Addressing the Phony Argument That Tax Cuts Fleece the Middle

There are plenty of understandable objections to the tax bill sailing through Congress. Some people think it will increase the deficit. Others cry foul that it is being rushed through without sufficient deliberation. And there are those who like big government and frankly oppose the idea of letting people and, most especially, companies keep more of the money they earn.There are rejoinders based on facts to all of these points, and such debates should play a central role through the 2018 midterm elections.But one shopworn theme should be banished from the discussion because it is as false as it is dishonest: the notion that the Republican bill punishes the middle class to aid the wealthy.Class envy in these populist times presumably polls well. But in the case of the bills that the House and Senate actually passed, any statement that the poor and middle class will see their taxes rise is incorrect. And the proposition that the burden of taxes will shift away from the rich is laughable. Although the information is readily available, estimates of the tax bill's effects on U.S. income groups have mostly been ignored in media coverage. When the data are used, they are often cherry-picked to create familiar impressions.