Tax cut benefits won't trickle down

I'd like to offer a footnote to Pat Bradley's letter of Feb. 8. She lays out in stark detail the painful budget cuts recently handed down from Helena - some that will surely affect a number of our neighbors. Many of these cuts are inherently cruel; but aside from leaving many Montanans with no recourse for their ills, they are forcing many dedicated workers out of their jobs.

This is far from sour grapes - these are legitimate concerns for many of our most vulnerable neighbors; and is, in fact, the modus operandi of the Republican Party. It's reflective of their governing philosophy both at the state and federal level. And it has failed repeatedly. You have only to look at Kansas, Illinois, and a number of other states to a slightly less degree to see that cutting revenues (taxes) for the wealthy will require cutting needed social programs to avoid bankruptcy. We've been promised time and again that the benefits of tax cuts at the top will "trickle down" to middle class, but it fails to materialize.

More critically, we're seeing that scenario play out on the national scene. Congress has just passed a "tax reform" bill that will reduce revenues by $5.5 trillion, and we're looking at a trillion dollar deficit for the first time since the great recession. Many vital programs have already been cut or eliminated completely, and Medicaid, Social Security, and Medicare are next in line. It's an unavoidable pattern.

Walt Long
Virginia City