REAL WORKERS ARE GETTING CHECKS.
>> MARIA: I LIKE THE IDEA OF THE
CRUMBS ACT.
MAKE ALL THE BONUSES TAX-FREE.
JOINING US TO WEIGH IN ON THIS
IS RICHARD FOWLER.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> IT'S GOOD TO BE HERE.
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO YOU.
>> MARIA: HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY
TO YOU, RICHARD.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE
CRUMB'S ACT?
>> THERE'S THINGS ABOUT IT I
AGREE WITH.
I AGREE FOR MIDDLE CLASS AND
WORKING CLASS FAMILIES, IF THEY
GET THE BONUSES, THEY SHOULD
RECEIVE THEM TAX-FREE.
THERE SHOULD BE A CAP.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE CAP
SHOULD BE.
I HAVEN'T READ THE ENTIRE BILL.
MAYBE A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS
OR LESS, YOU GET IT TAX-FREE.
IF IT'S OVER A QUARTER MILLION
YOU'VE GOT TO PAY UNCLE SAM
BECAUSE YOU MAKE A LOT OF MONEY,
PERIOD.
OVERALL, I THINK WHILE WE SEE
THE TAX CODE ALLOWING FOLKS TO
GET BONUSES, WHAT I WANT TO SEE
IS PERMANENT RAISES.
A LOT OF COMPANIES ARE GIVING
OUT PERMANENT RAISES.
BONUSES ARE A ONE-TIME BLIP ON
THE BALANCE SHEET.
RAISES ARE BUILT IN OVER YEARS
AND YEARS.
IT'S INTERESTING THAT PAUL RYAN
MADE THAT COMMENT WHEN HE
DELETED A TWEET A COUPLE WEEKS
AGO WHICH PRAISED GIVING THE
HIGH SCHOOL SECRETARY 1 SIMILARS
50 WHICH HE WAS HAPPY ABOUT --
$1.50 WHICH HE WAS HAPPY ABOUT.
I THINK THAT'S ABOUT A PACK OF
GUM.
I THINK WE CAN DO BETTER.
>> MARIA: ARE YOU TRYING TO
MINIMIZE THE FACT THAT 200 PLUS
COMPANIES --
>> I'M NOT, NO,.
>> MARIA: ARE YOU TRYING TO
MINIMIZE THE FACT THAT THE
CORPORATE TAX WENT DOWN.
ARE YOU TRYING TO MINIMIZE THE
FACT THAT PEOPLE ARE TALKING
ABOUT 4% ECONOMIC GROWTH?
>> I'M SAYING THE SPEAKER OF THE
HOUSE CAN'T GET MAD AT NANCY
PELOSI FOR MAKING A CRUMBS
COMMENT WHEN HE TWEETED ABOUT
THE IDEA THAT IT'S GREAT THAT A
HIGH SCHOOL SECRETARY IN
LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA ONLY
MAKES $1.50 A WEEK.
THAT'S NOTHING.
>> DAGEN: I CAN GET MAD AT HER
BECAUSE SHE'S A DISMISSIVE WEST
COAST LIBERAL LIVING IN A
BUBBLE.
$1,000 FEEDS A FAMILY OF FOUR
FOR A MONTH WHERE I GREW UP.
IT WILL BUY YOU A NEW WATCHING A
IT WILL BUY YOU A NEW WATCHING W
IT WILL BUY YOU A NEW WATCHING S
IT WILL BUY YOU A NEW WATCHING I
IT WILL BUY YOU A NEW WATCHING G
MACHINE.
IT SEEPS SO OUT OF TOUCH.
WE HAVE WAGE GROWTH RUNNING AT
THE FASTEST PACE SINCE 2009 AND
YOU'VE HAD A LOT OF GIGANTIC
EMPLOYERS ANNOUNCE WAGE
INCREASES AND RAISES FOR PEOPLE.
WALMART, YOU CAN TALK ABOUT THE
LAYOFFS AT SAM'S CLUB.
WALMART AND WELLS FARGO AND CVS
ACROSS THE STREET FROM WHERE I
LIVE IN NEW YORK CITY ARE
GETTING RAISEs.
>> I HAVE A COUPLE RESPONSES.
I'LL AVOID THE SAM'S CLUB
TALKING POINT.
IN SOME PRIVATE SECTOR PLACES
YOU'RE SEEING RAISES.
OVERALL, MOST FOLKS ARE GETTING
BONUSES, WHICH ARE ONE-TIME
BLIPS ON BALANCE SHEETS.
THINK ABOUT THE TEACHERS AND
POLICE OFFICERS AND THE GAR
GARBAGEMEN, THEIR WAGES ARE NOT
INCREASING.
IN WEST VIRGINIA, TEACHERS HAVE
SEEN THEIR PAY GO DOWN BECAUSE
THEIR HEALTH CARE PREMIUMS HAVE
GONE UP.
THEY'RE NOT UNDER THE AFFORDABLE
CARE ACT.
THEY'RE IN PRIVATE HEALTH
INSURANCE DIS
INSURANCE.DIS
>> DAGEN: THAT'S THE FAULT OF
THE UNIONS.
THESE ARE UNIONIZED WORKERS.
WALMART, THEY'RE NOT UNIONIZED.
>> HOW IS IT THE FAULT OF THE
UNIONS.
>> DAGEN: THE PRIVATE SECTOR
WORKERS --
>> HOW IS THAT THE FAULT OF THE
UNION WHEN THE GOVERNOR IS LIKE
I'M ONLY WILLING TO GIVE THE
TEACHERS 1% BUT I'LL RAISE
HEALTH CARE PREMIUMS 20%.
>> THEY NEGOTIATE THE PAY
PACKAGES.
>> IN WEST VIRGINIA THE PAY
PACKAGES ARE NEGOTIATED VIA
STATE LAW.
LET'S TALK ABOUT FACTS.
>> WHAT'S THE POINT OF HAVING
THE UNION IN WEST VIRGINIA?
>> THE UNION IS TO FIGHT FOR
MAKING SURE THERE'S A SMALL
CLASS SIZE.
THEY DO LOBBY FOR WAGES BUT ONCE
AGAIN, THE GOVERNOR -- I SAID
THEY DO FIGHT FOR WAGES.
I SAID THE POINT I'M MAKING HERE
IS WE'RE SEEING WAGE GROWTH BUT
WAGE GROWTH ISN'T HAPPENING
ACROSS THE BOARD FOR ALL
WORKERS.
IT'S NOT HAPPENING FOR GARBAGE
MEN IN MEMPHIS OR TEACHERS IN
WEST VIRGINIA.
>> THE POINT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
IS THAT TAX CUTS FOR
CORPORATIONS --
>> IT'S NOT HAPPENING FOR
CHARTER SCHOOL WORKERS.
>> IF WE TALK OVER EACH OTHER,
NO ONE CAN HEAR ANYTHING.
IF WE LOOK AT CORPORATIONS IN
AMERICA THAT GOT A TAX CUT, THEY
TAKE SOME OF THE MONEY, THE
TALKING POINT FROM THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS IT WAS ONLY
GOING TO GO TO THE TOP EARNERS,
TOP 1%.
NOW THE CORPORATIONS THAT ARE
MADE UP OF REPUBLICANS AND
DEMOCRATS ARE GIVING ONE-TIME
CHECKS TO THEIR EMPLOYEES.
THEY'RE ALSO INCREASING
SALARIES.
THAT'S A WIN FOR BOTH PARTIES.
IT'S A WIN FOR THE UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA.
AND CALLING IT -- TALKING ABOUT
A PACK OF GUM IS TAKING THE
FACTS AND TWISTING THEM.
PEOPLE ARE GETTING REAL MONEY
FROM THIS.
>> MARIA: YOU'RE GETTING REAL
SELECTIVE, RICHARD.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT 4% ECONOMIC
GROWTH, THAT LIFTS MANY BOATS.
>> I AGREE.
>> MARIA: WHY TALK ABOUT A PACK
OF GUM?
>> I'M TALKING ABOUT A PACK OF
GUM BECAUSE PAUL RYAN WAS
TALKING ABOUT A PACK OF GUM.
LET'S BE HE VERY
LET'S BE VE VERY
LET'S BE VERVERY
LET'S BE VERYERY
LET'S BE VERY CY
LET'S BE VERY CLEAR.
I THINK THERE'S GREAT ECONOMIC
GROWTH.
IT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH THE FACT
WE HE HAVE A STABLE ECONOMY FOR
ALMOST A DECADES.
THAT HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH
BARACK OBAMA POLICIES, NUMBER
ONE.
YES, THEY BENEFITED FROM TRUMP
TAX CUTS.
THE LARGER POINT I'M MAKING IS
SOME OF THE CORPORATIONS
INCLUDING KIMBERLY CLARK, THE
MAKERS OF KLEENEX, ARE BAD
ACTORS.
WHILE THEY RECEIVE MILLIONS AND
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN TAX CUTS,
THEY'RE ALSO GOING TO LAY OFF
5,000 WORKERS AND CLOSE THREE
FACTORIES.
THAT'S NOT WHAT MAKE AMERICA
GREAT AGAIN LOOKS LIKE.
WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING WITH THE
MONEY AUTOMATICALLY IS PUMPING
THAT INTO BUILDING MORE AMERICAN
FACTORIES AND GIVING RAISES, NOT
ONE-TIME BONUSES WHICH ARE
ONE-TIME BLIPS ON A BALANCE
SHEET.
>> MARIA: ARE YOU SAYING WE
SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE THE TAX
PLAN, THEN?
>> THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M SAYING AT
ALL.
>> MARIA: WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?
YOU CAN'T LEGISLATE HOW MUCH A
COMPANY IS GOING TO GIVE A BONUS
TO SOMEBODY.
>> THAT'S EXACTLY MY POINT.
>> MARIA: YOU WANT THE
GOVERNMENT TO LEGISLATE IT?
>> I AM NOT AGAINST TAX CUTS.
I DON'T THINK DEMOCRATS ARE
AGAINST TAX CUTS.
WE'RE AGAINST TAXES THAT FAVOR
CORPORATIONS AND THE RICH AND WE
THIS WHEN THEY DON'T FAVOR THE
MIDDLE CLASS.
THE MIDDLE CUT TAX CUT IS NOT
EVEN PERMANENT.
THE CORPORATE TAX RATE IS
PERMANENT, PERIOD.
>> DAGEN: I THINK YOU HAVE
INCREDIBLE STYLE AND YOU'RE A
WONDERFUL MAN, BUT --
>> MARIA: BUT, BUT, BUT.
>> DAGEN: THE INDIVIDUAL TAX
CUTS EXPIRE IS THE TALKING
POINT.
WHY DIDN'T THEY STEP UP AND VOTE
ALONG SIDE DEMOCRATS?
>> WHY DIDN'T REPUBLICANS MAKE
IT PERMANENT.
>> MARIA: NOT ONE DEMOCRAT VOTED
FOR THE TAX CUT.
THIS IS A JOKE.
>> I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY
REPUBLICANS DIDN'T THINK IT WAS
A GOOD IDEA TO MAKE THE MIDDLE
CLASS TAX CUT PERMANENT.
THEY SAY CORPORATIONS NEED
PLANNING.
MORTGAGES ARE 15 AND 30 YEARS.
MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES PLAN AS
WELL.
>> DAGEN: THEY COUNT
>> DAGEN: THEY COULDN'T BECAUSE
OF THE BUDGET RESTRICTIONS
BECAUSE THE DEMOCRATS --
>> NO, NO, NO, LET'S BE CLEAR.
PRESIDENT OBAMA WHEN HE WAS
PRESIDENT PASSED THE LARGEST
MIDDLE CLASS TAX CUT EVER AND
DEMOCRATS VOTED FOR IT.
THE REASON WHY DEMOCRATS WERE
AGAINST THIS PARTICULAR TAX CUT
AND I WAS AGAINST IT WAS BECAUSE
IT FAVORED CORPORATIONS AND
WEALTHY CEOS OVER THE MIDDLE
CLASS.
THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING
BECAUSE THE MIDDLE CLASS TAX CUT
WASN'T PERMANENT.
>> DAGEN: THE CORPORATE TAX
REFORM THAT THE REPUBLICANS
PASSED WAS UTTERLY SIMILAR,
ALMOST IDENTICAL TO WHAT
PRESIDENT OBAMA PROPOSED NOT
ONCE, BUT TWICE.
SO THEY COULDN'T GET -- IT'S
BECAUSE IT'S A REPUBLICAN IDEA,
EVEN THOUGH THEY BACK UP THE
DETAILS, THEY WON'T GET ON BOARD
WITH IT BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT IN
CHARGE.
>> LET ME MAKE ANOTHER POINT.
FACTS MATTER.
THE REASON WHY WE WERE AGAINST
THIS ONE AND FOR THE OBAMA ONE
IS BECAUSE THE OBAMA CLOSED TAX
LOOPHOLES THAT ARE STILL OPEN
UNDER DONALD TRUMP'S TAX PLAN.