the official blog of the evergreen freedom foundation

"Tax cuts for the rich - we've got to end tax cuts for the wealthiest two percent!" That's a refrain we've heard from many on the left for years.  Starting in the Reagan years, through the George W Bush Administration, it's been mind-numbingly bleated by so many "progressive" sheep.

 

But word now comes that, when it comes to certain rich types, it's their turn to slop at the tax-cut trough - and lefty progressives are sponsoring it.  While everyone is focusing on health care and the beer summit, this is quietly wending its way through Congress: a HUGE tax break for trial lawyers.

 

Political payback time since trial lawyers are reliable donors and water carriers for the the Congressional left wing. Yet even some Republicans are joining their Democrat pals to feather this already lucrative nest.

 

The proposed tax break would allow trial lawyers to deduct litigation expenses advanced to a client in the year they were advanced rather than in the year the litigation is resolved.  The net, net, net of it all is $1.6 billion in the pockets of trial lawyers, a specie of humanity (arguable) that already makes out pretty good in the coin department. One wag called this a federal bailout for trial lawyers.

 

Adding insult to injury (very personal injury), the tax break had to be tucked into some unrelated piece of legislation in order to slip it through since, as one lobbyist for the trial lawyers is quoted as saying, "You cannot have a stand alone bill to help lawyers . . . so we have to tuck it into something.”  Pretty phony, eh?

 

I guess the phrase "tax breaks for the rich" is only limited to the rich who oppose you.  The other rich - your friends - are among the needy who deserve a little extra government help, thus putting a larger share of the overall burden on the backs of...YOU.

 

The Piper