“to undermine state and local governments ability to provide basic services”
That is a progressive excuse and a canard.
Progressives were and always are merely trying to protect the progressive high taxes imposed in the jurisdictions they are able to impose them. To be able to “provide basic services”? No. It is done to enable all the extra programs they attach as “important” attachments to basic services, and to support their government workers unions demands, and extend local progressive regulatory controls the way they do at the national level.
I would give one temporary caveat - for the next few years - to the demands to keep SALT deductions. I would temporarily keep the property tax deductions. They are taken in jurisdictions that are not Liberal high progressive tax areas, not just the high tax states alone - and we could use some support getting a 1st start at eliminating SALT deductions altogether.
I say that for realistic political reasons, not that on principle alone the SALT deductions should be there. But to me the Conservative principles that say the SALT deductions should not be there also say we should have flat, universal tax rates with ZERO deductions, exemptions, exclusions or credits; just a simple tax on income/revenue everyone pays, period. So all compromises with THAT in the current tax bill would be out the window in my ideal. But we are not there today and do not have the votes for that. So I would agree to dumping the deductions on state & local income and sales taxes, and keeping the property tax deductions, for now, if it would help get some “tax reform” passed.
Who is the progressive?
You propose using the tax code for social engineering, denying some deductions which benefit blue states, but keeping those which potentially could harm Red states if they are lost.
“It is done to enable all the extra programs they attach as “important” attachments to basic services, and to support their government workers unions demands”
Again, you must be talking about the Congressional Republicans.