Republican Tax Scam Would Devastate Universities

"Advocates for colleges and universities came out swinging"
against Republican anti-education/tax scam, (Leonor, Politico).

Madison, Wisconsin—Republicans and only Republicans are pushing their massive anti-people initiative that transfers wealth from people to corporations and billionaires.

The Republican and only-Republican tax scam, H.R.1 - Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, is a disaster to Americans, and a dose of plutonium to America's colleges and universities, long a Republican Party target, (H.R. 1: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Gov Track).

Critical reporting in the Wisocnsin State Journal this morning by Mark Sommerhauser highlighting what this Republican atrocity would do to Wisconsin higher education:

"Our concern from the start has been that the tax bill that was being rushed through Congress would make it more difficult for low- and middle-income families to finance a post-secondary education, and at the same time, undermine the financial stability of ... colleges and universities," said the bloodless Terry Hartle, a spokesman for the American Council on Education, who does not seem to realize what the sweeping Republican measure means for public education.

Sommerhauser offers specifics. The Republican House and/or Senate bills contain measures that would, among other anti-education aims:

-  hike taxes for grad students, treating graduate school tuition waivers as taxable income

- blow up student debt by eliminating the popular student loan interest deduction

- eliminate the federal deduction for state and local income and sales taxes for individual taxpayers that socks the middle class and pressures state government to again slash support for public higher education

Don't expect Sen. Ron Johnson, (R, Wisconsin), to anything that sounds the alarm on this threat.  Rep. Paul Ryan and every Wisconsin Republican is on board the effort to take money from anyone daring to attend college.

This monstrosity is brewing in a Congressional conference committee.

The Wisconsin Republican congressional delegation supports these anti-education measures to ensure public higher education is starved.

Effective opposition must come from the Democratic Party which has a less-than-impressive record.

To see a record of the carnage congressional Republicans are inflicting on America, tune in to Bernie Sanders on social media.

And by the way, Hillary Clinton, thanks again for refusing to step aside in 2016 and sticking us with Donald Trump, appreciate this.

Buried in the Republican tax plan are hidden provisions designed to stick it to the poor and working class while the rich and corporations get billions of dollars in breaks. pic.twitter.com/b5vvNogzBZ

— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) December 8, 2017