WEBVTT - Ep. 106 — Tax reform! #@$* is getting real. 0:00:16.280 --> 0:00:22.360 Hey, hey, hey, it's tax Day. So a bunch of 0:00:22.440 --> 0:00:24.520 y'all have hit Mandy and I up, so welcome. If 0:00:24.520 --> 0:00:26.560 you're new, it's brown ambition. You knew that because you 0:00:26.560 --> 0:00:30.120 click the link. A bunch of y'all have hit up 0:00:30.120 --> 0:00:34.000 Mandy and I because the Senate, Like I was chilling 0:00:34.120 --> 0:00:37.879 on a Friday night Saturday morning doing what I usually do, 0:00:37.960 --> 0:00:42.320 nothing and I was on Twitter, i know, pooh, and 0:00:42.800 --> 0:00:47.360 there was this trending hashtag tax bill scam and I 0:00:47.440 --> 0:00:52.240 was like what, So I clicked on it and apparently 0:00:52.520 --> 0:00:56.840 the Senate was voting on their version of the tax bill, 0:00:57.480 --> 0:01:02.960 and people were not happy because, according to you know, 0:01:03.080 --> 0:01:07.360 basically all the Democratic senators, they had just been given 0:01:08.000 --> 0:01:13.200 this hugely overhauled, five hundred page document to read within 0:01:13.360 --> 0:01:17.160 like just a few hours, which is like impossible, and 0:01:17.360 --> 0:01:19.280 so many of the things were handwritten in which I 0:01:19.280 --> 0:01:23.880 thought was crazy. I mean, you can't handwrite a college paper, 0:01:23.959 --> 0:01:27.800 let alone like a bill that's going to affect all Americans. 0:01:28.360 --> 0:01:31.680 So go ahead. 0:01:31.400 --> 0:01:33.200 I'm just gonna say, so does that the scene like 0:01:33.240 --> 0:01:35.760 the context of this? So the House so basically the 0:01:35.760 --> 0:01:38.840 House's Senate worked on their own versions of the bills. Yeah, 0:01:38.880 --> 0:01:41.080 and they started out and they actually have done more 0:01:41.160 --> 0:01:43.880 work in terms of due process than they did on 0:01:43.959 --> 0:01:47.279 health reform. Like they actually took the bills in each house, 0:01:47.480 --> 0:01:50.400 it to committee, the committee passes it, and then it 0:01:50.440 --> 0:01:52.520 goes to the floor of the House, and the Senate's 0:01:52.600 --> 0:01:54.680 version goes from committee to the floor of the Senate 0:01:54.680 --> 0:01:57.120 for a vote. And this one was super high stakes 0:01:57.120 --> 0:01:59.920 because the House had already passed its version of the 0:02:00.080 --> 0:02:02.600 tax bill. So the fact that the Senate has now 0:02:02.600 --> 0:02:05.320 passed it, that's why it's a big deal. Now on 0:02:05.560 --> 0:02:08.320 now that the Senate has passed it, they are supposed 0:02:08.360 --> 0:02:10.840 to get together and work out their differences to create 0:02:10.919 --> 0:02:13.160 one whole version of the tax bill. So it's not 0:02:13.200 --> 0:02:17.720 over yet. Yeah, but I'm glad that folks are getting 0:02:18.080 --> 0:02:19.960 like paying attention now. I'm like, just the time. 0:02:20.720 --> 0:02:24.120 Well, it's not over yet, but what's scary is how 0:02:24.240 --> 0:02:27.640 much they're similar in the bad ways, you know, And 0:02:27.680 --> 0:02:29.000 so we're going to go over some of the ones. 0:02:29.000 --> 0:02:30.720 Like So what I did was as I was like, 0:02:30.760 --> 0:02:33.000 you know, chilling, and I won't say I wasn't doing anything. 0:02:33.000 --> 0:02:34.840 I was like hanging out my best friend's house meanwhile 0:02:34.880 --> 0:02:38.600 researching tax reform and stuff, and so as I was reading, 0:02:38.720 --> 0:02:40.640 and I was like, I was really trying to understand, Okay, 0:02:40.680 --> 0:02:43.160 so what's in this bill? Because everyone kept saying it's 0:02:43.200 --> 0:02:45.919 the death of the middle class. And but I'm like, okay, 0:02:45.919 --> 0:02:47.560 but I don't. You know, obviously I'm not going to 0:02:47.600 --> 0:02:50.600 read five hundred pages tonight. So where can I find 0:02:50.639 --> 0:02:53.679 a really great article or the number of articles that 0:02:53.720 --> 0:02:56.440 will really help me to understand what's in this Senate bill? 0:02:56.560 --> 0:02:59.520 And then helped me to see what's in the house 0:02:59.520 --> 0:03:01.880 built and co person to the Senate bill. So I 0:03:01.880 --> 0:03:04.960 found a couple of great articles, but especially one by 0:03:04.960 --> 0:03:08.680 the Washington Post, and so I created like this, like 0:03:08.720 --> 0:03:11.080 and we'll put it on brown Ambition on the Facebook page. 0:03:11.760 --> 0:03:13.400 I could be offended that you didn't link to the 0:03:13.440 --> 0:03:14.200 Magnified Money. 0:03:15.120 --> 0:03:18.560 I know, I wasn't even thinking. I was just like, 0:03:18.600 --> 0:03:20.519 wait what, And so I was like, you know what, 0:03:20.880 --> 0:03:22.240 you know, the teacher in me was like, let me 0:03:22.280 --> 0:03:27.959 break this down into like easily consumable points. So, I mean, 0:03:28.000 --> 0:03:31.639 as you probably can guess, for businesses aka corporations, I mean, 0:03:31.720 --> 0:03:36.080 it's like, you know, it's birthday, Christmas, anniversary time for them. 0:03:36.680 --> 0:03:41.120 So there for the tax rate for big businesses would 0:03:41.160 --> 0:03:46.080 fall from thirty five percent to twenty percent. That's tremendous, 0:03:46.880 --> 0:03:50.680 Like I don't even know. That's the largest reduction like 0:03:51.960 --> 0:03:55.280 basically almost ever, and it would be we would be lower, 0:03:55.600 --> 0:03:57.640 our corporate tax rate would be lower than any other 0:03:57.680 --> 0:04:01.280 form nation, So like fifteen whole percent. And what's so 0:04:01.320 --> 0:04:03.600 crazy to me is like, yeah, so corporations kind of 0:04:03.640 --> 0:04:07.120 have the money. But whatever, let's see some other things 0:04:07.160 --> 0:04:10.880 for corporations that we're like, Oh, the bill shifts the 0:04:10.960 --> 0:04:17.640 tax system on businesses from a worldwide system to a 0:04:17.760 --> 0:04:21.680 territorial system. So with the worldwide system, companies are taxed 0:04:21.720 --> 0:04:24.600 on all income earned all around the world, and a 0:04:24.720 --> 0:04:27.800 territorial system, they're mainly taxed on their earning in the US. 0:04:27.960 --> 0:04:30.200 So not only are they getting a lower tax rate, 0:04:30.600 --> 0:04:32.520 they're not even getting taxed on all of their money 0:04:32.520 --> 0:04:36.640 that they're making everywhere. So it's less money for the 0:04:36.839 --> 0:04:39.000 United States government to manage, because you know, taxes are 0:04:40.000 --> 0:04:42.640 the purpose of taxes are for so the country can 0:04:42.720 --> 0:04:46.840 run itself. So the richest parts of our country, which 0:04:46.880 --> 0:04:49.440 are the corporations, are not only getting a tax break 0:04:49.440 --> 0:04:52.440 of fifteen percent, they're also not going to get tax 0:04:52.440 --> 0:04:54.840 according to this bill, that's what they're requesting, not going 0:04:54.880 --> 0:04:57.919 to get taxed on, like all of the money that 0:04:57.960 --> 0:05:01.080 they make. I mean, how nice for them, right, and 0:05:01.160 --> 0:05:02.680 what even go ahead? 0:05:03.160 --> 0:05:05.240 I'm just going to say that the clearest winner from 0:05:05.240 --> 0:05:08.520 the tax bill, you can't argue it's big businesses like corporations, 0:05:09.040 --> 0:05:11.000 and people are wondering, like what does it mean for me? 0:05:11.200 --> 0:05:13.000 And it's hard to say. I mean, it's like some 0:05:13.120 --> 0:05:16.200 people in the middle class might actually see their taxes 0:05:16.240 --> 0:05:19.440 reduced a little bit, but a lot of people like 0:05:19.520 --> 0:05:22.440 it's like they're saying it's tax cuts, right, But I 0:05:22.520 --> 0:05:25.880 hate how Republicans say that it's tax cuts without also 0:05:25.960 --> 0:05:28.760 qualifying that something had to give in order to pay 0:05:29.160 --> 0:05:31.800 massive tax cuts. Yeah, and then what are we losing? 0:05:32.000 --> 0:05:34.480 Because you can't just focus on is my income bracket 0:05:34.480 --> 0:05:36.599 going to change, which it probably will under this bill, 0:05:37.040 --> 0:05:40.440 maybe lower made higher, but like what deductions are they 0:05:40.440 --> 0:05:42.800 getting rid of? That the middle A lot of families, 0:05:42.800 --> 0:05:45.920 a lot of individuals were used to having to counteract 0:05:45.960 --> 0:05:46.719 their tax burden. 0:05:46.800 --> 0:05:49.880 So because it's like if corporations are paying less, who's 0:05:49.920 --> 0:05:52.520 paying more? There's no like that's just the nature of 0:05:52.560 --> 0:05:54.920 the world. As something goes down, something has to go up. 0:05:55.200 --> 0:05:57.120 So the government is not just going to say, hey, 0:05:57.120 --> 0:06:01.000 we'll just operate at ten trillion dollars left. That's not happening. 0:06:01.360 --> 0:06:04.240 So that's what and what really disturbed me is that 0:06:04.880 --> 0:06:07.839 the proposed bill for the Senate that that this bill 0:06:08.040 --> 0:06:12.920 would make the permanent, these tax cuts for corporations would 0:06:12.920 --> 0:06:15.600 be permanent, and whatever tax breaks that they were going 0:06:15.680 --> 0:06:21.200 to issue, you know, regular people would expire twenty twenty six, 0:06:21.640 --> 0:06:24.520 so our little breaks would expire and theirs would not. 0:06:24.680 --> 0:06:28.760 That's like, wow, oh, must be nice. The rich also 0:06:28.760 --> 0:06:32.440 don't make out too badly either, because I mean they're 0:06:32.640 --> 0:06:35.760 they're I think the top rate for millionaires would fall 0:06:35.800 --> 0:06:38.960 from thirty nine point six to thirty eight point five percent. 0:06:39.800 --> 0:06:43.200 They get to keep deducting contribution to charity. So the 0:06:43.240 --> 0:06:45.520 point that pisses me off is they get to make deductions. 0:06:45.520 --> 0:06:48.480 But there's a part in here where they're literally cutting 0:06:48.520 --> 0:06:50.960 like all itemization. Like I live in New Jersey, so 0:06:51.000 --> 0:06:54.719 I itemize meaning like I'm like, oh, you know I 0:06:54.839 --> 0:06:58.760 bought this thing for work, or I you know, I 0:06:58.920 --> 0:07:03.800 travel for So you're and not talking about for me 0:07:03.839 --> 0:07:06.360 as a business, but me as Tiffany. So, so many people, 0:07:06.480 --> 0:07:09.800 especially in New Jersey and California and states like that, 0:07:09.840 --> 0:07:11.800 they itemize. So I think they said about a third 0:07:11.840 --> 0:07:17.160 of Americans itemized, you know, their deductions, and they're trying 0:07:17.160 --> 0:07:19.360 to basically get rid of that, which is crazy to me, 0:07:19.840 --> 0:07:23.040 especially in high tax states like New Jersey. So the 0:07:23.080 --> 0:07:26.680 wealthy continues to deduct their contributions to charity, which is great, 0:07:27.000 --> 0:07:31.080 but we get to lose itemization. Like that's I'm just like, 0:07:31.160 --> 0:07:36.200 it's not all bad news, but it's thinly veiled what 0:07:36.320 --> 0:07:38.360 seems like not so bad news. But when you really 0:07:38.360 --> 0:07:41.720 dig deep, you're like, oh, so healthcare. So they're basically 0:07:41.760 --> 0:07:43.200 defunding Obamacare. 0:07:44.880 --> 0:07:48.160 Yeah, it's like yeah, So the way that they're doing 0:07:48.160 --> 0:07:50.440 it is so we all know that what Obamacare created 0:07:50.520 --> 0:07:54.160 the individual mandates, which basically said every American has to 0:07:54.160 --> 0:07:57.480 have healthcare or face a tax penalty. And the first 0:07:57.560 --> 0:08:00.160 year Obamacare came out, it was like, what zero, Then 0:08:00.200 --> 0:08:02.400 it went up every year after that. But it's meant 0:08:02.440 --> 0:08:05.160 to it's meant to ensure that there's enough young, healthy 0:08:05.200 --> 0:08:09.360 people in the insurance market to counteract the older sick people. 0:08:09.400 --> 0:08:12.280 And when not enough young people and healthy people are 0:08:12.320 --> 0:08:15.720 in the market paying their insurance premiums. The cost of 0:08:15.760 --> 0:08:18.080 insurance is so much higher for everyone else, so it's 0:08:18.120 --> 0:08:21.240 important to get the mix right. So the individual mandate 0:08:21.320 --> 0:08:23.960 was like a with like a key feature of Obamacare 0:08:24.040 --> 0:08:26.320 because it was going to prevent young people from not 0:08:26.360 --> 0:08:29.160 signing up give them some sort of incentive. I mean, 0:08:29.160 --> 0:08:31.200 it's like the care and the stick kind of thing. 0:08:31.800 --> 0:08:34.760 So with the proposed tax reform from the GOP, they 0:08:34.760 --> 0:08:38.480 would have removed that individual mandate, and by in doing so, 0:08:38.640 --> 0:08:41.600 you're almost going to guarantee that a lot of people 0:08:41.679 --> 0:08:44.960 who who want to avoid that tax penalty would no 0:08:45.040 --> 0:08:47.199 longer have to worry about it, wouldn't sign up. Premiums 0:08:47.200 --> 0:08:50.720 are going to skyrocket. Premiums are going to skyrocket for 0:08:50.840 --> 0:08:53.480 basically anybody who has health care from the on the 0:08:53.520 --> 0:08:55.440 on the from the Affordable Care Act. 0:08:56.320 --> 0:08:59.280 But but the ARP has already come out against it, 0:08:59.440 --> 0:09:02.240 Like so, so this is going to put a lot 0:09:02.240 --> 0:09:05.320 of our elderly folks in a really dangerous position of 0:09:05.320 --> 0:09:09.440 not being able to afford healthcare as a result, Like 0:09:09.520 --> 0:09:11.920 I feel like the most vulnerable of our society is suffering. 0:09:11.920 --> 0:09:15.280 Like they estimate that eighty percent of millionaires are going 0:09:15.320 --> 0:09:18.600 to pay less taxes. Again, if someone pays less, someone 0:09:18.640 --> 0:09:20.840 has to pay more. I just don't understand, Like I 0:09:20.840 --> 0:09:23.040 feel like I remember, like I just I don't know 0:09:23.080 --> 0:09:25.160 if the first president I can well, the first president 0:09:25.240 --> 0:09:27.439 I can really strongly remember as a kid who was 0:09:27.480 --> 0:09:30.400 Ronald Reagan, and he came up with that whole trickle 0:09:30.440 --> 0:09:34.800 down economics, which was give breaks to the rich, the 0:09:34.920 --> 0:09:37.559 rich will spend and it will trickle down to the poor. 0:09:37.920 --> 0:09:40.240 And that did not work. The poor got poor and 0:09:40.280 --> 0:09:42.520 the rich got richer, because that's how that works. And 0:09:42.600 --> 0:09:46.200 I feel like this is that same sentiment of tax 0:09:46.200 --> 0:09:49.800 breaks to corporations and to you know, millionaires and to 0:09:49.880 --> 0:09:52.840 wealthy folks, and somehow this is going to lead to 0:09:54.800 --> 0:09:58.760 some sort of beneficial trickle down to those who who 0:09:58.840 --> 0:10:02.120 don't have money. And it's proven over and over again 0:10:02.160 --> 0:10:06.400 that tax breaks to corporations does not lead to folks 0:10:06.480 --> 0:10:09.160 who don't have having more. It just doesn't. This is 0:10:09.320 --> 0:10:11.559 just to me, this is just Republicans kind of scratching 0:10:11.559 --> 0:10:13.720 the back of their big donors, like I promise you 0:10:13.760 --> 0:10:16.240 that we passed this thing that would make you more money. 0:10:16.240 --> 0:10:19.959 Here it is there's also concern that it's going to 0:10:20.160 --> 0:10:23.320 reduce it's going to eventually cut like twenty five billion 0:10:23.360 --> 0:10:26.559 dollars from Medicare, which of course is what a lot 0:10:26.559 --> 0:10:31.319 of older people use for for health coverage, especially when 0:10:31.320 --> 0:10:34.840 they're in between when they leave their jobs. I think 0:10:34.960 --> 0:10:37.080 when you turn sixty, what sixty two or sixty five, 0:10:37.120 --> 0:10:40.400 you start drawing on medicare mm hmmm sixty five, yeah, 0:10:40.440 --> 0:10:41.880 and so you're really hurt. That's why I think the 0:10:41.920 --> 0:10:46.800 AARP and other senior advocacy groups are coming out against it. 0:10:46.800 --> 0:10:51.000 It's a it's no bueno, and it's like it's much 0:10:51.040 --> 0:10:53.520 clearer to me, and the fact that we don't really 0:10:53.520 --> 0:10:55.360 have much time, like Trump has that I want this 0:10:55.400 --> 0:10:57.880 bill passed by Christmas, and that's why they're rushing it through. 0:10:58.240 --> 0:10:59.959 I mean, at least they're taking it to committee. But 0:11:00.360 --> 0:11:04.480 they literally gave our other lawmakers less than two hours 0:11:04.480 --> 0:11:07.800 in the Senate to review this five hundred page document. 0:11:07.840 --> 0:11:09.959 And I'm like this thing and then and meanwhile they're 0:11:10.400 --> 0:11:12.280 in order to get the votes. I mean, this isn't 0:11:12.320 --> 0:11:14.640 like anything new. So in order to get votes from 0:11:14.720 --> 0:11:16.800 people that you need, you give them something that they want. 0:11:16.880 --> 0:11:18.920 So they're like something that's bill with other crap. 0:11:19.600 --> 0:11:22.400 Yeah, Like you see the drilling in Alaska, I'm like, 0:11:22.440 --> 0:11:25.160 what does it have to do with taxes? Like that? 0:11:25.320 --> 0:11:27.680 I saw that it was drilling would be allowed in 0:11:27.720 --> 0:11:35.360 Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge, and so 0:11:35.400 --> 0:11:36.760 first of all, what does that have to do with taxes? 0:11:36.760 --> 0:11:39.000 And why is it in this bill? It's so egregious, 0:11:39.000 --> 0:11:40.600 like and I saw it because I posted and I 0:11:40.600 --> 0:11:43.480 try to post it without kind of comment, and people 0:11:43.520 --> 0:11:45.520 are like, oh, this is not so bad, but you're 0:11:45.520 --> 0:11:49.000 not reading underneath the lines, like it doesn't seem so 0:11:49.040 --> 0:11:51.480 bad because you're like, oh, hey, we're going to give 0:11:51.520 --> 0:11:54.800 you more in a child credit, like a child tax 0:11:54.840 --> 0:11:57.560 credit from one thousand to two thousands, so that's not 0:11:57.640 --> 0:12:00.880 so bad. And hey, you know will allow you to 0:12:00.880 --> 0:12:03.680 steal deduct property taxes, which is crazy, like why would 0:12:03.760 --> 0:12:06.560 I not be allowed to deduct property taxes? You know, but 0:12:06.840 --> 0:12:10.559 just up to ten thousand dollars, which it's like okay, 0:12:11.480 --> 0:12:15.200 but I just I just let's talk. 0:12:15.080 --> 0:12:17.480 About the little things that people may not So I mean, 0:12:17.520 --> 0:12:19.440 I have I'm looking at our chart now, so we 0:12:19.520 --> 0:12:24.240 have medical expense deduction. So if your medical expenses exteed 0:12:24.280 --> 0:12:27.120 ten percent of your gross income. You can deduct them 0:12:27.120 --> 0:12:30.320 if you automize from your taxes. The Senate bill would 0:12:30.360 --> 0:12:33.640 preserve it. The Houses would repeal it. They don't agree 0:12:33.640 --> 0:12:38.480 on that. The mortgage interest rate, the mortgage interest tax deduction, 0:12:38.600 --> 0:12:41.600 which is like the biggest reason when you're if you're 0:12:41.640 --> 0:12:43.439 in between, you know, am I going to rent or 0:12:43.440 --> 0:12:45.679 am I going to buy? One of the first things 0:12:45.679 --> 0:12:47.840 people say as well, you can. You can deduct your 0:12:47.880 --> 0:12:51.640 mortgage interest payments. And under the Senate bill it would 0:12:51.640 --> 0:12:54.840 retain it. And under the House bill it would reduce 0:12:54.880 --> 0:12:57.000 the cap. It would reduce the amount that you can 0:12:57.040 --> 0:13:00.520 deduct on your mortgage interest. I think we talked about, oh, 0:13:00.679 --> 0:13:04.960 teacher texts, the teacher deduction, So yeah, under the Senate 0:13:05.000 --> 0:13:06.440 plan it increases. 0:13:06.520 --> 0:13:08.800 I think it doubles. Under the Senate plan, well. 0:13:08.640 --> 0:13:11.520 The House would cut the right now you can deduct 0:13:11.679 --> 0:13:14.800 up to two hundred and fifty dollars right of things 0:13:14.840 --> 0:13:17.240 that you buy as teachers by school supplies. The House 0:13:17.240 --> 0:13:18.920 would cut it, the Senate would keep it. Maybe it 0:13:18.920 --> 0:13:22.680 eencarrass it. Thank god at least they didn't touch the 0:13:22.720 --> 0:13:23.800 four to one K benefit. 0:13:24.320 --> 0:13:26.520 I know, I was like, that would have been crazy. 0:13:27.000 --> 0:13:28.720 And you know now, I mean they're like, you know, 0:13:28.760 --> 0:13:33.400 they're crowing in the White House, like Speaker Paul Ryan. 0:13:33.559 --> 0:13:37.760 They're like, yes, next up welfare, next up medicare. I'm like, 0:13:38.320 --> 0:13:39.839 I just like, do these people think they never got 0:13:39.840 --> 0:13:42.679 to get old? Or maybe I just you know, like 0:13:42.760 --> 0:13:46.840 they cannot wait. So social Security, they're really looking to 0:13:47.360 --> 0:13:50.800 cut entitlement programs. So entitlement programs are those programs that 0:13:51.679 --> 0:13:55.720 typically help the most vulnerable of our society, So medicare, medicaid, 0:13:55.720 --> 0:13:58.480 sold security, welfare, those type of things. I'm really trying 0:13:58.520 --> 0:14:00.800 to get rid of those things or reduce them tremendously. 0:14:01.200 --> 0:14:04.400 So it's like, so corporations get these tremendous cuts, and 0:14:04.440 --> 0:14:07.840 people who don't have money they get to pay more. 0:14:07.880 --> 0:14:10.320 I just don't understand how that works and how you 0:14:10.400 --> 0:14:12.800 sleep at night, you know what I mean, Like I 0:14:12.800 --> 0:14:15.080 don't know. And so just reading through it, like I said, 0:14:15.080 --> 0:14:17.240 like on its surface, people are like, oh, it doesn't 0:14:17.240 --> 0:14:20.240 seem that bad. I'm like, well, this is like the 0:14:20.280 --> 0:14:24.200 door the opening of Pandora's box of well if because 0:14:24.280 --> 0:14:27.560 here's the thing. If this goes through, they're going to 0:14:27.800 --> 0:14:30.960 have to make other changes somewhere because there's not enough 0:14:31.040 --> 0:14:34.480 money to support this plan, and so that's what this 0:14:34.520 --> 0:14:39.160 will allow. It's almost like getting into college. Yay, I 0:14:39.200 --> 0:14:41.920 got into college, but now someone has to pay tuition, 0:14:42.800 --> 0:14:45.120 So like it's you know, getting into college seems it's 0:14:45.160 --> 0:14:47.600 a great thing, but you know, how are you going 0:14:47.680 --> 0:14:51.720 to pay for it? And this tax bill leads a 0:14:51.760 --> 0:14:53.560 big how is it going to be paid for? And 0:14:53.600 --> 0:14:55.880 it's very clear by the way this bill is written 0:14:55.880 --> 0:14:57.760 that is not going to be paid by the wealthiest 0:14:57.760 --> 0:14:58.520 in our society. 0:15:00.080 --> 0:15:04.240 Then yeah, it's not over yet, I think that, and 0:15:04.240 --> 0:15:08.320 there's still time for people to get familiar with what's happening. Yeah, 0:15:08.440 --> 0:15:10.240 as they as they continue to debate it. I mean 0:15:10.240 --> 0:15:12.040 I at this point, I feel like it's inevitable we're 0:15:12.040 --> 0:15:14.840 about to have its tax reform. And I mean, as 0:15:14.840 --> 0:15:17.480 a journalist, I think it's exciting because you get tired 0:15:17.520 --> 0:15:19.400 of writing the same tax stuff over and over again. 0:15:19.440 --> 0:15:23.120 But I mean, so it's in that regard, it's exciting. 0:15:23.160 --> 0:15:25.000 This is like, this is a this is a big 0:15:25.040 --> 0:15:29.120 freaking deal. And don't don't don't underestimate how important this 0:15:29.160 --> 0:15:31.960 moment is. Like there hasn't been tax reform since the eighties. Yeah, 0:15:32.400 --> 0:15:37.120 so since Reagan, I think, yeah, reaganomic So I mean 0:15:37.160 --> 0:15:41.280 I wish it wasn't the GOP managing it. But you know, 0:15:41.400 --> 0:15:44.520 we'll see what happens, and you can contact your senator 0:15:44.880 --> 0:15:47.600 and your House representative and tell them how you feel 0:15:47.640 --> 0:15:50.680 about whatever works for you. You know, I would say, like, 0:15:50.720 --> 0:15:52.840 I think maybe people aren't digging into it because they're 0:15:52.880 --> 0:15:54.560 like it's just so huge, and you know, I don't. 0:15:54.560 --> 0:15:56.600 I want to understand everything. Honestly, you can be a 0:15:56.640 --> 0:15:58.640 little selfish, like go in there if you're a teacher, 0:15:59.080 --> 0:16:01.720 like or you know, when who has high medical expenses, 0:16:01.840 --> 0:16:04.400 or you have a parent who realizes on Medicare and 0:16:04.440 --> 0:16:07.240 something matters to you, Like let your representatives know what's 0:16:07.240 --> 0:16:10.280 happening in your front yard and your home so that 0:16:10.360 --> 0:16:13.760 your voice is heard. That's that's all I'll say. You 0:16:13.800 --> 0:16:16.760 know what, I still send letters to Atlanta my or sorry, 0:16:16.760 --> 0:16:20.800 my Georgia representatives because I'm like, there's one more liberal 0:16:20.880 --> 0:16:22.480 voice in New York City is not really going to 0:16:22.520 --> 0:16:25.320 make a difference. Yeah, I don't know. I think that 0:16:25.360 --> 0:16:31.600 maybe is cheating, but I'm like, you know what I mean, Georgia. 0:16:30.680 --> 0:16:32.280 You know what I was thinking, like all the time, 0:16:32.320 --> 0:16:34.440 I said, if you haven't gotten into the House of cards, 0:16:34.480 --> 0:16:37.360 you need to now because so many of these things. 0:16:37.520 --> 0:16:40.240 I was like, oh, like you know this whole prit 0:16:40.320 --> 0:16:43.520 quote quote like oh, like when you watch like Frank 0:16:43.600 --> 0:16:46.920 Underwood and his wife and like you kind of see 0:16:47.080 --> 0:16:51.160 the back dealings on Capitol Hill and you're like, oh, 0:16:51.240 --> 0:16:53.800 this makes more sense to me, like watching them push 0:16:53.880 --> 0:16:56.560 bills through and why some people make some choices that 0:16:56.600 --> 0:16:59.000 they make and all these other things. Because there were 0:16:59.000 --> 0:17:01.000 a number of Republicans, honestly, because they only won by 0:17:01.040 --> 0:17:03.120 two votes, there were a number of Republicans that came 0:17:03.160 --> 0:17:04.960 out against it. And then at the last minute we're 0:17:05.000 --> 0:17:07.119 like no, so you're like, well, what do they give you? 0:17:07.160 --> 0:17:10.719 It's clear what did you get? You know? And so 0:17:11.200 --> 0:17:13.720 I hope that folks who because I know there are 0:17:13.720 --> 0:17:19.639 people who are conservative, which is fine, but at the 0:17:19.680 --> 0:17:21.960 same time you know that this is this is not 0:17:22.000 --> 0:17:24.080 going to work in your favor. I hope that you 0:17:24.160 --> 0:17:28.600 are taking note of your representatives that voted for something 0:17:28.640 --> 0:17:30.959 that was not in your favor. I mean, unless you're 0:17:31.000 --> 0:17:33.840 super duper wealthy. If you are, congratulations, but you know 0:17:33.920 --> 0:17:35.600 in the long run, this is not in your favor. 0:17:35.880 --> 0:17:37.680 So I hope you're taking note and you say, you 0:17:37.760 --> 0:17:40.879 know what, when midterm elections come up, there's hell to 0:17:40.960 --> 0:17:44.440 pay because, like you know, not being able to afford 0:17:44.480 --> 0:17:46.960 your regular life, it's hard enough. You know, it's so crazy. 0:17:47.000 --> 0:17:48.440 I was telling my sister, I'm like, you know, it's 0:17:48.440 --> 0:17:51.960 so crazy that when maybe my parents were younger, that 0:17:52.040 --> 0:17:54.439 you could actually have a regular job and buy a 0:17:54.480 --> 0:17:56.280 house and a car and go on vacation once a year. 0:17:56.560 --> 0:17:58.960 That's a crazy concept to me. I'm like, how do 0:17:59.000 --> 0:18:01.639 you do that? Like a regular job. I'm a teacher, 0:18:01.680 --> 0:18:05.840 I'm a mechanic, I'm a factory worker, and whatever it is, 0:18:05.880 --> 0:18:08.280 I have a regular job. I'm able to save, get 0:18:08.320 --> 0:18:10.240 a house, I'm able to get a car, and I'm 0:18:10.280 --> 0:18:12.120 able to go on vacation with the family once a year. 0:18:12.440 --> 0:18:19.920 That's not even a thing. What does that mean? You know? Yeah? Yes, 0:18:20.840 --> 0:18:25.919 so that is our That is our buzzworthy. I think, like, 0:18:26.119 --> 0:18:27.640 you know, get into it. We're gonna, like I said, 0:18:27.640 --> 0:18:29.879 I'm gonna post it on our brand ambition page to 0:18:29.960 --> 0:18:33.159 break down, but do some research on your own. We 0:18:33.160 --> 0:18:36.600 should be talking about this regularly with your family and friends. 0:18:36.800 --> 0:18:39.399 Congrats to your corporation. You get you know, you get money, 0:18:39.440 --> 0:18:41.439 but I don't think it'll take long to realize that 0:18:41.520 --> 0:18:46.240 trickle down economics still doesn't work. Yeah, but who's aren't 0:18:46.280 --> 0:18:47.879 there studies that show them more money and get the 0:18:47.920 --> 0:18:48.719 more selfish you are? 0:18:49.119 --> 0:18:52.960 Yes, No, because I mean the point well, I think 0:18:53.000 --> 0:18:55.080 obviously the point of trickle down economics it's not for 0:18:55.119 --> 0:18:57.160 it to work. That's what you just tell the masses. 0:18:57.359 --> 0:18:59.520 The point of trickle down economics is for you and 0:18:59.560 --> 0:19:02.200 your crona to benefit who. As The Washington Post says, 0:19:02.240 --> 0:19:05.040 democracy dies in the darkness, so we got to bring 0:19:05.080 --> 0:19:05.480 it to light. 0:19:07.280 --> 0:19:09.280 Speaking of the Washington Post, I'm at this, So I'm 0:19:09.280 --> 0:19:13.280 then I'm in I'm in Saint Petersburg, Florida, uh right 0:19:13.480 --> 0:19:17.080 right outside of Tampa, at this NABJ National Association of 0:19:17.119 --> 0:19:20.280 Black Journalists and the Pointer Institute put on this leadership 0:19:20.320 --> 0:19:25.240 Academy for Diversity and Digital Leadership. So like young editors 0:19:25.280 --> 0:19:27.800 from like publications across the country get together and they 0:19:27.800 --> 0:19:29.919 do like trainings for us. And it's been really this 0:19:29.960 --> 0:19:32.560 is only day one, and I'm like really pushing through 0:19:32.600 --> 0:19:35.760 because it's they they made us get reviews from like 0:19:35.840 --> 0:19:37.919 eight people on our teams and our companies and then 0:19:37.960 --> 0:19:42.040 read them today. So that was interesting. But anyway, we 0:19:42.080 --> 0:19:46.880 heard from the editor of The Undefeated. Oh God, I'm 0:19:46.880 --> 0:19:48.840 gonna forget his last name, but he was the managing 0:19:48.920 --> 0:19:52.600 editor from the Washington Post left that really amazing job 0:19:52.680 --> 0:19:58.199 to go basically h save this The Undefeated, which is 0:19:58.240 --> 0:20:00.439 like an offshoot of ESPN. It's a webs that they 0:20:00.480 --> 0:20:03.600 started that was supposed to cover sports but with an 0:20:03.800 --> 0:20:08.040 almost entirely all black news team, like to kind of 0:20:08.080 --> 0:20:11.199 do away with some of the you know bias or 0:20:11.280 --> 0:20:14.760 like you know, soft racism that you'll see in some 0:20:14.800 --> 0:20:17.679 news stories and you know, covering sports or whatever. But 0:20:18.040 --> 0:20:21.800 he he had some like really amazing things to say about, 0:20:22.840 --> 0:20:25.600 like when to choose Like he was at the Washington Post. 0:20:25.680 --> 0:20:28.000 He had been he had been like a writer at 0:20:28.000 --> 0:20:29.760 the Washington Post for a long time. And this is 0:20:29.800 --> 0:20:32.040 a good example of like when do you take a 0:20:32.160 --> 0:20:34.200 chance that actually, you know, gets set in front of 0:20:34.240 --> 0:20:35.520 you if you don't feel like you're ready for it. 0:20:35.760 --> 0:20:38.520 But he said, he's like I was a writer. I 0:20:38.600 --> 0:20:41.720 was happy. I was happy writing. It was like two 0:20:41.760 --> 0:20:44.080 thousand and eight. Obama had just been elected, and I 0:20:44.160 --> 0:20:47.520 was ready to you know, be covering this election or 0:20:47.560 --> 0:20:50.000 covering his term in office for the next four eight years. 0:20:50.200 --> 0:20:54.320