Page 8A
BUSINESS & TECH
East Oregonian
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Report finds GOP tax plan benefits top 1 percent
By ERICA WERNER AND
MARCY GORDON
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The
new GOP tax plan delivers a
big tax cut to the wealthiest
Americans while some in
lower tax brackets would end
up paying more, according
to an analysis Friday from
prominent
nonpartisan
researchers.
The plan being touted
by President Donald Trump
as the biggest tax cut ever
delivers 50 percent of its total
tax benefit to taxpayers in
the top 1 percent, those with
incomes above $730,000 a
year, according to the Tax
Policy Center of the Urban
Institute and Brookings
Institution. For those wealthy
taxpayers, their after-tax
incomes would increase 8.5
percent next year.
For other taxpayers,
though, the benefits are far
more modest or non-existent,
the report finds. Taxpayers in
the bottom 95 percent would
see tax cuts averaging 1.2
percent of after-tax income
or less next year.
And about 12 percent
of taxpayers would face
a tax increase next year,
AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. talks
Wednesday about the Republicans’ proposed rewrite
of the tax code for individuals and corporations, at the
Capitol in Washington.
of $1,800 on average.
That includes more than a
third of taxpayers making
between about $150,000 and
$300,000, mostly because
of the elimination of many
itemized deductions.
The findings came as
Senate Republicans unveiled
a budget plan that lays the
groundwork for their effort
to overhaul the nation’s tax
system. Provisions in the
budget would allow Senate
Republicans to pass the
tax package with a simple
majority of votes, preventing
Democrats from being able
to block the legislation and
rendering Democratic votes
unnecessary.
The Tax Policy Center’s
analysis was based on
an ambitious framework
released Wednesday by the
Trump administration and
congressional Republicans
that aims to reform the loop-
hole-ridden code and dramat-
ically cut corporate rates,
BRIEFLY
Chamber lunch
features overview
from 35 percent to 20 percent.
It’s the GOP’s marquee
legislative project this year,
following the embarrassing
failure on health care.
Trump described the tax
plan Friday as a “giant, beau-
tiful, massive, the biggest
ever in our country, tax cut.”
Republicans immediately
disputed the Tax Policy
Center analysis.
“This so-called study is
misleading, unfounded and
biased,” said House Ways
and Means Chairman Kevin
Brady, R-Texas. “TPC makes
a variety of overreaching and
unrealistic assumptions about
policy decisions members of
Congress still have to make as
we draft pro-growth tax legis-
lation. Republicans are unified
in delivering tax reform that
will lower taxes on middle-
class Americans, ensure they
are able to keep more of their
hard-earned money, and grow
our economy.”
The tax legislation can
advance only after House
and Senate passage of the
budget blueprint. The Senate
Budget Committee intends to
vote on its plan next week.
A companion measure is
headed for a House vote next
week as well.
HEPPNER — An
all-entities report will
be shared during the
upcoming Heppner
Chamber of Commerce
meeting.
The no-host luncheon
event is Thursday, Oct. 5
at noon at Heppner City
Hall, 111 N. Main St. The
meal, which is catered by
Heppner Market Fresh,
includes French dip
sandwiches, a green salad
and dessert. The cost is $10
for lunch.
To ensure there is
enough seating and food,
those planning to attend
are asked to RSVP by
Tuesday by contacting
heppnerchamber@
centurytel.net or 541-676-
5536.
Baker Boyer hires
family advisor
WALLA WALLA —
Baker Boyer Bank recently
announced hiring Cathy
Schaeffer
as a family
advisor in
its Walla
Walla
office.
As the
executive
director of
Schaeffer
the Walla
Walla
Watershed Alliance and
Partnership organizations
from 2002-13, Schaeffer
was instrumental in
coordinating efforts among
federal, state, tribal and
local governments to arrive
at a nationally recognized
joint approach to water
management.
She will use her
project management
experience, listening skills
and expertise at opening
dialogue on difficult topics
to help solve complex
problems with Baker
Boyer.
In addition, Schaeffer
has been a business
manager for an
agricultural association,
a staff accountant for
HERMISTON
Eastern Oregon Telecom breaks ground on new building
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
Eastern Oregon Telecom
broke ground Wednesday
for a new building that will
combine the company’s
business and warehouse
operations into one location.
The new building on
Kelli Avenue just off South
Highway 395 is expected to
be finished by May 1, 2018.
CEO Joe Franell said
10-minute trips back and
forth between the current
business offices and the place
where the company stores its
trucks and equipment can
really add up.
“It ends up being a lot of
time, so our primary reason
for moving is for efficiency’s
sake,” he said.
He said the location along
South Highway 395 is also
more central to EOT’s service
Staff photo by Jeanne Jewett
Eastern Oregon Telecom staff break ground on their
new building on South Highway 395.
area. The Kelli Avenue loca-
tion in particular is advan-
tageous because it has two
different entrance and exit
points — onto the highway
or onto Feedville Road. That
area of town is also expected
to see an increase in traffic
due to the newly completed
Eastern Oregon Trade and
Event Center and the Ranch
& Home store currently
FRIENDS &
FAMILY
under construction.
“That’s a growth area for
our community,” he said.
The new building will
have a better layout for office
space, Franell said, and will
have almost double the
amount of space for trucks
and equipment storage. The
company plans to hire two
more employees in the next
six to 12 months.
Construction is being
completed by McCormack
Construction Company of
Pendleton and the developer
is Richard Hunsaker, who
handled the Holiday Inn
Express in Hermiston.
Eastern Oregon Telecom
offers high-speed internet and
voice services in Umatilla and
Morrow counties.
72 mos.
OR up to
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for
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OPEN 8 AM - 10 PM
The final day for Del’s
Feed and Farm Supply in
Hermiston will be Oct. 28.
The farm supply store
on North Highway 395
announced in the spring
that it was closing its
doors this year as part of a
larger decision by parent
company Tractor Supply
Company to close various
locations around the
Pacific Northwest.
“Our decision to
close these locations was
based on many business
factors, and we came to
this decision after much
analysis,” John Logan,
regional vice president at
Tractor Supply Company,
said in a statement. “Del’s
has been a part of the
Hermiston community for
many years, and we are
thankful to our customers
for their loyalty and
business.”
Close-out sales began
Tuesday, with discounts of
15 to 25 percent, and will
continue until the store’s
last day on Oct. 28.
———
Business briefs are
compiled by the East
Oregonian and published
each Saturday. Send your
buiness information to
newsroom@eastoregonian.
com.
Outstanding
savings on
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remaining
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3,000
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Del’s Feed and
Farm Supply
to close Oct. 28
%
APR Financing
2017 Camry
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a telecommunications
company and a senior
accountant for a local
accounting firm. She also
has served on several
boards and coalitions.
“Cathy’s diverse
background is an ideal fit
for this important role,”
said Rob Blethen, vice
president family advisor
manager.
Established in 1869,
Baker Boyer Bank
continues to grow and
build on strong community
ties. In addition to
locations in Washington,
the bank has a branch in
Milton-Freewater. For
more information, visit
www.bakerboyer.com.
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