In recent weeks, editorial boards across the country responded to communications urging them to express their opinion about the various versions of the Trump-GOP tax plans. This is not a comprehensive list, as many papers wrote two, three or four editorials that are not all recorded below.

NATIONAL

The Washington Post | EDITORIAL: A win for the wealthy, the entitled and the irresponsible | December 20, 2017

“The bill is a victory for wealthy heirs, who will no longer have to pay estate taxes on inheritance worth up to $22 million. It helps tax dodgers and their lawyers, who will have some potentially huge new loopholes to exploit. Because the drafting process was so hasty and sloppy, no doubt there are many hidden in the text that even its authors do not realize are there. … The bill is a victory for corporations that look like the Trump Organization, the president’s privately held real estate business. … The bill is a victory for the discredited theory of trickle-down economics. … The bill is a win for know-nothing anti-intellectualism. … The bill is a victory for corrosive partisanship. Republicans could have hashed out a better, bipartisan plan, but they never seriously tried. … Most of all, the bill is a victory for fiscal irresponsibility. … Longer-term, the picture is bleaker. Taxes will have to rise and spending on entitlement programs drop to fix sharply unbalanced budgets to come. This is the ‘victory’ Republicans just handed the country.”

The New York Times | EDITORIAL: Tax Bill Lets Trump and Republicans Feather Their Own Nests December 18, 2017

“Whatever the Republicans’ protestations, this malodorous loophole is further confirmation that congressional leaders are doing everything they can to maximize benefits for the wealthy at the expense of almost everybody else. … The tax bill’s generosity toward real estate titans stands in stark contrast to its stinginess toward the average wage earner as well as its very real damage to taxpayers in high-cost states. … This bill is bad enough. No less revolting is the dishonest and sneaky way it was written.”

The Washington Post | EDITORIAL: The Rubio tax bill saga is a perfect expression of Republican priorities December 15, 2017

“But it is telling how easy it was for Republicans to drop top income tax rates, how hard it has been for Mr. Rubio to secure even a limited victory for low-income people and how irrelevant concerns about ballooning the national debt have been for most in the GOP. … What started as a bipartisan push for smart tax-code reform mutated over the past year into an expensive, one-sided legislative power play animated by ideological misconceptions rather than a sober assessment of the country’s real needs.”

USA TODAY | EDITORIAL: Tax cuts the GOP will regret December 10, 2017

“If it were not abundantly clear already, the tax bill shows how Republicans aren’t allowed to act in their own best interests, let alone the nation’s. That is because they are captive to a militant faction within the GOP, a coalition of the very rich and the very angry. … If and when a final measure passes, Republican lawmakers will declare victory and will go into the primaries with a sense of confidence. But if they represent remotely competitive states or districts, they will have considerable explaining to do in general elections. They might wish they had come empty-handed rather than being burdened by a grossly unfair tax cutting plan such as this.”

ARIZONA

Arizona Daily Star | EDITORIAL: Principles dictate ‘no’ vote on tax bill for McCain and Flake November 29, 2017

“The fate of the current tax bill is in the hands of a few Republican senators who in the past have shown they are not afraid to diverge from the party line. Arizona is lucky that both its representatives in the Senate are in that group. … We ask that Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake continue to stand by their principles and vote ‘no’ on this tax bill. … In keeping with their conservative principles, Sens. McCain and Flake should not reward a party that seems to be no longer theirs.”

CALIFORNIA

Los Angeles Times | GOP tax bill: A short-term buzz that promises a killer hangover December 19, 2017

“As with the GOP’s heedless race to repeal and replace Obamacare, the party’s rushed, haphazard approach to tax reform feels like a long weekend of binge drinking. It may be fun for them while it lasts, but it’s sure to be followed by a head-splitting fiscal hangover. Unfortunately for Republicans, there don’t seem to be enough sober-minded members to stop this bill before it’s too late.”

Los Angeles Times | EDITORIAL: The GOP’s big tax win is a loss for the rest of us December 2, 2017

“But President Trump and many congressional Republicans weren’t satisfied with simply reforming the tax code. Instead, they’re rushing through a deep cut in rates, particularly for businesses, far beyond what could be offset by eliminating some deductions, exemptions and credits. With no hearings on its specifics, little debate and a raft of provisions aimed at winning individual lawmakers’ votes, the measure is bound to be a magnet for unintended consequences.”

San Francisco Chronicle | EDITORIAL: Headed for a cliff, GOP steps on the gas on tax cuts December 15, 2017

“In a remarkably clear statement of purpose, the committee nominally charged with reaching a compromise between the House and Senate tax bills actually agreed on a bigger break for the rich than either measure contemplated. … If the Republican majority nevertheless proceeds with this bill, it will have squandered an opportunity for responsible, equitable, bipartisan tax reform. And it will have misused its increasingly precarious power for the benefit of those who need it least.”

San Diego Union-Tribune | EDITORIAL: GOP tax bill cheerleading is not analysis December 12, 2017

“All year, President Donald Trump, his aides and GOP congressional leaders have vowed that their planned tax overhaul would not add to the deficit. But no analysis of the plans that passed the House and Senate over the past month has backed that up. Even studies that accept the premise that the bills’ heavy corporate tax cuts will boost economic growth forecast $1 trillion in new red ink over the next decade.”

Sacramento Bee | EDITORIAL: California House Republicans must defend Californians by killing the tax bill December 18, 2017

“When the U.S. House votes Tuesday on the final tax cut bill, Californians will see clearly who their 14 Republican representatives put first – their party or their state. … This is a career-defining vote that voters should watch in deciding whether to support them next November. … The GOP tax plan, unveiled Friday, is bad for America in many, many ways. It increases the federal deficit, weakens health care and is a giveaway to corporations and the super-rich. … But the bill is especially awful for California. … If all 14 say ‘no’ this time, it’s conceivable the bill could be defeated.”

Fresno Bee | EDITORIAL: Republican tax deal is a monstrosity December 13, 2017

“Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Elk Grove, was one of three California Republicans who voted against the House version last month. He needs to stand up again for the state’s taxpayers, as do the other 13 House Republicans from California. … Here’s the bottom line: Trump and Republicans are desperate for any major legislation so they don’t go before voters in 2018 empty-handed. They are willing to go to extreme lengths to lower taxes for wealthy donors and corporate CEOs, even if it means increasing the divide between haves and have-nots and mortgaging our children’s future. … They ought to be ashamed, but in the Trump presidency, shame is in increasingly short supply.”

Santa Rosa Press-Democrat | EDITORIAL: The rush is on to pass a bad tax bill December 15, 2017

“Here’s a better question: Why not start over and try to produce a bipartisan bill that closes loopholes, expands the base and reduces rates without blowing up the deficit or pitting the poor and middle class against the wealthy? … They are, of course, counting on a future Congress to make the cuts permanent, relieving themselves of responsibility for the deficits that would follow — or any need to negotiate for Democratic votes on a tax bill that, as it stands, deserves to be soundly defeated.”

Mercury News | EDITORIAL: Tax reforms will hurt innovation, kill golden opportunity to improve infrastructure December 9, 2017

“President Trump and Republicans in Congress cannot seriously believe allowing U.S. companies to bring home hundreds of billions of dollars stashed abroad at a one-time low tax rate with no strings attached will create substantially more jobs in the United States. … They’re using this fiction to build support for the reforms. But it’s been tried before, and guess what? It didn’t work. … Without attaching some form of conditions — the idea of requiring job creation has been floated in the past — the break just gives more money to shareholders and executive bonuses. … The Trump administration and its congressional majority talk a good game about helping Americans. But the reforms on the table not only fail low- to upper-middle-income families, they also threaten the very prosperity of U.S. industry. … Except for the very richest of Americans, this tax bill is a disaster.”

COLORADO

The Denver Post | EDITORIAL: Colorado lawmakers should oppose the dismal Trump tax plan December 16, 2017

“Colorado’s congressional delegation should unanimously oppose the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and demand a better bill, one that doesn’t explode the national debt and deficit at the expense of the middle class. … Sen. Cory Gardner represents a crucial vote for Republicans who hold a narrow majority in the Senate. He can and should ask more of his colleagues than a fiscally irresponsible tax cut for corporate America. … The American economy would be better served with tax cuts focused on the middle class. Corporate America sits flush on record amounts of cash. If corporations wished to invest in employee wages and job creation, they would be doing so now. … The last-minute decision to reduce the tax rate for the highest earners gives the impression that the plan is mostly a sham meant to give a Christmas gift to GOP donors.”

Aurora Sentinel | EDITORIAL: ‘Robin Hoodwinked’ GOP tax-reform plan is a grim fairy tale for the middle class December 18, 2017

“We appeal to Congressman Mike Coffman, who not long ago said the country’s crushing national debt is a priority for Washington — decreasing it, not exploding it. We appeal to Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner, who once touted his courage to split from his party when it strayed from Colorado common-sense [principles] and values, none of which are exhibited in the this tax package. … There’s little doubt, judging by the public’s reaction to this ill-gotten legislation, that Republicans who vote for it will regret their support, and it’s cruel to force so many millions of middle-class Americans to regret their mistake for what could be decades to come. … America needs responsible tax reform, and this is anything but that. Start over.”

The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel | EDITORIAL: Be a leader, Cory December 14, 2017

“We’d like Garner to explain why federal tax reform is a good idea if it causes Coloradans to pay more in state taxes and forces legislative cuts. … There’s simply no reason to rush a bill through Congress that falls short of what a tax reform plan should do — promote growth without worsening the debt. … We need a serious discussion about whether now is the time to inject the power of a tax cut in an already healthy economy. … It’s not too late for Gardner to insist on improvements to the compromise bill and restore the GOP’s original version of fiscally responsible and pro-growth simplification of the tax code.”

CONNECTICUT

Hartford Courant | EDITORIAL: Republican Tax Plan Is Bad Policy December 7, 2017

“The Republican plan — to tax universities, hurt homeowners who have suffered unforeseen disasters and discourage investment in higher-cost housing markets — is no way to build for the future.”

FLORIDA

Miami Herald | EDITORIAL: Marco Rubio scores a win for working Americans, but they’re still the losers under GOP’s tax bill December 16, 2017

“Republicans talked a good game for a while, insisting that middle-class families would benefit from their proposal, cobbled together in the dark, eluding debate or public airing. But their own members betrayed the true intent to reward the wealthiest of Americans and corporations on the backs of the lower- and middle class.”

Sun Sentinel | EDITORIAL: Rubio caves on Florida-hostile tax bill December 15, 2017

“How bad is the Republican tax bill? So bad that Sen. Marco Rubio had to beg for crumbs that would go to middle- and lower-income Americans. … Rubio confirmed that a small increase in the refundable amount secured his vote. … So Rubio caved, predictably. His request, however, underscored yet again that this tax plan is a budget-busting redistribution of wealth to the wealthy. … The change could hit hard in the Miami-Dade County districts of Reps. Carlos Curbelo, Mario Diaz-Balart and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. All three Republicans voted for the House version that did not include repeal of the mandate. All three districts have some of the highest rates of coverage under the Affordable Care Act. … Despite the concessions he supposedly received, when Marco Rubio votes for the Republican tax bill, he will be voting for his party, not his state.”

Tampa Bay Times | EDITORIAL: Tax cuts aren’t worth harm to Tampa Bay December 12, 2017

“As congressional negotiators hammer out the details on an enormous, unnecessary tax cut, the potential negative impact on Tampa Bay and Florida is becoming clearer. The harmful consequences stretch far beyond adding more than $1.4 trillion to the federal debt over the next decade to pay for tax cuts that tilt toward businesses and the wealthy. In ways both big and small, the fallout would be felt throughout the region and the state in ways that would hurt local communities, families and the cultural and political fabric of public life.”

Tampa Bay Times | EDITORIAL: Making a regressive tax cut easier to swallow December 4, 2017

“Congress now appears on track to approve an enormous tax cut that primarily benefits businesses and the wealthy, adds nearly $1.5 trillion to the federal deficit and could lead to cuts in Social Security and Medicare down the road. It may become the only major legislative victory this year for President Donald Trump, but for millions of Americans there will be nothing to celebrate. The rich get richer, and the poor and the middle class lose again.”

ILLINOIS

Chicago Sun-Times | EDITORIAL: One more way the GOP tax plan sticks it to Chicago December 17, 2017

“We have detailed the many ways this tax code plan, written by the Republican majorities that control the U.S. House and Senate, is a bum deal for Illinois, Chicago and working people. It rewards the wealthiest Americans before anybody else and leaves the poorest Americans worse off.”

Moline Dispatch-Rock Island Argus | EDITORIAL: GOP reformers should follow the Gipper’s lead December 7, 2017

“‘Our historic tax credits have made the preservation of older buildings not only a matter of respect for beauty and history, but of course for economic good sense.’ … So said President Ronald Reagan in promoting the smart historic preservation tax incentives his administration wrote into the federal tax code. He said the program would help restore America’s main streets, create jobs and boost economic development. … Some 30 years later we imagine even he would be surprised by what an economic engine this relatively modest federal tax program has proved to be. He would also no doubt be stunned and disappointed that a majority of GOP House members who purport to revere him agreed to end a program that not only grows our economy and our cities, but puts money back into the federal treasury.”

Peoria Journal Star | EDITORIAL: Boon or bust for middle class? Likely the latter December 4, 2017

“Whatever the final version, the theme is established, so we might as well state the obvious: This is a massive shift of wealth from the lower and middle classes to the rich — if also from the young to the old — who are not just doing well but better than anybody in the planet’s history, on the bet some of their windfall will filter down in more jobs and higher wages for the rest of us. Call it the triumph in Congress of hope — and even higher CEO pay? — over experience. … We urge keeping an eye on your paychecks, holding your member of Congress accountable for a change, and voting accordingly.”

IOWA

Des Moines Register | EDITORIAL: Deficit of facts in Grassley’s rhetoric on tax reform December 4, 2017

“The Senate GOP tax plan will increase the federal deficit by more than $1.4 trillion over a decade, according to the CBO. The reason is relatively simple: Cutting taxes reduces the amount of money collected by the government. … Grassley, however, refuses to face this reality. Instead, he wants people to believe the tax bill will create so much growth they’ll get tired of growing. It does this, he claims, by reducing corporate tax to ‘bring American companies and jobs back to our shores’ and by allowing individuals to keep more of their own money to spend, save or invest. … But believing tax cuts stimulate the economy enough to pay for themselves, let alone pay down the country’s red ink, does not make it true. Neither does saying it repeatedly.”

Sioux City Journal | EDITORIAL: Tax reform efforts in Congress raise concerns December 10, 2017

“An attempt by one side to shove comprehensive legislation down the throats of the other side so one side ‘wins’ and the other side ‘loses’ ignores the realities of complicated issues and deepens an already deep political divide. Members of one party shutting out the other and drafting a bill largely behind closed doors sows seeds of frustration, mistrust and resentment.”

Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier | EDITORIAL: A closer look at the tax-cutting plan December 6, 2017

“Public hearings? Nope. In this era of instant gratification, that’s so yesterday — or 1986 when Republicans took six months to overhaul the tax code. … The Senate bill was approved, 51-49, with Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, the ‘Last Jedi’ of GOP deficit hawks, deferring. Now both chambers will attempt to reconcile differences in a conference committee in round 3 before handing President Donald Trump his Christmas present.”

MAINE

Portland Press Herald | EDITORIAL: Our View: Lots of reasons for Sen. Collins to drop support for tax reform bill December 12, 2017

“The changes Collins demanded for her vote wouldn’t be enough make this a good bill. But losing her vote would put it on the brink of collapse. … Collins should not reward the tea-party right or President Donald Trump’s Wall Street insiders by voting for a bill that does so much for so few who don’t need it. If leadership is offering her an escape route, she should take it.”

Bangor Daily News | EDITORIAL: Sen. Collins made the GOP tax bill better but it is far from good enough to deserve her vote December 17, 2017

“We applaud Collins for her work to improve the bill. These provisions will help specific groups of people, but overall, the GOP tax plan will not help low- and middle-income Mainers and Americans in the long term. Instead, it is heavily weighted toward large corporations and the wealthy. Like the majority of economists, we also do not believe the tax cuts will spur economic growth that would cover their $1.5 trillion cost. For these reasons, we continue to believe the tax bill currently before the House and Senate should be rejected.”

Bangor Daily News | EDITORIAL: The easiest deficit reduction strategy for the GOP? Abandon their tax bill. December 12, 2017

“The tax code changes making their way through Congress will likely add at least $1.4 trillion to the federal deficit over the coming decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office. But that hasn’t stopped most Republicans — many of whom have labeled themselves deficit hawks — from endorsing it. … For them, the budget hole the tax bill expands can be addressed through ‘entitlement reform.’”

MARYLAND

The Baltimore Sun | EDITORIAL: Alternative Facts of the Week: GOP tax bill edition December 14, 2017

“A particularly odious bit of the Senate bill appears to have prevailed in the negotiations, which is that reductions to the corporate tax are permanent whereas the individual tax cuts would expire after 2025. But that just underscores the fundamental truth of this exercise, which is that about two-thirds of the cost of the legislation is tied to corporate tax cuts and one third to tax cuts for individuals. … This tax bill isn’t just a cut in rates. It also involves myriad changes to the deductions and credits in the individual tax code, many of which negatively impact Maryland more than most other states.”

MASSACHUSETTS

Boston Globe | EDITORIAL: One last chance for Collins to reject bad GOP tax bill December 14, 2017

“Now, it’s true that politicians have to compromise. But they shouldn’t walk away from core priorities like the ones that Collins outlined during the tax debate. … The truth is that Collins made a huge blunder by voting for the Senate bill. She’s not the only one to miscalculate: Republican Jeff Flake of Arizona cast his vote for the bill on assurances that Congress would protect undocumented children. There has been no action there, either. … Those senators are left with two choices now: to insist on the deal they had, or back down. And that would expose them as bad negotiators, unprincipled, or both. … One thing is sure: To cast a vote for this bill would reinforce every cynical belief Americans have about politicians, and leave a lasting blot on Collins’s record.”

Boston Herald | EDITORIAL: Tax bill goes astray December 10, 2017

“Among the many unpleasant ‘surprises’ in the U.S. Senate’s version of the tax overhaul bill is one that could have a disproportionate impact on Massachusetts’ research-heavy economy. … Businesses that have lobbied with all their might for the lower corporate tax rate now embedded in both versions of the bill are not particularly pleased with a new alternative minimum tax rate for corporations. … Still, this is what happens when the Senate does things in the dead of night with only a handful of GOP senators in the know and the rest performing their best sheep act.”

The Springfield Republican | Will Republicans run on or from tax bill? December 12, 2017

“When the final bill emerges, perhaps later on this week, maybe not until next week, there’ll likely be many more unpleasant surprises found in that package, too. Why? Because Republicans created an unnecessary deadline for themselves. Because they want to get something, anything, done on taxes before year’s end. Republicans have been looking for something to run on in next year’s midterm elections. More likely, as people learn more details about the tax rewrite, GOP candidates will be running from this kludge of a tax plan.”

MINNESOTA

Minneapolis Star Tribune | EDITORIAL: Tax reform remains a risky gamble December 20, 2017

“The Republican defense, as articulated by Minnesota Republican U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen, is that an economy with weak growth needs a boost. Unfortunately, there are no guarantees this bill will perform that service. And for Minnesotans, the price it extracts could be dear. The federal changes could trigger a rise in state taxes for most Minnesotans unless the Legislature acts. … The bill also hurts Minnesota because of the state’s healthy homeownership rates. … The bill also eliminates the insurance mandate for the Affordable Care Act, an unconscionable move that could drive up insurance premiums and cost an estimated 227,000 Minnesotans coverage.”

Minneapolis Star Tribune | EDITORIAL: Congress should keep working on tax reform December 8, 2017

“With nearly complete disregard for transparency, Republicans have jettisoned the usual vetting process of hearings, bill-scoring and careful analyses that might have given them a chance to perfect tax legislation which, after all, will touch every aspect of American economic life. … In their zeal to claim victory — any victory — Republican leaders have shut out not only Democrats, but those in their own party who have been sounding warnings. … In doing so, they also have done an about-face on another long-held principle, and one the Star Tribune Editorial Board has strongly supported over the years — deficit reduction. … The Republican tax bills not only do not pay for themselves, they are projected to add well over $1 trillion to the country’s already supersized debt. After lavishing tax giveaways on high-income Americans, the next order of business is quickly shaping up: cutting the health and anti-poverty programs that are lifelines for the nation’s poor, disabled and elderly. Deliberately inflating the deficit with tax cuts, then using it as an excuse to hack away at vital programs is irresponsible and cruel.”

MISSOURI

St. Louis Post-Dispatch | EDITORIAL: Fresh from a big loss, GOP doubles down with unpopular tax plan December 14, 2017

“Almost two-thirds believe the tax bill benefits the wealthy, and only a quarter see it as a plus for the middle class. President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans can’t hide the unfairness of this bill, yet they insist on barreling forward. … This tax plan would add another $1 trillion to the debt and reward the GOP’s preferred group of wealthy individuals and corporations. It directly violates the GOP’s contract with its voters.”

St. Louis Post-Dispatch | EDITORIAL: Experts say tax cuts bills are full of loopholes, games and glitches December 13, 2017

“As tax experts analyze congressional tax-cut bills in depth — something Republican tax-cutters haven’t bothered to do — they are discovering glitches and loopholes that will make them costlier than anticipated and may punish some of the very people they were intended to reward. … All of these games and glitches further tilt the advantages to the wealthy at the expense of the middle class. Instead of reconciling the bills, negotiators should throw them out and start from scratch.”

Kansas City Star | EDITORIAL: Tax cuts are only the start. Social Security and Medicare could be next on the chopping block December 4, 2017

“Actually, the driver of our debt is reckless and unnecessary tax reductions for the very richest Americans. The Senate bill — endorsed by Sens. Roy Blunt, Pat Roberts and Jerry Moran — illustrates that point explicitly by permanently slashing income taxes for corporations and their shareholders. … Americans shouldn’t buy the snake oil. By enacting their own trillion-dollar stimulus plan, the party has demonstrated utter contempt for a balanced federal budget or a reduction in the nation’s debt. … Any attempt to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid to solve an imagined ‘debt crisis’ should be met with the scorn it deserves. … Tax cutters in Congress won’t only be stealing from the next generation. They’ll be lying to it, too.”

MONTANA

Billings Gazette | EDITORIAL: How will Montana pay for new tax plan? December 8, 2017

“Sen. Steve Daines and Rep. Greg Gianforte voted for the GOP tax legislation, Sen. Jon Tester voted no. Daines and Gianforte should insist on changes that will mitigate the revenue reduction on their state’s government. … The tax bill will balloon the federal deficit, increasing pressure in Congress to reduce federal spending, which is likely to shift costs to state governments. In fact, the House tax legislation already proposes to save the federal government money by reducing mineral royalty payments to states like Montana.”

NEBRASKA

Lincoln Journal Star | EDITORIAL: GOP’s secrecy wrong way to operate government December 4, 2017

“Public hearings? There were none. The committee process? Nonexistent. Ample time for study? Some Democrats reported receiving a list of proposed amendments before even seeing a draft of the bill. … Oh, and the bill is forecast to increase the national debt – which was once anathema to Republicans and their apparently bygone era of being deficit hawks – by 7.5 percent, adding another $1.5 trillion on the existing $20 trillion total. Legislation that momentous must be thoroughly vetted before a vote. … Those who allowed this bill to remain hidden from the eyes of their constituents – including Nebraska Sens. Deb Fischer and Ben Sasse – should be ashamed for backing a series of actions that run counter to a government of the people, by the people and for the people.”

NEVADA

Reno News & Review | EDITORIAL: Heller’s awful tax bill December 14, 2017

“At a time when the State of Nevada is ladling out corporate welfare for high tech firms, government’s federal hand is taking away small ways of helping parents and students. … Heller really should not brag about writing this bill, but parents and students should keep it in mind next year when he asks for their votes. What was in his mind when he made life more difficult for them?”

NEW JERSEY

Star-Ledger | EDITORIAL: Hey, MacArthur! Why’d you bail out on N.J.? Come debate the tax plan November 21, 2017

“It is time to give Tom MacArthur credit: It is difficult for one person’s maniacal ambition to stand out so conspicuously in Washington, but the Republican congressman from New Jersey’s 3rd District has managed to do it with a vote that devastates his district, his state, his country, and whatever is left of his credibility. … Forty-four percent of the taxpayers in MacArthur’s district deduct their state and local taxes, and this bill kills that deduction. In fact, if you rank each of the 3,141 counties in the U.S. by their dependence on the SALT deduction, Burlington is 21st and Ocean is 26th. That’s going to leave a mark.”

Courier News-Home News Tribune | EDITORIAL: Be ready to fight GOP tax plan December 6, 2017

“It isn’t entirely clear what they can do, but the Democratic governors — or governor-to-be — of three states being targeted for punishment in the Republican tax plan don’t intend to accept that punishment without a fight. … Our advice? Pursue all available options, because the proposed reforms represent nothing more than a massive scam that doesn’t live up to claims of benefiting the middle class and lower-income Americans. The tax scam also makes a specific point to inflict more pain on blue states like New Jersey, New York and California, high-tax locales that will suffer from plans to reduce or eliminate deductions for property and income taxes.”

NEW YORK

Newsday | EDITORIAL: Tax overhaul aims to reshape social policy, punish blue states December 9, 2017

“Any change in tax policy will create winners and losers. And lawmakers historically have linked taxation with social policy. But the effort being pushed through Congress is not really tax reform, and it’s not simplification. It is punishment for those who have homes in the suburbs and those who went to college, for cities and states that take care of their poor, for municipal labor unions and even for teachers who buy supplies for their classes. It thwarts renewable energy and rewards those selling fossil fuel. … The plans double the standard deductions taxpayers can claim while eliminating or slashing itemized deductions for state and local property and income taxes, as well as for mortgage interest. That will give many middle-class taxpayers in low-cost ‘red’ states a larger deduction, while reducing deductions for middle-class taxpayers in costly areas like Long Island.”

Albany Times-Union | EDITORIAL: Kill this terrible tax bill December 16, 2017

“This chaotic process has left President Donald Trump — who has routinely lied to Americans since he took office (The Washington Post has logged 1,628 false or misleading claims as of mid-November) — to fill the void by declaring this would be a ‘big, beautiful tax cut.’ … Don’t you believe it. Certainly not from a president who won’t release his own tax returns, and whose lies include claiming that he would be hurt by this bill. He would actually be enriched. … What we know of the bill is that it will raise taxes on many low- and middle-income people, either immediately or within the next decade. … We also know it will sabotage the Affordable Care Act, which Republicans have repeatedly failed to ‘repeal and replace.’ … Mr. Trump and Republican lawmakers may see this as the ‘win’ they so desperately want for themselves and their wealthy patrons, but they would do well to remember what happened the last time so many Americans felt their leaders weren’t listening.”

The Buffalo News | EDITORIAL: Reed, GOP Seem to be seeing the light on SALT deduction December 6, 2017

“This is an urgent matter. Voters of both parties have made long-term financial decisions based in large part on the size of their disposable incomes. Tens of millions of those voters live in states with income taxes and high property taxes. The ones who live in this state are already net donors to the federal government, sending more in taxes than they ever get back in benefits or services. … And yet, Congress – with the enthusiastic support of two Western New York Republicans – is looking to siphon even more money from this state’s taxpayers while pushing a tax bill that sends the budget deficit skyrocketing and that will cause house prices to fall, according to the National Association of Realtors. … The arithmetic on this misbegotten measure has been wrong from the get-go. That the party of balanced budgets is pushing it represents a special kind of hypocrisy.”

Poughkeepsie Journal | EDITORIAL: Without changes, tax bill will sting New York December 13, 2017

“Brace yourself, because millions of New Yorkers — including many right here in the mid-Hudson Valley — are on the wrong end of a massive tax deal making its way through Congress. It’s a shame and a sham, and the state deserves a much better fate. … Yes, the convoluted tax code needs major revisions, but there are far better ways to go about it. The Senate and House of Representatives have passed different versions of the bill and are working on a compromise. But it’s clear that, whatever deal gets struck, New York in particular is going to lose out in certain, substantial ways. … New York’s congressional representatives — both Democrats and Republicans — have to step up and salvage the best tax deal possible on behalf of the state. On balance, these changes are do more harm than good for New York — the question is to what level that damage will occur.”

The Suffolk Times | EDITORIAL: Senate tax bill, if enacted, could impact CPF December 8, 2017

“For residents in high-tax states such as New York and, in particular, very high property tax regions like Long Island, this change will result in many residents paying a great deal more in taxes. … In addition, and more ominously, it will almost certainly make life more difficult for working families just getting by and senior citizens on fixed incomes.”

Times Herald-Record | EDITORIAL: Tax legislation is bad not only for New York

“The tax plan now heading to a House-Senate conference committee will be a disaster for most New Yorkers. Among the many elements in the legislation is a dedication to punishing states with high local and state tax burdens. While the exact effect on that part of the plan will not be clear until the two houses agree on a final bill, nobody expects things to get better. … That makes it all the more regretful that one of our local members of Congress, John Faso, the Republican from Kinderhook, voted on Monday to advance the House bill he earlier opposed and send it to the conference committee.”

NORTH CAROLINA

Raleigh News & Observer | EDITORIAL: GOP’s tax plan steamrolls democracy December 16, 2017

“In terms of unfairness and reckless economic policy, it will rank among the worst legislation ever passed. … But this bill is a travesty not only for what’s in it, but for what happened around it on its way to becoming law. … Democrats have rightly questioned why there needs to be such a rush to pass a massive tax bill. Certainly the economy is not in need of stimulation. The reason is that the bill lacks support and the more it’s scrutinized the more the public will oppose it. So the process has been ignored in a headlong race to get the bill to President Trump’s desk before opposition builds.”

The Charlotte Observer | EDITORIAL: These small provisions speak volumes about the Republican tax plan December 4, 2017

“Republicans in Washington insist that their new tax plan will benefit all Americans, but it’s no secret that it is especially good for some. The less affluent among us will see significantly smaller tax cuts that disappear after a few years. The more affluent see bigger tax cuts for longer, and corporations fare best of all with a dramatic and permanent drop in their tax rate. … Republicans say that will lead to job growth, although history shows tax cuts don’t prompt job creators to create more jobs. … In other words, Republicans don’t think very highly of everyday Americans. Neither does their tax plan.”

Capitol Broadcasting Company/WRAL | EDITORIAL: Tax bill’s burden falls heaviest on middle class, why is that good? December 19, 2017

“North Carolina’s representatives in Washington – nearly every Republican in the delegation in this case – are so desperate to claim they’ve reformed taxes, they’ll sign onto anything that carries that label. … This terrible tax bill – which is expected to pass Congress this week – doesn’t reform taxes, it merely shifts the tax burden to further enrich those who already have seized a greater portion of the nation’s wealth than they’ve earned or deserve. … Sen. Richard Burr, Sen. Thom Tillis, Rep. George Holding, Rep. Virginia Foxx, Rep. Mark Walker, Rep. David Rouzer, Rep. Richard Hudson, Rep. Robert Pittinger, Rep. Patrick McHenry, Rep. Mark Meadows and Rep. Ted Budd, we’re talking to you.”

OHIO

Cleveland Plain Dealer | EDITORIAL: Stand up and fight for Ohio on the tax bill, Sen. Portman December 15, 2017

“Clearly, Portman has mastered the slick GOP talking points being used to try to sell this package of tax cuts for big business and the wealthy as help for the middle class. But he risks the voters’ ire once the reality sinks in back home that it’s all just another political bait and switch. And our editorial board plans to remind voters — repeatedly — of Portman’s stance on this bill in the years ahead.”

Akron Beacon Journal | EDITORIAL: Where the Senate tax bill goes wrong December 9, 2017

“Rob Portman moved, as expected, to present the Senate-approved tax bill in a most favorable light. In his column, published on this page last week, the Ohio Republican contended in the first sentence that the measure passed ‘after years of discussion.’ Was the senator suggesting the process wasn’t what was plain to the eye, rushed, with a minimum of hearings, let alone expert analyses, arriving at the last minute, risking unintended consequences? … It misses on a principle of sound tax reform. It doesn’t do enough to end tax breaks and broaden the base to achieve lower rates, fairness and efficiency in the tax code.”

OKLAHOMA

Tulsa World | EDITORIAL: Senate OKs tax bill, but it is flawed after a rushed process December 10, 2017

“We call on the state’s congressional delegation to make sure that all sides are heard and that the public is kept aware of progress. Quite frankly, this bill was rushed through the Senate with little attempt at bipartisan involvement. … The final bill will affect every American. It is far too important to be rushed. We call for open debate that we hope will result in a fair tax reform bill that helps all Americans.”

OREGON

The Oregonian | EDITORIAL: Rep. Walden, are you working for Oregon? December 8, 2017

“The Republicans’ $1.5 trillion federal tax reform package calls for eliminating a benefit that will end up hitting Oregon and a handful of other states with high taxes particularly hard. … Yet Rep. Greg Walden, Oregon’s only Republican in Congress and a powerful figure in the House, hasn’t said a word about the move to dump state and local tax deductions. The nine-term congressman voted for the House plan, which includes eliminating the deduction that’s been around since the inception of the federal income tax. Without it, some 670,000 Oregonians could end up with higher tax bills. … Walden won’t publicly share what he thinks about eliminating the state and local deductions. Or, for that matter, plans to nix other tax benefits on which vulnerable Oregonians rely, such as the medical expense interest deduction, the veteran mortgage bonds and other affordable housing bonds.”

PENNSYLVANIA

Philadelphia Inquirer | EDITORIAL: Why the Republicans are passing a tax plan they know is flawed December 4, 2017

“Even if the tax overhaul stimulates the economy, the committee said it will add a trillion to the national debt. That projection didn’t move so-called deficit hawks like Sen. Pat Toomey, who after failing to kill Obamacare are desperate for a victory. … The Republicans have learned by now that the president won’t hesitate to put the blame on them if they don’t come through. Fearing his supporters, they would rather pass bad legislation than be accused of hampering Trump’s agenda. … But there’s still time for a larger constituency to be heard. Most Americans won’t benefit for very long, if at all, from this bill, which sunsets most tax breaks for middle-class families while corporate breaks continue. People must contact their senators and representatives. Make it clear that Trump voters aren’t the only ones who can determine a politician’s future.”

Scranton Times-Tribune | EDITORIAL: Tax bill won’t create jobs December 18, 2017

“It includes a provision that would enable companies to ‘repatriate’ up to $2.6 trillion in funds held by their foreign subsidiaries, at tax rates of between 7 percent and 14 percent. … Although Republicans claim that the companies are going to use “repatriated” money for domestic expansion and job creation, the companies themselves generally make no such claims. … Members of Congress who want to create this tax break should be candid about it rather than misleading millions of workers who will not realize any benefit from it.”

York Dispatch | EDITORIAL: GOP has abandoned governing December 12, 2017

“As Republicans in the House and Senate continue to reconcile their competing tax plans, it is instructive to reflect on just what this bill represents. … Not the substance of the eventual $1.5 trillion plan. That’s pretty much decided: Half of the benefits go to the wealthiest Americans, while corporations enjoy huge tax breaks. The only unanswered question is whether the poor and working class will get screwed seven ways from Sunday to pay for it all, or if it will take eight ways.”

TENNESSEE

The Tennessean | EDITORIAL: Sen. Bob Corker, abandon tax reform ship before it sinks you December 18, 2017

“Now is another moment for Bob Corker to show courage. … Will the senator be up to the challenge? … If the recent past is any indication, we think so. … We hope so. … He voted against the rushed GOP tax reform bill once before. … Under the current circumstances, a ‘yes’ vote for Corker would be unwise. …  If the Senate insists on a vote this week, he should return to his previous position and vote ‘no.’ … If tax reform is that important to him and other senators, they should cool their jets, take a break and start over next year with a bill that every member of Congress can understand and explain to the public.”

TEXAS

Longview News-Journal | Shoddy tax study is latest example of flawed process December 13, 2017

“It’s disappointing that most of our state’s lawmakers are trying to seriously portray this ill-planned tax-cut push as following anything resembling thoughtful analysis and appropriate debate. In fact, Sen. John Cornyn is among those leading the charge in the Senate for a hurry-up vote, apparently trying to get a deal done before too much information becomes available and understood — or a new Democratic senator from Alabama can be seated.

VIRGINIA

The Virginian-Pilot | EDITORIAL: A poor excuse for a tax bill December 5, 2017

“Tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations. A tougher time for the middle class. Continued abandonment of regular order in Congress. And no expectation of economic growth as a result. … That seems like a funny checklist for any tax bill. But thanks to the Senate, here we are.”

Martinsville Bulletin | EDITORIAL: A lesson from a Biblical widow December 8, 2017

“He’s also suggesting that the reason a lot of people aren’t wealthy is because they’re blowing their money on ‘booze or women or movies.’ That is both unfair and absurd. … The reason that many people aren’t able to invest their money and become millionaires is because every penny they earn at their job – or jobs – goes toward rent, or groceries, or healthcare, or clothes for their children, or car repairs, or insurance, or fixing the furnace in the dead of winter, or sending a child to college, or supporting an elderly relative, or any number of other things that we all must do while we have less and less money to do it with. To the average working stiff who’s just trying to make ends meet, Grassley’s words are insultingly out of step with reality.”

WASHINGTON

The Columbian | EDITORIAL: GOP Taxes Credibility December 17, 2017

“The process that has brought congressional Republicans to the brink of passing tax ‘reform’ has been nothing short of shameful. … In short, Congress might be about to sell the American people a bill of goods that has undergone little scrutiny. … Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground, repeated the falsehood about tax cuts paying for themselves in explaining her vote in favor of the House version of the tax bill. If Herrera Beutler insists on voting in favor of the final version of the plan, we encourage her to at least come up with a more plausible explanation this time around.”

WEST VIRGINIA

Charleston Gazette-Mail | EDITORIAL: Long-term harm outweighs possible benefits of tax bill December 19, 2017

“Republicans say Americans have a poor opinion of the current tax bill because they view it as a giveaway to the rich. Well, truth hurts. … This entire page could be filled with ways that the Republican tax bill is bad for the United States. Republicans don’t care. Their rich donors want it, and they’re going to get it. … Next year, voters should remember.”

The (Beckley) Register-Herald | EDITORIAL: Tax reform values are unbecoming December 17, 2017

“What the bill makes clear is that the United States is a remarkably prosperous nation, but instead of pointing pooled resources towards the common good of a majority of Americans, congressional Republicans — including Sen. Shelley Moore Capito and Rep. Evan Jenkins, elected to represent our interests — will side with the donor class of millionaires and billionaires who keep campaign war chests flush with cash. … This tax bill, after all, is all about them, the donors and the politicians, not you.

Charleston Gazette-Mail | EDITORIAL: Why rush the tax bill vote before the new Alabama senator arrives? December 14, 2017
“Republicans in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives are patting themselves on the back for reaching agreement on a bill that will give the richest Americans a monstrously large tax break while throwing a few bones to everyday working people. … GOP leaders plan to rush through a vote on the new tax bill before Christmas, once again leaving members of their own party, opposition Democrats and regular old United States citizens with very little time to digest the most sweeping changes to the U.S. tax system in decades.

Charleston Gazette-Mail | EDITORIAL: Tax bill paves way for future cuts

“Republicans in Congress have chosen to put billions of dollars more in the pockets of the wealthiest Americans — at a time when working-class Americans grow increasingly worried about their ability to put food on the table, and care for their children and their aging parents, and save for their own later years. … Shelley Moore Capito, Mitch McConnell and their GOP compatriots in the U.S. Senate rammed through a tax ‘reform’ bill in a late-night vote over the weekend. Although it does many other things, the bill’s main focus — as it has been from the start — was to provide the rich a massive tax break. Mission accomplished. … It seems that they have their win. The GOP has delivered its wealthy backers a huge Christmas present. The majority of Americans will pay for it.”

WISCONSIN

Wisconsin State Journal | EDITORIAL: Predictions of higher federal debt are no joke December 6, 2017

“U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Oshkosh, told a group in Madison this fall he would support a tax overhaul bill ‘as long as it’s pro-growth and doesn’t increase the national debt.’ … Well, so much for that. … Johnson voted for the Senate’s version of a sweeping tax bill last week that, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation, will add $1 trillion to the federal debt over the next decade — even when projected economic growth from the bill’s tax cuts is factored in.”

Madison Capital Times | EDITORIAL: Ron Johnson looks out for himself December 5, 2017

“If anyone had any questions about how sincere U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson is in representing ordinary Wisconsin citizens, those questions were answered during the debacle that was supposed to be a serious reform of the nation’s tax structure. … His concern wasn’t for Wisconsin’s middle class taxpayers, who stand to lose their deductions for the state’s relatively high income taxes, but for ‘pass-through’ companies like his plastics plant in Oshkosh. Both the House and Senate bills had provided healthy tax cuts for the ‘pass-throughs,’ but they weren’t as large as Johnson coveted. … In the end, he got what he wanted as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell jumped through hoops for Johnson and the handful of others who threatened to withhold their vote if their demands went unanswered — a clever use of blackmail to get your way and, in Johnson’s case, more profit.”