Trump tax bill is unfair to low-income families
It’s tax time. In the Valley, and even though the majority of us pay taxes, many don’t have access to benefits taxes fund.
People complain that California pays more to the government than it receives – it really feels that way in the Valley. We’re dreading the Trump tax bill. Most benefits go to the wealthy and corporations – not the low-income families struggling to pay bills.
Repealing the individual mandate will mean less Medi-Cal funding. Here in Visalia, families have been depending on that money, and most hurt will be women, children, and communities of color.
The tax bill is undoing a lot of what the Affordable Care Act accomplished. We’re going back to a time when fewer people have access to birth control, mental health, and screenings for diabetes and heart disease.
And a new rule that families claiming the child tax credit provide a Social Security number is expected to reduce families claiming it, since undocumented workers are prohibited, even if their children were born in the United States, and the tax credit is rightfully theirs.
It’s time for our lawmakers to stand up for the people who do the work and pay taxes in our community.
Jasmine Leiva, Visalia
This story was originally published April 19, 2018 at 5:25 PM with the headline "Trump tax bill is unfair to low-income families."