Opinions

Tax plan is no gift, but season’s spirit lives in our communities

With the passage of the Republican tax bill, it's clear that "we the corporations" and "we the wealthy" got taken care of in spades, while "we the people" got thrown a bone; a mixed bag of temporary tax cuts for individuals and families. Judging by opinion polls, I am not alone in this assessment of the tax bill that passed the Senate by a one-vote margin.

A new (Dec. 10) USA Today/Suffolk University poll finds only 32 percent of Americans support the GOP tax bill. According to USA Today "this is the lowest level of public support for any major piece of legislation enacted in the past three decades, including the Affordable Care Act in 2009." A majority of Americans "predict their own families won't pay lower taxes as a result of the measure, and an equal 53 percent say it won't help the economy in a major way."

A Reuters/Ipos poll, released after the Senate's passage of the tax bill, comports with the sentiment expressed in the USA Today/Suffolk University poll. When asked "who stands to benefit most" from the plan, more than half of all American adults surveyed selected either the wealthy or large U.S. corporations. Fourteen percent chose "all Americans," six percent picked the middle class, and two percent chose lower-income Americans. Clearly we are leaving out we the people when it comes to whom Congress chooses to address.

If Congress and the Trump administration are all about serving the corporations and the wealthy where do we the people go? To the ballot box? This is still an option. However, this option is less viable thanks to gerrymandering and the influence of big money. With Citizens United and super PACs now funding most major elections, corporations and the wealthy have the upper hand at the ballot box. To the courts? From all the lawsuits against the Trump administration it's clear that we the people are already in this arena, which unfortunately requires a lot of time for appeal proceedings to run out. Sadly, this leaves the right to assemble — taking to the streets — as one of the few places for we the people to be heard.

But hey, it's the holiday season and I don't want to go there nor do I want to dwell any further on this latest overlook of the poor and the middle class.

Still, in asking where do we the people go?, I'm happy to report that in my community of Juneau we the people go to Nutcracker Ballets and holiday pageants to see children and/or grandchildren perform. We go to church to celebrate love and faith. We join in service to feed the hungry and help the homeless. We go with friends to local arts and crafts fairs. We bake cookies and make the rounds of office Christmas parties. We escape into the Seattle Seahawks' bid for a playoff spot. We let go of politics and renew ourselves in the brethren of neighbors and community.  We the people just go about being everyday folk that form the fabric of America. Thanks goodness for that.

Kate Troll is the author of "The Great Unconformity: Reflections on Hope in an Imperiled World." She has more than 22 years of experience in Alaska fisheries, coastal management and energy policy. She lives in Douglas.

The views expressed here are the writer's and are not necessarily endorsed by the Anchorage Daily News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary(at)adn.com. Send submissions shorter than 200 words to letters@adn.com or click here to submit via any web browser.

Kate Troll

Kate Troll, a longtime Alaskan, has over 22 years experience in coastal management, fisheries and energy policy and is a former executive director for United Fishermen of Alaska and the Alaska Conservation Voters. She's been elected to local office twice, written two books and resides in Douglas.

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