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

Houston Chronicle ^ | July 8, 2003 | Margaret Gaffin

[DoughtyOne]

Hey, the mood is justified. For some reason people think you and I owe them. The convoluted explanations they use to justify this ranks right up there with such time honored comments as "but all the other kids parents let them" and "but that isn't fair".

[Charlie OK]

excellent post!

[Positive]

"A large percentage of my money goes into a huge black hole via taxes of all sorts."

Good point, "a tax is a tax by any other name."

I had the distinct displeasure of receiving my phone bill this morning. Itemized on it were: Federal excise tax, Funding to support the Public Utilities Commission, 911 State Tax, Calif. Universal Lifeline , Calif. Teleconnect Fund, Federal Universal Service Fee, Calif. High Cost Fund, Interstate Subscriber Line Charge and Interstate non-primary access.

These totaled $28.63 and are shown under the Account Summary as "Other communications charges."

Then of course I had charges for local phone service and long distance calls.

If my bill were the same each month those non-taxes and taxes would equal $344. If I earned $60,000 a year as an example, that would be .6% of my gross income.

Then there are Sales taxes, gasoline taxes, excise taxes, cigarette taxes, booze taxes, toll roads, taxes on the electric, water and gas bills, taxes on Cars, Tires, Smog inspection fees, Real estate property taxes, drivers license fees, Car registration fees, State Income Taxes, Capital gains taxes, Taxes on Airline tickets...I'll bet I've left off no fewer than a couple of dozen.

[LiteKeeper]

I have sent an email to the organization mentioned in the credit line. Will be interesting to see if I get anything back.

[Truthsayer20]

"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."

Hate to break this to you, but the revolutionary tribunal in D.C. has recently decreed that "diversity" is a "compelling state interest". Considering this, any talk of "equality before the law" is mere reactionary propaganda.

[Roughneck]

LOL!

Paying bills with your own money?, taking your children to the show and McDs' without putting your hands in everyone elses pocket? Why, that's scandalous.

And what's with your childrens father living at home anyway. . .? ;>)

[DoughtyOne]

logic / feelings

The two sides of the debate.

[the bottle let me down]

Does she even pay taxes?

In fairness, yes she does. There's the regressive FICA (fascinating how silent most liberals are on that one), as well as sales taxes and the hidden costs of regulations and corporate taxes embedded in everything she buys.

As others have pointed out, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a fully refundable credit that offsets the FICA she pays.

It's also one of the most fraud-ridden programs the government runs. Some have estimated as much as a 30% fraud rate.

[Roughneck]

It's about 9 years too late to start worrying about who she's being shafted by, don't you think?? It wasn't Bush.

Thats too good not to have it repeated!

[roadcat]

"A man that doesn't work, DOESN'T EAT!
(Is it obvious I have a 'mood' going today? :)"

Ha-ha! I work in San Francisco. Market Street is a hell-hole due to all the homeless. The word went out across the country that the libs here give "free" money and services. So this morning as I'm walking down Market Street dragging my case on wheels, because I have to take work materials home with me, there's this homeless guy leaning against a pole with his feet stretched out across the sidewalk. I had to go around him. As I pass, he says "good morning, spare change?". I had a 'mood' thing going, and replied "f**k you, get a job". In the evening, it's an obstacle course getting through all the homeless camped in front of the subway entrance on 8th and Market. These libs don't work, but they do get to eat (in SF).

[cosine]

The Cato Institute has answered your prayers with their Work Versus Welfare Tradeoff paper by Tanner, Moore, and Hartman (http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-240.html). Using data from mid 1990s, the authors list the pretax wages required to earn the equivalent welfare benefits in each state in 1995. In New York, it was $27,300 or $13.30 an hour. In California it was $24,100 or $11.59 an hour. The number one listing was Hawaii with a pretax equivalent of $36,400. The bottom was Mississippi with a pretax equivalent of $11,500.

The basic point was welfare benefits far exceeded the wages from an entry level job so why work? Note that this was before welfare reform.

[ApesForEvolution]

"So offer the tax credit across the board. Call it a tax credit and not an income tax credit."

Your concept is called re-distribution, comrade.

[ApesForEvolution]

America fell into the trap and 'compasstionate conservatives' aren't going to get us out.

[ApesForEvolution]

My favorite manual for better living and eternal happiness.

[ApesForEvolution]

Thanks. I needed that! LOL

I'm still torqued by the poor and proud of it 'I need, I need...' amongst us that have NO sense of personal responsibility and an "you owe me" attitude.

[ApesForEvolution]

People never cease to amaze me, ever.

No humility, yet brazen insistence all the way.

[netmilsmom]

That is amazing.
They earn more than I did before I was married.

[ApesForEvolution]

That would be compassionate, but since I'm 't'd off, I guess it slipped in.

[DoughtyOne]

It's the classic socialist model. You work for the benefit of the state. Your money is the state's, not yours. We let you keep what you deserve. You shouldn't act like you earned it, and deserve to decide how the funds are spent. You should only feel guilty for not getting by on less, and providing more to the state. The state will provide.

This is exactly what this person is advocating, and quite proudly.

[ApesForEvolution]

Yup. Long live the freaking king...