Invest in Louisiana and the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy are calling on their governors to recall National Guard troops from Washington, D.C. The National Guard are among the first on the ground when disaster strikes — from deadly flooding to hurricanes — helping people recover and rebuild. Using them as political props for a vague, ill-defined, and unwanted deployment in D.C. puts them and the residents of D.C. in harm’s way and sets a blueprint for military takeovers of cities across the country:

“It’s currently the height of hurricane season in Louisiana, and our National Guard soldiers are needed at home – not deployed as political props in a city where they aren’t wanted,” said Jan Moller, executive director of Invest in Louisiana. “This week Louisiana remembers the devastation from Hurricane Katrina, which struck the Gulf Coast 20 years ago. Following that tragic storm, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco refused a request from then-President George W. Bush to federalize the National Guard. She understood how important it was for the Guard to remain under local control, not used for federal law enforcement. Gov. Jeff Landry should remember that important lesson, listen to D.C.’s elected leaders, and bring our troops home.” 

Richest Americans avoid paying taxes 

U.S. billionaires pay a lower average tax rate than all other taxpayers, according to a new study from University of California, Berkeley, economists. The Atlantic’s Annie Lowrey explains how this study shows fundamental problems with our nation’s tax code: 

The new study is a technical feat, combining data on corporate earnings, private wealth, and individual tax payments. And it confirms that the country’s tax code is regressive, not progressive, at the very top. Every year, America’s richest citizens paper over their earnings with losses and use other creative accounting strategies to shelter their fortunes, as the tax code allows them to do. As a result, the country’s billionaires pay lower tax rates than many of its millionaires do. Indeed, they pay lower tax rates than many middle-class professionals.

Tax-law changes from the first and second Trump administration will allow the rich to avoid more of their tax liability, while the resulting revenue loss will lead to cuts to safety-net programs that help low-income earners: 

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Trump’s signature first-term domestic-policy package, helped these billionaires keep more of their money. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, passed this summer, extends the TCJA’s tax cuts, creates new business loopholes, and lowers taxes on estates. To help offset the revenue losses, the Trump administration is stripping health coverage from millions of low-income Americans and shrinking the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The rich, including Trump, will keep getting richer. The poor will pay for it.

States take different approach to nixed CDC grants

The Trump administration recently terminated more than 700 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grants for state and local health departments. New analysis from KFF Health News shows that blue states that sued in federal court had their grants restored, while red states that sat idle sustained huge cuts:

In blue states, nearly 80% of the CDC grant cuts have been restored, compared with fewer than 5% in red states, according to the KFF Health News analysis. …. The divide is an example of the polarization that permeates health care issues, in which access to safety-net health programs, abortion rights, and the ability of public health officials to respond to disease threats diverge significantly depending on the political party in power.

Louisiana had six CDC grants terminated and has not made efforts to have them restored. 


GOP leader blasts LSU arena deal 

Woody Jenkins, chair of the East Baton Rouge Parish Republican Party, criticized a proposed sales tax on Tuesday that will be used to finance a new sports arena on LSU’s campus. A recently created economic development district that is located on and around the university’s campus can create new taxes, without voter approval, and spend the revenue on projects within its boundaries, such as a new arena. The Times Picayune | Baton Rouge Advocate’s Patrick Sloan-Turner reports:

“We’ve been presented with no plan and no budget,” Jenkins said. “In fact, when we’ve talked to city-parish officials, they don’t know how much this sales tax would produce without the arena.” … “I’m here speaking on behalf of the parish Republican Party … until we get these questions answered, we must not go forward with this,” Jenkins said. “We need to put a pause on this. We need to get a lot more information, and we should not go forward with levying a tax outside of the vote of the people or entering into a contract with a company like Oak View Group.”

The East Baton Baton Rouge Metro Council is set to vote on Wednesday to allow the new sales tax.


Number of the Day

24% – The total effective tax rate of the top 0.0002%, compared with 30% for the full population. (Source: National Bureau of Economic Research)