I had an doctor’s appointment this morning and afterwards, I had the time and the energy to visit Senator Pat Roberts office.
I approached the back side of the Carlson Federal Building, not knowing it was the backside, since the front faces the back of the old Post Office Building. I wasn't even sure that I be able to enter, since years ago, it had been the site of a shootout. I entered and had to go through a metal detector. One thing I thought was a little odd, was the security guards asked if I had a cellphone on me. I had left it in the car to recharge.
I went up to his office. There were several desks, with the first one unoccupied and the other one with a man on the phone. I sat down and waited. An older gentleman popped his head out from the front office and invited me in.
He asked what I why I had come in. I told him I didn't want Senator Roberts to vote for the tax cut bill. I told him, I had heard Senator Marco Rubio that the bill would start the process of cutting Social Security and Medicare. He told me no, that was in the bill. I then said, how could anyone vote for a bill that you didn't know what was in the the bill. I said there was no way that you could read a 500 page typewritten bill, much less one where the were so many handwritten additions, which slow your reading comprehension down greatly, with the poor penmanship that was seen in this bill. Then I mentioned what Senator Lindsay Graham had said about the bill to where it was for the donors, not the average person. Mr. Harold Stones then told me that Senator Roberts wouldn't vote that way. He then told me to wait an year and come back and see if he wasn't right. I know if this monstrosity is passed, it might not be within an year but I'm sure there will be cuts to Social Security and Medicare. I can't afford to have it cut.
Before I left, Mr. Stones gave me an printout of a news release, on how Senator Roberts was working for farmers.
Here are the Provisions Related to Agriculture that were listed in the news release.
- Makes inventory income and expense accounting rules more flexible recognizing the uncertain and volatile nature of the income and expense associated with agricultural operations, new rules allow farmers to determine when they take income and expenses onto their books.
- Improve depreciation rules for agriculture operations: giving farmers and ranchers 5 year property depreciation and permitting full expensing of plant and equipment purchases.
- Improves ability of the agricultural community to use the cash method of accounting, which provides flexibility in managing cash flow.
- Creates a new system for small business pass throughout. The majority of farms and ranches are set up as pass throughout and the unique features of agriculture taxation are accommodated including attention to how the new rules will treat farmer cooperatives.
- Doubles the exemptions from estate and gift tax, up to $22 million per couple.
- Protects the current ability for agriculture organizations and other charities to raise funds for operations.
“I am especially pleased the legislation includes improvements to the Low Income Housing Tax Credit so that more of the benefit is used for the housing needs of rural communities and veterans, Roberts said.
Does any have a good interpretation of the bullet point section? The last one, I think is the estate tax. As for the state following the bullet points, it sounds like there will be more money if you want to live in the boonies but there will probably be less where people actually live, like cities. Are the poor, city dwellers supposed to move to small town America? To no jobs and no public transportation? This just doesn't make any sense.
I will keep on talking to my friends and relatives why this isn't a bill that needs to be passed. It is all one sided. This is the first time where both sides of the aisle haven't worked together for tax reform. There is a good reason for this,. The Tax Cut bill is a giveaway for the super rich, while talking from the poor.