Government of, by, and for the rich.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jay Bookman wrote his Sunday column about the Republican tax cut and how it benefits corporations and the wealthy -- and one reward they have received for that gift to the rich.

It seems that House Speaker Paul Ryan has just led a retinue to Las Vegas to the Sands casino empire of mega-donor Sheldon Adelson, whom we already know has been gifted by President Trump with the relocation of the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.    This is something Adelson has been lobbying for, a joint effort with Israeli leader Bibi Netanyahu.

Bookman says that the first quarter net income for the Sands "jumped a remarkable 179 percent.   Most of the gain came as a direct result of last year's huge corporate tax cut."   Adelson's company saved $670 million as a result of the tax cut -- with Adelson's personal income tax likely to have been reduced by tens of millions.

Ryan and Co. didn't make their pilgrimage just to hear him say "thank you."   They asked for a favor in return.   And they came away with a promise to contribute $30 million to the Conservative Leadership Fund superPac created to help keep Republicans in control of the House.

Meanwhile, these same Republican leaders, citing huge deficits in the budget [which result from the tax cuts they engineered for the likes of Edelson], now have to get to work cutting spending to "reduce the deficit," which they created -- in part as a pretext for cutting social spending.   Ryan's primary mission has always been, he admits, is "entitlement reform," his euphemism for cutting the entire social network, including Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and others.

With the Big Three (M, M, and SS) always in his long-range sights, he's going after the food stamp program;  and Trump is demanding that $15 billion be cut from the already-passed budget bill that was for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) -- one of the few good things the just-passed budget left in.

Not only this, but Booker also says that, contrary to Republicans' promises about the tax bill, the tax cuts did not help the middle and working classes.   "The average weekly earnings for American workers declined slightly last month after adjusting for inflation;"  and the average American has seen no increase in wages according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In addition, "the percentage of Americans without health insurance is climbing once again as a direct result of Republican efforts to undermine Obamacare.   Former Secretary of HHH, Tom Price, "now admits that the GOP move to end the individual mandate actually will harm the pool in the exchange market," because younger, healthier individuals will not purchase it.   Yes, we all knew that would be the result.    Where were you, Tom, when it was happening?

At the same time, HUD Secretary Ben Carson is proposing rent increases for subsidized housing, calling it an "incentive" for the poor to become more self-sufficient.   And, if all that isn't enough, muiltibillionaire Betsy DeVos, Secretary of Education, is undercutting the federal student aid program.

Bookman concludes:
"All this, in a country where the divide between rich and poor has reached historic levels and continues to worsen and where middle-income continues its decade-long stagnation.   It's just nuts."

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How do these people look themselves in the mirror?   It's one thing to be rich and greedy -- but also to lie and pretend what you're doing is really a boon for the middle class and working families, when you know it isn't?   That is cruel and despicable.

Ralph