By a Middle-Class American Taxpayer They said it was a “big and beautiful” bill. What they passed was a Trojan horse: one that sells out the future of working families to protect corporate profit, defend Trump-era tax policy, and undermine the very programs middle-class Americans will rely on tomorrow. As a middle-class taxpayer, I’m notContinue reading “We’re Paying for Their Windfall: Why the Middle Class Should Reject OBBBA”
Tag Archives: civil engagement
Do You Understand the “Tip Income Tax Exemption” Policy?
— A Guide to the Tip Income Tax Relief in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) introduced, for the first time, a federal tax exemption specifically for tip income. This policy targets workers who rely heavily on tips for their livelihood, such as restaurant servers, hotel housekeepers,Continue reading “Do You Understand the “Tip Income Tax Exemption” Policy?”
The Rich Get Richer, the Poor Get Weaker
— How the One Big Beautiful Bill Act Prioritizes Corporate Welfare Over Human Well-being By | Nevada Chinese Perspective In Las Vegas, thousands of workers rely on tips to survive. They are restaurant servers, casino bartenders, and hotel housekeepers—people who uphold the glamorous facade of the city, yet often struggle with unstable wages and unaffordableContinue reading “The Rich Get Richer, the Poor Get Weaker”
I’m Working, But the System Says I’m Not “Qualified”
— How Workers Outside the System May Lose Medicaid Under the One Big Beautiful Bill She Isn’t Unemployed—She Just Doesn’t Fit the System’s Definition of Work Mrs. Liang, 45, works as a self-employed home cleaner in Las Vegas. She supports her family of three through hourly residential cleaning jobs. She has legal status and filesContinue reading “I’m Working, But the System Says I’m Not “Qualified””
Five Transformative Paths of Chinese American Identity
Identity & Ethnicity Series (Part 2) Between Labels and Lived Reality: How Chinese Americans Define “Who I Am” By Voices In Between Introduction｜From Shared Struggle to Personal Reckoning In Part One, we sketched a map of America’s diverse ethnic identities, exploring how various groups navigate the tension between social structures, historical trauma, and dominant narratives.InContinue reading “Five Transformative Paths of Chinese American Identity”
Who Wins, Who Loses? — A Preliminary Look at the One Big and Beautiful Bill Act
By: A Policy Observer Introduction On July 3, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed the One Big and Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) by a vote of 218 to 214. The following day, on Independence Day, the President officially signed it into law. Spanning areas including taxation, social welfare, green energy, and immigration enforcement,Continue reading “Who Wins, Who Loses? — A Preliminary Look at the One Big and Beautiful Bill Act”
A Map of Belonging: The Identity Struggles Across Ethnic America
Identity & Ethnicity Series (Part 1) Through the Lens of Chinese Americans, a Look at Immigrant and Indigenous Identity Journeys By Voices In Between Series Introduction｜Living in the “In-Between” In a country shaped by waves of migration and complex histories, the question “Who am I?” is rarely simple.For immigrants and ethnic minorities in the U.S.,Continue reading “A Map of Belonging: The Identity Struggles Across Ethnic America”
Highest Health Spending in the World, Yet No Universal Coverage in America
— 17.2% of GDP Spent on Healthcare, Yet Tens of Millions Remain Uninsured In 2024, healthcare spending in the United States once again reached a staggering 17.2% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the highest in the world. This means that the U.S. spends more on healthcare than any other country on earth. Yet paradoxically,Continue reading “Highest Health Spending in the World, Yet No Universal Coverage in America”
Holding a Green Card, But Shut Out of Care
— A Chinese Immigrant Father’s Reflection on the ‘One Big and Beautiful Bill Act’ On July 4th, as fireworks lit up the sky and my child waved a small flag, I found myself unable to celebrate. Just the day before, Congress passed the “One Big and Beautiful Bill Act”(OBBBA), and the President signed it intoContinue reading “Holding a Green Card, But Shut Out of Care”
Who Are the Real Winners?
— A Middle-Class Perspective on the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” On July 3, 2025, the U.S. Congress narrowly passed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA) by a vote of 218 to 214. The very next day—Independence Day, July 4th—the President signed the bill into law, turning a symbolic holiday moment into a politicalContinue reading “Who Are the Real Winners?”
