It’s no secret that “trickle down’’ tax cuts don’t increase jobs, raise wages, or help the 92 percent of Americans who make less than $150,000 a year. (“Tax cuts bump up paychecks but can’t help like raises would,’’ Page A1, Jan. 2) But, in addition to lining the pockets of the already rich, massive tax cuts do cause huge federal (and state) budget deficits. And that is exactly the Republican plan. In ramming through their tax plan, the GOP showed their past attacks on Democrats’ “deficit spending’’ to be pure hypocrisy. The deficits allow Republicans to start saying that the government simply does not have enough money to support anything beyond military expenditures (which they are also rapidly increasing as part of the same strategy). Every remaining government program that helps the majority of families stay healthy or solvent, prevents business mistreatment of consumers and employees, or protects our natural environment and slows climate-change destruction, will “have to’’ be cut. Republicans will then be able to revive their now-silent deficit-hawk chants and push for further demolition of public programs. The time to prepare for this next wave of attacks on our lives and world is now.

Steven E. Miller

Cambridge