A Little Gift From Paul Ryan

[Minimalist]

I hope no one is in grad school.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/16/opini...pe=article

Republicans in the House of Representatives have just passed a tax bill that would devastate graduate research in the United States. Hidden in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is a repeal of Section 117(d)(5) of the current tax code, a provision that is vital to all students who pursue master’s degrees or doctorates and are not independently wealthy.
I’m a graduate student at M.I.T., where I study the neurological basis of mental health disorders. My peers and I work between 40 and 80 hours a week as classroom teachers and laboratory researchers, and in return, our universities provide us with a tuition waiver for school. For M.I.T. students, this waiver keeps us from having to pay a bill of about $50,000 every year — a staggering amount, but one that is similar to the fees at many other colleges and universities. No money from the tuition waivers actually ends up in our pockets, so under Section 117(d)(5), it isn’t counted as taxable income.
But under the House’s tax bill, our waivers will be taxed. This means that M.I.T. graduate students would be responsible for paying taxes on a $80,000 annual salary, when we actually earn $33,000 a year. That’s an increase of our tax burden by at least $10,000 annually.

Apparently higher education is only for rich motherfuckers, too.

[AFTT47]

I think you've got this one wrong. They don't want higher education.

[Minimalist]

That's not the point they made.

It would make meeting living expenses nearly impossible, barring all but the wealthiest students from pursuing a Ph.D.

Of course with the WLB and his gang of phony phucks, knowledge is an impediment.

[Wyrd of Gawd]

The tax bill that benefits the wealthy should motivate the poorer folks to get off of their asses and vote for new Congress Critters. But they won't so all they will do is whine.

[Minimalist]

"Well, shiiiittt Vern.  I ain't going to no smarty-pants college anyway.  Why do I care if some young whipper-snapper.... probably one of the damn liberuls anyway.... gets fucked over."

Yeah.  'Murrica.

[Cecelia]

The House Tax Plan:

Where Billionaires can write off their private jets, but I can't write off my school supply expenses.

[Minimalist]

This "bill" is payback for the scumbags who bribe them.  Nothing more.

Let's see the Dems run a campaign of "repeal the tax cuts!"

[Autumnlicious]

Repeal millionaires welfare.

There - that's a slogan the Democrats can use.

[The Industrial Atheist]

Disgusting.