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Comment by isabelc | Hacker News Reader

>Most people I know voted Republican were low-wage working people

Because Republicans put more money back in the pockets of low wage workers with kids. Most people don't have the luxury of voting along idealistic lines, they vote based on finances out of necessity.

Low-wage workers with children were those most hurt by the Obama's ACA Mandate penalty tax, piled on top of not being able to afford health insurance. Republicans removed that ACA penalty plus doubled the child tax credit. People who afford health insurance are out of touch with this segment of people.

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At least we got something useful out of the ACA rather than just tax cuts for the wealthy and political points.

"All taxpayer income groups with incomes of $75,000 and under — that’s about 65 percent of taxpayers — will face a higher tax rate in 2027 than in 2019."

"People with incomes between $10,000 and $30,000 — nearly one-quarter of Americans — are among those scheduled to pay a higher average tax rate in 2021 than in years before the tax “cut” was passed. The C.B.O. and Joint Committee estimated that those with an income of $20,000 to $30,000 would owe an extra $365 next year "

Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/31/opinion/republicans-biden...

It's a NYT Opinion piece by a Nobel recipient.

Isn't it a core Republican talking point that the Democrats secure support from low-wage people with generous handouts? This seems like another example of the OPs point about the world being upside down.

"Handouts" are viewed very differently then taxes by the general public. One is the government giving out free stuff the other is them taking YOUR money.

Low wage workers are pretty much guaranteed to be net-negative tax contributors. Their tax refund each year is going to be larger than what they cumulatively paid due to refundable tax credits. “Lowering taxes” for people in that position is the same as handing out money.

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