Service workers praise 'no tax on tips' as Trump visits Monroe County
Local restaurant and bar employees praised President Donald Trump's new tax policy regarding tips during his rally in Monroe County.
On Dec. 9, Trump held a rally at Mount Airy Casino Resort in Paradise Township, during which he spoke about the economy and a variety of other topics. Several locals were among those speaking before Trump arrived in the resort’s convention center, and two were also called to the stage during his speech.
Donna Zajack is a waitress at the Arlington Diner in Stroud Township. She said that she is a single mother who has been a waitress since she was 15 years old, and that her “money doesn’t mean stretch too far” nowadays.
“Pretty much everything I make goes towards paying the bills with taxes,” said Zajack. “These days though, there’s nothing in my paycheck.”
Zajack said that almost all of a server’s paycheck is from tips. She said that under the Biden administration, “it was hard to keep up with the bills or afford any basic things when there just isn’t enough money to go around.”
“Next year is going to be different though,” said Zajack. “Because next year, I’m going to get my taxes back from the tips I earned.”
Zajack thanked Trump and Congressman Rob Bresnahan Jr. and said the law is “the difference between paying my electricity bill in full or in installments. She said her daughter is studying to be a veterinarian, her dream job, and that extra money she gets will be used toward helping pay her tuition.
“I’m going to help her live her dream,” said Zajack. “As a mom, that’s what you want for your child.”
During Trump’s speech, he brought Zajack back up the stage.
Another local resident, Amy Conboy, works at Finola’s Irish Pub, owned by her family, in Stroudsburg.
“I love being a part of our family business, but like many hardworking people, I felt the impact of taxes taking a significant portion of my paycheck,” said Conboy, adding that most of her income comes from tips.
She said Trump and Bresnahan “understand how important it is for working families and young people to keep more of what we earn.”
Conboy said the policy is transformative for her, and many other servers in the community.
“It means keeping more of our hard-earned wadges, saving for our futures, and having the chance to build stability,” said Conboy. “For me, it brings me closer to my goal of one day owning a home and investing back into the community that raised me.”
During his speech, Trump also recognized Megan Hemhauser of Cresco. Trump said that Hemhauser’s husband works “10 to 15 hours of overtime a week, operating heavy equipment, while she bartends and waits tables at night, and homeschools her two children during the day.” He added that with no taxes on tips or overtime, “more than a quarter of their income will be tax-free.”
Trump then invited Hemhauser to the stage.
“The no tax on tips is incredible. No tax on overtime is incredible for my husband, and it all comes back to our family,” said Hemhauser. “It saves us, and it’s for the future of our children.”
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