This week, Republicans are slated to roll out a tax plan that experts estimate will drastically slash taxes on the wealthiest, raise them for some middle class families, and set up a harsh rollback of social services — and blow a $1.5 trillion hole in the deficit.
Still, they’re envisioning a few revenue raisers, the Gwich’in Nation’s Bernadette Demientieff reports — like drilling for oil in a pristine swath of Alaska inhabited by Native Alaskans and dwindling caribou herds.
Fortunately, Olivia Alperstein adds, there’s an alternative: The Congressional Progressive Caucus has offered a slate of priorities that includes new investments in programs that help real-life Americans.
In other news, the president has declared the opioid crisis a national emergency. That’s almost good news, writes Jill Richardson. But dealing with that crisis is going to take a serious commitment to public health, mental health, and addiction treatment — not a wall.
Also this week, Jessicah Pierre reports on the hundreds of thousands of women caught up in America’s mass incarceration crisis. Jim Hightower wonders who’s running the war in Afghanistan if not our elected commander in chief. And Khalil Bendib observes that as the climate gets more extreme, climate change denial does too.
Khalil Bendib / OtherWords.org
- What Real Tax Reform Could Look Like / Olivia Alperstein
We don’t actually have to cut taxes on the rich, slash services for everyone, and blow a hole in the deficit. - Tax Cuts for the Rich Are Threatening America’s Sacred Places / Bernadette Demientieff
Congress wants to drill for oil near protected wildlife and Native communities like mine — all to offset taxes for the rich. - Mass Incarceration is a Women’s Issue, Too / Jessicah Pierre
The United States is one of the top incarcerators of women in the world, which breaks up families and endangers children. - The Pain Behind Opioid Abuse / Jill Richardson
Addressing the opioid crisis means investing in addiction treatment, mental health, and alternative pain relievers like cannabis — not a wall. - Who’s Really in Charge of the Afghanistan War? / Jim Hightower
Our elected president seems to think it isn’t him. - One Way to Weather Extreme Climate / Khalil Bendib
