Reader Opinion: Real basic economics

By Reader Opinion Today at 9:30 a.m.

Sometimes business and government "collude" to confuse average people. They'll make an issue so complex that many citizens won't even try to understand it in basic terms. Everyone must work against this, because everyone pays.

The tax scam rushed through by party Republicans at President Trump's bidding is a recent example.

Imagine if I got a loan, in your name, for $5,000. Then I handed you about one-fifth of it, and kept the rest. You thank me for the money, and think it's great. You're grateful for the money, and ignore that I received the bulk of it, but some is better than none, you figure.

The rub is you'll have to pay the $5,000 back; I won't. You'll also soon be paying interest on the loan. Guess who owns the bank? Me!

This is Trump's "tax reform." It's one of many scams we allow: the rich getting richer, the rest of us getting poorer.

In a real world, where a large number of people aren't flat-out stupid, you'd tar and feather me, and probably bring along some rope for good measure. But Trump's supporters think he's busy working for them, "draining the swamp."

Trump's supporters who've caught on to what he's lied us into are too embarrassed to admit it, instead letting their egos perpetuate the fraud that's cleaning them out.

The "tax reform" puts our government, us, in debt a further $1.5 trillion. Trump and others like Sen. McConnell and Rep. Ryan, both Republicans, won't be paying it back; we will. Since there are 300 million people in the U.S., that comes out to a debt of about $5,000 per person.

That's what it'll end up costing each of us over the next decade. That's why your child can't afford college, etc.

A. Martin

Merrifield