Letters: Republicans always working for their rich benefactors

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Dec 5, 2024

Republican legislators voted to raise your sales taxes. Wait, what? Aren’t Republicans supposed to be the party of tax cuts? That’s what they claim, but here’s the truth: Republican politicians do cut taxes — just not for you. They cut taxes for themselves and their wealthy corporate donors, and they make up for it by raising regressive sales taxes on everyday people.

Gov. Jeff Landry’s latest tax plan is a perfect example. He won massive corporate tax breaks, including eliminating the franchise tax — one of the few taxes that big corporations actually pay in Louisiana. Getting rid of it will cost us $400 million in annual revenue, benefiting out-of-state shareholders and leaving the rest of us to foot the bill. Meanwhile, you will see expanded taxes on digital goods and services, including streaming services like Netflix. And let’s be clear: The corporate income tax isn’t paid by small businesses; it’s paid by major corporations, and lowering it sends more money out of state while squeezing our communities.

If you think government spending should be cut rather than raising taxes, think again. The GOP always manages to do both, but only in ways that hurt working families. Ordinary Louisianans end up paying higher taxes and getting fewer government services like health care, education and infrastructure, while big corporations and wealthy donors enjoy more subsidies and lower taxes. That’s how the system works.

This isn’t new in Louisiana. It’s the same failed trickle-down economics that expanded under Gov. Bobby Jindal and is now being turbocharged. The idea that benefits will “trickle down” has been disproven time and again. They claim these tax cuts will attract businesses and new residents, but there’s no evidence to support it. 

If we want to bring jobs and people to Louisiana, we need to cut taxes for working families, make big corporations pay their fair share and invest in our schools, infrastructure and communities.

DUSTIN GRANGER

Lake Charles