'Bad news' as tax expert warns GOP plan will only 'make things worse'

A column in the Houston Chronicle gave a detailed analysis from a Republican tax expert who warned that voters aren't going to like Attorney General Ken Paxton's economic plan.

Writing Monday, editor Evan Mintz began by saying that at the very least, Paxton is paying attention to the economy and the plight of Americans struggling.

"Here’s the bad news," wrote Mintz, "Paxton’s economic agenda won’t help, and it might actually make things worse."

Paxton, like most Republicans, wants tax cuts for out-of-pocket medical expenses and a $5,000 deduction for healthy lifestyle choices. He also wants a $50,000 deduction for first-time homebuyers.

The problem is that most Americans won't benefit from that kind of tax cut because they don't itemize their tax returns.

The columnist spoke with George Callas, who served as the senior tax counsel to Speaker of the House Paul Ryan. "That’s all to say: This guy bleeds Republican red, and he knows tax policy. So I called him up and asked him what he thought."

Callas called it “not only ineffective, but counterproductive." Also, he's certainly not reinventing the wheel with the policy. “He’s not a pioneer here.”

"Democrats have long used the tax code to benefit specific causes or hand out goodies to voters. Historically, Republicans focused more on promoting an economically efficient, pro-growth tax code — even if they didn’t always live up to their own ideals," said Mintz. "That changed in the age of Trump."

According to Callas, “It’s all downstream from Trump’s lack of interest in good tax policy and successful campaigning on ‘no tax on blank.'"

The Republican tax expert explained that if Paxton truly wanted to do something that would make a difference in the affordability crisis, he should work to "end the war in Iran to let petroleum and fertilizer flow again[,] remove Trump’s tariffs that drive up the prices of everyday goods and pass an immigration bill that ensures the agricultural, construction and healthcare industries have the workers they need to grow food, build homes and keep Americans healthy."

None of those things are on Paxton's political agenda.

After decades of the fight being between Democratic and Republican tax policies, Mintz closed by saying it's now a difference between people who care about policy and those who only care about politics and big promises. "Paxton’s Texas Promise Agenda shows he’s clearly in the latter."