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Wood County Indivisible rallies over tax proposal

Photo by Jess Mancini From left, Mr. Money Bags, played by Turner Sharp, accepts a bag of money from the Grinch, portrayed by Bill Schleier, on Friday during a protest of the pending tax bill in Congress by Wood County Indivisible.

PARKERSBURG — He’s a mean one, that Mr. Grinch.

Grinch appeared at the protest of the pending tax bill in Congress organized by Wood County Indivisible at Bicentennial Park on Friday.

No one spoke, but the protest was to be symbolic of how the tax reform bill would eliminate the tax benefits benefiting the middle class, said Sarah Townsend, spokesman for Wood County Indivisible.

“They will hurt so many people,” Townsend said.

About two dozen people participated, holding wrapped boxes representing the tax benefits and programs opponents said would be cut, such as the Children’s Health Insurance Program, college tuition credits, deductions for home equity loans, medical expenses and state and local taxes, among others.

Photo by Jess Mancini The Grinch waves to passersby Friday during a rally organized by Wood County Indivisible to protest the tax reform bill pending in Congress.

The wealthiest Americans and corporations will benefit the most, she said.

“The Grinch is taking everything to give to the wealthiest 1 percent and to the corporations,” she said.

Participants, holding wrapped Christmas presents representing the benefits to be lost by the middle class, stood on the sidewalk at Bicentennial Park where the Grinch, portrayed by Bill Schleier, took the boxes one-by-one and gave them to Mr. Money Bags, portrayed by Turner Sharp.

“He takes everything and gives it to Mr. Money Bags,” Townsend said.

While benefiting the wealthy and corporations at the expense of most people, the tax bill also increases the deficit by $1.5 trillion, Townsend said.

Photo by Jess Mancini The Grinch sneaks away with a Christmas present representing the Children’s Health Insurance Program, one of the programs that would be eliminated under the tax reform bill pending in Congress, according to Wood County Indivisible, which organized a protest rally on Friday.

The rally was to get people’s attention on what the bill will do, she said.

On Friday, the tax bill before the Senate was changed to obtain enough votes to ensure passage, including allowing local property tax deductions of up to $10,000.

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