Confusion

 The current Covid-19 relief bill provides 1.9 trillion dollars in an effort to assist those affected by the economic downturn caused by the pandemic.  It passed the House and Senate with exactly zero Republican votes. It seems from their rhetoric that Republicans felt it cost too much money and contained lots of spending they felt was not pandemic related. I’ve heard the amount 9% as what Republicans feel was directly related to COVID-19 relief. I can’t comment as to if that number is accurate or not. I do know one thing. Under the prior administration Republicans pushed through a 1.9 trillion dollar tax cut without support of Democrats. The Democrats felt the package was too expensive and primarily benefited the wealthy. Folks who, one could reasonably argue, did not need any tax relief. It seemed at the time to be another Republican attempt to argue for trickle down economics. Those at the bottom of the economy are still waiting for the money to trickle down. While you may argue like congressional Republicans that too little of the current relief bill is directly COVID-19 related it is certainly addressed to meet the needs of the poorest among us. It seems to be accurate that if you give money to the rich the poor may never see its benefit. If you give money to the poor they will get the benefit of it and eventually it will still reach the hands of the wealthy. So the question becomes the following. What is the best way to get money into the hands of the rich? I think Henry Ford understood it. He wanted to make his cars inexpensive and pay his workers enough so they could afford to buy them. In that equation both sides benefited. Shouldn’t that be what we as citizens and our representatives be working to achieve? A country where our fellow citizens have enough money to feed their families, clothe them, provide adequate shelter and necessary medical care. It should not be so difficult for us to accomplish those things in a country with the wealth and resources we possess. I remain confused as to why.