Staff Reports
In a bizarre twist of fate that seems to serve more as a headline grab than a concrete policy change, President Joe Biden has reportedly decided that punching a hole in the tax code for service and hospitality workers is a worthwhile endeavor. What prompted this sudden epiphany remains a mystery, similar to where Biden’s most coherent sentences went—perhaps lost in the Bermuda Triangle of his presidency.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who consistently seems to keep the press in the dark, confirmed on Monday that Biden is on board with the idea of eliminating taxes on tips. This support comes after former President Donald Trump first raised the proposal at a rally in Nevada back in June, demonstrating that while most of Biden’s ideas tend to result in inflationary nightmares, he occasionally has his ear to the ground when GOP policies gain traction.
https://twitter.com/Bubblebathgirl/status/1822624729150226692
The idea was then further parroted by Vice President Kamala Harris, who conveniently decided to jump on the bandwagon during her own Nevada rally. One has to wonder if she showed up with a pen and paper, frantically scribbling down Trump’s policy ideas for her future reference. In any case, it left many scratching their heads, wondering where this newfound concern for service workers was hiding for the past three and a half years.
Despite numerous questions from reporters about the lateness of this conversion to tip tax eradication, Jean-Pierre skillfully sidestepped inquiries into why Biden and Harris didn’t whip up such support earlier. Instead, she waxed poetic about the administration’s historic legislation and their supposed dedication to helping the middle class—a bold statement indeed, considering most middle-class families are currently trying to survive an unprecedented inflation crisis and skyrocketing food costs.
Trump, ever the master of social media theatrics, took to Truth Social to proclaim his victory over the Democrats’ sudden policy shift. He didn’t mince words when he suggested that Harris had simply recycled his idea, suggesting she lacked originality. His post also reminded everyone that she has previously proposed taxing everything in sight. It’s unclear whether Harris will reveal a coherent economic plan or just another vague outline of intentions during her forthcoming announcement. Still, given the Biden administration’s track record, it would be silly to bet much on it.
In the end, the Biden administration’s sudden embrace of eliminating taxes on tips may seem like a noble gesture. Still, one has to wonder if it’s little more than smoke and mirrors designed to distract from their myriad failures. As the nation watches and waits, one thing is certain: political opportunism is alive and well, especially when it comes in the form of a tip jar.
