The fundamental Republican scam, since the 1930s: run up the national debt with tax cuts for the rich, and spending that doesn't help most people. Then use the debt to demand cuts in spending that does help most people.

The article speaks of the "two Santas". There is a crucial difference between them: giving in the form of welfare programs helps the people who need it most, whereas giving tax cuts mainly helps the people whose high incomes ought to require them to pay a lot of taxes.