A poor mother: My child's worth tax credit, too

Houston Chronicle ^ | July 8, 2003 | Margaret Gaffin

[samiam1972]

I'm among the millions of men and women being shafted by the Bush administration.

Under the Bush administration's new tax law, families whose taxable income is more than $26,625 will see an increase in the Child Tax Credit of $400 for a total of $1,000. They will get a check in the mail for the difference this summer.

For working families whose taxable income is between $10,500 and $26,625, it's still being debated as to when and if they will receive the credit after they were left out of the bill the first time.

At the same time, the entire tax bill is expected to return an average of $90,000 a year to people making more than a million dollars a year. Not to mention the fact that most of the members of Congress stand to make a windfall from the tax cuts on dividends. But families earning less than $10,500 like mine will remain ineligible for any part of the child tax credit.

My situation is like millions of women around the country. While we work, go to school and care for our children, we often don't get paid well. My dream is to give back to my community by working in social services like being a probation officer. I have lived a tough life and know how trying it is when there is no one to lend a helping hand in difficult circumstances.

Being in human services will allow me to be that helping hand for other families and children facing hard times. I'm going to school full time to complete my associate's degree. This means I bring home $5,600 a year, since I can work only part time. Student loans help pay some expenses, but it still is not enough.

It hurts when my 8-year-old daughter wants to go to the movies or even have a meal at McDonald's and I have to say, "No, Mommy can't afford it." If I had gotten a tax cut, I would spend it on the mountain of bills that face me. Like millions of other working people, I would have put that money right back into the economy.

(Unlike many millionaires, who will most likely put their $90,000 refund in the bank or spend it on stocks or campaign contributions to keep those tax cuts coming.)

The deficit caused by this tax cut is already being felt in states around the country. In Ohio, we had to cut back Head Start programs and medical expenses, leaving millions of children without early education and medical insurance.

It seems shortsighted. The expenses our country will have to pay by not healing ill children and providing a quality education at an early age will be counted not only in dollars, but also in the pain of impoverished human lives.

Twelve million kids, including 1 million military children, are being penalized because their parents are teachers, social workers or in the armed forces. When the president and Congress ignore us, we are being told that our children aren't as valuable as kids who come from families making more than we do. We are told that our children are not worth a tax credit, even though we work and pay taxes like everyone else.

When all the dust settles, I hope our congressional leaders will stop placing higher value on a child from a rich family over my daughter because I am poor.

I'd like to believe that another world is possible, a world where we have equal opportunity, and one child is not favored over another because of skin color or wealth.

Gaffin is a part of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Community Change's Real Voices project and a volunteer at Catholic Social Services. The center, the first project of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Fund, is an advocacy nonprofit and think tank.

[samiam1972]

Does she even pay taxes?

[knews_hound]

Does she even pay taxes?

In a word?

NO

Cheers,

knews hound

[Support Free Republic]

50,000 people go to a baseball game, but the game was rained out. A refund is then due. The team is about to mail refunds when the Congressional Democrats stopps them and decrees that they send out refund amounts based on the Democrat National Committee's interpretation of fairness. After all,if the refunds are made based on the price each person paid for the tickets, most of the money would go to the wealthiest ticket holders. That would be unconscionable!

Free Republic

Your donations keep us fighting liberals

[Paul Atreides]

It sounds as if she is nominating herself for some sort of sainthood.

[lelio]

I hope our congressional leaders will stop placing higher value on a child from a rich family over my daughter because I am poor

Hey life's tough. You made your own decision to have children when you couldn't afford to. How does your lack of preparation equate to me (a childless workin man) paying for your rugrat?

[Paul Atreides]

She details how much money she makes, but doesn't detail how much taxes she pays. Also, she wants her tax cut, then launches into how the tax cut is destroying the country.

[Paul Atreides]

Get this doozy:

I'd like to believe that another world is possible, a world where we have equal opportunity, and one child is not favored over another because of skin color or wealth.

[Chi-Town Lady]

"I'd like to believe that another world is possible, a world where we have equal opportunity, and one child is not favored over another because of skin color or wealth."

Maybe she should be whining to the Supreme Court. They seem to think that the color of a persons skin does matter.

[So Cal Rocket]

What she doesn't understand is that in order for her to get a check for $400... someone else, who works just as hard as her, has to write a check to the Government to cover this expense.

There is no such thing as "Government Money"... the money comes from those folks who work and pay taxes.

[wideawake]

Like millions of other working people, I would have put that money right back into the economy.

I'm sure you would put that money back in the economy, right after you took it from someone else's pocket.

(Unlike many millionaires, who will most likely put their $90,000 refund in the bank

Yup - putting money in a bank sure doesn't help the economy. Hopefully this moron can explain this to the small business owners who lose out when the bank no longer has the $90K in capital to lend out to them.

or spend it on stocks

Yup money spent on stocks doesn't go back into the economy. After all buying part of a business and supplying it with capital in the process has nothing to do with the economy.

or campaign contributions to keep those tax cuts coming.)

Yeah, and those campaign contributions don't go back into the economy, do they? After all, campaigners will only spend that money on having posters printed up, renting rooms in hotels, setting up phone banks, having catered meetings, renting cars - you know stuff that has nothing to do with the economy.

She lives in the richest country in the world, and this joker doesn't understand the most basic economics. No wonder she's poor.

[sirshackleton]

At the same time, the entire tax bill is expected to return an average of $90,000 a year to people making more than a million dollars a year.

We always hear about how much the "rich" folks get back, but we never hear about how much they are paying into taxes.

[Protagoras]

Just another immoral person who thinks that what rightfully belongs to someone else should be taken from them at gunpoint and given to her. She and all like her should be horsewhipped.

[Protagoras]

She lives in the richest country in the world, and this joker doesn't understand the most basic economics

Or morality. She is a moral slob.

[billhilly]

She writes well. She is ignorant. She has at least one child. Does she know who the father is, and if so, what does he do to help support the child?

Her stated wish is to obtain an education so she can enter a low paying career, though she acknowledges that she would like to have plenty of money. She just wants you and me to pay for it.

[Roughneck]

It hurts when my 8-year-old daughter wants to go to the movies or even have a meal at McDonald's and I have to say, "No, Mommy can't afford it." If I had gotten a tax cut, I would spend it on the mountain of bills that face me. Like millions of other working people, I would have put that money right back into the economy.

The child can live without a movie, and she does not need to eat at McDonalds because "our children" are too fat. Why do you have a mountain of bills? Living beyond your means is my guess. Got champagne taste on a beer budget right? Yeah, you' put OUR MONEY back in the economy by going to the movies and feeding your kid big macks.

That aint how it works honey..but what would your kind know about work anyway?

[Bodacious]

"Gaffin is a part of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Community Change's Real Voices project and a volunteer at Catholic Social Services. The center, the first project of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Fund, is an advocacy nonprofit and think tank."

Here's your answer, NO. Where's the child's father? How much is she getting from welfare? Grants? Rent assistance?
If it's so hard for her, when does she have time to volunteer?

[Space Wrangler]

If she only brings in $5600 a year, then not only does she not pay taxes, she probably recieves (and is certainly eligible for) the EIC. And she wants to trash Bush because she isn't getting credit for something that she didn;t pay into? So to sum it up, she's doing the admirable thing and going to school to get her education, but then plans on going into public service where she will be damned to a lifetime of scraping by on a meager salary?? Something is wrong with this picture.

[Roughneck]

samian1972

My previous post was not directed at you, but the made up persona in the article.

Roughneck

[Positive]

Margaret you idiot!

At the same time, the entire tax bill is expected to return an average of $90,000 a year to people making more than a million dollars a year."

Obviously the "entire" tax bill isn't applicable to "people making more than a million dollars a year."

Secondly a person making a million dollars a year is paying about $390,000 a year in Federal Income Taxes. Guess where your school, and your non-profits and other benefits are coming from. Who is paying for your child care? Let's see, school full time, work part time, Washington, D.C.-based Center for Community Change's Real Voices project and a volunteer at Catholic Social Services. If you sleep or eat, your kid can't see much of you.

[discostu]

Ms Gaffin needs some priority action. If you're only making 10Gs and trying to raise a child you shouldn't be volunteering at any NPOs, spend that time down at McDonald's earning some money. When you're incomes actually gets to the point where you pay taxes then you can volunteer and help others, until then there's better uses for your time.