Pittsburgh Review

Politics has in many ways become a form of participatory sport, especially at the presidential level. But the choices we make at the ballot box have profound consequences on our daily lives.

Issues such as taxes and public safety affect almost everyone in noticeable ways — and they’re on the ballot in this election. For the most part, the partisan battle lines are bold and clearly defined. Donald Trump stands for lower taxes and the rule of law. Joe Biden stands for higher taxes and less law enforcement.

Biden regularly claims that he would not raise taxes on anyone who earns less than $400,000 per year, but the reality is much more complicated — and much less favorable to middle-income Americans.

Biden’s plan to raise corporate tax rates, for instance, wouldn’t just take money from corporate executives and wealthy shareholders. Americans of all income levels would have to shoulder part of the burden, as well, in the form of higher prices, lower wages, and reduced investment income for the retirement accounts held by millions of workers. Even the left-leaning Tax Policy Center  acknowledges that in an otherwise generously charitable assessment of Biden’s tax proposals.

If we take the former vice president at his word, though, we have even more to fear. Biden has railed against what he calls “Trump’s tax cuts,” vowing on numerous occasions to eliminate the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act (TCJA) on “day one” of his presidency. Only recently has he begun qualifying that pledge with the claim that he would not raise rates on incomes below $400,000 — and even if he does honor that promise, there’s little doubt that Biden would allow the TCJA’s across-the-board rate reductions to expire, which would be a de facto tax hike on every taxpayer in the country.

The average Pennsylvania family is saving  over $2,100 per year thanks to the TCJA. Losing out on that is equivalent to a $175 per month expense, in addition to the costs of Biden’s other tax hikes. President Trump, conversely, has sought to make the TCJA rate reductions permanent, and has even promised to pursue another major tax cut for middle-income Americans during his second term.

Public safety is another issue that directly impacts quality of life for ordinary Pennsylvanians. The  violent riots in Philadelphia offer a tragic reminder of what’s at stake in this election. Once again, people are being shot in the streets and businesses are being systematically looted, ostensibly in the name of “justice.” Similar “mostly peaceful” demonstrations have already devastated countless cities in Pennsylvania and across the country in recent months.

The danger isn’t limited to urban residents, either — suburban families have to worry about the violence encroaching on their own neighborhoods, and even predominantly rural areas such as Lancaster have been victims of the recent unrest.

President Trump has consistently and emphatically expressed his support for law enforcement, making a standing offer of robust federal assistance to America’s governors and mayors. Unfortunately, many Democrat elected officials have opted for inaction, and in some cases even given outright support to the rioters, vandals, and looters. Joe Biden didn’t even acknowledge the problem for months, and to this day has nothing more than tepid and equivocal rebukes of the widespread lawlessness.

It’s easy to become distracted by political theatrics, but at the end of the day the issues that matter most are the ones that directly affect our quality of life. After all, we’re all going to have to live with the decisions we make at the ballot box for the next four years.

– Rose Tennent of Pennsylvania is on the Advisory Board for the Women for Trump Coalition and has been a prominent figure for twenty years as a syndicated conservative political talk show host. Her show “Rose Unplugged” can be heard on KDKA AM NewsTalk and at www.roseunplugged.com.