In honor of President Trump visiting Johnson City Monday night, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) released a list of “Tennessee Examples of Tax Reform Good News.”
Trump’s appearance was a Make America Great Again (MAGA) midterm rally to share “great news” about the economy and support U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) in her Senate race.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that was passed by the Republican Congress and signed by President Donald Trump means 90 percent of wage earners have higher take-home pay, ATR said. The group praised Blackburn’s “yes” vote on the tax cuts.
Garren Shipley, Republican National Committee spokesman, said, “President Trump couldn’t have made the stakes more clear. A vote for Phil Bredesen is a vote for the failed polices espoused by Hillary Clinton – a candidate Bredesen enthusiastically supported in 2016. A vote for Marsha Blackburn is a vote to continue to success our country has seen over the last 20 months. Marsha knows that the tax cuts passed by Republicans and the drastic reduction in burdensome regulations has jumpstarted our economy. Tennesseans cannot afford the Bredesen/Clinton policies and that’s why Marsha Blackburn will be elected to the U.S. Senate.”
Watch the live video feed of the rally Johnson City Press:
ATR provided these, and other, examples of good news:
- Ole Smoky Distillery (Gatlinburg): Bonuses for non-senior management employees proportional to their tenure, purchasing new equipment, opening a new distillery, hiring new employees.
- Excel Boat Co. (Ridgely): Opening a new manufacturing plant with 200 jobs.
- Sugarlands Distilling Co. (Gatlinburg): The Craft Beverage Modernization Act – a key part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act – helped Sugarlands plan a new 42,000 square foot distillery and barrel house. Sugarlands is also investing $2 million in new equipment. A video about the investment is here.
- Ozark Motor Lines (Memphis): Experienced over-the-road and regional drivers will receive 2 cents per mile increase while driving teams will receive an additional 1 cent per mile.
- Tractor Supply (Franklin): Increased wages at stores and distribution centers, invest in new stores, share repurchases.
- HCA Healthcare (Nashville): New investments in facilities, expansion and technology development, increased employee training programs, employee education benefits, and increased family leave.
- Eastman Chemical (Kingsport): Investing in innovation programs, increased capital expenditures to expand manufacturing.
- Dong-A Hwa Sung (Martin): South Korean manufacturer to build new facility with 220 jobs.
- Dollywood (Pigeon Forge): $500 bonuses to employees.
- TCW Inc. (Nashville): Purchasing new equipment, increasing wages, growing health insurance plans.
- McKee Foods (Collegedale): Up to $1,000 bonuses.
- Advance Financial (Nashville): Increase in 401(k) match; increase in profit sharing; increase in charitable donations.
- FedEx (Memphis): Commits more than $3.2 billion in wage increases, bonuses, pension funding due to the recent tax cuts. Pay raises, bonus increases, pension plan increases, and at least $1.5 billion in capital expenditures.
- First Horizon National Corp. (Memphis): $1,000 bonuses to 4,000 employees.
Numerous other examples are on ATR’s website.
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Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes.
