I am amazed.  All of a sudden, Democrats are talking about the Constitution and double-taxation.  In what possible way would Congress taking away a deduction be declared unconstitutional?  If it was constitutional to put the deduction in the tax code, it is constitutional to take it out.  That is a simple concept.

From an AP article titled "States exploring tax changes in response to federal overhaul":

"I'm certainly not a constitutional lawyer, but the notion that this is not constitutional is something we want to pursue," said Phil Murphy, New Jersey's Democratic governor-elect.

California state Senate [p]resident [p]ro [t]em Kevin de Leon, a Los Angeles Democrat who is running for the U.S. Senate[,] ... [said:] "Our hard-earned tax dollars should not be subject to double-taxation, especially not to line the pockets of the Trump family, hedge fund[-]managers[,] and private jet[-]owners[.]"

Federal tax law has phased out up to 80% of itemized deductions for high-income taxpayers for years, and not once did I hear Cuomo or journalists raise alarms about it.  But now that Trump wants to help almost everyone, Democrats, journalists, and charities are having a cow.

As for double-taxation, it is stupid for Democrats to complain because they double-tax so much – especially the poor and middle class, whom they just pretend to care about.

Federal income taxes are not deductible before paying state income taxes.

Payroll taxes are not deductible before paying both federal and state taxes.

The following, mostly regressive, taxes are rarely deductible before paying either federal or state taxes.

• ·      Sales taxes
• ·      State motor fuel taxes
• ·      Federal motor fuel taxes
• ·      Cigarette taxes
• ·      Alcohol taxes
• ·      Telecommunications taxes
• ·      Utility taxes

And then there is the multitude of other taxes and fees that are not deductible.  Politicians, but especially Democrats, are always raising these taxes and fees, and not once have I heard the concern of double-taxation.

Corporate dividends are not deductible, yet states and the federal government tax them again for individuals and corporations.

Estates have paid significant taxes on their assets as they were earned – yet Democrats have no problem taxing them at 40%, and states like Illinois can get another 16%.

IRAs and other retirement accounts can essentially be confiscated by the government.  The federal government can get up to 40% in estate taxes, plus the beneficiaries can be taxed another 37% on the whole amount, plus some states can get more.  Where is the concern for double-taxation?

Let's stop pretending journalists and other Democrats care about anything other than the government keeping more money.  They can't stand the thought of Trump and Republicans allowing almost everyone in the private sector keeping more of the money they earned rather than submitting it to the government.

When the AP writes a Democrat talking points article like this, it should recognize all the double-taxation that exists and acknowledge that Democrats have never cared about it before.  They still don't.  And they never cared about the phasing out of itemized deductions, which also limited people in high-tax states from getting their full deductions.