New survey also shows that 60 percent believe the Republican plan will “mainly favor” the rich
By Jake Johnson, staff writer for CommonDreams. Published 11-3-2017
For months Republicans and President Donald Trump have worked to convince Americans that massive tax cuts for the top one percent and the largest corporations would somehow primarily benefit the working class, but a new Washington Post/ABC News poll published Friday finds that the public isn’t buying the GOP’s “propaganda.”
Despite House Speaker Paul Ryan’s (R-Wis.) insistence on Thursday that his party’s proposals are geared toward helping “the middle class families in this country who deserve a break,” only 17 percent of Americans believe the GOP tax plan “mainly favors” the middle class, while 60 percent believe their plan would primarily benefit the wealthiest.
As NPR‘s Danielle Kurtzleben noted on Thursday, previous polling leading up to the GOP’s tax bill rollout revealed similar skepticism.
“GOP selling points aren’t sinking in,” Kurtzleben wrote. “One of Republicans’ biggest talking points is that a corporate tax cut will benefit workers (though even right-wing economists have cast doubt on White House estimates on this point). But nearly 60 percent of people believe corporations won’t ‘use that money to create jobs.'”
As Common Dreams has reported, most Americans believe the economy is already rigged in favor of the wealthy, and an overwhelming majority think corporations pay too little—not too much—in taxes.
Following House Republicans’ long-awaited release of the details of their tax plan on Thursday, progressive organizations and lawmakers are beginning to mobilize and raise public awareness about the bill’s “outrageous and immoral” provisions.
“Just as we defeated the Republican healthcare bill, our job now is to bring people together to defeat this disastrous tax bill and to create an economy and government that works for all of us, not just the one percent,” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) concluded in a statement on Thursday.
These first 48 hours after the GOP’s tax scam is released are critical—this is when people form first impressions, which tend to stick. 1/ https://t.co/3rpAGgTlN5
— Ben Wikler (@benwikler) November 3, 2017
Right now, do three things. Call Congress: 202-224-3121. Plan a protest for next week. & tell the world it’s a scam. https://t.co/JUDHdYNi7r
— Ben Wikler (@benwikler) November 3, 2017
The most important thing to communicate to friends, family, and the net: this is, at heart, a giveaway to corporations & the wealthy.
— Ben Wikler (@benwikler) November 3, 2017
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