As I See It
As long as we’re all mad, Democrats could talk about expanding government
Whether you lean Democrat or Republican, there’s a lot of criticism of government right now with the federal funding cuts and passing of what’s officially called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
It’s likely not productive to be completely happy or outraged about the 1,000-page bill yet, since it still has to go through the US Senate, and then back to the House before passing.
And I’m not going to get into how Republicans pretend this bill is cutting the deficit by continuing huge tax cuts the rich.
But on the Democratic side, the argument seems to be to maintain the status quo.
The fight to keep what we have, instead of having government better help the working class.
While the GOP plan looks to cut 10-14 million people off Medicaid, another 5.4 million could lose access to food stamps, and people in La Crosse are literally losing their job due to funding cuts, the Democratic fight could be about how to expand some of these programs.
How can the government get more efficient, and reallocate funding to do things like expand how many people get healthcare or childcare or paid family leave?
As long as the fight for Democrats right now is that they can’t do much, since they don’t control the government, they may as well talk about how the government could better work for working people.
Dylan
May 28, 2025 at 11:05 am
SHOCKER that they would introduce a bill that would increase the deficit. Almost like we’ve never been lied to by politicians before. The democrats will open the border and give out money like it’s free. Republicans will bust the unions and give tax breaks to those who don’t need it. There is no pro-worker party in this country
walden
May 28, 2025 at 12:51 pm
Dylan, tell you what, you probably recently completed your taxes for 2024. Take the numbers and plug them into a 2016 tax return form (avail on IRS web site), which will compute the taxes you would have owed for 2024 without Trump’s tax cuts…including higher tax rates, lower dependent deductions, and a much lower standard deduction.
Once you have facts in hand, please report back to us, but like 80% of other middle and lower income folks, you will likely find Trump’s tax cuts benefited you. Dylan, you are falling for what is called the “fallacy of repetition”…the more often a lie is repeated the more people believe it, because they are lazy.
I agree with you on the missing federal budget deficit reduction. We need deep cuts.
Dylan
May 28, 2025 at 3:42 pm
Thanks for the reply, I completely agree that I benefit from the President Trump’s prior tax cuts. I’ll ellaborate that the tax cuts should be more focused on the lower and middle class (the working class). Families that make 500k+ do not need another 2% less in taxes… instead of doing some variation of 2-3% less across all tax brackets, it should be concentrated on families that make less than ~100k.
I’d like to see something more along the lines of 3-6% less tax on incomes <100k and MORE tax on families that make more than 500k. All I said was 'give tax breaks to those who don't need it' / they do not need their federal income capped at 37%. Is this really that hard to agree with…?
I don't understand where the lie in all of this is, I personally don't think I'm a lazy person.
walden
May 28, 2025 at 7:06 pm
I didn’t mean to say you are lazy, the human brain works in such a way as to shortcut time and energy consuming thought processes to the shortest route to a decision or conclusion. Repetition of lies facilitates a shortcut to the wrong conclusion. That is well established in psychology. It’s a vestigial human survival characteristic.
Aside, in any year 40 to 50% of U.S. households pay no income tax at all and many are net recipients of government transfer payments. Do high earning people need another 2-3% less income? Maybe/maybe not…until you consider that most doctors are only working 4 days a week because that 5th day is already gets taxed at 50%+ and so they would rather spend their time on other pursuits. By the way, that extra 2% was already enacted (3.8% Medicare tax actually) on high earners as a way to fund Obamacare…and that worked out so well.
The fallacy in all this (the “lie”) is that the U.S. has a revenue problem. In fact, tax receipts have increased year over year and outstripped inflation…we have a spending and leadership problem, not a revenue problem. And too many dim-whits in the progressive media obfuscating on behalf of their socialist agenda.
Roy
May 28, 2025 at 11:38 am
At the local level, Rick, your Democrats control everything. Democrats have all three local Assembly seats, the lone State Senate seat, the La Crosse School Board, the La Crosse County Board, The La Crosse Common Council and the Mayor of La Crosse.
At the state level, Democrat Governor Evers has both a general veto power which he has threatened to use to can the entire budget which Republicans have been working on (yes, they are working, Rick) while the Governor visits La Crosse for already-forgotten reasons.
Evers also has the line-item veto by which he can invent legislation like giving the teachers pay raises for several hundred years like he did last time.
Also at the state level, Democrats control most Constitutional officers seats.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court is controlled by Democrats and another Planned Parenthood, pro-abortion female will be on the ballot next year.
With this clout, the Supremes hope to change the Congressional boundaries to flip at least 2 Congressional seats, including the 3rd District from where I type this note.
Spurring them on is the legislative change the Democrat Court made recently, enacting new Wisconsin boundaries to favor electing more Democrats to Madison, such as the flip that Shelby Johnson pulled off in District 96, previously held by a Republican.
So, don’t feel deprived, Rick. You’ve got lots of power. Stop looking enviously at what others control. You and the other Democrats should pay attention to what you promised you’d do if elected. People are watching.
walden
May 28, 2025 at 1:02 pm
What a mindless editorial. Solem cheers for all things Democrat as if it’s all a sports event.
Medicaid was created as a social safety net for the poor and indigent. Today we find 40% of Californians (including millions of illegal non-citizens) and nearly half of NY City residents on Medicaid. Those states make up the vast majority of the numbers cited by Solem.
The Wall Street Journal reports only 74% of physicians accept new Medicaid patients vs 96% for privately insured patients due to low Medicaid reimbursement rates (much lower even than regular Medicare).
Most people would agree reinstating Clinton-esque work requirements for able-bodied public welfare recipients, a feature of the bill in congress, is good public policy.
Sarge
May 29, 2025 at 6:22 am
Oh Rick, you poor misguide child. I’m sure you would never go to your neighbor’s house and because he has more than you, steal his lawn mower or whatever else you would want. But that is exactly what you propose by saying the rich have to be taxed more. The top 1% of wage earners pay nearly 46% of all income tax received by the IRS. The top 10%, 76% and the top 50% close to 98% of all income tax. Trump cut taxes across the board and you Rick, yes even you, benefitted by those cuts. Guess what happened. Tax revenues went up. Every time taxes are cut revenue goes up. If you look, even you can verify that. Without the “Big, Beautiful Bill”, we would be looking at a huge tax increase. Time to take off your “blue glasses” and see the truth Rick.
Nick Berry
May 29, 2025 at 12:52 pm
herein lies the problem regarding taxes. The tax burden has always fallen on the RICH. The media does not want to share the vital information because it DESTROYS their argument that the rich pay little or nothing.
The media has to get their heads out of the Democrats you know what. Is that hell freezing over?