Every Tax Day, millions of Americans dutifully submit their returns to the IRS. Working Americans see the monies deducted from their paychecks with strict regularity. That is something we accept even if we decry the horribly lopsided distribution of our hard-earned dollars to wasteful causes such as the military or corporate subsidies. But rich Americans don’t just submit tax returns. They retain accountants and lawyers year round to find creative ways to hide their income and wealth to minimize taxes. They also hire armies of lobbyists to ensure the tax code is written in their favor. In fact, corporate lobbyists are already preparing for the coming political battle over Trump’s announcement of proposed tax reforms. With one of their own in the White House, and dominant representation in Congress, wealthy Americans have naturally rigged the tax system in their favor. Trump’s tax code rewrite won’t just be favorable to the rich, but will most likely impact the middle and working class. Our federal revenue system is constantly facing pressure from politicians to shrink the social safety nets that our taxes fund. Already there are reports suggesting that Social Security, which Trump had promised not to touch, is at risk in this new administration. An AP report revealed that the administration is floating a plan that “would change the House Republican plan to eliminate much of the payroll tax and cut corporate tax rates. This would require a new dedicated funding source for Social Security.” The grass-roots pressure of ordinary Americans is necessary to undermine the power of wealth. That is why on Saturday, organizations such as the Working Families Party are mobilizing Americans so that the voices of ordinary people can be heard as loudly as those of the rich. Among the organizers’ stated principles is the belief “that public servants must be accountable to the people who elect them,” and a call for “leaders to build an equitable and accessible economy.” While Trump eyes the tax system, there is a huge, inescapable irony over how our tax dollars are being wasted on providing expensive security services for a president who travels to his own properties far too often, golfs every 5.6 days and whose wife and son live outside the White House. At this rate, Trump will spend more tax money on security in one year than his predecessor did over eight years. It is the ultimate expression of elitism that the richest president in history will suck up more tax money to finance his lavish style than any other. And that is as good a reason as any to protest on April 15. Your support matters…

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#donald trump#economy#income inequality#income tax#rachel maddow#richard nixon#Sonali Kolhatkar#tax code#tax day#td-original#trump administration