Trump budget promotes welfare for the rich
By Kevin Palmer
Predictably, Republican president Donald Trumpās first major budget proposal maintains the status quo of benefitting the wealthiest Americans and punishing the poor. According to a May 21, 2017, Chicago Tribune article, titled, āTrump to propose big cuts to safety net in new budget this week, āThe budget proposal will include massive cuts to Medicaid and call for changes to anti-poverty programs.ā Medicaid will be cut by more than $800 billion over 10 years. Also, there will be proposed changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).Ā SNAP is the modern version of food stamps.
Moreover, a key element of the bud-get will be tax cuts which are nothing but welfare entitlements for the rich. As stated in the article, āThe tax cuts would particularly benefit the wealthiest Americans, as Trump has proposed cutting the estate tax, capital gains and business tax rates.ā Conversely, when it comes to the lower class and poor, the administration is not so generous. According to the article, shortly after being sworn in, Trump said, āWe want to get our people off welfare and back to work.ā His words are typical Republican hogwash.
Nevertheless, Trumpās statement is misleading because it implies only the unemployed receive welfare, which is not true. Many who receive government assistance are employed, but are eligible for assistance because they are exploited by the rich who own day labor agencies, temporary agencies, retailers, and hospitality businesses that pay low wages. These low wage enterprises enable well paid upper level supervisors, managers, and executives to line their pockets and live comfortably. In short, that is Trumpās vision of a great America.
