本期 Hidden Forces 播客邀请了布鲁金斯学会经济研究高级研究员兼哈钦斯财政与货币政策中心主任 David Wessel，他讲述了“机会区”税收优惠政策的诞生，该政策表面上是为了激励人们投资于贫困社区，但实际上却成了富人阶层在华盛顿政治运作下的另一个税收漏洞。

😥 **机会区税收优惠政策的诞生**：Wessel 在其新书《只有富人能玩：华盛顿在新镀金时代的运作方式》中揭露了“机会区”税收优惠政策的起源，该政策被包装成一种激励人们投资于贫困社区的措施，旨在促进经济增长和创造就业机会。然而，实际上，这项政策似乎主要变成了一个税收漏洞，被富人阶层用来避税。该政策的制定和实施过程也反映了华盛顿的政治运作方式，以及金融和政治权力如何被利用。

💸 **税收优惠政策的实际效果**：尽管“机会区”税收优惠政策旨在促进经济增长和创造就业机会，但实际效果却令人失望。该政策似乎主要被富人阶层用来避税，并没有真正帮助到贫困社区。许多投资都流向了已经发展良好的地区，而不是真正需要资金的低收入社区。

🏛️ **华盛顿政治运作的本质**：Wessel 的书揭示了华盛顿政治运作的本质，即富人阶层通过游说和政治捐款，影响政策制定，为自己谋取利益。这种运作方式导致了社会不平等加剧，许多重要的社会问题得不到解决。

💰 **政治腐败和企业集中化**：除了“机会区”税收优惠政策，Wessel 还讨论了政治腐败、企业集中化等问题。他认为，这些问题是导致社会不平等加剧的重要因素，需要进行改革。

🚧 **基础设施法案和税收条款**：Wessel 还谈到了最新的基础设施法案和其相关的税收条款。他认为，这些条款需要仔细审查，确保其能够真正促进经济增长和创造就业机会，而不是成为另一个税收漏洞。

In Episode 213 of Hidden Forces, Demetri Kofinas speaks with David Wessel, a senior fellow in Economic Studies at the Brookings Institution and director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy. David is also the author of a new book titled, “Only the Rich Can Play: How Washington Works in the New Gilded Age.”

In the book, Wessel tells the story of the creation of a lucrative tax break in which wealthy elites attend to one another, under the guise of social justice and redistribution. This tax break, known as “Opportunity Zones,” was sold as a way to incentivizing people to invest in distressed, low-income communities, with the official purpose of spurring economic growth and job creation, but which in practice, seems to have served primarily as yet another tax loophole in an already convoluted tax code full of them.

The first part of today’s conversation is spent discussing the Opportunity Zone provision itself, the story of its creation and implementation into law, and what this tells us about how financial and political power are wielded in Washington. The second part includes a discussion about political corruption, corporate concentration, the current infrastructure bill and its associated tax provisions, as well as the upcoming elections and Trump’s chances in 2024.

You can access the second part of this episode, as well as the transcript and rundown to this week’s conversation through the Hidden Forces Patreon Page. All subscribers gain access to our premium feed, which can be easily added to your favorite podcast application.

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Producer & Host: Demetri Kofinas

Editor & Engineer: Stylianos Nicolaou

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Episode Recorded on 09/29/2021