We don’t have to elect Donald Trump to know his supply-side economics plan won’t work.
All the country has to do is look to Kansas to see how badly the model fares.
Trump bases his economic policy on generous tax cuts for the wealthy, which, he says, would “create tremendous jobs.”
Here in Kansas, the reverse has been true. Six years of Gov. Sam Brownback’s trickle-down economics have bankrupted the state. The tax breaks for the wealthy have not been used to create more jobs. In fact, compared to our neighbors, our ability to create jobs has faltered.
The better course would have been to direct those resources to build and maintain roads and bridges, keep schools and hospitals open, and lift our poor out of poverty.
You make families stable by paying them a decent wage and seeing their basic needs are met. You keep a country on firm ground by not eliminating its main source of income.
At Monday night’s debate, Hillary Clinton called out her opponent’s tax plan as “Trumped-up trickle down,” economics noting such a scenario would cost the country $4.5 trillion.
Kansas is all the proof the country needs to show tax breaks for the wealthy merely stay with the wealthy and do nothing to help the middle and lower classes.
BUT PEOPLE like Trump don’t get it.
All their lives they’ve been able to call the shots and create their own world view.
At Monday’s forum Trump trounced the truth to suit his ever-changing story line.
But just for the record, Trump did support the war in Iraq; is in the pocket of Russian president Vladimir Putin; does maintain the nuclear option to wage war “is on the table;” has called climate change a “hoax;” was born with a silver spoon in his mouth by accepting a $14 million “loan” from his father to get a start in business; did shamefully start the whole “birther” movement by alleging President Obama was not a U.S. citizen; and continues to malign women, U.S. veterans and minorities.
As just one example of the latter, Monday night he tried to dodge the fact that he said Clinton did not “look” presidential, by saying she does not have the “stamina” to be president.
Get off.
BECAUSE he doesn’t know how to do anything else, Trump kept the focus on himself Monday night.
He talked incessantly about how wealthy he is — as if that’s a measure of leadership or character.
He bragged about how he has never paid income tax — making us poor working stiffs feel like chumps.
And he continually interrupted Sec. Clinton, showing impatience when the discussion got too deep.
Clinton, meanwhile, remained poised, steady and able.
So what’s to decide?
— Susan Lynn
