and is, therefore, not subject to a deductible. If you are on Medicare, contact us and we can let you know what your supplement insurance would pay or you can take advantage of our discounted cash price. If your child doesn’t have insurance, we offer the state-funded Vaccines For Children program.

Several cases of whooping cough are currently being monitored in Southwest Nebraska so don’t hesitate to get your immunizations updated. Our clinic is located at the fairgrounds in McCook (1400 West 5th Street). Feel free to call us at 308-345-1790 for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Pam Harsh,

Red Willow County Health Department