Say No to Fake Tax Reform

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Updated as of January, 9, 2018

A bill has been passed. Check back for updates.

Page Contents (click on a title to go to that section):

Action Needed NOW: What You Can Do

For more information, see the UUSJ sample message to Senators and talking points.

1 – Contact your Senators

Suggested message by phone or email:

Hi, my name is [your name] I’m a constituent from [city, state]. 

I am a Unitarian Universalist from [name of congregation and location]. My faith guides me to strongly oppose the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act because it increases economic inequity and calls for the partial repeal of the Affordable Care Act which will hurt the most vulnerable. 

Tell [senator] to vote “no” on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. 

Paying for large and permanent tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy by taking away healthcare from millions of Americans, eliminating social programs, and raising taxes for middle-class and low-income people and families is not moral. It worsens the growing wealth divide.

Thank you.

Virginia:
Sen. Mark Warner (202) 224-2023
Sen. Tim Kaine (202) 224-4024

Maryland:
Sen. Ben Cardin (202) 224-4524
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (202) 224-4654

U.S. Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121 or use our partner, NETWORK’s, toll free hotline to the Senate, which they provided for a previous action (ignore the message) 1-888-738-3058

To find e-mail addresses and other contact information for your members of Congress, visit these Congressional websites:

 

2 – Ask your friends and family members to contact their Senators, too.

Send them the link to this page – http://bit.ly/2jels7S

3 – Spread the word – Post messages to social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.).

Post links to this page – http://bit.ly/2jels7S

Tweet your Senators (click to find their Twitter handles).

Hashtags – #Faith4TaxJustice, #TaxReform, #TaxPlan

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What You Should Know

For more information, see the UUSJ sample message to Senators and talking points.

The tax bill is bad policy and bad for the country. Even Wall Street economists agree.

Under Senate rules, a “yes” vote on this tax bill is also a vote to automatically eliminate programs for the elderly, children, funding for historically black colleges and universities, environmental protection, farmers, crime victims and more. 

The Senate is under strict “PAYGO“ rules to balance the tax cuts with automatic budget cuts to mandatory spending programs.

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Our UU Spiritual Grounding

Economic Injustice, Poverty, and Racism – 2000 Statement of Conscience

Escalating Economic Inequity – 2017 Statement of Conscience

Challenging extreme inequity locally and globally is a moral imperative. As a pragmatic faith we are committed to working to change economic and social systems with a goal of equitable outcomes of life, dignity, and well-being experienced by all. The escalation of income and wealth inequity undergirds many injustices that our faith movement is committed to addressing, including: economic injustice, mass incarceration, migrant injustice, climate change, sexual and gender injustice, and attacks on voting rights.
Since the adoption of the 2000 Statement of Conscience on Economic Injustice, Poverty, and Racism, economic inequality has escalated.  We have experienced accumulation of debt, decreased support for growth and innovation, and increased concentration of wealth accompanied by wage stagnation for most of our population. In 2013, the average income of the wealthiest 20% of those in the U.S. was 15 times greater than that of the poorest 20% ($202,600 vs $13,100).  In 2011, the average net assets (wealth) of the wealthiest 20% exceeded $630,000, while the net assets of the poorest 20% were negative $6,000. Furthermore, racial and class disparities in income and wealth increased.
The growth of inequity does not happen by accident. It is a direct consequence of the decisions of those people who own and control the nation’s and world’s corporations and resources and their allies in government, who take for themselves the wealth created by the hands and minds of the many and the bounty of our fragile planet. Their actions and policies have led to the decline of labor unions, the increased cost of education and health care, and automation. Unlimited funding of campaigns by wealthy individuals and corporations, lack of access to conventional financial institutions, predatory lending, and flawed tax policies increase inequity and insecurity.  In the political realm, corporate personhood and the focus on individualism (rather than the collective good) have also contributed to escalating inequity.

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Resources and Relevant News Media Coverage Links

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