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Democrats Against Taxing Billionaires [1]

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Date: 2023-09-21  

I’m not much surprised that some former Democratic politicians move over to the dark side and corporate lobbying once out of office. There’s always a certain percentage of people who are in politics for money or power or whatever.

Former senator John Breaux of Louisiana is one such actor who now lobbies for Exon Mobile, Boeing and so on. Typical enough. Not great, but not surprising.

Neal Katyal however is a different kettle of fish. Mr. Katyal is a Dem insider, working for the Obama administration and beyond argueing our cases before the Supreme Court.

Katyal was Acting Solicitor General when Kagan was tapped by Obama to sit on the Supremes. Katyal defended the Voting Rights Act and the Affordable Care Act. Supporting the nominations of Gorsuch and Kavanaugh certainly give pause, but are understandable. Lawyers here of a leftward tilt say Gorsuch was a good judge, fair and open minded, if you were prepared and had a case, you stood a good chance of winning. I’ve no idea what to make of Kavanaugh. Whatever their politics both judges I’d call strongly pro corporate.

Since 16 Katyal has worked on a couple of anti union cases, also with Nestle’s on enslaved children in Ivory Coast, and with the side of the angels on State vs Chauvin if that name rings a bell.

Now Katyal and Breax (bro?) are working on a case to outlaw all wealth taxes. You knew I’d get here eventually. They work for SAFE Saving America’s Family Enterprises, donations tax free thank you very much. Enterprises like the Waltons or whatever. Intergenerational billions with a B. Breaux also lobbies for the Democratic mega donor and mega billionaire James Simons. It’s just an amicus brief, but still, I get uneasy with oligarchs in either party, or knowing how things go, probably the same oligarchs in both parties.

SAFE is a social welfare org, donations are secret, social welfare for billionaires.

It used to be that our parties were split over race and class. Minorities, liberals, and the working class over here, rich people and their hangers on over there. Lately those divisions have been changing up, and the wealthy are migrating. Yes lobbying for billionaires occurs north of Richmond.

I’d like to find out who exactly is funding SAFE, and actually there is a senate bill to require all orgs filing amicus briefs before the Supreme Court to list their donors. It’s part of the code of conduct bill for the Supremes S. 359. Maybe 30 Democratic senators have signed on, no Republicans. I noticed one of my Democratic Senators had signed on, the other hadn’t, so I called, fat lot of good it will do.

Jacobin on Billionaire's tax

Neal Katyal Wiki

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/9/21/2194580/-Democrats-Against-Taxing-Billionaires

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