Bernie Sanders Splits With Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer Over Tax Deduction in Dem States
Senator Bernie Sanders has split with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer over their support for reinstating a tax deduction that some consider largely benefits rich people in Democratic states.
In an interview with Axios on HBO aired Sunday night, Sen. Sanders (I-VT) said bringing back the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction would send a "terrible, terrible message," and urged Democrats to make it clear "which side" they were on.
He added that Democratic leadership could not be seen to be on the side of a tax break for high earners in high-tax states, such as New York and California, while claiming to fight for working Americans.
Asked for his position on the push to revive SALT, Sanders said: "It sends a terrible, terrible message. Ultimately, what you have got to do—and in fairness to Schumer and Pelosi, it is hard when you have tiny margins—but you have got to make it clear which side you are on.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/bernie-sanders-splits-with-nancy-pelosi-chuck-schumer-over-tax-deduction-in-dem-states/ar-BB1gyQGl
= new reply since forum marked as read
....you rub shoulders with!
Seriously, there are a lot of ordinary Americans being hurt by the SALT cap. Lost in the discussion is taxable deductions include more than just real estate and income taxes. They also include medical expenses, child care expenses, etc.
I know republicans and others bragged about the standard deduction being "doubled", but that's not quite true, it only went up 1.8X. At the same time the personal and child exemptions were eliminated. For a family of 4 that was quite a bit.
So, let's just look at some typical deductions.
A family's deductions could be:
$9,000 property tax
$5,000 state income tax
$15,000 medical expenses
So they normally would have an aggregate of $29,000 in deductions. But with the cap, that would bring it down to $25,000. Their taxable income is $4,000 higher than it would be without the cap.
This is not atypical of a normal, middle class, NOT rich family of four. The cap is hurting them.
What Senator Sanders either doesn't realize or cares to admit is by supporting the SALT cap he's even hurting many of his own middle-class, not rich, constituents in Vermont.
There isn't a single billionaire living in Vermont, and Vermont has among the highest combined income and real estate taxes in the country. And there are very very few "rich" running around Vermont these days. At least not many outside of North Hero.
voters. He believes the party can do better by selling simple economic programs that directly benefit the working poor." (From the Axios article.)
Non college-educated whites do not vote Republican because of the lack of Democratic policies that would improve their economic situation. We've gone over this a million times.
"'The Democrats over the years have become more and more of a corporate party and have turned their backs on the working class of this country,' he said. 'You're an average white worker in America, for example, what have you seen the Democrats do to stand with you?'"
Wrong. We've also gone over this a million times.
Bernie, Bernie, Bernie. 
This is common knowledge. folks who have a lot of money ... I think for many, many years the Democratic Party has not paid the kind of attention to working class needs they should've."
he would realize that kind of wrong headed talk is NOT working after all these years.
So Grateful Joe Biden is our President!
The ideas is that if "simple economic programs" are just explained to the white working class, they'll unite in solidarity against the 1%. As if they don't know that Democrats are the party of government helping improve people's lives. They know.
Also, how is this an example when SALT kicks in when property and state income taxes combine to $10,000?
If people's property and state taxes are too high then they need to work at those levels.
Something like $250,000?
