AOC’s SALTy betrayal

Besides being the most famous member of Congress, AOC (also known as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) is also a representative from this city and state, but apparently she’s forsaken New York. How else could she be the only Democratic lawmaker in the House from a high-tax state to oppose lifting an unfair tax increase on her own hard-working constituents in Queens and the Bronx?

The unfairness was written into the federal tax code in 2017 when President Trump and the GOP rammed through a $10,000 maximum deduction on all state and local taxes (SALT), like property payments and income levies. That really smacked New York and New Jersey and California and Massachusetts, where taxes are higher and government services are greater.

Almost every Democratic representative voted to repeal this unequal SALT cap for folks earning under $100 million per year. The only holdouts were a handful of members from low-tax places like Texas, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Nevada, Utah, Florida and Arizona. It was them and AOC. Maybe she just considers herself a national congresswoman, instead of one from New York.

On the other side of the aisle, almost to a man (and woman), Republicans stood with Trump but for five brave souls, three of them from New York: Pete King, Tom Reed and John Katko. Bravo, gentlemen, you put your home above your party. That can’t be said for two others, Elise Stefanik and Lee Zeldin, who bought in as Trump loyalists. America first and New York last.