Paying for the infrastructure bill

They tell us that the $3.5 trillion spending bill being discussed in Congress will cost the government (us) nothing because President Biden has proposed changes in corporate and individual tax rates, among other things, that will pay for that massive expenditure. It sounds to good to be true, and my bet is that it isn't. The American public has been scammed so many times by politicians who claim that their spending will be paid for by "someone else," not us, that we should be highly skeptical when we hear such pronouncements.

Taxing the rich never seems to produce the presumed results because they use the loopholes provided in the tax code (which Congress approved) to escape or diminish the tax effects. And, taxing corporations seems to produce two consequences, neither one of which is desirable: The tax is simply passed on to consumers (you and me) or, corporations move their headquarters to another country which has a lower tax rate. If our elected officials were really honest about it, they would spell out, so that every citizen cold understand, the exact amount and exact source for the income which would cover all of their spending.

As individuals, we learn early in life that we can't continually spend more than our income and survive. When will our legislatures start understanding that also?

James E. Robinson

Arlington Heights