Connect for Kids / Child Advocacy 360 / Youth Policy Action Center - Tax Policy

How Kids Fare in the Federal Budget: the Lowlights

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 13:15:00 -0600

President Bush's fiscal year 2009 budget proposal includes $2.8 billion in cuts to programs that impact children—a 3 percent drop from last year's federal budget. First Focus, a bipartisan children's advocacy organization, takes a reader-friendly look at the numbers and what they say about our nation's priorities.

Expanding the Envelope of Anti-Poverty Initiatives: State Innovations and Innovators

Fri, 21 Jul 2006 10:02:58 -0500

CFK Reports From: Expanding the Envelope of Anti-Poverty Initiatives
Event: Symposium
Organized By: Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program
Where/When: July 18, 2006; The National Press Club
Report By: Kate Carta

This symposium focused on the often overlooked opportunities that public and private leaders have to assist lower income families by bringing down the prices for basic necessities in their everyday lives.

Congress' Spending Priorities out of Whack, Says Poll

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:05:31 -0500

Voters feel Congress is out of touch when it comes to funding education—that's according to a new national poll from the National School Boards Association (NSBA). Of 1,200 respondents, 74 percent said Congress does not do a good job of setting priorities for the federal budget and spending—and needs to change these priorities.

A Hand Up: How State Earned Income Tax Credits Help Working Families Escape Poverty in 2006

Tue, 14 Mar 2006 07:56:12 -0600

Tax time is upon us—for some low- and moderate-income families, it can bring a major relief. State and federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) programs remove tax burdens for these working families, and are available even to those with incomes too low to be taxed. States that enact EITCs can reduce child poverty, increase effective wages, and cut taxes for families struggling to make ends meet, according to a new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Even Start Under Fire

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:10:28 -0500

Even Start is a federally funded effort to improve literacy in very low income families, so that kids will do better in school, and parents can participate in their children's educations and improve their own life prospects. Now, a 56 percent cut in fiscal 2006 and a proposal from President Bush to eliminate all funding in fiscal 2007 has Even Start on the ropes. Cecilia Garcia takes a look at the program, and at the Bush administration's claim that it doesn't work.

The Impact of State Income Taxes on Low-Income Families in 2005

Thu, 02 Mar 2006 07:19:27 -0600

When it comes to tax treatment of the poor, not all states are doing the same job. A new study from Center on Budget and Policy Priorities finds that in nearly half of U.S. states with an income tax, a family of four earning below the poverty line still owes taxes. In fact, the number of states that tax poor families of four increased from 17 to 19 in 2005. At the same time, some states are making strides in expanding Earned Income Tax Credits or raising the income tax threshold for families. Check the state-by-state fact sheets to see where your state stands.

Guide for Employers Promoting Tax Credits and Federal Benefits

Tue, 14 Feb 2006 13:36:18 -0600

Did you know that the Earned Income Tax Credit lifts more families above poverty than any other federal program? Corporate Voices for Working Families recently released its 2006 Employer Guide that builds on its EITC toolkit and offers tips to get the word out to low-wage employees about federal programs that help with tax credits, health care, food, and home heating costs.

The 65 Percent Solution: School Finance Proposal Energizes and Alarms

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 10:53:08 -0500

The idea is simple: Just require that school districts spend 65 percent of their budgets on 'in the classroom' expenses. That, say supporters, would shift about $14 billion dollars a year towards those expenses without requiring any actual increases in school spending. Connect for Kids Editor Susan Phillips reports that the idea is catching hold across the country, but that opposition is also growing.

Economic Recovery Hard for Some to See

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:50:39 -0500

As he prepares to deliver his State of the Union address on January 31, President Bush is talking about recent good news on job creation and economic growth. Meanwhile, Congress is preparing to vote on a new budget and new tax cuts. But in this column, Connect for Kids Advocacy Director Jan Richter says many ordinary families aren't benefiting from this recovery.

A Just Minimum Wage: Good for Workers, Business and Our Future

Tue, 06 Dec 2005 13:34:19 -0600

Arguing that giving low-wage workers a long-overdue pay raise is a moral imperative, this 2005 report commissioned by American Friends Service Committee and the National Council of Churches calls on Congress to raise the minimum wage.

2005 State of Opportunity Report (Colorado)

Tue, 06 Dec 2005 13:29:38 -0600

The Bell Policy Center in Colorado has a �Cycle of Opportunity� concept that goes something like this: if someone gets a good education, he or she is more likely to get a job that pays well. Getting a job that pays well means he or she is likely to be economically self-sufficient, which in turn makes this person more likely to own a home and provide for children. These children are thus more likely to be born healthy and get a good education themselves -- and the cycle repeats.

President Bush on Children's Health Care: Reporting Back

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:47:57 -0500

In 2004, Connect for Kids asked President Bush and candidate John Kerry a series of questions about their stands on critical children's issues. Now, one year into Bush's second term, we're taking a look back at his answers, and how they measure up against administration actions to date. Our first report is on health care.

Budget Cutters� Surprise Target: Popular Child Support Program

Thu, 10 Nov 2005 16:46:02 -0600

A program that�s popular with Republicans and Democrats and that leverages federal money to help more than 20 million children in low- and moderate-income families has become a surprise target of budget cutters. Caitlin Johnson reports on plans to slash support for the federal child support enforcement program.

Are We Ready to Tackle Poverty?

Mon, 14 Nov 2005 13:25:33 -0600

Much has been said about whether Hurricane Katrina was powerful enough to push poverty to the top of our domestic political agenda. Two organizations have conducted public opinion polls to find out. Cecilia Garcia takes a look at what they found.

Deficit Drops, but Don�t Assume Revenues are Robust, says CBPP

Wed, 12 Oct 2005 18:22:57 -0500

The Congressional Budget Office reported that the deficit for fiscal year 2005 will be $317 billion, down significantly both from last year's level and from earlier projections. The reductions are due to an increase in tax collections from last year.