| WASHINGTON, D.C. – This Valentine’s Day, American workers across the country are falling in love with the paycheck increases and new job opportunities they are seeing as a result of the tax cuts, bonuses, and pay raises they are seeing because of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
Nearly 400 companies are playing Cupid already and have announced more hiring, additional investments, pay raises, and over $3 billion in bonuses for millions of Americans.
Take a look at some of the valentines American workers are sending the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
A Dozen Roses for Tax Reform:
- “Deana Spoleti, a worker at Sheffer Corp. in Blue Ash, Ohio, who is getting $2,500 via a combination of a tax cut and a one-time $1,000 bonus, plans to use the money to help make ends meet, while also pursuing the dream of home ownership. ‘For my family, my husband Tim and I are in the process of buying a home,’ she said during Trump’s visit to Ohio last week. The cash will also come in handy when her daughter and son head to college next year, she noted.” (Fox Business Network)
- “‘It’s bigger than crumbs like the politicians were saying… It’s bigger than crumbs,’ says Mark Guilbeau of Lafayette. And they’re already making plans for what to do with it. ‘I plan to pay down some credit card debt,’ says Guilbeau.” (KATC-TV)
- “Bruce Zak, owner of Web Hobby Shop in Pontiac, Michigan, said, ‘I am sure it seems like ‘crumbs’ to elitists but I was able to give them a $2 per hour raise because of the tax reform. It was great to do and my staff is very pleased.'” (Liberty Headlines)
- “For the Stoddards and others, every bit counts. ‘We’ll be able to pay more bills,’ said Rich Stoddard. ‘We might be able to go out for dinner. Do the little things we might not be able to do until this kicks in. Honestly, your paycheck, you know where it’s going even before you get it. Now we have a little extra.’” (Effingham Daily News)
- “Hair stylist Breitanya Williams spent part of her bonus fixing the taillights on her Buick Rendezvous — the only vehicle she and her husband own that will fit all four of their young children…” (Chicago Tribune)
- “Williams’ colleague Laura Naven also put her bonus toward her family. She paid down hospital bills left over from when she gave birth to her 4-month-old and put some money into savings. ‘I have two kids, so building up the savings is key right now,’ said Naven, 33, general manager at Five Senses.” (Chicago Tribune)
- “Natalie Farquhar of Port Huron works as a laborer at Center Line Packaging, which is part of FCA’s Mopar division. The 23½-year company veteran was thrilled by the announcement. ‘Wow! Wow, that’s great. That’s wonderful,’ Farquhar said, noting that the investment and bonuses tell her the company is doing well. She said she is hopeful the company will also start making full-time hires of the many temporary workers she knows of at numerous FCA plants. ‘I’m thinking that’s really good. A lot of these people who’ve been putting time in and working will be getting hired and getting full-time positions,’ Farquhar said.” (Detroit Free Press)
- “My working nephew got a nice bonus this month. The pay range of his salary was adjusted upward and he will see that increase on his anniversary review date later this year. His employer is contributing more to his 401K and he will accrue more leave time. These are just a few examples of the changes his employer is doing that are not being publicly announced. His employer made it crystal clear that this was due to the Republican tax cut and the company’s repatriation of money back to the United States.” (Columbus Dispatch)
- “I didn’t really see it coming, but it was a pleasant surprise to hear it,” said Solomon Essex, a warehouse worker at Dynamic Fasteners in Missouri. “I’ve got a vehicle I’m trying to get ready for my daughter. She needs transportation, so [the bonus] will help me out in that instance very much.” (Fox 4 Kansas City)
- “‘I’m very grateful for the bonus and raise I received,’ said Shawn Joy, who has worked as an applicator/operator at [Anfinson Farm Supply in Iowa] for about five years.” (Sioux City Journal)
- “Employees were ecstatic as news of the bonuses rippled through Payne’s office in Massaponax, said Sherry Gillispie, who works in the receivables and billing department. ‘It came at a time when everybody could use it to get yourself out of debt or pay Christmas bills,’ she said. Gillespie said that she put hers in savings, while Jennifer Hayes, who works in the same department, said she used her bonus to pay for everyday expenses. Another co-worker, Mary Drew, said her bonus came in handy to pay her husband’s medical bills. Medicare doesn’t cover everything, she said, and they have deductibles to meet at the beginning of the year. ‘I thanked Danny for it,’ she said of the bonus. ‘I was very happy. Everyone here seemed to be very happy about it in the office.’” (The Free Lance-Star)
- “Gautier resident Vivian Dailey says she’s been waiting to see how Trump’s new tax plan would affect her loved ones. Dailey says, ‘I have relatives, young people that live in Hawaii, live in Texas, Alabama, and Mississippi. Every one of them are starting to get those big bonuses.’ Ocean springs resident Dian Rooks agrees. ‘Everybody can say what they want to about the tax plan. If you’re a family of four, it’s not crumbs. $1000 is a lot of money,’ she said.” (WLOX-TV, Biloxi, MS)
To see the growing number of companies increasing wages, investments, jobs, and bonuses because of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, click here. |