Posted on 06/04/2003 4:47:05 PM PDT by FourPeas
MISSING OUT: Poor families face the reality of no tax rebate Wednesday, June 04, 2003 By Ted Roelofs
With six children to look after, a broken-down van and an annual income of about $15,000, Kalala Palmer figures she could use a break. She shops at Goodwill for clothes for her kids and buys them new shoes only on their birthdays. She struggles to pay the YMCA membership she hopes will keep them off the streets. The 26-year-old Grand Rapids resident also is among millions of working-poor families left out in the cold by the $350 billion tax cut signed in May by President Bush. "It hurts, but when you've been poor as long as I've been, you just deal with it," Palmer said. "What do you have to do to get on top?" It's a question under debate this week in Congress, as politicians come under fire for omitting working-poor families from the $400-per-child tax credit going to much of middle-class America. According to analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the tax cut measure leaves families earning up to $26,625 a year with no tax credit. That affects 8 million children. At the same time, $400-per-child rebate checks are expected to be in the mailboxes of millions of middle-class households by July. Though Bush officials defended the measure, it is a void some Republicans are looking to fill before it becomes campaign ammunition for the Democrats. Senate Finance Committee chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, introduced a provision Monday to expand the number of families eligible for per-child tax credits -- and to increase the size of those credits -- as part of a broader effort to make the middle-income child credit permanent. Grassley's proposal would cost up to $90 billion over 10 years. In contrast, Sens. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., and Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, introduced legislation to aid the same poor families, at a 10-year cost of $3.5 billion. Bush aides say the measure signed by the president May 28 is fair, because low-income families like that of Kalala Palmer pay no income tax. White House spokesman Ari Fleisher said poor and minimum-wage families receive government benefits in other ways, through programs such as food stamps, Medicaid and earned income tax credits. "By actually forgiving all income taxes and then giving people money beyond that, it's not the same way other people on the income scale are treated," Fleisher said. U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland, agrees. "Tax reform is not about payments to the working poor," Hoekstra said. "Per-child tax credit is exactly that. It is a credit against liabilities owed to the federal government." Hoekstra said he is willing to consider extra help for the working poor but would make no promises. "If there are certain people in the Senate that want to make direct cash payments to the poor, then we should have that discussion. I don't know whether or not I would vote for it." But U.S. Rep. Vern Ehlers, R-Grand Rapids, believes Congress ought to revisit the issue. "I think it's a reasonable sort of thing to do," Ehlers said. Though working-poor families might not qualify for a tax credit because they pay no income tax, Ehlers thought it reasonable to give them some help, too. "Since the purpose is to help people with children, then it makes sense to be sure it applies to everyone who has children." Though her circumstances are anything but easy, Kalala Palmer tries to find the humor in life to keep her spirits up. She recalled a recent discussion with a friend, who informed her that Congress was going to pass tax breaks for individuals who get stock dividends. "What in the world is that?" she said of stock dividends, starting to laugh. "I ain't got no stock. There's no way I got that stuff. You got to laugh about this stuff because it hurts too much to be crying." Until January, Palmer worked as a nurse's aide, sometimes working double shifts to try to make ends meet. Then she became worried about her oldest son, Terrell, whom she feared was getting into trouble on the streets. She quit her job to keep an eye on him, and now earns money making clothing and doing alterations out of her home. Her aunt pitches in to help with child care, and Palmer also gets a federal subsidy to pay most of her rent. On the wall in her dining room, she keeps a series of sayings she posted at the suggestion of her church pastor. They include such sayings as, "Be Kind to Each Other" and "No Shouting to Each Other," and one reads: "The Palmer name is a good name and we are good people." Outside her house, Palmer looks at her 1989 Chevy Astro van, with sagging suspension, rusty doors that don't open and a large dent on the right side. She muses what it would be like to get a better car. "If I had a car and a nice house, I wouldn't know what to do. One day, all these rainy days are going to end."
The Grand Rapids Press
I must congratulate you for being BOTH a student and a conservative!...the majority of students seem to be indoctrinated into socialistic liberalism. How could you complain?--Answer: by joining the majority of liberal students and instructors.
I stand by my comment on working. An awful lot of women in her situation have simply opted for the welfare route. At least these kids will have a role model of their primary parent modeling the dignity of work. I see your point on taking care of others kids, that was the purpose behind my point about child tax credits. Why should procreation be a tax-subsidized activity?
Sorry to hear about your illness, I send my best wishes for your day-to-day comfort. Surely, from your description, you have earned the right to some peace of mind during this trying time.
A women wit 6 kids and a broke down van by the river. Man dats puthetic! Hey Brandeen! I told you the hole in duh condum trick would pay off! Now we is gettin a check fer each of our kids from different mommas and daddys! Where's Tifffany, Heather, Cody, Dylan, Dermot, Jordan,Taylor, Brittney, Wesley, Rumour, Scout, Cassidy, Zoe, Chloe, Max, Hunter, Kendall, Kaitlin, Noah, Sasha, Morgan, Kyra, Ian, Lauren, Q-Bert, Bill? Tell em Duh gubberment handin out welfare checks again!
LOL!
No ---she isn't at least working ---she quit working to be a stay at home mom, it looks like she doesn't have income from working but wants her "fair share" of the tax refund.
It's sad to see that even Republicans are considering giving those who didn't pay tax in the first place some free money. This isn't a poor working woman --- and I wonder how many of the fathers ever paid their child support.
The article mentions the federal government paying for her rent, at $15,000 with 6 kids, you're going to get a huge stack of food stamps and I believe you easily qualify for WIC. 6 kids will get you food stamps even if you have close to $40,000 a year income. Plus her job is working out of her house making clothing and doing alterations ---how much need is there in that? You still get Medicaid at that low an income. The article is trying to portray her as a working poor but it does admit she quit her nurse's aide job to be a stay-at-home mother ---she used the excuse her son was getting into trouble.
She sounds likea religious honest overwhelmed woman. But what was she thinking having 6 kids on 15,000 a year. To her $400 a child is welfare plain and simple.
I'm not ----he choices should be before the conception ----she could choose to keep her legs together once in a while or use some form of birth control. If she can't afford kids, then her other choice would be to put them up for adoption so that there would be some chance of them learning responsibility and how to hold onto a job. How does a 26 year old with so many small children even find the time to be out man-hunting? She apparently has the time and money for "dating" but can't manage to work because then she needs to watch her children.
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