Opinion: GOP tax bill: Who are the deficit hawks now?

To the editor: Where are those Republican deficit hawks? (“Cost of Republicans’ tax cuts likely to be greater than they appear on paper,” Dec. 16)

For eight years under President Obama, the Republicans in Congress cried foul every time a budget was proposed that increased the deficit by any amount. The current tax reform bill championed by the House and Senate Republicans as well as President Trump is projected to increase the debt by $1.5 trillion over 10 years.

Now, in the yearlong quest for a win, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) are happy with a bill that increases the debt by more than $1 trillion. Is it any wonder that Congress has such a low approval rating with this kind of hypocrisy?

David Troy, Laguna Niguel

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To the editor: It’s always fun to watch liberals suddenly become fiscal conservatives.

The Democrats are concerned about the possible $1.5-trillion deficit over the next 10 years, but they never had much of an issue with President Obama adding more than $9 trillion to our national debt in just eight years.

Rick Kern, Incline Village, Nev.

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To the editor: My wife and I are currently in the 33% marginal income tax bracket and will be in the 24% bracket under the new plan. With the proposed changes, our federal tax liability will probably decrease by about $8,000.

That’s nice for us, but it’s disgraceful morally since we have no need for that benefit while people who are poor or sick will not be helped by this bill. There is nothing material that we need, so we will not spend that money — rather, we will purchase more stocks that pay dividends, which are taxable at 15%.

The GOP tax plan is nothing more than a reward for the party’s donors and the wealthy. The poor get poorer and the rich get richer. This does not make America great.

Doug Emerson, Thousand Oaks

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