The tax cuts burden the nation but bless the rich

Let’s see how the average American is doing under the 2017 Trump-GOP tax cut.

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation, the tax cut will increase the federal deficit by $1.5 trillion by 2027. Of this shocking sum, $675 billion will occur by the end of fiscal year 2020.

How are the tax cut funds being distributed? According to a recent statement by Americans for Tax Fairness, U.S. corporations plan to use $407 billion for stock buybacks, which prop up the value of their stock. Since the richest 1 percent own 40 percent of all stock, and the richest 10 percent own 84 percent, most of this $407 billion directly benefits the rich.

Corporations have announced plans to spend about $6.9 billion of the tax cuts for bonuses and wages for employees. So, for every $1 promised to workers in bonuses and wage hikes, $59 goes to prop up stock prices for the rich. That is patently unfair.

Robert E. Rubin, formerly cochairman of Goldman Sachs and the U.S. Treasury secretary in the late 1990s (when the government last had fiscal surpluses), has opposed these reckless tax cuts, which are heavily skewed to enrich the rich. He said, “The deficit-funded tax cuts … would produce a fiscal tragedy for which our country would pay a huge price over time.”

Wake up, America! Don’t forget this travesty of justice, fairness and fiscal responsibility, and be sure to vote in the 2018 and 2020 general elections. KARL KLINE

O’Hara Mueller Mandate” was a guest op-ed by Rep. Devin Nunes.

It was nothing more than Republican talking points railing against the Mueller investigation, showing a refusal to acknowledge how a criminal investigation is to be conducted. It was not a legitimate editorial. If the board cannot understand how an investigation is to be conducted, ask one of your employees who does investigative journalism. They do not publish a weekly summary of their investigations; rather they complete their inquiries in secrecy and “follow” wherever the information or the “money” takes them, and then they publish their reports.

Special counsel Robert Mueller enjoys that same right to fulfill his duty to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America from enemies foreign and domestic. RAYMOND DeMICHIEI

Morningside

In response to the May 18 letter “Tired of Russia, Etc.”: The writer is sick of hearing bad things about President Donald Trump. She asks, “Why are we still hearing about the Russia probe?” We are hearing about it because it is an ongoing investigation into the Russian influence on our election process.

She asks why all this money was spent for so long to find nothing. First, it has not been that long considering past investigations, and the cost, so far, is less than what has been spent for other investigations. Second, when investigations are being conducted, the investigators do not disclose what they know — just watch “Law and Order.” Why do the Trump supporters think they would be told information during the investigation? People who break

We welcome your opinion

the law always plead innocence until the evidence proves otherwise; thus, there are the five guilty pleas and 17 indictments. When the investigation is complete and conclusions can be made, we will find out.

She is sick of hearing about the stripper. It is not about Mr. Trump’s relationship with her. If campaign laws were broken to silence the stripper, that’s a problem.

Finally, the writer wants everyone to give the president a chance to make America great again. That is an even bigger problem. No matter how many lies he tells, his policies are bad for America. The writer is sick of hearing these terrible things about the president. I am sick of those whose heads are in the sand and refuse to see the damage this president and his cronies are having on our democracy. RUSSELL KUEHNER

Ben Avon