LETTER: Time to narrow the wealth gap

The time has come for narrowing the wealth inequality gap for low-income childless American workers. Many among those care for our elderly, deliver papers, change our tires, or provide service in stores and restaurants. Tax time is stressful and discouraging especially for those whose payroll deductions have dragged them down into poverty no matter how hard they labor to survive.     

On Feb. 9, the Obama administration submitted his final budget proposal to Congress. It again includes a proposal which has had the bipartisan backing of Speaker of the House Paul Ryan among other Republicans and Democrats. The proposal offers relief to neglected low-wage earners who do not have dependent children in the home.

These include older workers whose children are grown, noncustodial parents, and people who don’t have children, often young adults breaking into the job market. The proposal would almost double their earned-income tax credit (raising it to about $1000). This would be a significant work incentive and would put money into local economies. An EITC increase would surely be spent on local goods and services.

In all, the proposed earned-income tax-credit increase for childless workers would economically benefit 13.5 million American wage earners. It would actually lift 500,000 of them out of poverty.

Please contact Montana’s members of Congress, Sen. Jon Tester, Sen. Steve Daines, and Rep. Ryan Zinke, and urge their support for expanding the earned-income tax credit to low-income American workers who do not have dependent children in their homes. —Karen Cunningham, Coram