Letter to the editor: Higher wages will boost economy

Rep. Mike Kelly’s op-ed “Big Beautiful Bill a gamechanger for Western Pa.” (July 5, TribLive) states the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was a success. However, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities concludes it was a failure. It skewed benefits toward the rich. Households in the bottom 60%, those making $96,000 or less, received an average tax cut of about $400. Half of the tax cuts went to households in the top 5% of income earners. Corporations saw a permanent reduction of their income tax rate from 35% to 21%. Eighty percent of corporate tax cuts went to those in the top 10% of the income distribution.

The 2017 bill was a highly regressive tax cut that severely eroded the U.S. revenue base and cost our government trillions of dollars. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities states, if we had not implemented the past tax cuts favoring the wealthy and corporations, our government would currently have zero debt.

The promised GDP stimulus never materialized. The tax cuts had a limited impact on the economy. These types of trickle-down policies have never trickled down to the rest of us.

Fortunately, we know what stimulates the economy. Forget about tax cuts for the rich. It’s a salary increase for the bottom half of workers. Our wages have not kept pace with inflation or productivity. To boost the economy, give American workers a needed and deserved raise.

Joanne Garing

North Huntingdon