Biden sees economy ‘through the eyes of Scranton, not Mar-a-Lago’

SCRANTON — President Joe Biden on Tuesday talked a lot about his record and his plan to help seniors and the middle class and how his opponent will only help the rich get richer.

“Folks, he’s coming for your money, your health care, and your Social Security, and we’re not gonna let it happen,” Biden said before a crowd of about 200 supporters and donors at the Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple. “We can’t let that happen — we won’t let that happen.”

Greeted with a standing ovation and shouts of “Four more years,” Biden paused at times to offer memories of growing up in Scranton. Biden kept hammering at Trump and what his presidency would mean for hardworking Americans.

“Now Trump is running again on the same failed trickle-down policies,” Biden said. “Nothing has changed. Just a few months ago at a closed-door event in Mar-a-Lago, he told his billionaire donors, ‘You’re rich as hell. We’re going to give you tax cuts.’ Folks, they laughed about it — not because they didn’t think it happened — but because they know it will happen.

“No billionaire should pay a lower tax rate than a teacher, a sanitation worker, a nurse.”

Talking about Scranton and his childhood home in Scranton’s Green Ridge section, Biden seemed most comfortable during his speech.

“Scranton is a place that climbs into your heart and never leaves,” he said. “I learned a lot in Scranton. I learned that money doesn’t determine your worth.”

Biden said, “All everyone wants is a fair shot. People like Donald Trump learned a different lesson — his money was handed to him.

“When I look at the economy, I don’t see it through the eyes of Mar-a-Lago — I see it through the eyes of Scranton. I prefer Scranton values over Mar-a-Lago values. I’m a capitalist — if you wanna make a million bucks, fine, just make sure you pay your fair share in taxes.”

Biden also took the opportunity to slam Trump for his handling of the pandemic — referring to a “duty to care and a duty to respond.”

“Trump told us to inject bleach, remember that. Bless me, Father,” Biden said.

Biden said there are about 1,000 billionaires in America, and their average tax rate is 8.3%. He said he wants a minimum federal income tax of 25%.

“I’ll protect Social Security and Medicare, and I’ll make the wealthy pay their fair share,” Biden said.”And I’ll expand the child tax credit, because no child should live in poverty.”

Biden talked about his young life in Scranton and his second hometown, Claymont, Delaware. He spoke of his Uncle Ambrose Finnegan, who served and died in WWII.

“His name is etched on the monument down by City Hall,” Biden said. “The Trump line that offends me the most is when he refused, as president, to visit the American cemetery outside Paris because he said those who fought were ‘suckers and losers.’ Who the hell does he think he is? These are America’s heroes he’s talking about. Listen to what he says, because you know he means it.”

Biden also said that Trump wants to get rid of the Affordable Care Act and as a consequence, he said that would cost millions of American who lose coverage an average of $6,000 a year. And he said it would mean billionaires get a $3.5 million tax cut.

“You heard that right — billionaires would each get a tax cut of $3.5 million every year. That’s 70 times what a typical family here in Scranton takes home in a year. Under my plan, nobody earning less than $400,000 will pay an additional penny in federal taxes. Nobody. Not one penny. I want to cut taxes for hardworking folks here in Scranton and across the country.”

Biden spoke before a sign that read: “Tax Fairness for All Americans” in big white letters on blue background. Multiple American flags lined the back of the stage, which was flanked in front by large American and Pennsylvania flags.

Alexis Eroh of Plymouth reacted to Biden’s speech. Eroh, a Democrat, is a member of Plymouth Borough Council.

“The President’s message today should resonate with the hardworking residents of Northeastern PA who feel that big corporations and billionaires are not paying their fair share,” Eroh said. “It’s encouraging to know that the people of NEPA are front of mind to President Biden because our families and neighbors are increasingly feeling the pressure of cooperate greed.”

After the speech, Biden visited his childhood home home is 2446 North Washington Ave., where he was met with a crowd cheering, including what looked like many school kids with signs that said Welcome Back President Biden.

President Biden returned to Pennsylvania for a three day swing across the state, anchored by his major economic address in Scranton.

Pennsylvania is the largest battleground in the country, and will play a key role in the Biden-Harris campaign’s pathway to 270 electoral votes.

Biden said he has brought his Scranton values to Washington, D.C., and he has delivered for the people of Pennsylvania — providing emergency pandemic relief to every city, county, and town; helping to create nearly half a million jobs; cutting costs for millions of people; and rebuilding roads and bridges across the state.

Meanwhile, the Biden campaign states that Trump and his MAGA allies in Pennsylvania are saddled with a deeply unpopular agenda of toxic abortion bans, attempting to undermine our democracy, and pushing for tax giveaways to the very wealthy at the middle class’s expense — all issues that have cost Pennsylvania Republicans election after election since 2020.

Biden’s stop opened three straight days of campaigning in the critical battleground state of Pennsylvania — he will travel to Pittsburgh on Wednesday and then to Philadelphia on Thursday, while, as his campaign stated, “his opponent spends much of the week in a New York City courtroom for his first criminal trial.”

“Joe Biden has never forgotten where he’s from,” Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti said before Biden’s speech.

Gov. Josh Shapiro echoed those comments, adding, “This is a guy who has never forgotten the people he grew up with. “They’re the people on his mind, and they’re the people in his heart. and he is putting money back in your pocket every day.”