DAILY NEWS
GOP’s corporate giveaway, America’s truth crisis, Tash’s genius
Friday, November 3, 2017
LOCAL
► From The Stranger — Seattle will begin proactively investigating industries that may be ripping off workers — Seattle’s Office of Labor Standards will soon begin an important new type of labor law investigation. “Directed investigations” is the incredibly unsexy term for a type of labor law enforcement that can have hugely important effects.
► In today’s Seattle Times — Group that sent flier targeting immigrants in Burien is mostly funded by out-of-staters — Respect Washington, a political committee that sent a letter listing purportedly undocumented immigrants’ names, addresses and crimes to more than 3,000 Burien residents, is mostly financed by non-Washington residents — mainly a nonprofit in Michigan founded by a man some describe as racist.
TRICKLE-DOWN TAX CUTS
► From AFL-CIO blog — The top reasons why the Republican tax bill is bad for working people — 2. Republicans are proposing to (partially) pay for tax cuts with drastic cuts to Medicaid, Medicare and education. The GOP budget includes $5 trillion in budget cuts, including $1.5 trillion in cuts to Medicaid and Medicare, an increase in the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67, and an end to Medicare’s guarantee of health coverage.
► From The Hill — Poll: Americans oppose tax plan by 17-point margin
EDITOR’S NOTE — Wait until they get more of the gory details.
► In today’s Seattle Times — Republican tax plan would hit Seattle, Eastside homebuyers dealing with pricey market — The GOP tax overhaul, if it becomes law, would reduce itemized mortgage-tax benefits for new owners of expensive homes — like the typical house selling today in Seattle or the Eastside.
► From Politico — Conservatives push to repeal Obamacare mandate in tax package — President Donald Trump also indicated his approval of using the tax vehicle to scrap the mandate this week. The CBO estimates that 15 million more individuals would be uninsured in 2026 if the mandate is repealed.
► In today’s Washington Post — GOP’s bill is ‘a sensible framework’ — but ‘still a deficit-exploding tax cut’ for the rich and corporations (analysis) — At heart, the GOP plan cuts taxes on large businesses and pays for those reductions by raising taxes on individuals.
► In today’s NY Times — Would tax cut create jobs, or mostly benefit rich investors? (analysis) — Even some ardent supporters say expectations about growth and job gains are exaggerated. There is a divide over whether the plan is likely to revitalize the economy or merely bestow a windfall on the wealthiest investors.
► In today’s Washington Post — The Republican tax plan puts rich donors ahead of working families (by Sen. Elizabeth Warren) — We can build an economy that grows faster and provides every American family with basic economic security. That work starts by shutting down the McConnell-Ryan $2.5 trillion corporate giveaway.
TODAY’S MUST-READ
The
EDITOR’S NOTE — And lest you think the Republican Party establishment is not actively involved in this deliberate obfuscation of truth, Politico reports today, “Top House GOP campaign strategists met with former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon on Friday morning… at the Capitol Hill townhouse that serves as a base of operations for Bannon and his Breitbart News website.” That’s right, they go to him now, cap in hand, and ask this horrible racist POS not to take out “establishment-oriented House incumbents in the 2018 midterm elections.”
Is America great again yet?
NATIONAL
► From The Stranger — What happens when a Trump-supporting, anti-union billionaire runs a media company — Joe Ricketts, founder of Ameritrade, owner of the Chicago Cubs, and an avid Trump supporter, recently wrote, “It is my observation that unions exert efforts that tend to destroy the Free Enterprise system.” But for Ricketts, all it took was an instant and the push of a button to destroy the work of hundreds of online journalists covering valuable local news stories in their neighborhoods, possibly forever.
► From Buzzfeed — Organizing director of The Fight For 15 has resigned amid harassment investigation — Two more top organizers have left the SEIU Thursday — one resigned, one was fired — in connection with an ongoing investigation into harassment.
► In today’s Washington Post — NYC strippers strike: Dancers say nearly naked ‘bottle girls’ are grabbing their cash, cite racism —
T.G.I.F.
► A couple of weeks ago, The Entire Staff of The Stand saw Tash Sultana perform at the Neptune in Seattle. This 22-year-old Australian multi-instrumentalist/busker amazed us all with her “one-woman band.” Discovered by the recording industry thanks to YouTube videos like the one below, she earned a record deal and sold out shows on her worldwide tour. She is a genius. Enjoy.
The Stand posts links to Washington state and national news of interest every weekday morning by 10 a.m.