The trends are clear: the code has become increasingly progressive, and when people are allowed to keep more of their own money, they prosper, move up the economic ladder, and pay a bigger part of the income tax bill for those who aren’t."
That is an opinion that's similar to the opinion that if the rich keep more it will trickle down to the middle class. There were tax cut under Bush, remember? The result was not prosperity.
But, let's say accept the general premise that when people bring home more money they can spend more. Well, then raising the minimum wage obviously increases take home pay. No? Ensuring equal pay for equal work also increases family take home pay, especially if the single parent is male or female.
Income tax may be a burden, but it's as low as its ever been, and there's no evidence that the people on the whole are better off. Consumer spending was down this season, iirc. I haven't read many stories of people being pleasantly surprised by the results of the new tax laws. I do not see how they will increase the budget for fixing and maintaining the bridges, tunnels, and highways that are already in disrepair. Our new infrastructure project, "The Wall," will require maintenance and upkeep after construction ... forever, or it will rust away. Not to mention (again) that some form of sea wall till be necessary ... but then there's Canada. But, that's just a costly digression. My point is that unless the government steals money or just prints it up, the corporate sector will not provide the funds needed. Consequently, either income taxes will rise --ideally along with income-- or infrastructure will continue to degrade.
It's also unlikely that much new infrastructure will be created. Trump just cancelled $900 million for a high speed railroad in California, for ex. Anyway, at some point, someone will have to pay. I'm guessing that there'll be a necessary tax increase, and someone will have to be blamed. It'll be the Democrats. And, the Republicans will say that taxes need to be cut more.