One of the interesting things about running a blog is that you get all kinds of press releases and invitations to interview people. Some of the press releases are right-wing batshit but I don’t unsubscribe. I figure that the best way to beat these people is to know what they’re saying amongst themselves. Today Donald Trump did a rally in the Silver State just because he wanted to play big shot. He crowed about being the first Republican to win the state since Dubya won it in 2004. And then he went on to lie about “we won this crazy, massive majority” which is total bullshit. The stats, from the Nevada Secretary of State show no such thing.
The final tabulation of votes was 751,205 for Trump/Vance to 705,197. That about 46,000 votes and less than 3%. That is only “crazy and massive” in Trump’s mind. But here’s where it gets good. This is from the Nevada Independent. Trump was bragging about what gave him the “crazy, massive majority.”
“But I’m sure you haven’t heard. We’re going to get it for you — no tax on tips.”
In a statement sent during the speech, Culinary Workers Union Local 226 Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge said the union supports the policy but that Republicans should work with Democrats to go beyond ending taxation on tips, including raising the subminimum wage for service workers and addressing corporate greed.
Now this is where the can of worms got opened. So here’s the press release that I got today and this is what King Donald is supposed to deliver on. This is from One Fair Wage and they’re not foolin’. Trump came into town to brag and play big shot and the hospitality workers said, “Hold my beer,” and this is their idea.
Restaurant Workers and Advocates Say Trump’s ‘No Tax on Tips’ Proposal Doesn’t Address the Real Issue: Poverty Wages
With a Republican ‘No Tax on Tips’ bill uplifted by President Trump at his Nevada Rally, Fair Wage Advocates Point to Real Solution for Service Workers: A Full Minimum Wage with Tips on Top—Workers
Need Higher Wages, Not Superficial Fixes Like the GOP’s Legislation
One Fair Wage Report Finds Two-Thirds of Tipped Workers Earn Too Little to Pay Federal Income Taxes, and the Proposal Fails to Address the Core Issue of Widespread Economic Insecurity Among Service Workers.
Las Vegas, NV – During his stop in Nevada today, President Donald Trump touted the “No Tax on Tips Act” as a win for service workers, framing the GOP-backed legislation as a pro-worker measure. But advocates say the proposal does little to address the root cause of economic insecurity among tipped workers: poverty wages.
In response to the president’s comments, Saru Jayaraman, president of One Fair Wage, issued the following statement:“On its own, ending income taxes on tipped wages is just like putting a Band-Aid on a deep wound caused by poverty wages. It might sound good on the surface, but for millions of tipped workers earning as little as $2.13 an hour, it’s meaningless. Two-thirds of these workers don’t even make enough to pay federal income taxes. Tipped workers don’t just need a tax break—they need a raise.
“This is about fairness and dignity. Service workers deserve to be paid a full minimum wage with tips on top, not stuck in a system that forces them to rely on unpredictable tips to survive. Tipped workers have been excluded from minimum wage increases, even in Democratic states, for too long. While Trump is delivering a false solution for tipped workers, all electeds and especially Democrats should be delivering the real solution for this population: raise wages, end the subminimum wage for tipped workers and ensure workers can support themselves and their families.”
Real Solutions for Tipped Workers:
As Republican lawmakers float similar versions of their “No Tax on Tips” legislation in states like Arizona and Virginia, One Fair Wage is making it clear that these proposals fall short of addressing the root cause of economic insecurity for millions of tipped workers: poverty wages. Any bill whose aim is to provide relief for tipped workers but does not eliminate the subminimum wage for tipped workers fails to address the root cause of their economic hardship.
would ensure that all workers earn a full minimum wage with tips as additional inIn response, One Fair Wage is working with Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., to reintroduce the Tipped Income Protection and Support (TIPS) Act, which would eliminate the subminimum wage for tipped workers and exempt tips from federal income taxes – with guardrails to ensure that only low-income tipped workers get tax relief that does not hurt their ability to access social security and Medicare . The act would ensure that all workers earn a full minimum wage with tips as additional income, addressing the underlying issues of economic instability for tipped workers.
Advocates also point to pro-worker state-level efforts like the recently introduced Maryland legislation, which would phase in a $20 minimum wage, eliminate subminimum wages for tipped workers, and exempt tips from taxation. These types of policies reflect the comprehensive reforms that workers and advocates are demanding to address wage inequities and provide meaningful financial security.
Here’s the beauty of this: Trump came into town, the conquering hero, and he wanted the crowd to roar with adulation that he was getting the hospitality workers a few extra dimes. It reminds me of a story that Paul Ryan used to tell with a straight face, about a constituent who was “able to afford a membership at CostCo,” after a GOP tax “cut.” Wow, what was that, about thirty bucks at the time? But the GOP made it happen. Shazam, thirty bucks. I’d say Paul Ryan for King but now we’ve got Trump.
And this is along the same lines. So this group, and this Democratic Rep from NV-04, are now in hot pursuit of Trump and this very necessary piece of legislation. Now poor Donald has one more thing that’s high profile to either deliver on or fail on, like he usually does.
He could have stayed away and kept his mouth shut but nooooo, Mr. Bill, he had to go to Las Vegas and strut and peacock about what great benefit he brought the state because he’s such a great guy. Let’s see him put the workers’ money where his mouth is. Trump said the no tax on tips would be included in the tax bill that Republicans in Congress are in the process of negotiating to extend expiring provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. He’s gaslighting everybody that it’s going to be some easy thing, but since Moses Mikey is currently operating with a one-seat majority, I wouldn’t hold my breath. When Trump’s original 2017 tax bill passed 13 House Republicans voted against it.
What Trump did is shine a spotlight on this issue and now he’s got to put up or shut up. Bragging about it and promising it is one thing, delivering is something else. But we know Donald isn’t so great on the delivery part, just the promise.
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To argue with someone who holds humanity in contempt, and has abandoned reason, is like administering medicine to a corpse, or using scripture to convince an atheist. Tom Paine
He’s never delivered on any promise to help anyone in his life. He’s incapable of caring. Unfortunately, we are a nation that fits Tom’s description.
[the following is well-informed snark; don’t hurt me] 🤬 Continuing to have rallies after you are the dictator is unnecessary! Hitler and Mussolini also used rallies to spread the propaganda and once they were clearly in power, the rallies just got in the way! You are there, Sphincter Face!! You don’t need to gather these little groups of the faithful and waste your time…you are just giving opposition groups, like One Fair Wage, more time in front of the media you hate! Come to think of it, why are you pussy-footing around with these Senate votes on your nominees?! It is way past time to just tell Bobby and Tulsi and Kash (oh my!) to go over to their respective offices and begin the destruction!! Having rallies and threatening Senators is so last year!! Just get on with that mandate, Herr Drumpf,* because all else is merely weakness!!
*Go back to the original family name…it has a much stronger dictator vibe!! ✊️