JIM “PAPPY” MOORE: Reparations NO, Tax Cuts YES

Democrats love to stir the pot with their proposals of Reparations for Black people in America. They don’t mean it, but they love to divide the country and pit Blacks against everyone else. The notion is that the entire country should pay all Black people in America reparations in the form of money because of slavery, which was ended in this country 160 years ago. The idea of making people who never owned slaves pay money to people who have never been slaves is a bad one.

In the past sixty years there have been programs of the federal government which have benefited many Black people financially in getting and keeping jobs, and positions in various types universities and employment. These have been a form of Reparations.

The group of Americans who most need a break from their federal government are the ones who work hard and spend every dollar they make catching up with inflation that is driven mostly by deficit spending by their congress. The US Congress is much like a couple which always spends more than they have, so they keep getting more credit cards to avoid having to live on what they bring in.

I can be sympathetic with the plight of working Americans caught in the squeeze of diminishing value for the dollars with rising prices for everything from rent, to home payments, to groceries, to energy costs. Let’s focus on helping those people – the ones living on a pension or from an income of under $50,000 a year. That would likely help a great number of black families by allowing them to KEEP the money they’re sending to Uncle Sam as income tax. They already pay hefty city, county, and state taxes. Give them a break on federal income taxes.

Under my plan, the first $50,000 of income a year to an individual would be free of income tax. For a married couple the first $100,000. If Mom and Dad are both working, they get to avoid any income tax on their first combined income of $100,000 a year. Only about 10% of black families pull in more than $100,000 a year, so my plan would stop about 90% of black families from paying any income tax at all.

Because my plan applies to all individuals and all families, it is not discriminatory on the basis of race. It treats all individuals and families the same, but it helps families making under $100,000. It also helps families making over $100,000 because it makes that first $100,000 free of income tax. My plan puts another $100 to $200 a week in the pockets of families making $100,000 a year.

My plan is a simple concept: let people at the lower end income avoid paying federal income taxes at all. That boosts the take-home pay of such people and incentivizes them to work harder. This plan especially helps everyone making under $100,000 a year, and those are the working people and retired people who need the most help.

I also favor overall reduction of taxes for everyone. The tax problem starts with the spending problem of congress. Let your congress members in the House and US Senate know you will vote against them in their primary if they don’t stop passing deficit bills. YOU can’t live above your means, and neither should they.

Reparations? NO. More Fair Taxation? YES!